China is a hot topic these days, even on a local level, with the Europalia China festival just finishing up its four-month run. While every small village the world over seems to boast at least one Chinese restaurant, only one Belgian city has its own official Chinatown: Antwerp.

Perhaps more aptly called “Chinastreet”, Van Wesenbekestraat, just a stone’s throw from the Central Station, is home to a collection of Asian shops and Chinese restaurants, as well as doctors, travel agents and churches serving the local Chinese population. The street also plays host to an annual Chinese New Year celebration, featuring firecrackers and the requisite Lion Dance.

On Van Wesenbekestraat, you’ll also find several restaurants worth a visit. City Palace is the largest of the lot. With its fake-Chinese-temple exterior and seating capacity for up to several hundred, this is a far cry from the little Chinese take-away down the street from your home.

I have expat friends who say that City Palace gives them the feeling of an American Chinese restaurant. My go-to Chinese hole-in-the-wall in the United States was quite a bit cosier, but a lot of the same dishes appear on the menu, and I agree: something about the linoleum floors and basic décor smacks of familiarity.

The food is good, the presentation is absolutely ordinary, and the pricing is very reasonable – pretty much exactly what I look for in a Chinese restaurant. City Palace is popular for Dim Sum, and that part of the menu features an accompanying photo guide to help you make your choice.

Oriental Delight is another local Dim Sum hot spot. The setting is more intimate and more comfortable, and we got a lot farther in terms of communication with the waiters – largely in English.

Oriental Delight received a Gault Millau distinction in 2008, and it does feel a notch above its competitor across the street. But, food-wise, I didn’t find a vast difference. It’s good quality, good value and worth a return visit.

The Chinese New Year celebration in Van Wesenbekestraat is on 20 February from 13.00

www.chinatown-antwerpen.be

Contact Bite at [email protected]