Asian

• BANGKOK THAI

  3904 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 989-2910
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Bangkok Thai’s menu presents a plethora of Thai staples juxtaposed with Vietnamese and Chinese fares. Try the pineapple seafood fried rice — the basil adds a Thai kick to the item. Thai egg rolls, which are a soirée of cabbage, carrots and other vegetables tasting as though they have been pulled right out of the ground, perfectly complement the fried rice.

• BONSAI SUSHI EXPRESS

  4480 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 534-0300
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Bonsai Sushi Express is an ultra-quick way to pick up your rolls to go. The Johnston Street location has a bright red roof that’s hard to miss, and it serves all of the standard rolls for drive-through, plus an extended menu for call-in orders that includes a Nemo Roll that doesn’t include rice, but packs salmon, tuna, escolar, yellowtail, snow crab, black and citrus tobiko and avocado in soy paper. Bonsai recently expanded to include a smaller version of the express menu in the Acadiana Mall so shoppers can enjoy the same expedient service there.

• CHINA ONE

  chinaonelafayette.com
  2668 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 234-8299
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  China One prides itself on not using MSG in its food, but that doesn’t limit the extensive menu. The daily lunch special is $4.75 for your choice of entree plus a choice between soup or a soda and a side of rice. Check out the moo shu, which is basically an Asian version of fajitas that comes with a gorgeous hoisin sauce. A quart of wonton soup is a few dollars less. Everything is made fresh to order and rarely takes more than 10 minutes — if you call and order by the time you arrive it’s ready to go.

• CHINA WOK

  www.chinawoklafayette.com
  2429 W Congress St. Suite L, Lafayette (Map) - 269-6069
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Serving standard Chinese-American fare with lunch specials all going for $5.99 apiece, combination platters and appetizers, China Wok is a welcome addition to Lafayette’s quickie Chinese fare. The sesame chicken is a must, or check out the hot Szechuan roast pork. The restaurant also has a health-conscious menu with steamed shrimp or chicken with fresh vegetables.

• CHUNG KING RESTAURANT

  5451 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 988-3486
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  The sushi bar here is a sleeper tucked away in a corner. With a mere eight seats, it feels like a traditional cozy Tokyo neighborhood fresh fish joint, all personal service and simple fare. The Mongolian Grill is a local favorite, and the varied menu of Chinese dishes includes Happy Family special, which pairs shrimp or beef with scallops and vegetables, and the Shanghai Shrimp, served in a zesty tomato sauce.

• DOZO

  www.dozolafayette.com
  4702 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 993-9588
  Monday-Saturday: Dinner
  
  Alan Yen, who has been serving superb sushi and hibachi at his restaurant Shangri-La for the past 10 years, decided to re-imagine the hibachi experience. Every element, from the appetizer starter, soup, salad and especially the sauces that accompany the seafood dishes contribute to an East-meets-West flavor profile. Best bet is the Brandy Duck Breast, grilled medium rare, sauced with a flambé of brandy and teriyaki reduction, and garnished with slices of grilled apple. Dozo’s equally ambitious sushi bar hits just the right note with those sushi aficionados.

• FORMOSA GARDENS

  www.formosala.com
  3902 Johnston St., Lafayette 989-8418 (Map) - 989-8418
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Formosa Gardens serves a Chinese buffet and sushi bar. Call in your order to pick it up in the drive-thru or have it delivered to your house.

• GOLDEN WOK

  www.goldenwoklafayette.com
  1809 W Pinhook Road, Lafayette (Map) - 593-8222
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Famed for its take-out buffet — you can also dine in — sold by the pound, Golden Wok does pepper pork and cream cheese wontons better than anyone. You can use its online ordering system, too, and all the popular items are grouped at the top of the page.

• HAINAM

  www.hainamasianbuffet.com
  2330 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette (Map) - 534-8057
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  This buffet is complete with freshly baked seafood at dinner and freshly prepared vegetables, and the restaurant prides itself on serving a mixture of Asian and Cajun delights. The prices here are a steal — $7.95 for the enormous lunch buffet, or 50 cents per piece of sushi. You can look at the options — vegetables, sprouts, rice, noodles and meats — and put it on a plate. The man or woman operating the hibachi makes your meal right there in front of you using the sauces, if any, that you want as part of your meal.

• LOTUS GARDEN

  2865 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., Lafayette (Map) - 981-0288
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Eating at Lotus Garden is like a trip to the Far East — with stops in China, Japan and Vietnam. The buffet offers dishes like ginger shrimp, Hunan barbecue pork and California sushi rolls. Soft shell crabs frequently make cameos on the buffet. Beef, squid and chicken sizzle on a Mongolian grill. But the best bet is the national dish of Vietnam, pho, a rich noodle soup, which comes with chicken, beef and shrimp.

• MAESONE NOODLE HOUSE

  4807 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 406-0850
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  This noodle house introduced pho, a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup, to Lafayette and has since generated a loyal following of folks who now know how to eat soup with chopsticks. Lao, Thai and Vietnamese rice and noodle dishes offer a wide variety of southeastern Asian flavors — when in doubt, go with the Pad Thai, easily one of the best in town. Try the Larb, a Lao beef salad, Thai eggplant in a rich brown sauce or the tender spring rolls dipped in a fiery garlic/chili sauce. Don’t forget to carry in your alcohol of choice: Noodle House is strictly BYOL.

• MAGIC WOK

  2944 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 237-8311
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Tucked away in Winnwood Shopping Center, Magic Wok is a small gem of made-to-order Chinese cooking. While the buffet is a bargain, go for freshly cooked dishes like the shrimp and scallops with water chestnuts in a spicy garlic sauce or the vegetarian tofu, Szechuan style. The most intriguing dish, however, is the House Special Soup, a communal feast of shrimp, chicken, pork and fresh vegetables in broth, big enough for two hungry diners.

• MASALA

  www.masalaindiankitchen.com
  2208 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette (Map) - 981-6373
  
  Start with the marvelous blackberry Yasho Mojito. Masala installed a clay tandoori oven to capture the authentic flavor of meat roasted at high temperatures. Its mixed grill of chicken and lamb is a perfect entrée to the world of Indian spices. Try the Chili Chicken, which marries ginger, garlic and red and green chilis in a pungent sauce, or the smooth rich Saag, a sauce of creamed baby spinach and fenugreek over a choice of lamb, chicken or paneer, the restaurant’s homemade cheese. The butter chicken is the most popular item, and for good reason. But go back to India for dessert; the kheer rice pudding is divine.

• OISHI SUSHI

  www.oishi-sushi.com
  924 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite G, Lafayette (Map) - 262-0106
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner; Sunday: Lunch
  
  You can tell a sushi master by the quality of his rice, and at Oishi the rolls are beautifully, loosely coiled so you can taste each grain. Lots of the fresh fish rolls come with a soy paper and sesame seed wrapping instead of the standard seaweed, for a delicate change. The uni, a highly perishable sea urchin much prized by the Japanese for its sweet briny flavor, is absolutely fresh and superb here. Most of the business is take-out, but there are three small tables for eat-in diners.

• OSAKA SUSHI GRILL

  www.osakasushilafayette.com
  2809 Johnston St., Lafayette 264-9997 (Map) - 264-9997
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner; Sunday: Dinner
  
  Located in the South College Shopping Center, Osaka rolls out all-you-can-eat sushi weekdays. House specials include the Yami-Yami, a California roll topped with tuna, avocado and a sweet ginger sauce; Bento Boxes, and hibachi-grilled lobster, filet, shrimp or chicken. When available, the green mint tea ice cream is a harmony of refreshing, soothing comfort without making one feel guilty.

• PEKING GARDEN RESTAURANT

  www.pgjapanese.com
  4416 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 984-1290
  Daily: Dinner; Saturday and Sunday: Lunch
  
  Hibachi cooking turns out great grilled food while providing non-stop entertainment from a chef who can juggle eggs on his spatula while flaming strip steak. Peking Garden has been specializing in hibachi cooking for 30 years. Dinner is a set menu; choose from a selection of steak, filet mignon, chicken, scallops, shrimp and lobster. All hibachi dinners are accompanied by soup, salad, rice and ice cream. It’s a great place to bring children who the chefs particularly try to entertain.

• PHO LY LY

  701 S. Lewis St., New Iberia (Map) - 364-4067
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  New Iberia’s Pho secret is worth the drive. To start off, sample the Sugarcane Rolls, spring rolls prepared with a hunk of sugar cane skewering its vegetable innards, which are removed before being wrapped in tender rice paper and served. A perfect entree is the Spicy Honey Chicken, made with green and red peppers in a sauce garnished with scallions and broccoli overflowing from the plate. As far as pho goes, try the No. 30, which comes with round steak and meatballs.

• PHO SAIGON

  120 Curran Lane, Suite K, Lafayette (Map) - 412-6195
  
  Build your own hot pot at Pho Saigon, throwing in vegetables and meats of your choosing. Many meals are served with French bread, and the plates are always brimming with sauce.

• RIKRAK

  www.cypressbayou.com
  832 Martin Luther King Road, Cypress Bayou Casino, Charenton (Map) - 924-3334
  Tuesday-Saturday: Dinner
  
  Rikrak takes Asian-fusion to the bank with the classiest oriental restaurant in south Louisiana. Start with Rikrak’s pork gyoza, ginger and pork in a dumpling. Then move on to the ribeye with Asian lime barbecue sauce; the ahi tuna pan seared with lemon butter and ginger mint sauce; or farm-raised sesame grilled duck with mandarin-peach chutney glaze. If you have room, hold out for the pineapple creme brulée.

• ROYAL PANDA

  www.royalpandabuffet.com
  2418 W. Pinhook Road, Lafayette (Map) - 233-6368
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Boiled shrimp and sushi are always in abundance at Royal Panda’s huge buffet, which also offers Chinese food mainstays like lo mein, fried rice and beef and broccoli. Royal Panda will also serve sushi a la carte by request and on the buffet. The buffet holds snow crabs at night and on Sundays, but it costs a little extra.

• SAIGON NOODLES

  www.saigonnoodleslafayette.com
  2865 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., Lafayette (Map) - 456-3317
  Tuesday-Sunday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  This restaurant is like the best kept secret that everyone knows about. For a departure from everyday spring rolls, try the autumn or winter rolls. The autumn wraps chives, mint leaves, fried wonton paper and pork patty in rice paper with Saigon pineapple dipping sauce; winter is a mint leaves, cilantro and fried tofu with peanut dipping sauce. Try one of our favorite dishes, the Grilled Pork, Shrimp and Vermicelli Noodles (Bun Tom, Thit, Nuong, Cha Gio), which is served in a pedestal bowl.

• SAKURA SUSHI BAR AND GRILL

  www.sakuralafayette.com
  3217 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 989-9698
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch; Dinner Daily
  
  Sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, tempura, katsu, nabemono and donburi all get ace treatment at Sakura. If sushi starvation has you in its claw, Sakura has two huge rolls: the Big Katuna Roll, featuring fresh tuna, escolar, yellowtail, snow crab, masago and chef sauce wrapped in soy paper; and the Big Daddy roll, which marries spicy tuna, snow crab, escolar, chef special sauce and masago wrapped in soy paper, all lined with tuna on the outside. Sakura just keeps getting better with its new menu additions. Take a bite out of a sushi apple with the Golden Apple, a combination of toasted eel, snow crab, cucumber, avocado and tempura flakes all cut in the shape of an apple, or a different kind of spice in the Dynamite Roll, which showcases chili spices.

• SAMURAI SUSHI BAR

  3545 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., Lafayette (Map) - 993-2433
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Before you dive into Samurai Sushi’s extensive sushi and roll selection, the salmon snow crab salad is a good place to start. Everybody loves the Who Dat Roll, packed with spicy grilled tuna, crab meat, cucumber and cream cheese, and topped with tempura fried snapper and a spicy house sauce. The Pam Special rolls together salmon, tuna, yellow tail, grilled shrimp, crab stick and avocado, wrapped in soy paper and topped with snow crab and sweet mayo.

• SHANGRI-LA RESTAURANT

  4702 Johnston St., Lafayette (Map) - 988-4588
  Monday-Friday: Lunch and Dinner; Saturday-Sunday: Dinner
  
  Whether you’re in the mood for seafood or meat off the sizzling hibachi grill or some imaginative sushi rolls, Shangri-La has options for every palate. For starters, try the Ragin’ Cajun, which includes crab paste, crab stick and avocado topped with baked chili crawfish, and the Shangri-La, made with tuna, salmon, crab, avocado and bonito flakes. Shangri-La has dreamed up some dessert rolls as well. The Sweet Summer is made with crab paste, shrimp tempura and cream cheese, topped with mango and sweet mayo, while the Hawaiian Beach rolls shrimp tempura and crab paste under a fruity blanket of strawberry, banana and coconut sauce.

• SHINTO

  3810 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., Lafayette (Map) - 406-0024
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  The hibachi grill and sushi bar are always hopping at this Japanese restaurant, and there’s an abundance of special rolls on the menu. Two local faves are the Rock Star: fresh yellow tail tuna and salmon, wrapped in soy paper and topped with snow crab, crunchy spicy mayo and eel sauce, and the Lafayette Hot Roll: fresh salmon, tuna, whitefish, crab stick, snow crab, avocado and cream cheese, wrapped and deep fried then topped with spicy mayo, eel sauce and chili sauce.

• THAI CUISINE

  www.thaicuisinellc.com
  607 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette (Map) - 261-0000
  Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  From one of the best buffets in town to delicious spring rolls, Thai Cuisine is consistently spectacular. If you are feeling adventurous, go for one of its curry dishes. The Gaeng Khai Wan, or the spicy Thai green curry dish with your choice of meat, is one of our favorite dishes. Coconut milk, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, green beans, eggplant and sweet basil all coexist in this dish that mixes the best of Thai cuisine with Indian influences. Try the house specialty, the Thai Cuisine fried rice, cooked with hot basil and topped with a Thai-style fried egg.

• TOKYO LIVE

  www.tokyolive.us
  1601 W. Pinhook Road, Lafayette (Map) - 236-6251
  Monday-Friday: Lunch and Dinner; Saturday: Dinner; Sunday: Brunch and Dinner
  
  Location, location, location is part of the draw here, as the Vermilion River is the backdrop for Tokyo Live’s steaks, hibachi grill and extensive sushi selection — and it’s the only Asian restaurant we know of that serves brunch. The Kanda Combo of steak and shrimp is a Hibachi grill specialty, while sushi lovers crave the Marilyn Monroe roll, a baked maki roll filled with crab meat, avocado and dynamite sauce, topped with salmon.

• TSUBAKI SUSHI

  3564 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy., (Map) - 981-3111
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Seared pork-stuffed dumplings are a great appetizer at Tsubaki Sushi. Follow up with the baked salmon roll, filled with salmon, crunchy shrimp, mussel sauce or the popular Rock-n-Roll, which has shrimp tempura, masago sauce, cucumber and spicy mayo. In the mood for saki? Venture to this eatery located right by the Mall of Acadiana, and this rice liquor will only set you back a $1.

• TSUNAMI SUSHI

  www.servingsushi.com
  412 Jefferson St., Lafayette (Map) - 234-3474
  Tuesday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Fresh fish is delivered every day to the downtown mecca, the key to keeping the taste sea-spray clean. The combinations are legion. There are actually more speciality rolls off the menu than on it; the best way to find your favorite combination is to sit at the sushi bar and talk to the chef. Request the Transbestbite, an off-the-menu sushi roll extraordinaire that hosts spicy tuna, fresh asparagus, cream cheese and tempura shrimp all in one bite for $20. The perfect pairing is saki, and Tsunami has a cellar holding a variety of premium bottles, best served cold. Try the moon-colored unfiltered, or a flavor-infused saki.

• TWIN DRAGON

  twindragon.chinesemenu.com
  3803 Moss St., Lafayette (Map) - 572-8869
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  Twin Dragon may be in the corner of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it strip mall, but that isn’t a reason to overlook it. Food is served on real plates and not automatically in styrofoam containers (unless of course it’s to go). Here you can sub brown rice for white or fried, too. Try the amazing dumplings you can try fried or steamed and the sweet salty sauce they come with, or the shrimp in lobster sauce. Open until 10 p.m. for your late-night Upper Lafayette cravings, or order online with its easy-to-use ordering system.

• PANDA HOUSE

  http://www.pandahousefood.com/
  1812 W. Pinhook Rd., Lafayette (Map) - 266-5370
  Daily: Lunch and Dinner
  
  This restaurant popped up just where there was an Asian void in Lafayette, and its crab rangoon is a sure bet. All meals are served with fried rice and a wonton or egg drop soup. There’s also a diet menu for those aiming to maintain their figures.