Twelve Secrets of Chinatown

The three mile stretch of Spring Mountain Road that run west, perpendicular to the Strip, is better known as Chinatown (locals usually refer to it as Spring Mountain). It starts around a mile east of the Strip and may not have as dramatic an entrance as other Chinatowns—there’s no dragon gate, it’s marked only by a few Tang Dynasty-revival strip malls—but that only adds to the mystery. Packed with restaurants, foot spas, Asian supermarkets—the area’s hot spots represent most East Asian countries. Wander this area and you’ll find tiki lounges, after-hours dessert dens, and even French fine dining. In other words, Las Vegas’ Chinatown doesn’t stop. If you need a few ideas for your Spring Mountain adventure, here are some favorites.

Dine inside a grocery store

Tucked inside Shun Fat Supermarket at Pacific Asian Plaza. Big Dan Shanxi Taste, unassuming as a tiny dining spot in a grocery store can be, happens to be a 2022 James Beard nominee and one of the more unique Chinese restaurants in the city. Specializing in the cuisine of the northern China city of Xi'an, it serves dishes you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Look for like hot oil belt noodles, spicy cumin lamb burgers, and anything doused with traditional aged Shanxi vinegar, like the vinegar glazed spare ribs.

Take in the theater in a pre-Chinatown mini venue

Las Vegas Little Theater has been running shows like Annie and Steel Magnolias since before there was a Chinatown. The oldest community theater in Southern Nevada, the 50-year-old spot started in a renovated storefront with 48 seats, since expanded to hold 150, and showcases talent from around the Las Vegas Valley in award-winning productions. It’s a great place for both people- and play-watching before or after dinner.

Find the perfect notebook

If being the only Chinese bookstore in Nevada wasn’t enough, Great Wall Bookstore is a staple of Chinatown Plaza, the Tang Dynasty-style hub of the district. Stuffed with all manner of notebooks, writing utensils—from kitschy cartoon pens to high-quality mechanical pencils— and seemingly endless anime collectibles, it makes for a terrific shopping stop between a bite and a boba. 

Go mom and pop shop for breakfast, Chinese style

Two decades of doling out quality food has made Taiwan Deli a local legend.  Some of the best dumplings in town are made here—so good that they freeze them for customers wanting to take the flavor home. Taiwanese essentials include rice wraps, scallion pancakes, and oyster omelets. You won’t want to miss breakfast here, which starts at 7 a.m. with hot soybean milk with peanuts, egg cakes with Chinese donuts, and Taiwanese sausage. It’s also a great option for lunch, but get there before it closes for the day at 2 p.m.

Clutch your pearls at teatime

There is a lot of boba in Chinatown and most of it is incredibly good. But there’s boba, and then there’s taro lava milk boba tea with taro paste. Or a mango and sticky rice boba tea slushy. Dollars to tapioca pearls, Landmark Tea is serving a more innovative menu than you’ve seen lately, with drinks like sparkling pickled plumb, and Biscoff cookie slush. Traditionalists, don’t worry: they still make the standards, and do it well.  

Bask in a giant clamshell

There’s no shortage of great cocktailing spots on Spring Mountain, but only The Golden Tiki has a giant clamshell you can climb into. Inside you’ll find a kaleidoscope of traditionally crafted tiki drinks, specialty shots, and even shareable punch in a fishbowl, serving well into the morning. Its very good happy hour (try the coconut shrimp with a spiked Dole Whip) lasts three hours every afternoon.  Stop by on Mondays for local surf rock outfit Thee Swank Bastards, or turn up Saturday night for DJ Rex Dart’s special blend of punk, surf, and rocksteady sounds.

Put on a ninja karaoke show with your friends

Chinatown is a late-night hub, and after a good meal or two, there isn't a much better way to blow off steam than singing a little karaoke. Ninja Karaoke serves up pork belly bao, crying tiger steak, drunken noodles and tunes until way past your bedtime on weekends. Its cocktail menu is as varied as its food, which will help summon the courage to belt out that one Adele tune that's obviously out of your range. 

Slip into a secret sweet-filled fairyland

Walk through the unmarked, heavy wooden door at Gabi Coffee and Bakery and you’ll walk into a magical kingdom with a greenhouse at its center. The popular Korean bakery churns out quality pastries and coffee. The maximalist fairytale decor matches its lavish menu of crepe cakes, cheesecakes, or double stuffed interpretation of a classic French macaron, the “fat caron.”  The coffee and tea range from high-octane seasonal espressos to a mellowing butterfly pea latte. 

Follow a smuggler tunnel to excellent tacos

Tacos aren't the typical choice when visiting Chinatown, but Màs Por Favor Taqueria y Tequila is so excellent it might turn your head. A perfectly great fast casual joint in front, follow the cashier through the hidden tunnel to a skull-lined parlor bar and dance floor in back. Chinatown-appropriate tacos like the pho-kin signature, a kimchi slawed crispy taco with pulled chicken and hoisin, plus Mexican standards like carne asada and barbacoa, are super fresh and best accompanied by one of the on-tap margaritas.

Feast on 2 a.m. falafel

What began as a New York City hot dog cart manned by three Egyptian immigrants selling halal food to taxi drivers became an institution—and started taking over Las Vegas, beginning in this Chinatown location, nearly a decade ago. The Halal Guys is the last stop for many on the way home from a late night of Vegas-style partying. Think heaping platters of pita, gyros, hummus, and falafel for starting (or absorbing) all your adventures.

Slow your roll

An adorable Colombian sloth is the mascot for Take It Easy, an offshoot of local Latin American coffee shop Makers and Finders. And just like the sloth, you’ll need to slow down to find this low-key Colombian café tucked in the back corner of The Center at Spring Mountain. You’ll be happy you did when you try specialty drinks like the Shake n’ Bake (housemade toasted coconut cashew milk, espresso, and lavender with a cocoa sugar rim), or a classic cortado. If these don’t pique your interest, go for the crispy, fried buñuelos, or handmade empanadas.

Get a little saucy

Mongolian hotpot is a whole experience. At Chubby Cattle, you’ll start with your own soup base (pick heat levels from house original to “hellish spicy” with “extra numbing spicy” on the side, bubbling on your personal hotpot plate. Pick from big platters of lamb, seafood, wagyu beef, mushrooms, and veggies stacked high, ready for you to dunk in a make-your-own soup extravaganza. The build-your-own sauce counter lets you bring up the variety from savory salty to super spicey or mouth-numbing Szechuan.