Now that we’ve been in Rhode Island for over a year and a half, I thought it was time to look back at some of our favorite places. For the first part of our series, I thought we would highlight our favorite Asian spots since Chinese New Year celebrations are ending. I also wanted to support Asian establishments since they’ve faced a lot of challenges over the past year from COVID-19 discrimination early in the pandemic, general pandemic related hardships faced by all restaurants, and a rise in Asian-related hate crimes. If you’re tired of cooking at home and want to try something new for takeout, check out some of these spots. Remember to call or order direct if you can so that they don’t lose out on their profit margins!
This was one of the first places we tried in Providence and is located just off Thayer St. where Brown University is located. They specialize in Korean fried chicken, which has a light batter and comes out super crispy. It’s pricier than your normal fried chicken spot, but it’s worth it, especially if you’ve never tried Korean fried chicken before. Sauce options are the standard soy garlic or spicy sauce. They also have other Korean dishes like seafood pancakes, spicy rice cakes, and more. Check out their other location Den Den Café Asiana for more options.
Photo by voravitv
Mokban is in downtown Providence on a cozy cobblestone street. They have cute bento-esque lunch boxes and Weny is a fan of their rich milky smooth bone broths. Sadly, their place got vandalized during the protests over the summer, but have bounced back.
Also located off of Thayer St. near Brown, Heng Thai is a cozy basement level spot that has décor that will transport you out of a dreary New England winter. We’ve eaten here a handful of times and after trying out 5 or so other Thai spots in the area, this was our clear winner. You can’t go wrong with the stir-fried noodles like pad kee mao and pad see ew, but the Thai style roast chicken and khao soi can hold their own.
Photos from Hengthai.com
Ah yes, you always need a sushi spot. Even though sushi has become so ubiquitous, I can’t stop a craving once it hits. Although we haven’t tried many other spots, Haruki East has been pretty reliable and they have other locations in the area as well.
For our Vietnamese fix, we stick with Pho Horn’s. This was one of our first staple spots and we almost always get the pho. We haven’t been back as much lately since I started making our own pho, but if you ever made pho, you know that it’s a day-long commitment to simmer that stock. When we don’t have it on hand, we still make a trek back to Pho Horn’s.
I grouped these two together since they both serve Szechuan Chinese food. Chengdu Taste was previously located in Pawtucket in one of the most divey spots I’ve eaten at in while. Now they’re at a larger spot in Providence post COVID. Lunch specials are super affordable. Chong Qing on the other hand downsized moving from Fox Point to East Providence. While the spot is smaller, the food still satisfies. Chongqing chicken, eggplant in a spicy garlic sauce, and cumin lamb hand-pulled noodles were our favorite dishes so far.
While I admit I never liked Indian food until after college nor am I anything close to fluent in ordering Indian food, I still usually end up going through phases when I’m craving it. This is the only Indian spot I’ve tried in Providence, and it was satisfying with huge portions.
The last spot we’ll pick is Ceremony. This is one of the more unique spots we’ve come across in that it’s a high-end tea shop where you can get a variety of tea beverages including a small tea ceremony at the bar. The design of the space is elegant and minimalist. It’s also female-owned (Michelle Cheng) who moved from the fashion industry to a food incubator focusing on single-origin loose leaf teas.
From their Zen Instagram
To Try List
This has been on my list since we decided we were going to be in Providence. I’ve been following James Mark’s work, and he’s been vocal on social media for causes I believe in. Hopefully, we get to try these spots soon!
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