Also worth a look: Golden HOF brings Korean beer-hall energy to Midtown with K-BBQ and a Mon–Fri 3–6pm happy hour.
New York City / Asian
Best Asian
Restaurants in NYC
From Michelin Korean barbecue to a $10 bowl of hand-pulled noodles — the 14 best Asian restaurants in NYC across Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian cooking, verified and mapped.
From two-Michelin-star Korean to a $10 bowl of Shaanxi noodles — the best Asian restaurants in NYC across cuisines, ranked and mapped.
- 14 verified spots
- 9+ cuisines & regions
- 4 Michelin nods on the list
- noodles from $10
The short version
- Best overallCote – the only Michelin-starred Korean barbecue in the city.
- Best cheap eatXi’an Famous Foods – $10 spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles.
- Best ThaiFish Cheeks – southern-Thai seafood and the coconut crab curry.
- Best happy hourPinch Chinese – $15 cocktail + 3 dumplings, Mon-Fri 5-7pm.
- Best in BrooklynBonnie’s – Cantonese-American and the MSG Martini, Williamsburg.
The best Asian restaurants in NYC span more cuisines than any single list can flatten: for the big-swing dinners, Cote in Flatiron is the only Michelin-starred Korean barbecue in the country, Atomix in NoMad holds two stars for its modern-Korean tasting menu, and Jeju Noodle Bar in the West Village is the only noodle bar anywhere with a star — while a $10 bowl of spicy cumin lamb at Xi’an Famous Foods is the best cheap eat in town. The densest cluster is Chinatown and the Lower East Side (take the B/D to Grand St or the F to East Broadway), with more in NoHo, SoHo, the East Village and across the river in Williamsburg. We’ve split the list two ways: the destination rooms across cuisines first, then the casual noodle shops, dim sum and izakayas — including the two spots, Pinch Chinese and Sake Bar Decibel, that run a real happy hour, where the live pill flips on when the deal is on.
At a glance
Every spot, its cuisine and signature order or deal, days, window, and price — at a glance.
| Restaurant | The order / the deal | Days | Window | $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cote | The Butcher’s Feast | Daily | Dinner | $$$ |
| Atomix | The tasting menu | Daily | Dinner | $$$ |
| Jeju Noodle Bar | Toro ssäm bap, ramyun | Tue-Sun | Dinner | $$$ |
| Thai Diner | Khao soi, Thai disco fries | Daily | All day | $$$ |
| Fish Cheeks | Coconut crab curry | Daily | Dinner | $$$ |
| Hwa Yuan | Cold sesame noodles, Peking duck | Daily | Lunch & dinner | $$$ |
| Pinch Chinese | $15 cocktail + 3 dumplings | Mon-Fri | 5-7pm | $$$ |
| Bonnie’s | Cha siu McRib, MSG Martini | Tue-Sun | Dinner | $$$ |
| Xi’an Famous Foods | Spicy cumin lamb noodles | Daily | 11am-9pm | $$$ |
| Nom Wah Tea Parlor | The OG egg roll, dumplings | Daily | 11am-9pm | $$$ |
| Spicy Village | Big tray chicken, noodles | Mon-Sat | 10:30am-10:30pm | $$$ |
| Pho Grand | Combination pho (Xe Lua) | Daily | 10:30am-10pm | $$$ |
| Nyonya | Roti canai, Hainanese chicken | Daily | 11am-10pm | $$$ |
| Sake Bar Decibel | Sapporo $6, cocktails $8 | Tue-Sat | 6-7pm | $$$ |
Map: where these 14 spots are
One dense core in Chinatown and the Lower East Side, with outliers in NoHo, SoHo, Flatiron, NoMad, the East Village and the West Village, plus Bonnie’s across the river in Williamsburg.
Pins are numbered to match the table above – tap any pin for the deal and directions.
Destination dining
The standout rooms across cuisines — Michelin Korean barbecue, a two-star tasting menu, the city’s only starred noodle bar, Thai seafood and the best Cantonese-American in Brooklyn. Most are food-first, so the “order” column is the dish to get — except Pinch Chinese, whose real $15 dumpling happy hour flips the live pill on. For noodle shops, dim sum and izakaya, jump to casual icons & happy hours.
Cote
The Verdict: the best Korean barbecue in the city, and the only KBBQ room with a Michelin star. Cote on West 22nd grills USDA Prime and dry-aged beef over smokeless tabletop coils, and the move is the Butcher’s Feast — four cuts, the full banchan spread, two stews and soft-serve to close, around $82 a head. Worth It for a celebration or a date you want to land. The Local Move: book the dining room a month out, or slip downstairs to Undercote, the cocktail bar, when you can’t. The Honest Caveat: no walk-ins, reservations vanish, and the bill climbs fast once the wine list gets involved — this is a plan-ahead splurge, not a Tuesday whim. On 22nd between 5th and 6th.
cotekoreansteakhouse.com · See our best Michelin-star restaurants in NYC
Atomix
The Verdict: the most ambitious Korean cooking in America, and one of the hardest reservations in town. Junghyun Park’s Atomix runs a single ten-ish-course tasting from a counter below street level on East 30th, each course handed over on a printed card that explains the technique and the Korean idea behind it. The cooking is precise, seasonal and genuinely moving. Worth It as a once-a-year, mark-the-occasion meal — this is the two-Michelin-star top of the list. The Local Move: seats drop on Tock at 3pm on the 1st of the month and go in minutes; set an alarm. The Honest Caveat: it’s a serious spend with two seatings a night and no à la carte, so come for the full ride or not at all. In NoMad, off Park Ave South.
atomixnyc.com · See our best omakase in NYC
Jeju Noodle Bar
The Verdict: the only noodle restaurant in the city with a Michelin star, and it earns it on the bowls alone. Jeju on Greenwich Street does Korean ramyun the way nobody else does — handmade noodles, deep stocks built from wagyu and lobster, broths that taste like someone fussed over them for days. Start with the toro ssäm bap, fatty tuna and scrambled egg you wrap in seaweed, then go straight to a ramyun bowl. Worth It for a date that wants to feel special without a tasting-menu commitment. The Local Move: come early in the week and reserve — it’s small and books up. The Honest Caveat: it’s pricey for noodles and walk-ins are tough, so plan it. On Greenwich at Christopher.
jejunoodlebar.com · See our best ramen in NYC
Thai Diner
The Verdict: the most fun Thai room in the city, and the rare one that nails breakfast, lunch and a late dinner. Ann Redding and Matt Danzer’s Thai Diner on the Nolita corner of Mott and Broome mashes a classic American diner into northern-Thai cooking: a deep, coconut-rich khao soi, roti with curry, and the Thai disco fries that everyone photographs. Worth It any hour — it swings from a hangover plate to a real dinner without blinking. The Local Move: it’s a Michelin Bib room and there’s usually a wait, so put your name in and grab a coffee, or come right at open. The Honest Caveat: weekend brunch is a scrum; a weekday late lunch is the secret window. On Mott at Broome.
Fish Cheeks
The Verdict: the best Thai seafood in town, and the coconut crab curry is worth the trip by itself. Fish Cheeks on Bond Street cooks southern-Thai the way you’d eat it on the coast — whole fish, crab fried rice, and that signature curry, a whole blue crab simmered in coconut and yellow curry that you crack and mop with rice. Worth It for a group dinner where everyone shares and the table goes quiet. The Local Move: there’s a daily Cheeky Hour in the early afternoon with cheaper oysters and bites if you want a lighter, lower-stakes visit. The Honest Caveat: it’s loud, it’s tight, and the crab curry runs market price, so it’s a treat, not a cheap weeknight. On Bond just off Lafayette.
Hwa Yuan
The Verdict: the Szechuan room that put cold sesame noodles on the New York map, reopened and better than it has any right to be. Hwa Yuan first ran on East Broadway from 1968, and the same family brought it back in 2017 over three floors under the Manhattan Bridge. The cold sesame noodles are the dish they’re credited with popularizing here — nutty, cooling, faintly numbing — and the Peking duck, carved tableside, is the other order. Worth It for a proper sit-down Chinatown dinner with a tablecloth. The Local Move: book a group, get the duck and a spread of Szechuan classics. The Honest Caveat: it’s grander and pricier than the noodle shops nearby, so come when you want the full meal. On East Broadway by the bridge.
hwayuannyc.com · See our best dumplings in NYC
Pinch Chinese On now
The Verdict: the most polished soup dumplings downtown, and one of the only Asian rooms on this list with a real happy hour. Pinch on Prince Street does crab-and-pork xiao long bao that hold their soup, plus a serious Peking duck if you call ahead. The deal is the reason to come early: the Happy Millennial Hour, Monday to Friday 5–7pm at the bar and lounge, gets you a cocktail plus any three dumplings for $15. Worth It as a cheap, civilized pre-dinner in SoHo. The Local Move: grab two bar seats right at 5, order a flight of dumplings, then decide whether to stay for the duck. The Honest Caveat: the deal is bar-and-lounge only and the window is short, so come on time. On Prince between Sullivan and Thompson.
pinchchinese.com · See our best dumplings in NYC
Bonnie’s
The Verdict: the best Cantonese-American cooking in Brooklyn, and the most fun dinner on this whole list. Calvin Eng’s Bonnie’s on Manhattan Avenue is a love letter to growing up Cantonese in New York — the cha siu McRib (glazed, boneless, deeply savory), salt-and-pepper everything, and a famous MSG Martini that’s exactly as good and as ridiculous as it sounds. Worth It for a date or a group that wants real cooking with a sense of humor. The Local Move: sit at the bar, start with the martini and the chopped cheese spring rolls. The Honest Caveat: it’s small, it’s booked, and it’s closed Mondays, so grab a reservation when they drop. On Manhattan Ave near Withers, deep in Williamsburg.
bonniesbrooklyn.com · See our Williamsburg happy hours
Casual icons & happy hours
The everyday greats — Shaanxi hand-pulled noodles, the city’s oldest dim sum parlor, Henan big tray chicken, old-school pho and Malaysian roti — plus Sake Bar Decibel’s genuine 6–7pm izakaya happy hour, where the live pill flips on when the deal is running.
Xi’an Famous Foods
The Verdict: the best cheap noodle bowl in New York, full stop, and the one Bourdain sent everyone to. Xi’an Famous Foods cooks the food of Shaanxi province — wide, hand-ripped biang biang noodles, fierce with chili and cumin — out of a counter-service shop on Bayard Street. The spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles (the “N1”) is the order, around ten bucks, and it’ll ruin every other lamb noodle for you. Worth It as the fastest great meal in Chinatown. The Local Move: order at the counter, grab a stool, eat fast — this is not a lingering meal. The Honest Caveat: it’s loud, cramped and cash-light on charm, so come for the noodles, not the room. On Bayard near Elizabeth.
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
The Verdict: the oldest dim sum parlor in the city and still the one to bring out-of-towners to. Nom Wah has sat on the bend of Doyers Street since 1920, and unlike the old cart halls you order dim sum to order off a checklist, so everything lands fresh and hot. Get the OG egg roll — fat, shatteringly crisp, nothing like the takeout version — plus shrimp dumplings and the roast pork buns. Worth It for a leisurely weekend lunch on the prettiest block in Chinatown. The Local Move: go early on a weekday to skip the line, sit in the red booths. The Honest Caveat: it’s a tourist magnet now and weekend waits are real, so time it. On Doyers, the little dogleg off Pell.
nomwah.com · See our best dumplings in NYC
Spicy Village
The Verdict: the cult Henan spot down a Chinatown alley, and the big tray chicken is one of the great group orders in the city. Spicy Village is a handful of tables on Forsyth Street doing the food of Henan province — the signature is the spicy big tray chicken, a whole bird braised with potatoes and a slick of chili oil, served over a nest of hand-pulled noodles you toss into the sauce. Worth It for three or four people splitting one tray for next to nothing. The Local Move: it’s cash-only and BYOB, so bring both, and order the chicken to share plus the spicy cumin lamb burger on the side. The Honest Caveat: it’s tiny, closed Sundays, and there will be a wait at peak. On Forsyth below Hester.
spicy-village.com · See our Lower East Side happy hours
Pho Grand
The Verdict: the steady, unflashy bowl of pho that’s been keeping Chinatown fed for two decades. Pho Grand on Grand Street is the kind of Vietnamese room that doesn’t change — clean broth, real herbs, fast service — and the move is the Xe Lua, the combination pho stacked with rare steak, brisket, tripe and meatball. Worth It as a cheap, restorative lunch when you want something warm and uncomplicated. The Local Move: add a Vietnamese iced coffee and a side of the summer rolls; skip the long menu and stick to the pho. The Honest Caveat: it’s a no-frills room with brisk turnover, not a place to linger, but the bowl is honest and the price is right. On Grand between Forsyth and Eldridge.
Nyonya
The Verdict: the Malaysian standby that’s been doing it right since 1994, and the roti canai is the gateway dish. Nyonya on Grand Street, at the seam where Chinatown meets Little Italy, cooks Nyonya (Chinese-Malay) food across a huge menu — start with the roti canai, flaky and pulled-apart for dipping in curry, then move to Hainanese chicken rice or the nasi lemak. Worth It for an under-the-radar cuisine the city doesn’t have much of. The Local Move: come with a group, order wide, and bring cash — it’s cash only. The Honest Caveat: the room is plain and turnover is quick, so it’s a meal, not a hang; that’s the trade for the price and the breadth. On Grand near Mott.
nyonya.org · See our best vegetarian restaurants in NYC
Sake Bar Decibel On now
The Verdict: the East Village sake den that taught New York to drink sake, and one of the only spots here with a real happy hour. Decibel has been hidden in a graffiti’d basement on East 9th since 1993 — look for the blinking “On Air” sign — pouring a deep list of sake, shochu and Japanese whisky over izakaya snacks. The happy hour runs 6–7pm on open nights: Sapporo for $6, cocktails for $8, a pitcher for $38. Worth It as a moody, low-lit start to an East Village night. The Local Move: get there right at 6 before the room fills, order a flight of sake and the agedashi tofu. The Honest Caveat: it’s closed Sunday and Monday, cramped, and cash-friendly, so plan around it. On East 9th between 2nd and 3rd.
sakebardecibel.com · See our East Village happy hours
Best Asian Restaurants in NYC: FAQ
What is the best Asian restaurant in NYC?
It depends on the cuisine, which is the whole point of a list this broad. For an all-out splurge, Cote in Flatiron is the only Michelin-starred Korean barbecue in the country and Atomix in NoMad holds two stars for modern Korean. For the best cheap meal, it’s Xi’an Famous Foods and its $10 spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles. The most fun dinner on the list is Bonnie’s in Williamsburg.
What is the best Chinese restaurant in NYC?
For a sit-down dinner, Hwa Yuan in Chinatown is the Szechuan landmark credited with popularizing cold sesame noodles, and Pinch Chinese in SoHo does the most polished soup dumplings downtown. For cheap and great, Xi’an Famous Foods (Shaanxi noodles) and Spicy Village (Henan big tray chicken) are the picks, and Nom Wah Tea Parlor is the city’s oldest dim sum parlor.
What is the best Korean barbecue in NYC?
Cote in Flatiron — the only Korean steakhouse in America with a Michelin star. Order the Butcher’s Feast, a set menu of four cuts with banchan, stews and soft serve for around $82 a head. Book the dining room about a month out, since there are no walk-ins. For a tasting-menu take on Korean cooking, Atomix in NoMad holds two stars.
What is the best Thai restaurant in NYC?
Fish Cheeks in NoHo for southern-Thai seafood — the coconut crab curry is the dish to build a dinner around. For an all-day, do-anything Thai-American room, Thai Diner in Nolita is the most fun, with a deep khao soi and the Thai disco fries. Both are Michelin-listed and both get busy, so time your visit or reserve.
What is the best cheap Asian restaurant in NYC?
Xi’an Famous Foods for $10 spicy cumin lamb hand-ripped noodles is the answer most New Yorkers give. Close behind: Spicy Village’s big tray chicken (a whole bird over noodles for a few people, cash only), Pho Grand’s combination pho in Chinatown, and Nyonya’s Malaysian roti canai. For a cheap pre-dinner drink and snack, Pinch Chinese’s $15 dumpling happy hour (Mon-Fri 5-7pm) is hard to beat.
Last updated: June 2026. Deals and hours change – confirm with the venue before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
More Asian spots: KazuNori‘s NoMad hand-roll bar, Olle for Korean short ribs in NoMad, and C As In Charlie, Korean-Southern in NoHo.
Mitr Thai brings refined Thai to Midtown near Times Square.
Sappe does funk-forward Isan (Northeast Thai) and cocktails in the West Village.
