10 Best Asian Restaurants in Chicago

Asian restaurants in Chicago are famous for the city's historic Chinatown, which offers one of the country's most concentrated and authentic destinations for regional Chinese cuisine, particularly Cantonese and Sichuan food. This neighborhood serves as a major draw for food tourism, setting Chicago apart with its density of specialty establishments. Restaurants like Sun Wah BBQ are nationally recognized for specific food preparations, such as its tableside-carved Beijing Duck Dinner, a multi-course meal that has earned a James Beard America's Classics award. The city is also a center for handmade dumplings, with places like Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling specializing in Northern Chinese styles and offering a vast selection of fillings.

Chicago features a broad spectrum of Asian restaurants including establishments dedicated to specific national and regional cuisines such as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. The list below details the most common types of Asian restaurants found in the city.

• Chinese Restaurants: The city has a large number of Chinese restaurants Chicago, especially in the Chinatown neighborhood. These range from fine dining establishments like Shanghai Terrace to casual barbecue spots like Sun Wah BBQ. Diners can find some of the best Chinese food in Chicago through specialists in regional cuisines, including Cantonese seafood at JM Seafood and Sichuan dishes at YooYee.
• Japanese Restaurants: Sushi bars, ramen shops, and izakayas are found throughout Chicago. High-end restaurants offer omakase experiences, while casual spots serve comforting noodle soups and small plates.
• Thai Restaurants: Thai cuisine is very popular, with restaurants located in neighborhoods across the city. Establishments serve classic dishes such as Pad Thai, green curry, and Tom Yum soup.
• Vietnamese Restaurants: The Uptown neighborhood, particularly the area along Argyle Street, is the center for Vietnamese food in Chicago. This area is known for its many restaurants serving pho, banh mi, and other traditional Vietnamese dishes.
• Korean Restaurants: Korean barbecue restaurants are a notable part of the dining scene, especially in neighborhoods like Albany Park and Lincoln Square. These establishments offer grilled meats and a full assortment of banchan, or traditional side dishes.
• Pan-Asian / Fusion Spots: Chicago also has modern restaurants that blend ingredients and techniques from multiple Asian countries. An Asian fusion restaurant Chicago like Sunda New Asian combines flavors from Japan, the Philippines, and China in a contemporary, upscale setting.

Yes, Chicago has many authentic Asian restaurants such as Sun Wah BBQ, Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling, and JM Seafood. These establishments are known for their adherence to traditional recipes, cooking methods, and their focus on specific regional cuisines, particularly within the Chinatown and Argyle Street neighborhoods. Sun Wah BBQ is a prime example, having won a James Beard America's Classics award for its authentic Hong Kong-style barbecue and its signature Beijing Duck Dinner. Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling specializes in traditional Northern Chinese handmade dumplings, offering a wide variety of authentic fillings. JM Seafood and Go 4 Food are known for their live seafood tanks and classic Cantonese preparations, a hallmark of authentic coastal Chinese dining.

Yes, Chicago has Asian restaurants that provide dedicated vegan menus and extensive plant-based options which include Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen, Urban Vegan Thai, and Bloom Plant Based Kitchen. Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen in the Edgewater neighborhood serves an all-vegan menu of pan-Asian dishes, including Korean BBQ, satay, and various noodle and rice entrees. Urban Vegan Thai, with locations in Uptown and Ravenswood, offers a fully vegan menu of classic Thai dishes, such as curries, noodle stir-fries, and Tom Yum soup made with plant-based ingredients. Bloom Plant Based Kitchen in Wicker Park is an entirely vegan restaurant with a menu that includes creative, gluten-free dishes with Asian influences. Sunda New Asian also offers a separate vegetarian and vegan menu with options like Crispy Rice with vegan spicy tuna and vegetable sushi rolls.

Yes, Chicago's Asian restaurants include establishments that accommodate gluten-free diets through dedicated menus or clearly labeled options, which include Sunda New Asian, Brightwok Kitchen, and Shanghai Terrace. Sunda New Asian in River North provides a separate gluten-free menu with a large selection of sushi, entrees, and sides. Brightwok Kitchen is a fast-casual restaurant with multiple locations that focuses on Asian-inspired bowls, and its entire menu is gluten-free. The fine-dining restaurant Shanghai Terrace at The Peninsula hotel can accommodate gluten-free requests for many of its Cantonese dishes, with staff trained to guide diners through the menu.

Downtown Chicago offers a selection of the city's most notable Asian restaurants, ranging from upscale hotel dining to energetic modern establishments including Shanghai Terrace, Sunda New Asian, and Tao Chicago. These restaurants provide some of the best Asian food downtown Chicago and are concentrated in the Loop, River North, and Streeterville neighborhoods.

• Shanghai Terrace: Located in The Peninsula Chicago, this restaurant serves refined Cantonese cuisine in an elegant, 1930s-inspired setting with an outdoor terrace.
• Sunda New Asian: A popular River North spot offering a modern take on Southeast Asian food, with a menu that includes dishes from Japan, the Philippines, and China, alongside an extensive sushi selection.
• Roka Akor: This upscale Japanese steakhouse and sushi restaurant in River North is known for its robata grill, prime steaks, and high-quality seafood.
• Tao Chicago: A large, multi-level restaurant and lounge in River North, Tao features a menu of Pan-Asian dishes, including sushi, dim sum, and entrees like Peking duck and miso-glazed sea bass.
• Ramen-san: With several downtown locations, this lively restaurant serves a variety of ramen bowls, chicken wings, and Japanese-inspired cocktails in a casual, energetic atmosphere.

The best Asian restaurants in Chicago are known for specific dishes that emphasize culinary focus, from authentic regional Chinese flavors to modern fusion creations such as the Beijing Duck Dinner, handmade soup dumplings, and Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna. The signature dishes of these establishments are listed below.

• Beijing Duck Dinner: The multi-course meal from Sun Wah BBQ is a signature Chicago culinary experience, featuring a whole duck carved tableside and served with bao, soup, and fried rice.
• Handmade Dumplings: Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling is famous for its wide variety of handmade dumplings, especially the soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and the lamb and coriander boiled dumplings.
• Salt and Pepper Dungeness Crab: A specialty at both JM Seafood and Go 4 Food, this dish features a whole live crab deep-fried and tossed with a salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning.
• Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna: This popular appetizer from Sunda New Asian consists of a block of crispy fried rice topped with spicy tuna, serrano pepper, and tobiko.
• Pho: Restaurants along Argyle Street in Uptown, such as Tank Noodle and Pho 777, are destinations for authentic Vietnamese pho, a rich beef broth soup with rice noodles and various cuts of meat.

Yes, Chicago enjoys Asian food. The city's enthusiasm is demonstrated by the existence of large, historic ethnic enclaves like Chinatown on the South Side and the Vietnamese community on Argyle Street in Uptown. These neighborhoods are culinary destinations filled with restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores that have served their communities for generations. The high demand for Asian cuisine is also evident in the continuous opening of new restaurants across the city, from casual noodle shops to high-end tasting menus. Major cultural events like the Chinese New Year Parade and the Argyle Night Market draw large crowds annually, further celebrating the city's connection to Asian food and culture.

The average meal price for Asian restaurants in Chicago ranges from $15 for a casual meal to over $150 per person at a fine dining establishment. For a single meal at a budget-friendly restaurant, such as a dumpling spot in Chinatown or a pho restaurant in Uptown, a person can expect to pay between $15 and $30. Mid-range restaurants, including many of the city's popular Thai, Korean barbecue, and casual Japanese spots, will cost a single diner between $30 and $75. For high-end Asian restaurants, like the fine-dining Chinese establishments in hotels or upscale sushi restaurants, the price for a meal per person is generally $100 or more, especially when ordering premium items or multi-course tasting menus.