In this week’s blog, we review some of the most popular Asian restaurants in Tuscaloosa!
Swen
Are you a broke college student but somehow still have dining dollars left in your account? Do you want to have an actual meal other than frozen dinners or dining hall food? Then go anywhere but Swen’s!
In my opinion, if I’m splurging on my dining dollars, one of the last places I would choose is Swen’s (I’ve got to be really craving Chinese food and really broke for me to get to this point). It’s not that I have had a bad experience with Swen’s, I just think their food is average at best. It’s the kind of food that if I bring home leftovers, it will sit in the fridge for a week before I decide to finally throw it out.
I’ve only been there a couple of times in the three years I’ve been at UA, but if I had to pick my favorite items on their menu, it would probably be their crab angels or steamed pot stickers. I’ll admit, when I first tried the crab angels, they hit different- just the right balance of crab (which I highly doubt its crab) and ooey gooey cream cheese fried to golden perfection.
When I went back a couple of weeks ago with some friends for dinner though, I was disappointed with what we were served. Instead of the perfect balance of want-to-be crab and cream cheese, I was presented with a hunkering glob of cream cheese encrusted in a golden crust (I took one bite and didn’t finish the rest).
That night was also the first time I tried their steamed pot stickers. Did they need more filling? Absolutely. Were they the worse I’ve ever had? No. My final verdict? They are mid at best and don’t compare to this next places’ dumplings- Mr. Chen’s
Rating: This shouldn’t even be on the list its mid at best 5/10 (and I’m being nice)
Mr. Chen’s
You wouldn’t believe how many people don’t know about this hidden gem! Nestled in a little shopping center right next to Hackberry Lane, Mr. Chen’s has become one of my friends and I’s favorite place to eat at!
I like to stick with a classic when coming here- chicken fried rice. This dish is served with a steaming pile of fried rice, fluffy eggs, and tender pieces of chicken (order without vegetables, so you don’t have to pick them out later). I personally like to mix in a little bit of soy sauce, but it still tastes delicious without it as well! I can also guarantee you will have leftovers afterwards because of how big these portion sizes are (these are leftovers I eat)!
Another great dish I recommend trying would be Mr. Chen’s sweet and sour chicken. This dish is also served with a steaming pile of fried rice and juicy pieces of chicken, but with a side of sweet and sour sauce (I drown my chicken in this stuff it’s so good).
But do y’all want to know a dish that you are sure to give five stars? The dumplings.
I can’t even begin to describe how good these dumplings are here. This appetizer comes with 10 delicious soup dumplings that can be either pan-fried or steamed (I personally prefer steamed). When the steaming plate of hot, fresh dumplings arrives at our table, it doesn’t take long for my friends and I to devour these suckers. Heck, I’ve been tempted to order them for myself as a meal they are that good!
Now although Mr. Chen’s is notorious for their delicious food, it also has an Asian market conjoined with the restaurant. You can wonder down aisles and find all kinds of authentic Chinese cuisines, spices, sauces, and snacks!
Now so far, I have only covered the best Chinese restaurants in Tuscaloosa (and no Swen’s does NOT make the list) and this blog reviews is supposed to cover the best Asian restaurants in Tuscaloosa. So, let’s move on to some food I had never tried before coming to UA- Thai food.
Rating: Top-tier and underrated 11/10 (yeah, it’s that good)
Thailand Basil
Yes, I said it. Before coming to UA, I had never once tried Thai food (only Chinese and Japanese but we will get back to that later). I will admit, I was a bit nervous to try this place at first, but once I tried it, I became a loyal customer for life.
Thailand Basil (apparently its Thailand Basil 2 because the first one closed for reasons I do not know but moving on). If its payday (my favorite day) or you are having a really bad day and need some good food to cheer you up, Thailand Basil is the place to go. Now I will admit, this place is quite pricey (hence why I will go if its payday), but I can assure you that this place is worth it.
Now I have only had one dish from this place, but I highly recommend it- pad Thai. This dish features special pad Thai sauce, shrimp, eggs, chicken, bean sprouts, scallions, peanuts, and thin Thai noodles. Now I must be honest, I was hesitant to get everything in this dish. I mean peanuts with noodles? But one bite of this and the peanuts added a nice salty crunch to the already flavor-packed noodles.
If you can, try to get everything in this dish in one bite (and it’s a lot I know). You know that scene in Ratatouille where Remy is showing his cousin what happens when you blend two unlikely flavors together? The scene where all the fireworks start going off? That’s how I feel when I’m eating this dish all together.
I have only gotten Thailand Basil to-go, but when ordering this dish, I can say that the portions sizes are huge (two meals worth) and taste just as delicious after you heat it up in the microwave later (this is a big thing for me).
Now that we have covered Thai food, let’s go to another favorite cuisine of mine- Japanese food.
Rating: My poor bank account 11/10
Hokkaido
Growing up so close to Tuscaloosa, I can remember going to the whole Hokkaido location before the tornado hit back in 2011 (where it was later relocated on 15th street). Now many years later, it remains one of my family’s favorite sit-down restaurants to go to when they come down to visit.
If you never been to a Japanese restaurant where they cook your meal in front of you, make Hokkaido your first one!
Sure, the excitement of the grill bursting in flames, the chef cracking jokes and throwing shrimp, and the little volcano made of onions are part of the fun experience (the volcano is the best part of the show no question asked), but the food is the real star of the show. Now although I’ve been to many of these Japanese sit-down restaurants before, none of them are like Hokkaido.
When going here, I either get the steak and chicken combination or the steak and shrimp combination with fried rice. Although there are many other options to choose from, I recommend getting something that will be prepared in front of you (adds to the experience of the visit).
Cooked to perfection quite literally right before you, this dish is sure to fill you up (be prepared to ask for a to-go box). If you happen to get one of the combinations I get, you will be served with 2 giant scoops of steaming fried rice (literally covers the entire plate) sprinkled with perfectly seasoned steak and chicken pieces.
If you haven’t caught on by now, I prefer to add soy sauce to most of my dishes when it comes to Asian cuisine, but if you are like my dad or sister, you add an unholy amount of yum yum sauce to your dish (they both ask for extra every time). I personally am not a fan (put away your torches and pitchforks), but apparently it tastes amazing when mixed in with the dish.
I have grown up going to restaurants like Hokkaido (although none of them measure up to Hokkaido). It wasn’t until recently that I decided to try a more niche Japanese restaurant located in Midtown- Fuku Ramen.
Rating: Yes 11/10
Fuku Ramen
Yes, that is the actual name. But from the research I have done, fuku means ‘lucky’ or ‘good fortune’ in this instance.
Ever since coming to UA, I have passed this restaurant countless times. For years, I have only heard good things from this place. The only bad review I had heard about this place was from my roommate. Literally right as I was ordering my meal online, she tells me she was not a fan (she was just wrong).
Before moving on, be sure to check out my experience with Fuku Ramen on our YouTube Channel and TikTok account (socials down below)!
Moving on, it took everything within me not to just eat my meal in the car. The smell of the dish literally made my mouth water. After filming our YouTube short and TikTok review of Fuku Ramen (again be sure to go and check it out), I devoured this dish and STILL have leftovers in my fridge.
I got Gyuniku ramen and Miso soup (take a lucky guess at which tik tok I made). I had never had Miso soup before this, but this salty broth lived up to the hype. It was great and all, but didn’t’ live up to the Gyuniku ramen
After trying this dish, I don’t think I can ever go back to top ramen again. This dish has thin beef pieces mixed with onions, spinach, kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and house-made ramen noodles all topped off with half a boiled egg and is the definition of delicious. It’s so flavorful, you don’t even need any additional sauces (that’s right I said it).
Rating: Thanks a lot Trevor and Brad for recommending me this place again my poor bank account 11/10
By Madison Corley and Brad Hachtel
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