For off-Strip dining options in Las Vegas, it’s hard to beat Chinatown

This week, F1 is taking over a lot of the Las Vegas Strip, making access to some of the properties a bit challenging. So if you’re in town this week and want to escape the craziness surrounding the racing event, we highly recommend Chinatown, a bustling district with more than 100 different eateries. Here, we highlight just a few of the amazing options available to you. Something important to remember: There are no wrong choices!

Edo Gastro Tapas & Wine (3400 S. Jones Blvd. Ste. 11A. 702.641.1345. edotapas.com)

This award-winning Spanish tapas restaurant, the brainchild of chef Oscar Amador Edo, excels at every aspect, from front-of-house details and contemporary interior design to dish presentation and service. Dinner highlights include pollo a la plancha, a Jidori chicken thigh with prunes and pinenuts, and arroz con setas y butifarra—rice with seasonal mushrooms, Catalan sausage, Iberico lardo and sofrito. Whatever you order, pair it with Corny Jokes, a cocktail featuring Don Fulano Fuerte, corn, peach, Ancho Reyes, lime and chili-lime salt.

303 In the Cut (4120 Spring Mountain Road. 702.786.7278. 303inthecut.com)

Even though this is a food truck, you’ll almost always find it in the same place. It’s a true Chinatown institution, and for good reason: The food absolutely slays, and it’s very affordable to boot. If it’s your first time, you gotta order the green chili burrito, full of smoked chicken, pinto beans, bell peppers and cheese. It goes great with prickly pear Cutty juice. One more reason this place rules: When you arrive, the ultra-friendly staff snaps your photo and places it onto a huge collection of customer photos on the awning.

Mas Por Favor (3879 Spring Mountain Road. 702.201.1133. masporfavorlv.com)

One of the more unique restaurants in Chinatown, this Mexican hot spot not only features a delicious menu of street tacos (your choice of al pastor, carne asada, carnitas, hot honey-glazed chicken or barbacoa), it also contains a flower-and skull-adorned speakeasy, accessed through a long, winding corridor. Enjoy exclusive cocktails here like the Corona Stona, featuring blanco tequila, lime, agave, Midori, triple sec and cucumber, all served in a flasklike container to which an upended Corona beer is attached.

Golden Tiki (3939 Spring Mountain Road. 702.222.3196. thegoldentiki.com)

If you want a list of who’s who in Las Vegas (and beyond), check out this bar’s celebrity shrunken head collection near the back. You’ll find “tributes” to Carrot Top, Siegfried & Roy and Strip headliner Rod Stewart, not to mention Walt Disney and John Waters (both of whom helped inspire the bar’s look). The cocktails here are legendary and often STRONG, especially Navy Grog, a mix of Dominican and Jamaican dark and overproof rums, lime and grapefruit juices and honey syrup. This is a 24-hour destination, but we strongly encourage you to make reservations here: It’s a hot ticket.

Partage (3839 Spring Mountain Road. 702.582.5852. partage.vegas)

Fine French dining in Chinatown? Believe it! This establishment, with a menu courtesy of chef Yuri Szarzewski, specializes in five- to nine-course tasting menus, all featuring seasonal ingredients, along with a world-class wine-pairing option (so worth the money). You can also opt to add items like seared foie gras with seasonal garnish and caviar or truffles. There’s also a Chef’s Table option facing the kitchen to see your dishes prepared in real time.

Saffron the Eatery (3545 S. Decatur Blvd. 702.201.1926. saffrontheeatery.com)

Vegetarians, vegans and omnivores will all find something to enjoy at this establishment, courtesy of owner Tony Nguyen. The menu hits every palate, all in a comfortable setting full of bold burgundy accents and earth tones. It’s the perfect place to enjoy appetizers like deep-fried fontina gougères, sticky rice balls stuffed with royal crispy crab and Peking tacos with roasted duck, and main courses like wok-tossed five-spice octopus, crispy pesto gnocchi and vegan scallops, marinated in nori broth and served with a sweet potato purée.

The Taco Stand (3616 Spring Mountain Road. 702.268.8762. letstaco.com)

Sometimes simplicity is the key to success, and nowhere is that more evident than at this outpost of the San Diego-based franchise, where street tacos are the focus, all served on fresh, handmade tortillas. Whether you choose al pastor, pollo asado, carne asada or seafood, you can’t go wrong here. If burritos are more your thing, the California is highly recommended, filled with flame-grilled Angus steak, French fries, guac, tomato and cheese. And vegetarians shouldn’t avoid this spot—you can get your tacos with nopal (cactus) or sautéed mushrooms.

Ichiza 2 Hanare (5300 Spring Mountain Road No. 101. 702.749.7477. ichizalv.com)

The original Ichiza is one of Chinatown’s most beloved dining spots, but if you want an extra-special treat, head to this second location, which boasts 11 private dining rooms for you and your party, each decorated with lantern-style light fixtures and bamboo curtains, not to mention a button to summon your server. The options here are too hard to select from, so get a bit of everything, from beef tataki and salmon ikura salad to corn butter and spicy tangy fried chicken. Make sure to finish off your meal with Ichiza’s honey toast, easily one of the most delicious desserts you’re ever likely to have.

Chubby Cattle Hotpot Las Vegas (3400 S. Jones Blvd. No. 15. chubbycattle.com)

This reservation-only spot is highly recommended for fans of shareable, social meals. Termed “Chinese fondue,” it all starts with a pot of broth, in which you cook your choice of many options—thinly sliced meats (choose from wagyu, lamb, pork and chicken), seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, handmade noodles and more. Best of all, the menu changes seasonally, making repeat visits practically mandatory. The signature cocktails are equally wonderful, from Harby’s Revenge, made with Ezra Brooks bourbon, black ice tea, white peach liqueur and lemon juice, to Nengmeng Drop, featuring lemon vodka, lemoncello, lemon juice and calpico.

District One Kitchen & Bar (3400 S. Jones Blvd. No. 8. 702.413.6868. districtonelv.com)

Just off the main Chinatown drag, this Vietnamese restaurant, featuring a great location and spacious, comfortable setups for large groups, has been a staple since opening 10 year ago. Its focus is pho, a delicious, broth-based soup to which you can add everything from lobster and steak to braised oxtail and bone marrow, but there are also wonderful fried rice options, as well as salads and shared plates like steamed sea snails, oxtail fries and VFC wings (Vietnamese fried chicken).

Hachi (3410 S. Jones Blvd. 702.227.9300. hachilasvegas.com)

For one of the best Japanese fine-dining experiences in town, this is a must-visit. Start your evening off with small bites like jalapeño yellowtail, chicken karaage (served with negi sauce) or takoyaki skewers. Then work your way to the menu’s various carpaccios, from thinly sliced halibut and uni, salmon and halibut, and yellowtail to beef tataki and seared garlic tuna sashimi. For a truly unique experience, order something from the yakitori menu, where everything is cooked using binchotan charcoal from Japan. Choices here range from chicken thigh and wagyu tongue to enoki mushroom bacon and pork belly.

Monta (5030 Spring Mountain Road Ste. 6. 702.367.4600. montaramen.com)

You may think you’ve tasted ramen, but until you go here, where the style served is kurume-style tonkotsu ramen, you really haven’t. This is absolutely the gold standard for this particular dish, and the options plentiful. We’d recommend starting with the classic version, featuring pork broth, thin noodles and nori (dried seaweed), topped with two slices of pork chashu, black mushrooms, bamboo shoots and green onions. We highly recommend adding nitamago, a flavored egg, to whatever you try; it adds a whole new level of flavor to what is already a terrific dish.

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