The last four years in Asheville has seen something of a food renaissance. Don’t get us wrong, we have always had great restaurants cooking up unique meals with quality ingredients. However, we have recently taken to food trends typically seen in larger cities. Asheville has not one, but two restaurants specializing in build your own poke bowls. That would have been unheard of just five years ago! A current “trend” (if you can refer to a 160 year old food as a trend) is a savory noodle soup that is filling, non-pretentious, and absolutely delicious: ramen! Ramen varies greatly in ingredients, but the foundation is always tender noodles drenched in a rich, savory broth. There are several restaurants that either specialize in ramen, or do it so well they could! Here’s Asheville’s best places to find ramen:
Gan Shan West
While there is a northern Gan Shan Station closer to downtown Asheville, the West Asheville location is where the ramen shines. The Gan Shan West restaurant has 4 ramen dishes on the menu, with a variety of fresh ingredients and flavor profiles to choose from.
Itto Ramen
Just opened, also on the west side, is Itto Ramen. This restaurant offers not only plenty of ramen choices, but “tapas” such as Dynamite Shrimp or Grilled Squid, and Lunch Boxes that include dumplings, spring rolls, rice and a drink.
Heiwa Shokuda
This hip little joint off Lexington Ave downtown has been a local favorite for years. There are several options for vegetarians, and they sell half-portions so you can try it all. This is a small noodle shop, so expect a wait!
Honorable Mention: Ok… I know we are talking about ramen here. However, if you’ve never tried it, why not consider Vietnamese Pho. This very similar dish uses rice noodles, and is naturally gluten free!
Also: Look forward to late Summer, when the incredibly popular Charlotte ramen restaurant Futo Buta opens it’s Asheville location!
Taking a look at Asheville’s best places to find ramen, you can’t help but see that there is no shortage of unique – but authentic – restaurants to try out. There is so much to try and so little time, so plan ahead!
Asheville Cabins of Willow Winds offers one, two and three bedroom cabins within the Asheville city limits. We are just 5 miles to downtown. Don’t want to leave the comfort of your cabin? We don’t blame you! Try out Takeoutcental.com for food delivery of many of our Asheville restaurants.
