Cleveland is proud to be home to so many amazing cultures and nationalities. Our Asian/Pacific American community is a huge part of what makes us who we are. As we celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage month this May, make your way to these delicious eateries to support some of the many Asian-owned businesses in CLE.
Everybody loves hibachi. The crispness of the vegetables and “just right” char on the meat, mixed with that tremendous umami flavor, is second to none. And while the display of skill and genuine entertainment that a hibachi chef can provide is masterful, sometimes you just want to get a good meal without all the fanfare. Soba founder Jingbao Xiao — a veteran of a full-scale hibachi restaurant and restaurant industry lifer — hit on this simple yet effective concept and is producing high-quality hibachi with the freshest ingredients at his Coventry eatery that marries modern, urban design with an Asian theme.
One of Sheng Long Yu’s many restaurants in Northeast Ohio is Hell’s Fried Chicken in University Circle, which opened near CWRU’s campus in 2020. Hell's keeps it simple, offering crisp and juicy fried chicken tenders, wings and thighs, along with the appropriately named “Spicy as Hell’s” house sauce (seven sauces offered in total).
Enjoy a taste of Kathmandu at Nar Pradhan’s Himalayan Restaurant in Bellaire-Puritas. Specializing in traditional recipes from Northern India and Nepal, Pradhan saw the new restaurant as an opportunity to introduce Nepali food to the mainstream while giving our local refugee community a taste of home. Many items on the menu will be familiar to those who frequent Indian dining, but other items, like their famous Momos (vegetable dumplings), introduce customers to a cuisine and culture they may have never otherwise come across. Click here to learn more about Pradhan and his restaurant.
Jackie Kim (formerly of Aji Noodle Bar) joined forces with Chef Song (formerly of Sapporo) to create Hako: a contemporary sushi eatery in Lakewood. A longtime fixture in the Cleveland restaurant scene, this Kim and Song venture offers nigiri sushi, sashimi and various rolls, along with appetizers, teriyaki dishes and noodle bowls. With a pedigree like that, diners are assured a singular sushi experience in CLE.