Best Chinese Restaurants in Asheville—A Local’s Perspective
The inspiration for this week’s piece comes from a spirited conversation with some friends of mine friends, on whether Mexican food or Chinese was better. Let me tell you, things could’ve gotten hairy. Dangerous, even. People have strong opinions on this stuff.
Yours truly is more of a mediator. Whatever crosses my plate, I’m happy to have it. That said, in my culinary adventures through Asheville, the Paris of the South, it has been a treat to find some excellent Chinese restaurants, representing a broad span of approach and occasion. So if you’re hungering for some of the best Chinese in Asheville, then you, my friend, have come to the right article.
I’ve been a longtime fan of this first entry, coming year after year to celebrate special occasions, or simply get out and enjoy all the fun of downtown Asheville. To start with, you should note it’s a sophisticated kind of place, great for dates, perfect for an intellectually stimulating dinner following a visit to one of downtown’s many museums or live shows.
As for the dishes themselves, we’ve got tapas taking center stage. Some of my favorites include the short ribs, jalapeno yellow tail, edamame, and steamed barbecue pork buns, served in an authentic bamboo basket, of course.
On the weekends and holidays, when there’s the most going on downtown, Red Ginger place can stack up a sizable line. And yet, once you’re seated, I always find they have remarkably fast service. Yet another advantage of the humble tapa.
Hours: 11:30am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm, Monday through Friday. 11:30am to 9:30pm Saturdays. 11:30 am to 9pm Sundays.
Staying in downtown, the Noodle Shop is more of a casual place than Red Ginger, great for when I’m feeling Chinese for low-key lunch or in the mood for some takeout. But I do recommend dining in. They may have limited seating, but the Noodle Shop more than make up for it with their patio, giving you a prime view of Pack Square, downtown’s beating heart.
As the name suggests, this is the place to go for some of those classic, enheartening Chinese noodles. Wonton noodle soup, egg noodles, dan dan noodles; here you’ve got practically every noodle imaginable. Round your meal off with some crisp spring rolls and hot and sour soup, and you have what I figure to be the perfect place for a warm meal on a chilly late fall or winter day.
Hours: 11:30am to 2:30pm and 5pm to 9:30pm Monday through Friday. Noon to 9:30pm on weekends.
Just a few steps further down Biltmore Avenue from the Noodle Shop, you’ll find Dilbar Indian Street Food, which is not precisely a Chinese restaurant, but bear with me folks. The fact is, a solid third of their menu’s given over to “Indian-Chinese,” as popular a kind of fusion in India as “American-Chinese” is in the States.
I count myself fortunate to hail from a place where you can find such culinary rarities. They don't call it the Paris of the South for nothing. We’re practically cosmopolitan out here in Asheville.
But more to the point, the Chinese section of Dilbar’s menu features noodle dishes and fried rice, rich with peppers and aromatic Indian spices. And while you’re at it, I recommend grabbing something off the street-food side of the menu. The combination of pakoras and triple-fried-rice is not something you want to miss, and you can only get it at downtown’s Dilbar.
Hours: 11:30am to 9pm, Sunday through Thursday. 11:30am to 10pm Fridays and Saturdays.
Although I don’t typically cover national chains, preferring that local-joint charm, P.F. Chang’s does deserve a mention. Like Red Ginger, its moody décor and artisanal menu make it a great place for a special event. And as far as location, it lies within south Asheville’s Biltmore Park, within walking distance to the Regal Biltmore Grande, my go-to movie theater. Dinner and a show, anyone?
Whereas many of the Chinese restaurants on this list have their own specialties, P.F. Chang’s is more of a generalist. That means no matter whether you’re in the mood for wontons, dumplings, teriyaki, ma po, orange chicken, kung pao, pad thai, lo mein, or even a California roll, P.F. Chang’s has just what you need.
Now don’t even get me started on desserts. That six-layer “Great Wall of Chocolate” is sealed into my memory with the surety of stone.
Hours: 11am to 10pm Sunday through Thursday. 11am to 11pm Fridays and Saturdays.
Pretty much any circuit of Asheville’s best restaurants will sooner or later land you in west Asheville, the hippest part of town. By some metrics, at least. Some say it’s the River Arts District, but I’m not here to argue.
What I am here to do is offer an enthusiastic recommendation of dining at Gan Shan West, but you don’t got to take my word for it. They’ve been voted first place for Best Takeout in town, and second place for Best Ramen. You got to remember, with Itto’s just down the street, that’s some pretty stiff competition.
Suffice to say, Gan Shan’s a local favorite. And with a taste of their General Tso’s chicken, fresh spring rolls, or mapo doufu featuring authentic szechuan peppercorn, I reckon you’ll easily see why. Visit on a Wednesday to try one of their rotating noodle dishes, served with a complimentary spring roll, or on a Sunday for their “Sunday Supper” specials.
Hours: 4pm to 9pm Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.
