As a Chinese,I highly recommend Mandarin restaurant and "Palace garden" restaurant in Chinatown.Both of them make the most authentic Chinese dishes Tyne&Wear! Whenever I miss home food, I would pop in either one.
Personally I prefer Palace Garden. It's the one next to WingHong super market in Chinatown. I'm very surprised that it's not listed here! The taste of food there is really delicious and I can even find some authentic home dishes, which can not be found in any other Chinese restaurants within Tyne&Wear! If you like, you can ask them for the "Chinese version" of menu. It has english listed on it, but normally they only automatically give it to Chinese. As most of english would not have clue what these dishes are. But these dishes are absolutely the best! If you are adventure enough, try some dishes from chinese version of menu :) Well I will give Mandarin restaurant 9.9 out of 10 and give Palace Garden 10 out of 10
The atmosphere of both restaurants is brilliant. They just made me feel like that I was really in China! Prices of dishes in both restaurants are very reasonable. Palace Garden may be slightly cheaper.
Both of them sell QingDao beer, which is the most favorite Chinese beer to foreigners! My husband absolutely adores it!
Customer service in both restaurants are very good.