Hot pot proper is thin on the ground in Central Ohio, so this list leans on the Chinese kitchens whose menus carry the closest cousins: chili oil, Szechuan heat, and the communal platters that scratch the same itch. Most sit in strip-mall plazas on the northeast and east sides, where portions run generous and the wok stays busy.
№ 01
Tai's Asian Bistro & Sushi
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Tai's covers East and Southeast Asian ground in one menu, which makes it the default pick when a table cannot agree on a cuisine. The chicken egg roll and mapo tofu anchor the order, kung pao chicken covers the risk-averse eater, and portions run large enough that a group of four can share plates family style without stress.
What to orderchicken egg roll, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken
№ 02
NE Chinese Restaurant
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The twice cooked spicy fish is the dish regulars build an order around, a Szechuan preparation with real chili heat that holds up even after a delivery ride. Braised beef arrives tender with a soy dipping sauce on the side. This is a takeout and delivery kitchen first, and the food reportedly stays hot well past the drive home.
What to ordertwice cooked spicy fish, braised beef, Szechuan style dishes
№ 03
Chuan Jiang Hao Zi
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The parking lot fills by noon on weekdays, a sign the lunch crowd knows this Szechuan kitchen ahead of its plain storefront. The spicy dumplings in chili oil are the dish to lead with, kung pao chicken comes with real spice that the kitchen will scale down on request, and crab rangoons round out a table built for sharing.
What to orderSpicy Dumplings with Chili Oil, Kung Pao Chicken, Crab Rangoons
№ 04
Molly Woo's Asian Bistro
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Molly Woo's works best as a group destination, with a bar scene lively enough for happy hour and a menu built for celebrations. Potstickers and a spicy tuna roll make a solid opening round, tempura shrimp is on the menu for the reliably crowd-pleasing order, and the room accommodates a birthday table without a fuss.
What to orderpotstickers, spicy tuna roll, tempura shrimp
№ 05
Asian Kitchen
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Asian Kitchen runs as a takeout operation on the northeast side, drawing people well outside the immediate neighborhood for egg rolls that have built a following of their own. Wonton soup and steamed dumplings round out a cold-weather order, general Tso's chicken satisfies the less adventurous eater, and portions are generous enough to stock a freezer.
What to orderegg roll, wonton soup, general Tso's chicken
№ 06
Billy Lee's Chinese Cuisine Bexley
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Billy Lee's sits in Bexley, not Columbus proper, and doubles as a bar as much as a Chinese kitchen, with counter service and a stocked well for a margarita while an order comes together. General Tso chicken, wontons, and the happy family plate cover the standard combination-plate order for a neighborhood lunch or takeout run.
What to ordergeneral tso chicken, wontons, happy family
№ 07
Taste of Orient
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Taste of Orient is a strip-mall kitchen built for weeknight takeout, with chicken lo mein arriving in portions large enough to become the next day's lunch. The dumplings lean on meat rather than filler vegetables, fried rice rounds out the order, and prices stay on the low end for the amount of food that comes back.
What to orderchicken lo mein, dumplings, fried rice
№ 08
Hunan King | Chinese
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Hunan King holds down its corner of the Chinese takeout landscape in Columbus with a straightforward menu of the format's standards. Coverage on the specific dishes here runs thin, but the kitchen fits the same lane as its neighborhood peers: fast, casual, and built for a quick order rather than a sit-down occasion.
№ 09
Red Chili Asian Kitchen
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Red Chili pairs a ramen program with a broader Chinese and Thai menu, an unusual combination that has made it a repeat stop for people near campus looking for something warm on a cold day. Pork pad thai and spring rolls round out the order, and the kitchen runs as a counter-service operation built for online ordering.
What to orderramen, pad thai, spring rolls
№ 10
Joy to Go
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Joy to Go earns its name as a takeout-first operation, the kind of Chinese kitchen a household calls on repeat rather than researches fresh each time. Fried rice and lo mein anchor the order, orange chicken covers the familiar request, and portions run generous enough that regulars treat it as their default rather than an occasional pick.
What to orderfried rice, lo mein, orange chicken
№ 11
Haveli Bistro
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Haveli Bistro's tandoor is the reason to book a table, with tandoori shrimp and tandoori chicken both singled out as standouts and gluten-free items clearly labeled across the menu. Saag paneer covers the vegetarian side of the table. The room runs busy late into the evening, drawing groups large enough to fill a six-top with conversation.
What to ordertandoori shrimp, tandoori chicken, saag paneer
№ 12
Golden Phoenix Restaurant
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Golden Phoenix runs an all-day cocktail deal that turns a group dinner into an event, with five-dollar drinks available on no fixed schedule. Shrimp toast makes a strong opening order, shrimp pad thai covers the noodle craving, and the wonton soup draws mixed opinions on filling even as the rest of the menu holds up for a casual group meal.
What to orderShrimp Toast, Shrimp Pad Thai, Wonton Soup
Frequently asked
What is the best Chinese restaurant near me in Columbus for a group dinner?
It depends on the neighborhood, but Molly Woo's Asian Bistro and Golden Phoenix Restaurant both handle groups well, with bar service and menus built for sharing. Chuan Jiang Hao Zi is a strong pick if the group leans toward Szechuan heat. Every restaurant on this list is ranked by its Insider Score, and no restaurant pays for placement.
Is there real hot pot in Columbus, or does this list mean something else?
This list covers Chinese kitchens whose menus carry the closest available dishes, chili oil, Szechuan heat, communal platters, since sit-down hot pot service is thin across Central Ohio. The restaurants are ranked honestly on their own merits and Insider Score, not padded to fake a category that is not there.
Which restaurant on this list has the best spicy food?
NE Chinese Restaurant's twice cooked spicy fish and Chuan Jiang Hao Zi's spicy dumplings in chili oil both carry real Szechuan heat, and both kitchens will adjust spice level on request. Red Chili Asian Kitchen also leans into heat across its ramen and Thai dishes.
How is the Insider Score calculated for these Columbus restaurants?
The Insider Score reflects the full review record for each restaurant, weighing consistency and volume of feedback over time. It is not a paid placement; no restaurant on this list or any Top of Columbus guide pays to be included or ranked higher.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Tommy Vu
Staff Writer · Top of Columbus
Tommy Vu is the Corridors and Heritage Editor at Top of Columbus. He grew up rolling silverware in his parents' pho shop in a Bethel Road plaza and has been eating his way through the city's strip-mall corridors ever since. If the best kitchen in the plaza has handwritten specials taped to the register, he has already ordered them.
