The Top Five Places to Get Chinese Food on Christmas Day in Portland

1. HK Cafe

4410 SE 82nd Ave., 503-771-8866, hkcafeportland.com.

Though HK Cafe does sport an à la carte menu, even made-up minds will be changed once the dim sum carts rattle by, piled high with mysterious, cloche-topped steamers holding juicy, handball-sized shumai and all manner of buns.

2. Szechuan Garden

18725 NW Walker Road, Beaverton, 971-245-5676, szechuangarden.net.

Finding credible Sichuanese food outside its home territory can be a challenge, so the arrival of Szechuan Garden deep in suburban Beaverton is cause for elation. For a well-rounded meal, order at least one hot pot dish, a fried item, noodles, a vegetable and maybe a bonus dish. Ignore the chile ratings on the menu—they are only there for the fearful.

Read the full review: Szechuan Garden's Authentic Sichuanese Cuisine Brings the Heat but Won't Leave a Burn.

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3. Duck House

1968 SW 5th Ave., 971-801-8888, duckhousepdx.com.

If going to Washington Square Mall for soup dumplings feels like a chore, go to Duck House instead and try them with shrimp and pork. Those xiao long bao are an all-in-one meal, but any of the other dim sum and famous Peking duck will prove your eyes are definitely a good deal larger than your stomach.

4. XLB

4090 N Williams Ave., 503-841-5373, xlbpdx.com.

Dumpling haven XLB bears no resemblance to anything in any Chinatown anywhere. The crowd is pure New Portland, and the venue is a deep narrow crevice along a notorious stretch of multimodal transportation chaos. On a good day, though, these are probably the best xiao long bao in town.

5. Master Kong

8435 SE Division St., 971-373-8248.

Master Kong is Portland's new Chinese food destination for a singular reason—sister-and-brother team Amy and Kang Zhu offer a concise menu of regional Chinese breakfast and lunch hits, including congee, juicy goubuli buns, and roujiamo, aka Chinese burgers.