Jia No.18 Stowell Street

Jia No.18 Stowell Street is a wonderful restaurant with great interior decoration. As a Chinese person I can highly recommend it to people as a place to go for good value, large portion sizes and a nice atmosphere.
This restaurant was opened at June 8^th, 2011 and is situated in No.18 Stowell Street in Newcastle’s China town. Importantly, it has a convenient car park. You will usually see a number of Chinese people dining there, which is a good sign that this is one of the best Chinese food restaurants in Newcastle.

There is no particular style of food that they specialise in, it is just authentic "Chinese" food including Sichuan style dishes, home style selections and Cantonese style dishes. Recently Pekingese dishes have been added to the already extensive menu. Ever since, this restaurant includes almost all the styles of China mashed together to form a highly diverse menu.

No. 18’s specialties are Spicy Hot Poached Fish Fillet, Chicken with Dry Red Chili and Pepper (both Szechuan style dishes), Sizzling Seafood with Japanese Tofu and Cantonese Style Roast Duck (both Cantonese style dishes). I tried a range of these specialties and therefore can assure you that they are all really delicious.

Spicy Hot Poached Fish Fillet (水煮鱼)

Spicy Hot Poached Fish Fillet is my personal favourite. It costs just £9.50 for a big portion. This is a traditional and authentic Chinese dish from Sichuan province, so it is rather hot and spicy. However, this is no mistake of the restaurant at all, but rather how Sichuan food is supposed to be. If it wasn't hot and spicy then it would not be Sichuan!

There is also a variety of drinks - I would highly recommend trying the Red Bean Flavoured Milk Tea (£2.95) and Taiwanese Milk Tea with Tapioca Pearls (£2.80), the most popular beverages during the summer season.

The service at No.18 is nice enough and the prices are reasonable for what is on offer especially given the generous size. It would probably make sense to order a few dishes to share to begin with and add more if needed.

No. 18 Stowell Street is a great option on the list of fabulous restaurants available in Newcastle upon Tyne. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone as long as they continue to serve food as good as this.

Red Diner

Red Diner, one of Newcastle’s Chinese restaurants, is located on 42 Stowell Street. What sets the oriental restaurant apart is its Karaoke rooms. While during the day good quality food is prepared by a Hong Kong chef, at night, eight Karaoke rooms are open till midnight. With a capacity of six to twenty people every room has a minimum expense on food and drinks instead of a set fee.

Walking into Red Diner, their exquisite decoration catches the eye. Chinese paintings on the wall show its logo and name in both Chinese and English. A large and vivid image of a peony is especially prominent.

I pick a seat near window. The bamboo chair and dark wood table with their typical Chinese character make me feel at home. Red Diner offers Sichuan dishes and Cantonese cuisine, two totally different styles of cooking in China. I tried two dishes, one of each cooking style. Especially the mouth-watering Sichuan chicken with a lip tingling spicy sauce impressed me very much. This dish belongs to traditional Sichuan cuisine with very spicy flavour and peanuts on top.

Sichuan chicken with a lip tingling spicy sauce (四川口水鸡)

One of the Cantonese dishes is the seafood Tofu hot pot with a range of different ingredients. Its nutrition value is comparatively high, and its soft taste makes it even better.

Seafood Tofu hot pot (海鲜豆腐)

Red Diner’s food is popular with both Chinese people as well as the local British. They have different menus and changing special offers every day, which is why this restaurant is definitely worth its money.  The average price for fried rice plus portion of vegetables is around £18, however the portion was big enough for two meals. During daytime, there are fewer guests, so the place is very quiet. If you prefer this, then coming here for lunch or an early diner is a good choice .

At night, the atmosphere changes completely. People will come in large groups with several friends, to sing Karaoke and have a good time. With advanced equipment, comfort sofa and soft lighting in each of the Karaoke booths people can relax themselves after a day’s busy work. Most importantly, the latest chart songs from the USA, UK, China and other countries are on the list of songs available.

Personally speaking, I like the private rooms where you can get food while singing Karaoke. Recently, I had my own surprise birthday party here with over twenty friends. I really enjoyed it not just because of the birthday discount, but also the memorable night I spent singing and eating with my friends. 

No.1 Oriental Buffet

Tucked away in Newcastle’s China Town is an exotic food paradise——NO.1 Oriental Buffet. Offering traditional Chinese food in a unique, lovely furnished house, it attracts food lovers of all ages and all nationalities all year around.

Food for hot pot

If you love to eat out at different restaurants with a wide variety of house specials, listen to melodious music while enjoying a lovely atmosphere; if you are addicted to all kinds of authentic Chinese food like hot pot (Chinese-style fondue) and Malatang (spicy meat and vegetable skewers) No. 1 is your ultimate choice, because it boasts over 70 dishes created on-site.

The experienced chefs serve dishes including tasty starters ranging from traditional Chinese soup to delicious pancakes. Their meat and seafood main dishes are rich with the finest ingredients and spices, with a variation of rice and noodles available as satisfying accompaniments. Since the owner is very considerate, No.1 also provides a low calorie option. Filling the buffet trays are various vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins and minerals. They never fail to make the visitors mouth water. In addition, the good service that is provided at No.1 never fails to put customers in a good mood.

At No.1 children are very welcome, so it has become a firm favorite with families who appreciate the relaxed atmosphere. Time spent eating with the family is precious and cannot be measured in terms of money. This is why meeting at No.1 is also a good way to bond with your family. Besides, the whole family eating together thing is one of China’s big traditions.

No.1's user-friendly principle caters to all, with 10% discount available to students and children - making the restaurant as deliciously agreeable as possible.

During the week, you can enjoy your lunch for £5.50, or a Happy Hour dinner for £6.50. On a Saturday night you can enjoy the Grand Buffet for £9.50; a hard price to beat for a city center night out. The restaurant itself can seat 155 people and the 'all you can eat buffet' is set throughout the day with various meal options available for those who wish to indulge that little bit more. Stack those plates high!

So whether you’re authentic Chinese cuisine lover or wanting to treat someone to an exotic dinner, No.1 Oriental Buffet can offer an affordable and enjoyable answer for you to go.

Happiness Inn

Located in the city centre, Happiness Inn opened its door 50 years ago and is still one of the best oriental restaurants in Newcastle. In fact, just ask any locals to recommend a Chinese restaurant and they are bound to answer with a smile: Happiness Inn. 

It boasts over 60 Chinese dishes, covering Cantonese food, Sichuan food and Dongbei food, including starters, main courses and desserts.

This is a lovely restaurant, quiet and well decorated. The beautiful pictures on the walls make you feel as if you have been invited into their home. The staff members all have great personalities and get on really well with anyone who steps through the door.  Chefs here follow old recipes, MSG-free, minimising salt and oil for a natural and healthy take on Oriental food.

Daniel, a 25-year-old teacher, said: “I have been to this restaurant since I was 7 or 8 years old and I still love to go. The food here is always the best”

Spare ribs in black bean sauce 粉蒸排骨)                            Har-Kauw (shrimp dumplings 虾饺)

I strongly recommend you try the home-made Dim Sum. Dim Sum is a type of Cantonese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions and served up in small steamer baskets or on small plates. The Dim Sum here not defrosted rubbish but made freshly on the premises. Try the Sui-Mai (pork and shrimp dumplings 烧麦), Won-Ton (馄饨), Har-Kauw (shrimp dumplings 虾饺) and of course the Cheung-Fan (rice noodle wraps 拉肠粉). The salt and pepper king prawns or the Kung-Pow Chicken (宫保鸡丁) are also outstanding.

Whatever your choice, Happiness Inn is worth a lunchtime visit, if you would like to taste some real Chinese dishes.

Heihei

Describe Heihei in one word? Stylish. The first thing you will notice when you walk through that door is the red and black motive which runs through the entire restaurant. Every little detail fits, even the black chopsticks with the restaurant’s logo give it the touch of class that sets it apart from others.

All show and no go you might think, but then you don’t know Heihei.

How good the food is becomes obvious at a glance. The place is packed with Chinese people and it is not uncommon to spend some time in the tiny waiting area or even on the street if you forgot to book a table – sometimes the wait might even take up to an hour. If you are hungry this is fatal.

If you do remember to call you are in for a treat. While the main focus is on Cantonese dishes, Heihei’s big strength is variety. If you had no idea that there is more to Chinese food than Chop Suey and Sweet Sour sauce, then you need to come here. From Beijing to Sichuan (the spicy province) there is something for everyone on the bi-lingual menu.

Chongqing chicken with chili(辣子鸡)

If you are brave enough you should try the Chongqing chicken with chili(辣子鸡). I challenge anyone who doubts this is the best in Newcastle to find a better one. These chicken chunks in a crispy batter are served boneless, which is highly untypical for genuine Chinese food and a welcome move to most Western mouths. The spicy explosion will probably cause some beads of sweat if you are not used to the inhuman degrees of spice that are typical for the areas Chongqing and Sichuan. The glaring red of countless dried chilies are warning enough: not for the faint-hearted.

Braised whole aubergine(鳗鱼茄子)

Another gem is the braised whole aubergine(鳗鱼茄子), a tasty change from the regular Chinese-style aubergines in soy sauce or sweet sour sauce. This one has been sliced but remains as one, deep-fried in batter and is positively ‘squishy’.

Shredded pork in Hoisin garlic sauce(京酱肉丝)

Although the overall quality of the food is very impressive there are one or two things you should be aware of. First of all, since this is Cantonese style cooking, certain dishes such as the shredded pork in Hoisin garlic sauce(京酱肉丝) are served without sugar. If you are used to the sweet sauces of Northern cooking you are in for a surprise. If, like me, you just can’t get your head around this you only have two choices: avoid these types of dishes or ask them to add sugar.

Also, prices are a little higher than in Chinatown – Heihei is one of the few Chinese places not located on or in close proximity to Stowell Street. If you enjoy good fish you will have to calculate £15 upwards per dish. However, the considering the atmosphere, the popularity and the yummy dishes, it is definitely worth it.