Best Asian Cuisine

Masa, New York City

When Frank Bruni described his friend's reaction at biting into one of Masa's toro-stuffed maki rolls in his 2004 review in The New York Times — twitching lips and rolling eyes were involved — and awarded the restaurant four stars, he instantly put the restaurant on the map as the sushi spot in New York, if not the U.S. as a whole. The swanky Time-Warner Center setting and elaborate omakase-only menu is accompanied by a high bar for entry: the price. At $450 per person before tip, you're looking at a bill that can easily total more than $1,000 for two.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar, New York City

You hate to tell the cool kid that he's cool, but if you've eaten at Momofuku Ssäm Bar then you know — David Chang really is a culinary badass. Meals at this East Village hotspot wowed former New York Times critic Frank Bruni into a praise-filled three-star review in 2008, and no wonder. Chang's food offers bold, Asian-inspired flavors with rockstar attitude and everyone wants in on the action. The sweet, sweet porky action.  

Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas

Serving Northern-style Thai food in a Sin City strip mall, Lotus of Siam has been nominated twice for a James Beard Award and has been called by more than one critic the best Thai restaurant in America. Chef/owner Saipin Chutima began her career at the age of five under her grandmother's tutelage and cooks such inspired cuisine today as charbroiled prawns in tamarind sauce and kao soi-braised short ribs.

The Slanted Door, San Francisco

Charles Phan's The Slanted Door serves a modern interpretation of classic Vietnamese street food, with a focus on locally-sourced, fresh ingredients. Located in an airy and relaxed new space in the Ferry Building, it has become a must for food-loving visitors; a meal here, overlooking San Francisco Bay, is not to be missed.

o ya, Boston, Mass.

Innovative sushi and related new-Japanese fare (hamachi sashimi with banana pepper mousse, venison tataki with porcini cream) are prepared here with imagination and flair by an American chef and served in an understated dining room to the accompaniment of a large choice of excellent sake or wine.

Jitlada, Los Angeles

All the standard Thai dishes are done very well at this well-known storefront restaurant in Thai Town, but the southern Thai specialties, many of which are found nowhere else in America, are the real draw. Try the oxtail soup, crisp catfish salad, softshell crabs with yellow curry, sea bass with caramelized garlic, and whatever else proprietor Sarintip "Jazz" Singsanong recommends — even the beef curry called khua kling Phat Lung, quite possibly the spiciest dish in L.A.

Grand Sichuan International (9th Avenue), New York City

Chinese cooking in New York City was better and more diverse 25 years ago than it is today (many of the great older chefs who emigrated to America during the Cold War have retired, and the demand is too high in China itself today to encourage anyone to leave). That said, chef/restaurateur Xiaotu "John" Zhang's Grand Sichuan restaurants — of which the 9th Avenue branch is considered the best — are a bright spot on the local food scene. The cooking holds true to ancient roots but embraces the evolution of modern cuisine, redefining the familiar "take-out" that New Yorkers have come to love (and depend on) while suggesting a more vibrant future for Chinese food in America.

SriPraPhai, Queens, N.Y.

Consistently lauded by critics and Yelpers alike as the most authentic Thai restaurant in New York, SriPraPhai boasts a menu as large as its reputation. Feeling overwhelmed by the spread? Ask one of the friendly and knowlegable waitstaff for a recommendation, and be forewarned: Things may get spicy.

Arun's, Chicago

Since 1985, Arun's has offered refined, sophisticated Thai food, and earned a reputation as one of the top Thai restaurants in the country. Though the restaurant's namesake, owner–chef Arun Sampanthavivat, is not classically trained, he has a master's touch in the kitchen, best experienced through his nightly seven-course, $65-per-person tasting menu.

Urasawa, Los Angeles

This Japanese culinary shrine, with a sushi bar and just enough room for ten diners nightly, located in a shopping center off of Rodeo Drive, might be called the West Coast version of New York City's Masa (see #11 on our list). That's not surprising: Not only did Urasawa chef-owner Hiroyuki Urasawa train under Masa Takayama before opening his eponymous restaurant here, but the spot previously housed Takayama's Ginza Sushi-ko, where Masa made his reputation. Urasawa has a nearly 30-course omakase menu that changes daily, not to be missed.

Bar Masa, New York City

The casual counterpart to the restaurant at #11 on our list, Bar Masa is sushi master Masa Takayama's slightly more economical spot next door. Unlike at Masa, where the only option is the omakase menu, the offerings at Bar Masa are à la carte, including a variety of upscale sushi and modern twists on Japanese street food. The "bar" in Bar Masa, incidentally, refers not to the sushi bar, but to the vast selection of sakes and cocktails available.

Rasika, Washington, D.C.

A native of Mumbai, India, chef Vikram Sunderam is known for taking Indian cuisine to new heights at Rasika. The menu is original, infusing traditional flavors into innovative and unexpected creations (sweetbreads with balsamic vinegar and spiced quinoa isn't exactly the usual Indian fare).