Situated in an unassuming strip mall in Madison, Nashvillians head to China Cottage for its bubbling hot pots and other Chinese classics. Popular choices here include General Tso’s tofu, crab Rangoon, crispy beef, and seafood hot pot.

The East Nashville home of Ryan and Ann Bernhardt’s inventive Southern take on Chinese cuisine features standouts like bourbon chicken fried rice, chiu-chow super fries, and chicken fat noodles with Mr. Aaron’s skinny noodles, scrambled eggs, and chicken bits. TKO is also inviting to a wide range of diets, as many of the dishes are vegetarian or vegan, and nearly all are gluten-free.

Xiao Bao is a Charleston import from husband-and-wife duo Josh Walker and Duolan Li. At their hip East Nashville location, its Chinese restaurant meets ’50s diner meets natural wine bar. While the menu ranges across Asia — Japanese okonomiyaki and Taiwanese pork bao play starring roles — Chinese highlights include smacked cucumber doused with a tangy dressing, hand-pulled biang biang noodles with cumin brisket, and Sichuan la zi cauliflower stir-fry. The popular spot doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared for a little wait.

Although this street food chain’s menu veers toward Pan-Asian, you’ll find solid renditions of Chinese BBQ pork bao, five-spice sticky ribs, duck fried rice, and lo mein in its East Nashville location. Grab a seat at the bar and watch the action in the vibrant dining room with a pandan Old-Fashioned or beer to keep you company.

Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan’s Chinese restaurant is a swanky option in the Gulch with contemporary takes like General Tso’s Brussels sprouts, New York strip lo mein, and bananas foster wontons with rum caramel sauce. Tansuo also offers eye-catching details at every turn, including a ceiling dripping with elegant lanterns and plenty of cozy private banquettes.

Open daily at 11:30 a.m., this Hillsboro Village stop serves up a variety of steamed, boiled, and pan-fried dumplings made on the spot. Place your order at the counter and then take your meal to one of the tables in the minimalist dining room or enjoy it al fresco on the adjoining patio space. Favorites here include the curry dumplings (both beef and chicken), the peanut butter dumplings, Asian pickled cucumbers, and boba milk tea.

Meet Noodles is a Brooklyn transplant at the southern edge of the Vanderbilt University campus dishing up blisteringly spicy bowls of Chongqing noodles, also referred to in Chinese as xiao mian. The noodles are wheat-based by default but you can sub in sweet potato or rice noodles to go with tingly Sichuan pepper and a wide variety of meats and vegetables — the perfect antidote to a cool evening. Snacks like sesame seed balls, dumplings, and takoyaki complement more than a dozen versions of the signature noodle dish.

As Sichuan Hot Pot & Asian Cuisine’s name promises, the restaurant off of Nolensville Pike puts hot pot in the spotlight. Burners on the tables keep pots of herb, tomato, lamb, winter melon, or other broths roiling as you toss in an extensive assortment of ingredients such as beef, shrimp, chicken, and fresh mushrooms and veggies. If that doesn’t fill you up, you can also order dozens of other dishes like chow rice cakes, chow mei fun, and Hainanese chicken.

A consistent win for casual, family-friendly dine-in or takeout, this strip mall success story in Brentwood provides stellar Sichuan food. Corner Asian Cafe’s standouts include crispy scallion pancakes, stir-fried squid, eggplant with garlic sauce, Chengdu spicy beef, and chile oil-coated crispy frog legs.