The last thing you might expect in Columbia, South Carolina is the presence of good Asian restaurants. After all, the Deep South is best known for its soul food with its hearty flavours, creamy textures, and a whole lotta attitude! However, in our age and day, changing demographics have given rise to another form of “soul” food joining the ranks. With the latest American census estimating that nearly 2% of the South Carolina population identifies as Asian, it is no surprise that this cuisine has taken root in Columbia as well. Adding diversity to the South is the gradual popularity of Asian dishes that have made their way into the hearts of residents and visitors. In a nutshell, we are on trend and are bringing you (drumroll, please), a list of top Asian restaurants in Columbia, South Carolina!
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1. Tao Asian Fusion Cuisine & Bar
Tao Asian Fusion Cuisine & Bar is at the top of our list because who can hate a great sushi bar that is also all-you-can-eat? Living up to its reputation as having the best and freshest sushi in Columbia, Tao Asian Fusion Cuisine & Bar serves up interesting sushi rolls and appetisers that you will not be able to find anywhere else. Regulars recommend The Godzilla Roll, which is a massive deep-fried tuna roll, the Sexy Jalapeno, a creamy and spicy appetiser, and the Salmon Sushi Pizza. Our advice? Get one of everything on the menu to find a new favourite!
Tao Asian Fusion Cuisine & Bar
Address: 285 Columbiana Drive, Street G, Columbia, SC 29212, United States
Website: Tao Asian Fusion Cuisine & Bar
Opening hours: 11am - 10pm (daily)
2. Red Bowl Asian Bistro
Red Bowl Asian Bistro is a mix of the best Asian cuisines under one roof! Serving up a dizzying array of dishes influenced by Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese traditional cooking styles, Red Bowl Asian Bistro manages to skilfully whip up distinctively delicious meals every single time. Visitors love Red Bowl for its shrimp fried rice and orange chicken Pro-tip: Get a side of the egg rolls as well! Using the freshest local and Asian ingredients, this restaurant cooks each order on the spot. You can spy their experienced chefs whipping up a storm from their open kitchen as well!
Red Bowl Asian Bistro
Address: 481-11 Town Centre Place, Columbia, SC 29229, United States
Website: Red Bowl Asian Bistro
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11am - 10pm; Sat - Sun: 11:30am - 11pm
3. Pho Viet Restaurant
It’s cold outside come get warm with a big bowl of pho! *Beef pho *Chicken noodle soup *Vegetable noodle soup (veggie broth) *Seafood noodle soup (squid,shrimp & crab claw) *Beef stew noodle soup
Posted by PHO VIET Columbia on Friday, 17 January 2020
Pho Viet Restaurant is a favourite with Columbia residents for its savoury noodle broths that warm a body up from within, Vietnamese-style rice dishes, and of course, a huge range of boba teas! Besides the most traditional form of pho (rice noodle soup with fresh herbs and thinly sliced meat), which is one of Vietnam’s most famous dishes, Pho Viet Restaurant delivers a mean Seafood Pho as well. The fresh shrimp, squid, and picked crabmeat accentuate the spicy soup and is a popular order! Mellow that edge with a taro milk boba tea afterwards and enjoy the sweet, creamy flavours of yam with chewy tapioca pearls swirled into the pastel purple drink.
Pho Viet Restaurant
Address: 9308 Two Notch Rd, Columbia, SC 29223, United States
Website: Pho Viet Restaurant
Opening hours: Wed - Mon: 10am - 9:30am; Tue: 10am - 9pm
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4. Miyo's
Wok: Szechuan Beef $8.95 ALL DAY! Summer Special! http://miyos.com
Posted by Miyo's on Forest Drive on Wednesday, 3 July 2019
Miyo’s is a family-run Chinese restaurant specialising in Shanghainese and Szechuanese cuisine that is most famous for their sweet, sour, and spicy flavour notes. Since 1996 from one restaurant, Miyo’s is now readily available across six locations! Choose from a huge menu that spans from rice dishes to noodle soups, stir-fried noodles, salads, wok dishes, cold as well as warm appetisers, and even traditional Chinese banquet specialities such as Honey Walnut Shrimp and Szechuan-style Spicy Braised Eggplant.
Miyo's
Address: 3250 Forest Drive B, Columbia, SC 29204, United States
Website: Miyo’s
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11:30am - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 11:30am - 10:30pm; Sun: 11:30am - 9:30pm
5. M Kitchen
Posted by M Kitchen on Sunday, 5 June 2016
M Kitchen is a relatively new Chinese and Asian fusion restaurant that opened in 2015 within the heart of Harbison Boulevard, a premier shopping and dining district in Columbia. It includes a bar, where fresh cocktails are made and served within seconds of pouring. Diners can choose from light meals like pork ginger wontons and roast duck spring rolls or opt for authentic Chinese dishes such as stir-fried rice cakes, kung pao chicken or three cup basil chicken. Vegetarians among us are not left out either! M Kitchen has a vegetarian, plant-based menu as well!
M Kitchen
Address: 340 Columbiana Drive, Columbia, SC 29212, United States
Website: M Kitchen
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 11:30am - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 11:30am - 10:30pm
6. Inakaya Japanese Restaurant
Inakaya Japanese Restaurant is a highly-rated Japanese sushi restaurant that keeps to its promise of authentic Japanese cuisine. Before you do anything, make a reservation as this restaurant is always packed! Go for the sashimi or raw fish first, followed by Inakaya Restaurant’s sushi appetisers and rolls. The fish, which is always fresh and sweet from the ocean, is handled with utmost care by Inakaya Restaurant’s skilled sushi chefs, making each bite transcendent. Regulars also love the restaurant’s grilled meats for its tender bite and juiciness. The teriyaki chicken is a hot favourite!
Inakaya Japanese Restaurant
Address: 224 Oneil Centre Street 9, Columbia, SC 29223, United States
Website: Inakaya Japanese Restaurant
Opening hours: Mon: 5pm - 10pm; Tue - Thu: 11:45am - 2pm, 5pm - 10pm; Fri: 11:45am - 2pm, 5pm - 11pm; Sat: 5pm - 11pm; Sun: 4:30pm - 9pm
7. Baan Sawan Thai Bistro
Baan Sawan Thai Bistro or House of Sawan Thai Bistro has served traditional Thai food in Columbia since the late nineties. The dishes in Baan Sawan Thai Bistro are cooked from the heart using the freshest local and Thai ingredients along with careful execution of classical Thai cooking methods. For a different taste, try the tom yum kha soup, which has the flavours of a fiery tom yum soup, tempered with fresh coconut milk. While Baan Sawan whips up a tasty pad thai, expand your horizons with the Three-Flavoured Duck, which is not a common dish at most Thai restaurants. The Mussamun Curry, a spicy potato curry from the South of Thailand, is also an excellent choice for a hearty meal with freshly steamed Jasmine rice!
Baan Sawan Thai Bistro
Address: 2135 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29205, United States
Website: Baan Sawan Thai Bistro
Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 5:30pm - 9pm (closed on Sun & Mon)
8. Main Moon
Main Moon is a well-beloved Chinese-American restaurant in Columbia whose main draw is its cheap and tasty food, large portions, and drive-through takeaways for those lazy nights, where you would rather hibernate at home! The sesame chicken is a popular choice, along with the moo shu pork with pancakes and egg rolls. The menu at Main Moon is huge, so you can find something new to try each time!
Main Moon
Address: 2800 Rosewood Drive D, Columbia, SC 29205, United States
Website: Main Moon
Opening hours: Wed - Thu, Sun - Mon: 11am - 10:30pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 11pm (closed on Tue)
9. Egg Roll Chen
Egg Roll Chen was the very first Taiwanese restaurant to open its doors in Columbia, introducing the hungry hoards to delicious Taiwanese cuisine. Since 1985, Egg Roll Chen has been churning out quick and mouth-watering dishes that are a taste of home. While Egg Roll Chen has plenty of Chinese dishes on the menu, the things to narrow in are the Taiwanese specials. Get the Taiwanese beef Noodle soup and revel in its addictive aromas of well-stewed beef and an expertly flavoured broth. Get the egg fried rice or better yet, the Taiwanese sesame paste noodles. For some crunch, order a juicy side of pan-fried homemade dumplings or that perennial Taiwanese favourite, beautifully deep-fried salt and pepper chicken!
Egg Roll Chen
Address: 715 Crowson Road, Columbia, SC 29205, United States
Website: Egg Roll Chen
Opening hours: Mon - Tue: 11am - 9pm; Wed: 2pm - 9pm; Thu: 11am - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 9:30pm (closed on Sun)
10. Wasabi Japanese Restaurant
Let's good time for sushi Let's go WASABI #wasabi #hardscrabble #columbiaroll #columbiasushi #wasabisushi #lakeCarolina 4561 Hardscrabble Road 803-736-9687
Posted by Wasabi Sushi on Tuesday, 10 September 2019
Wasabi Japanese Restaurant is a sushi and steak restaurant in Columbia that is popular for its colourful and delicious sushi rolls, as well as its mouth-watering steaks, flash cooked in Japanese style, which is a flashy hibachi-grilled, table-side cooking method that involves theatrics and much displays of fire. Talk about entertainment along with your food! Get a special roll from the menu or build your own sushi burrito with only ingredients you like. Settle back and order from an extensive list of proteins such as beef, chicken or shrimp and watch your meals get cooked on the spot by the expert chefs in Wasabi Japanese Restaurant. If you are at a loss on what to order, the friendly servers can guide you to a wonderful meal that will get you visiting regularly.
Wasabi Japanese Restaurant
Address: 4561 Hard Scrabble Road, Columbia, SC 29229, United States
Website: Wasabi Japanese Restaurant
Opening hours: Mon: 4:30pm - 9:30pm; Tue - Thu: 11:30am - 2pm, 4:30pm - 9:30pm; Fri: 11:30am - 2pm, 4:30pm - 10pm; Sat: 4:30pm - 10pm (closed on Sun)
Try something new from a selection of Asian cuisines
Whether you are a diehard fan of Asian cuisines or just looking for something you have never tried before, these top 10 Asian restaurants in Columbia, South Carolina, are here to take you on a magical journey, where your tongue and tummy will thank you! From the well-known Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines to more specialised Thai and Taiwanese dishes, there is something for everyone. That is the beauty of Asian cuisines, to soothe you on a rainy day with a gentle soup or excite your tastebuds with bold flavours and textures.
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