If you’re looking for exceptional Asian cuisine in North Carolina, Asheville should be your top choice. Known as “Foodtopia,” Asheville boasts a multitude of Asian restaurants offering diverse cuisines such as Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai.
Asian cuisine is well-loved by people across the globe. The cuisine offers a wide range of dishes containing an assortment of spices that give it that salty, sweet, and umami flavors. Asian food also has a variety of textures, giving anyone’s taste buds an adventure.
But with so many Asian restaurants in Asheville, it can be hard to choose where to go. Here are some of the favorite Asian restaurants among locals.
Wild Ginger Noodle Bar
Located in South Asheville, the Wild Ginger Noodle Bar was once a secret among locals looking for some of the best pho and banh mis.
Besides these Vietnamese classics, the Wild Ginger Noodle Bar also promises huge portions of vegetable curry, yakisoba, spring rolls, vermicelli, and beef satay.
If you’re looking for gluten-free options, Wild Ginger labels all of their dishes, making it easier for diners to choose.
The Wild Ginger Noodle Bar is located at 1950 Hendersonville Rd. Suite 12, Asheville NC 28803.
Thai Pearl Restaurant
If you’re craving for authentic Thai food in Asheville, look no further than the Thai Pearl. Located in West Asheville, the Thai Pearl opened its doors during the pandemic and has served authentic Thai cuisine ever since.
Some of Thai Pearl’s top dishes include Thai fried rice, grilled chicken satay, green papaya salad, tom yum, tom kha, and wild ginger curry noodles. In addition to its menu, Thai Pearl also serves fresh oysters and local beer.
Know that you are in great hands whenever you visit Thai Pearl as Chef May, the owner and executive chef, has trained and worked at the Royal Palace in Bangkok.
The Thai Pearl is located at 747 Haywood Rd Upstairs 200, Asheville, NC 28806.
Green Tea Sushi Japanese Restaurant
There are several great sushi places in Asheville, but what really takes the cake is Green Tea Sushi Japanese Restaurant between Downtown and West Asheville.
This family-friendly restaurant offers guests an extensive sushi roll and appetizer menu, including pork dumplings, popcorn shrimp, age tofu, and katsu crab cakes. Green Tea also dishes out heavier meals, including noodles, fried rice, tempura, katsu, teriyaki, hibachi, and bento boxes.
In addition to their classic dishes, the restaurant features Asian Fusion entrees such as General Tso’s Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Thai Curry Chicken, Thai Curry Shrimp, and Thai Mango Chicken.
Green Tea Sushi is located at 2 Regent Park Blvd, Asheville, NC, United States, North Carolina.
Stonebowl Korean Restaurant
Located in the southern part of the city, Stonebowl Korean Restaurant is an Asian-owned business that is great place to visit if you are craving for authentic Korean cuisine. The restaurant is located at the end of a strip mall, which means you can easily drive by.
The restaurant is famous for offering “stone bowls,” which are filled with steaming rice, vegetables, and proteins—all prepared with distinctive Korean flavors. Outside of these bowls, you can expect extensive choices for stir-fry dishes, noodles, hot pot and soups, and grilled plates.
The food in Stonebowl comes in generous portions, and the quality certainly matches the quantity. Many of their dishes are on the spicier side, each of which is labeled with a chili pepper symbol on their menu.
Of course, cap your meal with one of their desserts. Locals recommend their mango sherbet and green tea ice cream.
Stonebowl Korean Restaurant is located at 1987 Hendersonville Rd A, Asheville, NC 28803.
Red Ginger Dimsum and Tapas
Many locals would say that one of the best Asian restaurants in Asheville is the red Ginger Dimsum and Tapas, and honestly, we can’t disagree. Located in the downtown’s remarkable Patton Avenue, the Red Ginger is an upscale tapas stop that serves steaming platters of Chinese dim sum and other Asian staples.
Everything at Red Ginger is delicious and filling, from their soups and vegetarian meals to their mains and noodles. We recommend their Hot & Soup Soup, Scallion Pan Cake, Honey Glazed Roast Pork, Shu Mai, and Gua Bao (pictured above).
The Red Ginger is popular among locals and visitors, so it would be best to reserve your table in advance.
The Red Ginger Dimsum & Tapas is located at 82 Patton Ave Suite 100, Asheville, NC 28801.
Chai Pani
Located in Downtown Asheville, Chai Pani is a James Beard-awarded restaurant serving the best Indian comfort food. The restaurant’s chef, Meherwan Irani, is also a five-time James Beard award nominee.
Chai Pani, which translates to “tea and water,” serves beloved Indian street food, some of which pack a lot of heat. Some of their best menu items include:
- Bhel Puri, a tangy, crunchy, and spicy street food classic featuring puffed rice, flour crisps, chickpea noodles, roasted chana daal, and a garlic chutney
- Kale Pakoras, gluten-friendly, Indian-style kale fritters served with green chutney and sweet yogurt
- Sloppy Jai, an Indian take on the Sloppy Joe, featuring spiced lamb hash simmered with tomatoes, ginger, and other aromatic spices and served on two toasted buns
Chai Pani is located at 22 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801.
Itto Ramen Bar & Tapas
There’s nothing quite like sipping the broth from a delicious bowl of ramen. If you agree with us, then you should consider trying the Itto Ramen Bar & Tapas.
Located in three AVL areas, Itto features a wide array of Asian tapas, including gluten-free and vegan options. The tapas menu includes items like seaweed salad, crawfish tower with jalapeno and siracha, steamed buns with either chashu pork or marinated eggplant and tofu, fried dynamite shrimp, and beef yakitori.
In addition to their tapas menu, Itto also serves heaping bowls of ramen, the most popular of which is their Itto Deluxe Ramen with black garlic oil.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try their House Special Ramen, which is a brothless ramen with a sesame base, spicy oil, white truffle oil, parmesan cheese, and ground pork. They also serve Ramen Burger, which features either chashu pork or organic arugula and tempura onion ring sandwiched between two grilled ramen patties.
Itto has three locations:
- 335 Airport Road Arden
- 630 Haywood Rd West Asheville
- 3 Biltmore Ave, Asheville Downtown
