Baltimore has so many Asian food establishments it’s hard to know what to choose when planning a night out. Many restaurants feature a fusion cuisine, which means a blending of the best of many Asian counties’ delicacies and their spices. But the results will vary according to the sensitivities of the staff and the chefs. Baltimore has some excellent choices, fortunately
Pei Wei
6302 York Rd
Baltimore, MD 21212
410-435-3290
Pei Wei is a modest place located on a corner brick building. It has all the appearance of a corner grocery or parts supply store, so unpretentious is its exterior. Once inside, visitors will be pleasantly surprised by the liveliness of this place. The open kitchen allows diners to enjoy the dexterity and theater of Oriental chefs show off their slicing, dicing and mincing mastery. Sweet and sour pad Thai and the soba-miso noodle bowl, offering buckwheat noodles swimming in red miso sauce, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, ginger, garlic and scallions is just one of the more popular dishes. Chili seared pork is wrapped in lettuce leaves here for a less heavy version of ordinary wraps. The ordering is done at the counter, then guests take a seat, so the ambiance is truly relaxed. Naturally, this place is on the casual side, and with the great food, it’s all that more fun to dine here. Most entrees are extremely reasonable at under $9.00, so families might want to take themselves here for an affordable night out. They’re open 7 days a week and serve up to 11 at night on weekends.
The Purple Orchid is a lovely place with a sushi bar up a set of steps from the main dining area. It is a date-night place and not for family dining per se. This restaurant specializes in a fusion of unique Asian and French methods using the freshest meats and vegetables. Lunch entrees range from lo mein to broiled salmon, while dinner entrees include chicken scaloppini and Singapore-style shrimp. Everything is very reasonably priced, which is a pleasant surprise given the Purple Orchid’s high-profile location in the Scarlet Seed Building. Traditional Sushi and Japanese are part of the extensive menu here and prices are moderate.
The Purple Orchid410-837-0080
729 E Pratt St
Baltimore, MD 21202
Noc Won Korean Restaurant
12 W 20th St,
Baltimore, MD
410-244-5501
If you love hot and spicy food and have never experienced authentic Korean menus, Noc Won is an absolute necessity for you to visit. The main feature here and in many Korean restaurants is their hot pots, cooked right at the table as diners watch. Keep in mind that many of the wait staff speaks broken English, so be sure to ask about any specials or items on the menu that sound intriguing. They also have specials posted on the wall, so be sure to look there. One of these is the barbecue for four. The Hot Pots are a must try for anyone who hasn’t done them before. They’re a medley of soupy consistency with bean paste, minced fish, other seafood, with tofu and kimchi, fish roe, and a kimchi-style pickled vegetable mixture. Kimchi is a special fermented cabbage mixture that’s laden with garlic and pepper. It’s absolutely delicious to me, but really is on the spicy side. Noc Won’s other specialties are their seafood pancakes and the rice mixed with seafood or kalbi (Korean beef ribs), Korean barbecue, and spicy fried pork, octopus or squid. They’re only open for serving daily from 11-2 am and the prices are fairly moderate. They do serve vegetarian dishes as well. Entrees range from around $10-$30 and guests only have on-street parking to choose from.
