Ling Qi Wu opened Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum on West Sixth Street in 2018, and within a few years Austin had a contender for the best Chinese cooking in Texas — hand-folded dim sum and Sichuan-leaning plates that drew, among others, a visit from Martha Stewart. The city's Chinese scene has deepened since. These four rooms are the ones worth crossing town for in 2026, each with the chef, the dish to order and roughly what dinner runs.
The Four to Book
Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum
Chef Ling Qi Wu's flagship at 1203 West Sixth Street fuses Szechuan spice with Texas produce, and the dim sum is made by hand to order rather than wheeled around on a cart. Start with the chicken-and-shiitake sui mai and the volcano crispy shrimp, then the orange-peel Akaushi beef — the dish that shows off the local-beef sourcing she is known for.
Book the weekend dim sum brunch on Resy and order the smoked duck. Best for a long, sprawling lunch with a table of friends.
Qi Austin
Ling Qi Wu's upscale downtown sibling is the dressed-up version of Lin: a farm-to-table modern Chinese kitchen where the signatures turn luxe, including scallop sui mai topped with caviar, Akaushi beef potstickers and a salt-and-pepper lobster. The weekend dim sum brunch is the most refined version in the city.
Come for the caviar sui mai and the lobster. The pick when you want Chinese cooking dressed for a celebration.
Wu Chow
Executive chef Ji Peng Chen, who spent four decades cooking across New York's Chinatown and Queens, runs the kitchen at Wu Chow on West Fifth Street, drawing on the eight regional styles of Chinese cuisine. The Sunday dim sum brunch is widely held to be the best in Austin, with soup dumplings worth the queue.
Reserve Sunday brunch and lead with the soup dumplings. Best for a downtown table that wants range and a serious dumpling.
Old Thousand
Old Thousand, on East 11th Street with a second room on South Lamar, plays new twists on American-Chinese standards in a vintage-leaning space. The brisket fried rice, black-pepper tofu and pineapple beef are the dishes regulars order, and the kitchen keeps a deep bench of vegan options that most of the city's Chinese rooms don't.
Get the brisket fried rice and the black-pepper tofu. Best for a casual, vegetarian-friendly dinner on the east side.
Where Austin Chinese Fits
For hand-made dim sum, Lin Asian Bar and Wu Chow are the two to plan around; for a dressed-up celebration, Qi turns the same kitchen up a register, and Old Thousand is the easy east-side weeknight. See the broader picture in our Austin dining guide and our best Austin restaurants for solo dining, the global best Chinese restaurants and fine-dining worldwide, and the full Austin dining guide for neighbourhoods and bookings. Hosting clients? Cross-check our best restaurants to close a deal and ideas for a first date.
Not for
Skip these if you are after cart-style, tick-the-card dim sum or cheap late-night takeout — this is made-to-order, sit-down Chinese cooking at restaurant prices. For a strip-mall noodle counter or a 2am order, a different guide will serve you better.
Frequently Asked
What is the best Chinese restaurant in Austin?
Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum on West Sixth Street is the consensus pick, from chef Ling Qi Wu, built on hand-folded dim sum and dishes like the orange-peel Akaushi beef. For a dressed-up evening, her downtown Qi Austin is the more luxurious option, while Wu Chow downtown wins on its Sunday dim sum brunch. The right choice depends on whether you want lunch dumplings or a celebration dinner.
Where is the best dim sum in Austin?
Lin Asian Bar, Qi Austin and Wu Chow all serve made-to-order dim sum rather than cart service. Wu Chow's Sunday brunch is the most celebrated, with standout soup dumplings; Lin's weekend brunch is the most consistent; and Qi's is the most refined, including scallop sui mai with caviar. Book ahead, because all three fill their weekend dim sum slots quickly.
How much does dinner at Lin Asian Bar cost?
Plan on roughly $30 to $60 per person at Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum before drinks, depending on how many dim sum and shareable plates you order. The Akaushi beef dishes sit at the higher end, while a dim sum lunch can land well under that. Qi Austin runs higher once the caviar and lobster dishes are involved.
Who is the chef at Lin Asian Bar in Austin?
Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum is the restaurant of chef Ling Qi Wu, who opened it in Clarksville in 2018 and is often called Austin's leading Chinese chef. She also runs the upscale Qi Austin downtown. Her cooking pairs Sichuan technique with Texas produce, including local Akaushi beef, across a menu built around hand-made dim sum.
Which Austin Chinese restaurant is best for a group?
Lin Asian Bar and Wu Chow are the strongest group choices, both built for shared, made-to-order dim sum across a big table. Old Thousand in East Austin is the better casual, vegetarian-friendly option for a relaxed crowd. For a celebratory group dinner, Qi Austin downtown has the room and the dressed-up menu. See the Austin dining guide for more.