The best Chinese restaurants in Whanganui are almost all takeaway counters rather than dining rooms, and several of them combine Chinese with fish and chips, which is the classic New Zealand small city arrangement and genuinely useful for a household that cannot agree. Chinese takeaways in Whanganui are spread across the suburbs rather than concentrated in one street, so the nearest one to you is usually the deciding factor. Locals have strong and long held opinions about which is best, and the answers rarely match the review scores.
1Magic Wok Restaurant & Takeaways
Magic Wok combines Chinese cooking with a fish and chip shop, offering sweet and sour, crispy chicken and the familiar takeaway range alongside burgers and a chippy menu. Its delivery listing describes it as Whanganui’s Chinese and chippy in one, which is exactly the appeal: a single order covers the person who wants Chinese and the one who wants a scoop of chips. It has a following of around 320 locally and appears on the delivery platforms as well as taking direct orders.
Services
- Chinese takeaway
- Fish and chips
- Burgers
- Delivery through Delivereasy
Highlights
- Chinese and fish and chips from the same kitchen
- Following of around 320 locally
- Available on delivery platforms as well as direct
Location & Contact
Name: Magic Wok Restaurant & Takeaways
Address: Whanganui
2Happy Chinese Takeaways
Happy Chinese Takeaways holds a 3.9 rating on Tripadvisor with reviewers repeatedly mentioning portion size, which for a takeaway is often the deciding factor for a family order. It runs the fish and chips alongside the Chinese as well, and reviews single out both. A takeaway counter rather than a restaurant, so this is food to take home rather than an evening out.
Services
- Chinese takeaway
- Fish and chips
- Family sized orders
Highlights
- Rated 3.9 on Tripadvisor
- Reviews consistently mention large portions
- Chinese and fish and chips on one menu
Location & Contact
Name: Happy Chinese Takeaways
Address: Whanganui
3HK Express
HK Express sits on Dublin Street and offers both takeaway and dine in, specialising in Hong Kong style cooking rather than the generic New Zealand Chinese takeaway menu. That is a real distinction: Hong Kong style leans on roast meats, congee, noodle soups and stir fries cooked at high heat, and it is worth ordering something off the specialist end of the menu rather than defaulting to sweet and sour. One of the places in town offering seating rather than takeaway only.
Services
- Hong Kong style Chinese dishes
- Dine in
- Takeaway
Highlights
- Hong Kong style cooking rather than a generic takeaway menu
- Offers seating as well as takeaway
- Dublin Street location
Location & Contact
Name: HK Express
Address: Dublin Street, Whanganui
4Miss Sushi & Shanghai Takeaway
Operating from 77A Ingestre Street, this combines a Shanghai style takeaway with sushi, and it is the name that came up first when Whanganui locals were asked on a community page where to get the best Chinese in town. Shanghai cooking differs again from Cantonese and Hong Kong styles, tending toward richer braises and more soy and sugar. Having sushi on the same site is a practical bonus for a mixed order.
Services
- Shanghai style Chinese takeaway
- Sushi
- Takeaway orders
Highlights
- Named first in a Whanganui community discussion on the best Chinese in town
- Shanghai style rather than Cantonese or Hong Kong
- Sushi available from the same site
- Central at 77A Ingestre Street
Location & Contact
Name: Miss Sushi & Shanghai Takeaway
Address: 77A Ingestre Street, Whanganui
5New Wing Wah Takeaways
New Wing Wah works from Fox Road in Springvale, serving that side of the city without a trip into the centre. It has no website and no social media presence, which is worth stating plainly because it means phone or in person only, and it is the reason the place is easy to miss online. Locals rate the food highly regardless, with one community comment noting it as among the better tasting Chinese takeaways in town while wishing it were easier to order from.
Services
- Chinese takeaway
- Phone orders
- Counter service
Highlights
- Serves the Springvale side of the city
- Phone or in person ordering only, no website or app
- Two phone lines listed
Location & Contact
Name: New Wing Wah Takeaways
Address: 2 Fox Road, Springvale, Whanganui 4501
Phone: 06 344 6088
Chinese Restaurants in Whanganui at a Glance
| Business | Based in | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Wok Restaurant & Takeaways | Whanganui | Chinese and fish and chips from the same kitchen |
| Happy Chinese Takeaways | Whanganui | Rated 3.9 on Tripadvisor |
| HK Express | Whanganui | Hong Kong style cooking rather than a generic takeaway menu |
| Miss Sushi & Shanghai Takeaway | Whanganui | Named first in a Whanganui community discussion on the best Chinese i... |
| New Wing Wah Takeaways | Springvale | Serves the Springvale side of the city |
How to Choose a Chinese Takeaway in Whanganui
- Pick by suburb first. These are spread across the city rather than clustered, and the nearest one is usually the one you will keep using.
- If not everyone wants Chinese, choose a counter that also does fish and chips. Several here do, and it solves the problem in one order.
- Ask what regional style a kitchen cooks. Hong Kong, Shanghai and general New Zealand Chinese menus are genuinely different, and ordering off the specialist part of the menu is usually better than defaulting to sweet and sour.
- Not every place is online. At least one takes phone orders only, so a missing website says nothing about the food.
- Ordering direct rather than through an app is usually cheaper, since platform commission is priced into the menu.
- For a sit down meal rather than takeaway, check first. Most of these are counters with little or no seating.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chinese Restaurants in Whanganui
Where is the best Chinese takeaway in Whanganui?
Ask ten locals and you will get several answers, but the Ingestre Street Shanghai takeaway comes up first in community discussions, and the Springvale option is widely rated despite having no online presence at all. Review scores and local opinion do not line up especially well in this category.
Is there a Chinese restaurant in Whanganui you can sit down in?
Options are limited. The Dublin Street Hong Kong style place offers dine in as well as takeaway. Most other Chinese food in Whanganui comes from takeaway counters with little or no seating, so check before planning a meal out.
Can I get Chinese delivered in Whanganui?
Yes, some. Delivereasy and Uber Eats operate here and carry several kitchens, but not all of them, and at least one takeaway is phone order only. Ordering direct is generally cheaper where the option exists.
Which Chinese takeaways also do fish and chips?
Several. It is the standard arrangement in Whanganui as in many New Zealand cities, and it is the practical answer for a family where tastes differ. Check the menu before ordering, since the combined shops usually list both separately.
What is the difference between Hong Kong, Shanghai and Cantonese cooking?
Broadly, Cantonese favours lighter sauces, steaming and roasting; Hong Kong style overlaps with Cantonese and adds roast meats, congee and noodle soups; Shanghai leans toward richer braises with more soy and sugar. Whanganui has kitchens presenting as Hong Kong and Shanghai style, so it is worth trying the regional dishes rather than the standard takeaway list.
Do the takeaways here open for lunch?
It varies, and several are dinner focused. Hours are not always published online, particularly for the places without websites, so a phone call is the reliable way to check before driving over.
How We Chose the Best Chinese Restaurants in Whanganui
Every business in this guide was found by searching for chinese restaurants in Whanganui, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Whanganui, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.