We span the four corners of the Valley to bring you our favorites in Modern Asian cuisine.
West Valley
Taiwan Bistro
As one Google reviewer poignantly put it: “If you’re looking for Panda Express type of American Chinese food – don’t come!” Since opening in March 2024, this Northwest Phoenix restaurant has established itself as arguably the best spot for modern Chinese cooking west of the I-17, with a menu that encompasses both traditional fare (e.g. oyster omelet, jellyfish salad) and fusion-y treats like bento boxes and tasty pots. The dishes arrive at the table steaming hot and spectacularly seasoned, in a retro ’80s, red-and-black-toned milieu. 2855 W. Cactus Rd., Phoenix, 480-952-0921, taiwanbistroaz.com
Phoenix
Kembara
Just last January, we lamented the lack of a proper beef rendang in Greater Phoenix. Not one month later, chef Angelo Sosa unveiled this pan-Asian follow-up to Tía Carmen at the J.W. Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, filling a much-needed void for Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine in the Valley, including a rendang for the ages – luxuriously tender beef in a braise of lemongrass and coconut milk. See a full review on page 262. 5350 E. Marriott Dr., 480-293-5000, kembaradesertridge.com
Scottsdale
Uchi
We resist getting cozy with non-local restaurants at PHOENIX – but sometimes they’re so dang good, you gotta give it up. So it goes with Austin-based Uchi in Old Town. Like the six other Uchis opened nationwide by chef Tyson Cole, it specializes in painterly, Nobu-esque fusion delicacies like scallop with mint aguachile and masu salmon crudo in a Vietnamese-inspired oat milk broth, along with hard-to-find fish breeds imported from Tokyo’s legendary Toyosu Market – something only made possible by Cole’s scaled operation. Go ahead, chef. Ravage us. 3821 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-916-0916, uchirestaurants.com
East Valley
Shimogamo
Husband-and-wife team Daisuke Itagaki and Mika Otomo have turned Otomo’s parents’ revered neighborhood spot in Chandler into a buzzy destination restaurant offering pretty cocktails, an impressive sake selection, obscure fish, various iterations of Wagyu and beautiful dishes that range from traditional to playful to fusion-y. All this and omakase too! They also just opened a more lunch-centric location in Gilbert. Two locations, 480-899-7191, shimogamoaz.com
