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A taste of home: Favourite restaurants of Sheffield's Chinese students

We're spoilt for choice in Sheffield, but many Chinese restaurants fly under the radar. We asked seven students from China to point us in the right direction.

From spicy Sichuan hot pot to milky bubble tea, the variety and quality of Chinese food available in Sheffield is fantastic. Our city is also home to more than 8,000 Chinese students, often looking for a taste of home.

I sat down for a chat with Jing Ni (倪婧), YuJia (于佳), Yolanda, Leo, Xia Qian (夏芊), Ingrid and Wu Qin (吴琴) – all Chinese masters and undergraduate students at the University of Sheffield – to find out about their favourite haunts.

Noodlesta
Noodlesta

Noodlesta

Located on Brook Hill near the University's Diamond building, Noodlesta offers a quick but very satisfying meal on the go.

Watching the process of dough being stretched and thrown into noodles while you wait only adds to the sense of anticipation – the atmosphere here is tantalising.

It's Jing Ni’s (倪婧) favourite place to come for Lanzhuo-style hand-pulled noodles, which she says are "incredibly authentic, super delicious and a must-try."

YuJia (于佳) says he always adds two garlic cloves to his noodle soup, which reminds him of his grandma’s cooking. "Try the chilli oil [at the counter] at your own risk," he warns me. "Seriously, it will blow your socks off!"

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192-194 Brook Hill, S3 7HE. Open Mon-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-8pm. Cash only.

China town restaurant
China Town

Chinatown

Chinatown is a great place for Cantonese dim sum lunch or dinner. Located on London Road, it's where masters student Yolanda says she feels most like she's back at home.

"The whole busy atmosphere and decoration of the restaurant makes me feel like I am back in China. The people [who run it] are really nice." She tells me the food is authentic.

Leo, a fifth year engineering student, is also a regular. "I try and go with my friends once or twice a month. We chat, laugh and enjoy the environment."

Leo says his favourite thing to order is the prawn toast: "Not because it is the most complex food, but because I am never allowed to order it at home because my mum says it's too unhealthy. It makes me feel a bit closer to her because I can imagine her annoyed face when it arrives at the table."

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27 London Road, S2 4LA. Open Mon-Thurs 12-11pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-12am, Sun 11:30am-10:30pm.

China red
China Red

China Red

Serving Sichuan cuisine just off the Moor, China Red is perfect for group meals washed down with a Tsingtao beer, which Ingrid looks forward to ordering every time. "It's nice to be in a restaurant that has Chinese beer. It makes me happy just to see the label."

Xia Qian (夏芊), who has "high standards for her home province food," says it's the most authentic dining experience she's found in Sheffield.

Ingrid adds enthusiastically, "You must, must, must try the poached beef in chilli oil and the dry spice lamb ribs!"

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3 Rockingham Gate, S1 4JD. Open every day, 11:30am-9pm.

Oriental Taste Cuisine

Also located near the Moor, Wu Qin (吴琴) says Oriental Taste Cuisine is unique. She tells me it's hard to find her favourite north-eastern style Chinese food in the UK at reasonable prices. "If you go, make sure you have not eaten in a while, because the portions are large," she says. (YuJia tells me this is the sign of a good Chinese restaurant.)

Wu Qin says she is "always happy and very full after leaving." The Mongolian style beef is recommended, while spice connoisseur YuJia again warns, "The English menu is translated well but some dishes labelled spicy are very spicy."

Learn more

21-23 Matilda Street, S1 4QB. Open every day except Wednesday, 11am- 8:30pm. Cash only.

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