Seeing red takes on a new meaning with a visit to Perth’s Chinatown.
Since the 1980s, this vibrant district in Northbridge – the city's premier nightlife area – has been full of colour (including a whole lotta red!), tangs, and a hive of activity day and night. Perth's Asian heart features Chinese architecture and lion statues with a wealth of cultural gems hidden in between.
Here are our top tips on where to go in Perth's Chinatown – just make sure you visit on an empty stomach!
The official entrance on Roe Street
Feel like you have arrived in Perth's Chinatown, walking under the pagoda archway along Roe Street. It is the official entrance to Chinatown, with two lion statues adorning each side of the red and green-tiled pagoda.
Chinatown laneways
Stepping beyond the archway are small, narrow laneways that mimic those in Asia. The area comes alive at night with the casual restaurants open until the early hours.
Head to notable long-time late-night institutions like Uncle Billy's and Billy Lee's Chinese Restaurants for Cantonese cuisine. Sit inside or snap your chopsticks outside in the bustling laneways. For something more subdued, head to Japanese-inspired record bar Astral Weeks to sip wine and enjoy what's spinning on the turntable.
Chinatown's main dining and entertainment streets
Come out of the laneways and visit the streets that sizzle day and night. Roe, James, and Francis Streets have numerous restaurants serving Asian fare, bubble tea shops, and karaoke lounge bars.
Local favourites include Flower Moon, serving modern Chinese cuisine; Fortune Five Chinese Restaurant, a dim sum institution; and Presotea, a bubble tea haven.
The local's 'Chinatown'
Experience what many Perth locals call 'the real' Chinatown further along William Street towards the suburb Highgate. This strip features many casual Asian restaurants, bakeries, bubble tea shops, fresh produce and oriental supermarkets.
Must-visits include Good Fortune Roast Duck House, renowned for its roast duck and BBQ pork; Juicy Bao Bao, a popular spot for handmade dumplings; and Tak Chee House, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant famed for its chicken rice.
Old Shanghai Perth
Chasing hawker market vibes? Walk under neon-lit dragons to enter Perth's most aromatic red shed, Old Shanghai. Established in 1991, Perth's much-loved international food court along James Street features several casual restaurants, taking your palate to all corners of Asia.
Each eatery features an old-school picture-display menu, adding a touch of nostalgia to the overall dining experience. But what will you have? Will you go for Thai food? Or are you craving the taste of Korea just metres away? Decisions, decisions! Regardless of your chosen cuisine, savour it at one of the many communal long tables – maybe even make new friends with fellow diners!
Most meals are under $25, with portion sizes usually generous. Old Shanghai is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Address: 123 James St, Northbridge WA
Chinatown Street Art
It's not just the food that's bold and bright. Chinatown's laneways are just as colourful, with a diverse range of larger-than-life murals splashed in its backstreets. Venture around Nicks Lane to find nods to the area's heritage, including a cheeky-looking Chinese Dragon and several walls covered in the Chinese expression, ""If people are of one heart, even the yellow earth can become gold". The saying was used to counter the anti-Asian attitudes felt during WA's gold rush in the 1890s.
The laneways have also attracted the stroke of genius by international muralists. Spot the Sugar Guilder by prominent Dutch multi-disciplinary artist Amok Island and admire the fantasy-looking masked platypus by Mexican artist Curiot. If keen to see more of Perth's street art, go on a self-guided tour to discover Perth's arts and cultural scene, or have a local guide show you around with 5 walking tours to experience Perth differently.
Chung Wah Perth Chinese New Year Fair
Get ready to paint the town red at the Chung Wah Perth Chinese New Year Fair. Each year, festivities are held along James Street, Northbridge, and Yagan Square, Perth, to commemorate the start of the Chinese New Year. Watch lion and dragon dances; be entertained by a Chinese musical instrument ensemble and Cantonese Opera; feast at many food stalls; and test your creativity with lantern-making, calligraphy, and more.
Enjoy a taste of the festival with a snippet of the 2024 Perth Chinese New Year Fair.
Continue sending your senses into overdrive, discovering more things to see, do and eat in Northbridge.
