Best Asian
This list has many eateries from our Chinese and Thai lists but has other Asian cuisine and fusion restaurants as well.
1. Tasty Corner
Portland – downtown
iA lot of Chinese food can be ho-hum, but Tasty Corner is exceptional. We liked some dishes more than others, but everything was wonderful. The dumplings were good, but we’re spoiled by the ones at Xin Ding. The Hot & Spicy House Made Noodles with Beef and the Pork Chow Mein were fantastic.
The shining star, however, was the Orange Chicken. It wasn’t too syrupy or overly sweet. It was gourmet and, without question, the best Orange Chicken we’ve ever had.
2. Sool Korean Kitchen
Vancouver – North
Sool is a fantastic Korean restaurant that serves hearty food that’s very flavorful. I had Jeyugbokk Eum Spicy pork. My daughter ordered the kimchi Jjigae stew. We were both delighted with our choices.
3. Le’ Lert Thai Eatery
Vancouver- EastLe’ Lert is a new Thai joint that opened a few days ago. They’re off to a great start. I had the Street Noodles with beef, which is like Pad Se Ew. My son has Pad Thai with chicken. Both were very good. They have a very limited bar offering a smattering of cocktails, beer and wine. I went with a Lycheetini cocktail. I wouldn’t order it again. But the food is fab and the service is very good. We’ll definitely be dining here regularly.
4. Sichuan Taste
Portland – Downtown
I have a great appreciation for Szechuan. It’s my favorite style of Chinese food. I’m really glad I tried Sichuan Taste. The food is fantastic and it’s a very reasonable price. I had the Kung Pao chicken which is the best I’ve had in a long time. My son ordered Mongolian chicken. Both were from the lunch menu. He also had a cup of hot & sour soup, which he said was just ok. This is an excellent restaurant. The only difficulty is finding parking.
5. The Noodle Bar Thai Street Food
Vancouver – Central
Small Thai joint near the mall that serves quality food. I had Pad See Ew. The beef and noodles were better quality than usual. Their website claims they serve lunch Mon-Fri 11:00am-3:00pm and dinner Mon-Thu 3:00pm-9:00pm (until 9:30 Friday). But when we arrived at 2:30 for a late lunch we were told they were closing at 3PM and that if we still wanted to order we should sit outside so they could leave at 3. My guess is that they were looking to take a break between lunch and dinner. It still seemed odd. Having said that, our food was excellent. Just know to avoid that 3pm changing of the guard. Ample parking.
6. Keo Thai Cuisine
Vancouver – North
Staple neighborhood Thai eatery. Great for lunch.
7. Yaowarat
Portland – East
The waitress recommended that we order 5-8 dishes. We ordered six plates. It was just the right amount of food. The menu was a bit challenging for us since it’s very seafood focused but we were able to find meat and vegetable dishes. We all agreed that the best was the tofu. I’m not usually big on tofu but the flavor was by far the best. The fried rice was $16 and nothing special. The Black Pepper Beef was tasty but small for $26. Going forward we’d just order a bowl of tofu for each of us. The craft cocktails are fab. They lean towards refreshing and a bit tropical, but they can make other types, if you know what to ask for. I had the Obsolete which was spirit forward, rye and rum drink that was delicious. Someone else had the 76 Letters, a vodka based cocktail with Amaro, lemon juice and fruit liqueurs. Both we just $14 each. That’s a good price for a craft cocktail in this market. The joint was hopping on a Friday night. Street parking is sparse. Plan to walk a block or so. PRO TIP: I tried to book earlier in the day but it said there was nothing available. I called and inquired and was able to get a table for four. Bottom line is I like Yaowarat. Their unique Bangkok style is very flavorful…but not cheap. Our bill was $165 before tip with us trying to be mindful of cost. If you stick to drinking water, you can play less. But what’s the fun in that?
8. Thai Peacock
Portland – Downtown
Great Thai joint with gluten-free and vegan options. Lychee Martini is fantastic (Vodka, lychee, lychee liqueur, lychee fruit).
9. Eem – Thai BBQ & Cocktails
Portland – North
Epic, elevated Thai fusion. The BBQ fried rice with brisket is a must. White curry with brisket burnt ends was fab. We also loved Massaman curry with smoked lamb shoulder. Cocktails are good. Some are better than others. The Shoulda, woulda, coulda was the best by far. This joint is super popular. They don’t take reservations. Be prepared to wait. They give you a pager. We had a drink around the corner while we waited. It was definitely worth the effort.
10. Wild Tiger Thai
Vancouver – East
One of the better Thai joints in this area. Great flavors and fresh ingredients. Website is excellent for placing orders with details. We liked the Tiger Noodle and Pad See-Lew for meaty dishes. Pad Thai is very pedestrian but my daughter said it’s the best she’s had. I really enjoy the coconut shrimp. PRO TIP: They have 5 levels of spicy: Mild, Medium, Hot, Very Hot, Thai XX Hot. I really like spicy food but hot is what I order. Very hot is too much for me.
11. Wong’s Garden
Portland – South
One the best Chinese joints in Portland. Huge portions of high quality food. I like spicy and order Szechuan chicken. I ask for it to be very spicy. It comes out just right. Orange chicken is fab. My wife loves the broccoli beef. It’s top quality but too mild for my taste. The pork lo mein is delicious. They’re so old school, they don’t have a website.
12. Thai Orchid
Vancouver – Downtown
One of the staple Thai eateries this side of the river.
Pad prik is pretty decent. Tom Kha soup is great. It needs to be at least 2.5 stars for spice. I like spicy. 4 stars on the entree is spicy but just right for me.
Be careful ordering a dish with fish. They serve some with the head and tail.
Wife and I like pad see Ew. Even though she likes mild she gets it with three stars. Parking is a bit challenging. Their craft cocktails were excellent pre-covid but the great mixologists are gone. The stock is dwindled too but some good cocktails can be made. The 337 cab wine is lovely.
PRO TIP: Post COVID the bar has declined but prices have increased significantly. Best to check prices when ordering.
13. House Of Beijing
Vancouver – WestOne of the better Chinese joints in Vancouver. Massive portions and funky, tacky decor but the food is delicious. The best dish so far is the Szechuan chicken. I asked for it to be spicy and it was. Most Chinese restaurants you have to beat them with a rubber hose to get them to make it spicy but House of Beijing nails it. The pork fried rice is blah. PRO TIP: Don’t order on Christmas Eve. We ordered at 4:30pm. They said 90 minutes….it took 3 hours. NEVER ON CHRISTMAS EVE!
14. Szechuan Brothers
Vancouver – South
The food is very flavorful as you expect with Szechuan. Portions are good size. Service is decent. Better than average cocktail selection for this kind of joint. Decor is nothing special but the food is great. PRO TIP: If you like spicy try the beef with pickled cherries. I didn’t like the cherries but the dish has great flavor. UPDATE: My new favorite spicy dish is Twice Cooked Pork Belly.
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