The famous gilded entrance of the Waldorf Astoria New York has long served as the gateway to one of Manhattan’s most luxurious addresses. With the opening of the hotel’s new restaurant, La Chine, that legendary threshold is now taking visitors on a culinary journey through China.

Opened in November 2015, La Chine (replacing the hotel’s casual American bistro Oscar’s Brasserie) brings to Manhattan the formal atmosphere of traditional Chinese restaurants, decorated in cherry-blossom wallpaper, oversized c…