Essential eats: Palm Beach County's must-try Asian restaurants from Boca Raton to Tequesta
As someone new to Palm Beach County, I haven't tried all of our 3,000 restaurants, but I've found reliable crowd-pleasers. These are the spots I'm excited to take visiting friends or turn to when I can't decide where to eat.
Over the coming weeks, we'll highlight the area's must-visit newcomers, Italian gems, steakhouses and Michelin picks.
No matter the category, hopefully these personal favorites bring you the same kind of joy and encourage you to try somewhere new.
First up: Palm Beach County's vibrant Asian dining scene. These standout spots blend authenticity, innovation and judging by the off-season crowds that pack these picks, serious local love.
Sushi Simon in Boynton Beach
I found Sushi Simon thanks to a friend who insisted it was worth the drive from Palm Beach Gardens. Her late partner, who was Japanese, would eat sushi only there.
'If the fish isn't perfect,' she said, 'it doesn't get served.'
Hidden behind a Starbucks and Walgreens, the restaurant isn't visible from the road. But it's definitely worth the search. Inside is sleek, intimate and all about the food. A wall of dated Boca Raton Magazine covers quietly boasts its 'best sushi' status.
The menu is a sushi lover's dream — pristine sashimi, delicate nigiri and creative rolls that showcase real skill. I chose the lunch combo (soup, salad, sushi, sashimi) and added extra sashimi selections: Bronzino, which I'd only had grilled before, was a silky surprise, and Japanese madai was pure indulgence.
Sushi Simon isn't flashy — it's just seriously good. It can get expensive, especially anything offered at market price; my $22 combo escalated to a $58 tab with the additional sashimi. When I visited, two finance bros at the next table were feasting like it was payday. I wanted to join them.
1614 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561-731-1819, no website
Blackbird Modern Asian in Jupiter
On Mondays, when a less expensive menu is available all night, traffic can back up to the road. It happened to me a few times at this spot which came highly recommended from my NYC pals when I first moved here.
The fourth time was the charm and so were repeat off-season visits. While everything is terrific, my go-to dish is chow fun, a vegan rice noodle dish loaded with shiitake mushrooms and bok choy. For an extra charge, you can add beef, poultry or tofu, but there's really no need to.
Details: 1511 N. Old Dixie Highway, Jupiter, 561-589-7505, blackbirdmodernasian.com
ROK Prime Korean BBQ in Boynton Beach
In November, chef-proprietor Michael Kwon opened this sister restaurant to his 14-year-old Lauderhill original that now 'runs like a machine' and was featured on CNN as one of celeb chef Douglas Rodriguez's favorite places for local eats.
Bento boxes are my thing because you get a little of this, a little of that. Mine had a beef bulgogi main and it was really good. Korean miso soup came with it; be prepared because it's a bit spicier than what's served at Japanese-style restaurants.
Details: 1727 Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561-739-8927, rokprimebbq.com
More: What to eat, what to know at the new ROK PRIME Korean BBQ in Boynton Beach
Le Colonial in Delray Beach
As someone who worked at the boutique PR firm that launched the original New York City location in 1993, perhaps I'm partial, but I've always loved this glamourous spot where the food focus is French-Vietnamese. Fun fact: It was the first restaurant to make lounge dining a thing.
Though best experienced when money is no object, if you can only get one dish, go with 'Shaken Beef,' a shareable classic since opening night.
Details: 601 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-566-1800, lecolonial.com
Kasumi in Boca Raton
Tucked inside Boca Raton's Waterstone Resort & Marina, this sleek Japanese restaurant is quickly becoming a favorite. Its modern Japanese menu is a draw, but the real attraction is 'Sunset Happy Hour' — a walk-in-only affair at the bar and outdoor lounge that's worth braving rush hour traffic for.
Running Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., it's perfect for cocktails, indulgent bites and waterfront breezes. The happy hour menu offers upscale small plates at unbeatable prices: wagyu beef gyoza for $10 (normally $21), blistered shishito peppers for $6 and flounder crudo for $11. Portions are generous, making it a flavorful, budget-friendly way to sample the kitchen's creativity.
Cocktails shine too — the 'Nashi Mule' mixes Asian pear, ginger, and wasabi, while the 'Cherry Blossom Old Fashioned' adds floral depth to a classic.
Details: 999 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton; 561-226-3033; kasumiboca.com
More: New Boca Raton waterfront happy hour offers sushi, dumplings and wagyu sliders
Red Pine in Boca Raton
On any given night, I could make a meal of dumplings and my first choice for where to do it is the très chic Red Pine where Executive Chef/Partner Chi Chan, a Hong Kong-born third-generation dumpling specialist, blends authentic Chinese flavors with modern techniques. Seven selections with ingredients like Wagyu beef make this a no-brainer.
Details: 1 Town Center Road, 561-826-7595, redpineboca.com
Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post's new food and restaurant writer. If you have any news tips about the local dining scene, please send them to dbiederman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best Asian food near me: Restaurants from Boca Raton to Jupiter
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
3 hours ago
- Eater
The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: July 28
The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we're always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here's the very best of everything the team has eaten this week. Xiao long bao tortelloni from Kato's Summer Series with Funke in Downtown LA Xiao long bao tortelloni from Kato's summer series with Funke Rebecca Roland The latest installment of Kato's Summer Series, a dinner collaboration series bringing chefs from across LA to Row DTLA to collaborate with the restaurant, welcomed Evan Funke. On Sunday night, Funke could be spotted in the corner of the spacious tasting menu restaurant, clad in a denim shirt and apron, rolling out sheets of pasta by hand. Each dish channeled a bit of Funke and Yao, like chile crisp-topped burrata and tomatoes, and cacio e pepe tossed with zingy Taiwanese pepper. But the xiao long bao tortelloni stood out among the other dishes, with its carefully folded edges holding back rich broth. The outer was thinner than most pasta and slightly chewier than the usual xiao long bao, filled with pork and prawn. There was only one in the dish, but I would've been happy if the entire meal were just a steamer full of these. It's nice to see a fine dining restaurant let loose a little at collaborations, with hip-hop blaring over the speakers, and menus that read like a chef's fever dream. 777 S. Alameda Street, Building 1, Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90021. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Dry pepper fried tofu from Mala Class in Highland Park Dry pepper fried tofu from Mala Class in Highland Park. Rebecca Roland There is something about hot days that makes me crave spicy food, specifically Sichuan spice. On a recent afternoon when the sun was beating down on the city, I found myself in Highland Park looking for some heat. I tucked into jewel-boxed-sized Mala Class, a neighborhood Sichuan restaurant that punches well above its weight, and price point. The tight menu comprises mapo tofu, dumplings in chile oil, dan dan noodles, and a handful of other dishes. My favorite from the lineup was the dry pepper fried tofu, with crispy pieces of tofu dotted in numbing Sichuan peppers. The spice mix was flavorful, while still packing a punch, and the tofu cubes were fried until crispy on the outside with a still-soft interior. Each bite just made me want another, chased by bits of rice and dumplings every so often. 5816 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Smoked double-fried chicken wings from Happies Hand Made in the Arts District Smoked double-fried chicken wings from Happies Hand Made in the Arts District. Matthew Kang By now, the word on Joshua Skenes' Happies Hand Made has shown up on multiple social media accounts touting the fried chicken, like Hungry in LA's Eddie Sanchez declaring it his new favorite fried chicken in LA. While declaring anything comprised of chicken tenders (the least-interesting part of the bird) as the best fried chicken is initially suspect, Skenes does make a really delicious bird coated in a salsa macha and dried chile seasoning. Skenes quietly rolled out his double-fried cherrywood smoke chicken wings last week, served over a golden-brown waffle that he once topped with caviar at his temporarily closed Leopardo on La Brea Avenue. The wings are juicy and sweet with smoke flavor, cracker-like on the outside, and incredibly satisfying to eat. Skenes himself is often mixing drinks or prepping orders up front, with the line of customers not realizing the former chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant (Saison) is making some of the best comfort food in Los Angeles right now. Or maybe they do realize that Skenes has poured so much energy into simple, reasonably priced food, and that's why they're willing to wait. 427 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90013. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Baja tuna tower at the Koast and Crossroads collaborative dinner in Hollywood Koast. Wonho Frank Lee It's always a delight when a dinner collaboration goes right; I always appreciate the effort brought about by chefs and operators preparing a meal together, but the meal is not always a great fit. But when Crossroads chef Tal Ronnen joined Koast chefs Kevin Meehan and Michael Kerner on July 24, everything hit. Ronnen created dishes that reinvented some of Koast's most memorable bites through a vegan lens, like a dreamy watermelon crudo, spectacular lobster mushroom cake, and citrusy rambutan ceviche. My crew nabbed a few Koast dishes a la carte, and all agreed that the Baja tuna tower filled with Baja bluefin tuna, avocado, and tons of tobiko fish eggs is worth returning for. It's as creamy as one would hope and bursting with roe. In short, it's a gorgeous bite of the ocean from the two Koast chefs served in a stunning and intimate room with an entry that's dramatic and fitting for the concept. I've been admiring Ronnen's menu at Crossroads for years, and now it's clearly time for me to make regular stops at Koast to try the rest of the menu. 6623 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90038 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Wall Street Journal
9 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Giada De Laurentiis Doesn't Want to Judge Your Cooking
From the moment she wakes up, Giada De Laurentiis is thinking about numbers. The first thing she does is check reports on her four restaurants from the night before. Then she puts on a pedometer to track the 8,000 steps she aims to get that day. Despite initial concerns from her film producer grandfather Dino De Laurentiis, the four-time Emmy winner rose to fame as one of the most prominent faces on early-2000s Food Network. Her first show, 'Everyday Italian,' premiered in 2003. 'When I started at Food Network, chefs weren't stars,' she says. 'All of a sudden we became these icons that nobody could have predicted.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Two Palm Beach County spots named 'Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in U.S.' by OpenTable, Kayak
Hotel restaurants are no longer just for weary travelers. They're the destination. That's the message behind a new collaboration between OpenTable and Kayak, which produced a first-of-its-kind list of the Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in America featuring two local standouts. First up: Akira Back, a modern Japanese concept inside The Ray Hotel in Delray Beach. Influenced by celebrity chef Akira Back's Korean heritage, the eponymous restaurant draws locals and visitors alike with vibrant dishes, dramatic design and a multi-sensory dining experience. 'This award reflects our passion for pushing the boundaries of Japanese cuisine, paired with world-class hospitality and an unforgettable dining experience,' said Back via email. Hotel restaurants are a Back signature: his name is on more than a dozen of them, including the Michelin-starred Dosa at London's Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. , the stylish American bistro at Via Flagler by The Breakers, a few blocks from the resort, also scored a spot. Named after the resort's founder, Henry Morrison Flagler, the restaurant blends elevated comfort food with a touch of nostalgia in a setting that's both refined and welcoming. The rankings draw from more than 10 million verified diner reviews, travel search data, and national surveys to spotlight where travelers are dining once they arrive. Bragging rights in Florida With 21 winners, Florida boasts more top hotel restaurants than any other state on this list, including 10 in Miami and Orlando. There are no numerical positions on this ranking; every winner is listed alphabetically. Other Florida winners by city include: Fort Lauderdale: Steak 954 at the W Key West: Cafe Marquesa Miami: Gianni's at the Former Versace Mansion, Il Mulino New York, Lido Restaurant at The Surf Club, Limonada Bar + Brunch, Palace, The Roof at Esmé Naples: The Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples (the beach resort) Ocala: Stirrups at World Equestrian Center Orlando: A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek, BACÁN, Bull & Bear Steakhouse, Capa and Ravello at Four Seasons Orlando, Epilogue, Knife & Spoon, Nami Tampa: Lilac Culinary tourism is trending To uncover dining trends at U.S. hotel restaurants, OpenTable and Kayak analyzed over 10 million verified diner reviews, year-over-year travel search data and two national surveys of hotel diners. The list is rooted in diner insights and travel behavior, and it reflects a growing trend: travelers are planning trips around what and where they want to eat. According to OpenTable, 47% of Americans book a trip specifically to dine at a restaurant, and 38% have chosen a hotel because of its restaurant. Kayak reports a 51% year-over-year increase in the use of its 'restaurant' hotel filter, which they say is a clear sign that food is becoming a deciding factor in travel planning. Other survey findings: 73% of travelers say they'd return to a hotel because of a great on-site dining experience. 45% admit they post more about meals than monuments while traveling. 'Travelers aren't just asking, 'Where should I go?'' said Kate Williams, Kayak's chief communications officer. 'They're asking, 'What's on the menu when I get there?' Of note, Booking Holdings is the parent company of both OpenTable and Kayak. Only restaurants using the platforms were considered. If you go: Akira Back at The Ray Hotel Address: 233 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach Call: 561-739-1708 Web: Hours: Daily 5 to 10 p.m. If you go: Henry's Palm Beach at The Breakers Address: 229 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach; Via Flagler by The Breakers (just a few blocks from the resort) Call: 561-206-1896 Web: Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Daily brunch until 3 p.m. Etc.: Complimentary shuttle from The Breakers available for resort guests. Diana Biederman is The Palm Beach Post's new-ish food & restaurant writer. If you have any news tips about the local dining scene, please send them to dbiederman@ Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: OpenTable, Kayak name Palm Beach County hotel restaurants best in U.S. Solve the daily Crossword
