When I posted a photo of my Spicy Ramen Noodles with Pork Meatballs on my Instagram, someone recommended trying OHHO Noodles if I didn’t want to go to all the trouble to make that dish. I love OHHO noodles, as well as these other Asian Restaurants in Miami.

Chinese

Oh, how I miss you New Chinatown! That was my go-to for Chinese Food, but it’s long gone. No Name was in South Miami for a while, but that was a twist on Chinese and pricey. It’s also now gone, replaced with Cracked, Chef Adrianne’s restaurant. So where do I go to get Chinese? The plus to both of these spots, is they serve Dim Sum! In fact, that is what I usually order there. Disclaimer: I haven’t been to Canton Palace in a while, but just went to Kon Chau.

Kon Chau Chinese 8376 S,W, 40 Street, Miami 33155

This place is in a strip mall where a Lucky Asian market is also located. They have the traditional Chinese Favorites- Egg Foo Young, Lo Mein, Happy Family, Mongolian Beef, Moo Goo Gai Pan and General’s Chicken. The dim sum I’ve tried were: Steamed Shrimp & Pork Dumplings, Chive Dumplings, Steamed Roast Pork Bun, Green Tea Duck Dumpling, Roast Pork Noodle Crepe, Deep Fried Taro Dumpling and Soup Dumplings. Yum yum! By the way, their website announces No Delivery! so plan to eat in or take out.

Canton Palace 7980 S.W. 8th Street, Miami 33144

This spot is also located in a strip mall, right off the Palmetto Expressway. Although I haven’t been in a while, we always came for the Dim Sum, which you check off on a sheet by the piece. Favorites on Yelp include: Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Fried Rice and Salt and Pepper Squid. This place is totally no frills, but they do take out and delivery.

Japanese

Matsuri 5759 Bird Road, Miami 33155

Hands-down, my favorite Sushi Spot, especially for lunch, where they have great lunch specials. It’s in a strip mall in the Red Bird Shopping Center and parking tends to fill up quickly. I almost always get the same thing for lunch- Bento Box Lunch Special C. Chicken Teriyaki. It comes with Miso Soup, House Salad, California roll and an orange for only $9! That’s the best deal in town. Zeke usually gets A- Sashimi and Tempura. There are also dinner specials. Matsuri has super fresh sushi and my meals here have always been good.

Runner Up: Su Shin Izakaya

When I used to meet Zeke for lunch, we would often come to this spot in Coral Gables. The owner greets you with “Hello!” and says “See you tonight!” when you leave. An Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant where businessmen/women stop on their way home from work. When we go, it’s usually packed with people on their lunch breaks. They have lunch specials, but are a little pricier than Matsuri ($12.95) and fair warning, their ginger salad dressing is rather tasteless. Lunch Specials comes with Miso Soup, Salad, Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, California Roll and entree of your choice.

Thai

Atchana’s Homegrown Thai 3194 Commodore Plaza 33133

Atchana’s restaurant was in a hotel in Coconut Grove, but now has found a permanent home on the corner of Commodore Plaza. My husband and I went there for lunch, pre-covid, but have since ordered food to-go from there. I would recommend the Mee Grob ($14) or Steamed Asian Dumplings ($9) to start, with Pad Thai as an entree and Thai Doughnuts ($10) to end. Just like the old days. There are many other dishes, plus a Thai Trio with salad, summer rolls and soup for $13 which sounds like a great, light lunch idea. There’s also a neat Sriracha menu with a wide array of Thai hot sauces. And I thought there was only the one with the Rooster!

Moon Thai & Sushi 1118 S. Dixie Highway, Coral Gables, 33146

This place, right across from U.M., is fun because you can get Thai or Sushi, depending on your mood. Honestly, we usually get the sushi rolls- Sloppy J and Spicy Lover’s Rolls are two favorites, but there’s also a full selection of Thai, which according to the menu is a blend of Chinese and Indian, based on Rice and Noodles.

Vietnamese

Miss Saigon Bistro 148 Giralda Avenue, Coral Gables, 33134

The only Vietnamese restaurant I know of in Miami, now that Hy Vong is closed, is Miss Saigon Bistro in Coral Gables. They used to have an outpost in Pinecrest, but that has changed to a Pho restaurant. I love coming here and seeing the servers in their beautiful Thai gowns. I always get the same thing- the Miss Saigon Rice Noodle Bowl ($13.95), because it’s so delicious. Rice noodles are tossed with herbs and include pork, chicken, shrimp and chopped up crispy spring rolls, which are then tossed, table side with chopsticks, with hot sauce. It’s a big serving, but I usually seem to finish it. When I don’t, it makes good leftovers. I’ve tried to replicate this dish at home, without success.

Asian Fusion

Lan Pan Asian Cafe 8332 South Dixie Highway, Miami, 33143

This restaurant in Dadeland Station, is part of the same restaurant group as Su Shin Izakaya, the Japanese restaurant above. Bright, light and usually crowded, I love to stop here for lunch while shopping. Lunch Specials are a great deal with Soup, Salad, California Roll included with your entree. I always used to get the Chicken Dumplings ($11.95), but have branched out to try Tamarind Shrimp, Thai Basil Chicken and Grilled Salmon. Please note, this is the ONLY place I’ve had cooked salmon that I like, but my friend Tami wasn’t a fan.

Noodle Restaurants

OHHO Noodles Market 1100 S. Dixie Highway, Coral Gables 33146

This restaurant, near Ponce Middle School, is usually filled with U.M. students. You order at the counter, get a number and wait in the funky, grafitti-decorated interior. They have other menu items besides noodles- buns, dumplings, chicken dishes and Bibimbop. The most popular noodle dish, and my favorite, is the Singaporean Laksa Lemak ($18) with rice noodles, spicy coconut broth, chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu and egg. There are a variety of hot sauces on the counter to be added to your dishes, if desired. They offer Pick-up and Delivery.

InRamen 5829 S.W. 73 Street, South Miami, 33143

This restaurant, in South Miami, is super casual with the doors open and indoor and outdoor dining. It was the first place I saw the (now ubiquitous) QR code, as they wish you to open it on your phone, order and even pay contactlessly. Genius! (They do have paper menus for the technologically-challenged.) They have other menu items than noodles- buns, dumplings, bibimbop and chicken dishes- but the noodles are hand made right in front of you, so that’s always what I get. It’s pricier than Ohho, with the Ramen Beef Short Rib Ramen my daughter recently got costing $26. I’ve gotten the most popular dish- Chashu Ramen with pork belly, tonkotsu broth, noodles, egg, corn, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. The Spicy Chicken ($18) sounds good and I like the music they play in here, which is a sometimes overlooked feature in restaurants.

Sea Siam 12735 S. Dixie Highway, Pinecrest, 33156

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Sea Siam, in a strip mall in Pinecrest and where we used to meet our friends Brooks and Sharon. We would sit at the bar and all always got the same appetizer- Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Spicy Mayo and extra scallions (off menu). For entrees, we were all over the place. The Crispy Duck ($26) is delicious, and was my favorite, Brooks liked the Ginger Fish ($26), which is a whole fried snapper and Sharon usually got a sushi roll, like SuSa ($20) with tuna and avocado.

So there is a by-no-means complete list, but some of my favorite places to eat Asian food in Miami. I’m also dying to try Zitzsum in Coral Gables, with the chef from No Name Chinese. It has been nominated for a James Beard award Best New Restaurant.

In a Good News/Bad News situation the principal plays with Hy Vong restaurant were doing Pop-Ups and Pick-ups of some of their food during the Pandemic. They participated in the South Beach Food and Wine Festival this year and, since Hy Vong closed, had been doing Pop Ups and pick-ups of their food in South Miami. Their last pickup was March 12 and they announced they’ve officially hung up their aprons and will no longer be offering their delicious food. The Good News is they will be doing Cooking Videos on how to make some of their dishes. I will definitely sign up for that!

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