Best Asian Restaurants in Cambridge

Hokkaido-style ramen chain from Japan. Rich tonkotsu broth, perfectly cooked noodles, tender pork slices. Counter seating, quick service.

Michelin-recognized Hunan restaurant in Kendall Square. Rare authentic Hunan cooking in Boston — Sumiao's father is a calligrapher and the interior is draped in his work. The name means 'sketch' in Chinese.

Porter Square Thai institution since 2003, with a menu that runs 100-plus dishes. Chef-owner Penjan Janburiwong learned to cook from her mother in Nakhon Sri Thammarat and ran the family kitchen from the age of eight. Now operated by Penjan's daughter Amy Kridaratikorn.

Shanghai-style restaurant at the corner of Mass Ave and Inman Street. Hand-pulled noodles, pork-and-crab xiaolongbao, and Sichuan-style fried chicken. Cheery, hip dining room with chalkboard walls and modern bamboo light fixtures.

Best ramen in town. Authentic Japanese ramen with rich broths and fresh noodles made daily. Cozy space in Central Square with excellent tonkotsu and miso options.

Hot Chix Boston provides casual fried chicken and Southern food to Cambridge. Korean-style fried chicken with Southern influences, crispy and flavorful.

Traditional Japanese sushi and izakaya. Omakase available, fresh fish selection, extensive sake list. Intimate counter seating, authentic preparations.

Taiwanese-style dumplings and noodles. Hand-wrapped dumplings made fresh daily, extensive noodle soup menu. No-frills, cash-only, lines out the door.

Modern Vietnamese cafe with excellent coffee and creative banh mi. The duckfit banh mi is worth the hype. Their Vietnamese iced coffee is dangerously addictive. Expect a weekend brunch line but it moves fast. The vibe is immaculate.

Porter Square outpost of chef Panupak Kraiwong's Thai street-food concept, best known for the khao soi — rich coconut curry with egg noodles and a crispy-noodle topping. The executive chef's selection menu runs inventive spins on traditional dishes alongside the classics.

New England izakaya specializing in local seafood with Japanese and East Asian flavors. Creative small plates, pristine fish, and a rotating menu that highlights the best of what's fresh. Intimate space, big flavors.

Chinese-inspired cocktail bar in the former Mary Chung space, with a reimagined dim-sum menu from executive chef Mark O'Leary (JM Curley, O Ya, Shojo). 40-seat lounge, 16-seat walnut bar, a hand-painted mural by Julia Purinton, and original exposed brick from the Mary Chung era.

Japanese-Spanish tapas from chef Tracy Chang, Michelin Bib Gourmand. Two-story loft space in Central Square with deep-blue walls and wood-topped tables; the menu blends Japanese precision with Spanish warmth (okonomiyaki, guindillas, squid-ink paella).

Porter Square Thai-fusion restaurant in the former Chalawan space. Thai-influenced burgers and pasta from chef Pam Kamolnithi — raised in Thailand, classically trained, cooking both grandmothers-kitchen Thai and Western-format mashups. The name refers to a non-naturally-occurring gemstone, reflecting the fusion concept.

Porter Square ramen shop with a single menu item: Jiro-style pork ramen — thick wheat noodles, a mountain of bean sprouts and cabbage, two slabs of chashu pork, in a garlic-fat-and-shio tare broth. At the end of your meal, you stand up and share your dream with the room. Cash only.

Pan-Asian sushi and small plates in Central Square with live jazz. Fairy-tale and jazz-inspired rolls from chef Ginger, who blends Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese traditions.

Upscale Thai in Harvard Square with dim lighting and romantic vibes. More refined than your typical Thai joint. The drunken noodles are legitimately spicy if you ask for Thai hot. Good date spot if you're in the Square.

Cambridge's original table-grill Korean BBQ restaurant — every table has its own grill, every meal starts with a wall of banchan. Menu also runs a full sushi bar and a complete Korean repertoire (bibimbap, soondubu, japchae). Soju and beer program.

Central Square Cantonese-Sichuan restaurant with a live seafood tank at the front. Wide Chinese and Malaysian menu with destination dishes (Peking Duck, Salt-Baked Chicken, Sichuan Poached Fish) alongside weekday lunch specials.

Modern Vietnamese restaurant on the fifth floor at 907 Main — the only true rooftop dining room between Central and Kendall. Shared plates, craft cocktails, a view over Central Square. From the team behind Cicada Coffee Bar and The Eaves.

11,000 sq ft Kendall Square food hall with nine vendors under one roof: Clover, Juicy Jay's, Perillas Korean Kitchen, Everybody Gotta Eat, Việt Citron, Lone Star Taco, Bacaro Café & Bar, and Fuji Sushi. Two bars, 275 seats, open to the Kendall/MIT T platform.