Kit's Chinese Restaurant in Oklahoma City: Cantonese Cooking and Dim Sum in Midtown

Kit's Chinese Restaurant is a sit-down Cantonese establishment in Oklahoma City's Midtown that specializes in traditional dim sum service and wok-fired dishes, operated as a full-service dining room rather than a quick counter. The restaurant occupies a modest storefront and serves a consistent clientele of regulars alongside tourists seeking authentic preparation methods absent from most casual Chinese spots in the city.

What Kit's Serves

The menu splits into two service formats. During dim sum hours (typically lunch and early afternoon), servers push carts through the dining room with steamed baskets and small plates; diners signal their selections and are charged by the number of plates consumed. Outside dim sum hours, the kitchen takes orders from a full menu covering roasted meats, seafood preparations, noodle dishes, and clay-pot braises. Signatures include roasted duck and chicken (whole or by the half), shrimp with garlic and black bean sauce, and chow foon with soy sauce. The dim sum cart typically rotates shumai (pork dumplings), har gow (shrimp dumplings), char siu bao (barbecue pork buns), and egg custard tarts; the full rotation varies by day and availability of ingredients.

Pricing and Menu Tiers

Dim sum plates run $3 to $6 per basket during service, with three to five pieces per order, placing a typical dim sum lunch between $15 and $25 per person including tea. Full entrees from the regular menu range from $12 to $22, with seafood and roasted meat dishes at the higher end. Rice and noodle dishes sit in the $10 to $16 range. Prices are stable but confirm current rates by phone, as ingredient costs can shift menu pricing seasonally.

How Kit's Compares to Other Oklahoma City Chinese Options

Oklahoma City's Chinese restaurant landscape divides broadly between fast-casual takeout chains and full-service establishments. Jade Island, also in Midtown, offers Szechuan and Cantonese dishes in a similar sit-down format but does not maintain dim sum service. Joy Luck House on NW 36th Street runs a larger dining room and serves dim sum on weekends only. Kit's maintains dim sum availability more consistently throughout the week, making it the more reliable choice if cart service is your target. For pure Cantonese cooking without the dim sum commitment, Jade Island's menu breadth edges slightly wider. For weeknight roasted meats and straightforward wok cooking, both Kit's and Jade Island are comparable; Kit's edges ahead if you prioritize traditional preparation and cart experience over speed.

Who Kit's Suits and Who It Does Not

Kit's works best for diners comfortable navigating a traditional dim sum experience (selecting from carts, speaking with servers about ingredients, accepting that not all dishes are available every visit) and for groups large enough to share multiple small plates. The casual dining room suits lunch and early dinner but lacks the ambiance for special occasions. Families with young children do well here during less crowded lunch hours. Takeout is available but not the restaurant's primary format; if you need fast, packaged meals, a counter service option will serve you better. Those seeking Americanized Chinese food or large individual entrees delivered quickly should look elsewhere.

What a First Visit Involves

Arrive during dim sum hours (arrive early; peak times see waits of 20 to 30 minutes on weekends). You will be seated at a table, usually shared or close to other parties in the compact space. A server brings hot tea automatically. Carts begin circulating within minutes; flag your server or catch their eye and point to what interests you. Each plate is stamped or marked on your check, totaled at the end. If you go during regular menu hours, menus are provided; order at your table and expect 15 to 25 minutes for roasted meats or noodle dishes. Cash and cards are both accepted.

Hours, Parking, and Location

Kit's operates from roughly 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with dim sum service typically ending by 3 p.m. on weekdays and running through mid-afternoon on weekends (confirm hours before visiting, as holiday schedules shift). The Midtown location offers limited street parking; a small lot behind or adjacent to the building accommodates a few vehicles. The neighborhood is walkable from nearby retail; parking competition peaks during lunch service. Public transportation via Oklahoma City's transit system connects to the Midtown area, though service frequency is light.

Kit's endures as Oklahoma City's most consistent Cantonese dim sum option and holds its standard for wok technique when simpler, faster alternatives dominate the market. For diners seeking traditional preparation and cart service, it remains the clearest choice in the city.