Five Flavourful Asian Faves – From sumptuous Indian feasts to Thai street food treats, there’s an abundance of fantastic Asian inspired cuisine available across NI. Here are some of our more recent spicy discoveries which we absolutely loved.
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Tuk Tuk Asian Bistro, Newtownards
This authentic, traditional Asian restaurant in Newtownards has a brilliant menu featuring a variety of dishes from across South East Asia. The staff are amazing, the ambiance informally cool, and the food is simply outstanding!
Using the freshest ingredients, there’s also a daily specials board and from this we ordered some tender Lemon Chilli Squid, crispy Fried Dumplings, the incredible, locally caught Scallops in spicy XO sauce, and the Lab Gai, a fresh shredded chicken salad, which was the perfect summer choice.
We also enjoyed the Thai Baked Pineapple, one of Tuk Tuk’s most popular dishes, the Malaysian Wok Fried Seabass with a punchy chilli sauce, and the Thai Som Tam Salad, a blend of grated vegetables, carrot, and fresh papaya tossed in a lime & chilli dressing, topped with cashews: available in 1, 2, or 3 chilli options, or hotter if you’re feeling brave!
All the food is freshly cooked to order, and is ideal for a get together with friends or family, as the dishes are perfect for sharing. And Tuk Tuk is BYOB, so you can enjoy your favourite tipple with the meal.
Nemesis at The Marcus.
On Main Street in Portrush, the newly opened Marcus Hotel, part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, is home to a gorgeous new restaurant, Nemesis Asian Fusion.
We were seated at a beautiful circular table in a private booth with great views of the restaurant, with its terracotta and cobalt blue colour scheme, and the striking wave paintings reminiscent of Hokusai’s Japanese woodblock prints.
The playful comic-book style menu invites the diner to dive into a South East Asian-themed culinary adventure.
Some of our favourite starters included the vibrant green Gyoza with a Sesame Soy Dip: steamed Japanese style dumplings filled with mixed vegetables, and the Grilled Salmon Yakitori Skewers coated in a sticky glaze of mirin, sake and soy sauce with Asian slaw.
The main courses were also great; a delicately flavoured Thai Grilled Hake, a Korean Bibimbap Rice Bowl with marinated beef, jasmine rice, Asian vegetables, topped with fried egg and gochujang, a delicious Garlic Tofu Chao with wok-fried smoked tofu, mixed vegetables in a garlic soy sauce, with jasmine rice, and a Beef Massaman Curry in a rich, warming Thai curry sauce with jasmine rice.
To finish, the Mango Sticky Rice was sweet and coconutty, the Homemade Apple Crumble Tart was gently spiced, and the Chef’s Favourite Cheesecake was delicately flavoured with Asian Yuzu and matcha and served with homemade black sesame ice cream.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable evening with some tasty dishes, and excellent service, in this very welcome new addition to Portrush’s restaurant scene.
Namaste India, Ballyhackamore.
Namaste India is a terrific Indian Restaurant in Ballyhackamore, East Belfast. Like its sister restaurant in Ballyclare, Namaste serves authentic Indian dishes using fresh ingredients.
Namaste guarantees a warm welcome, a tempting varied menu, and great value drinks. Namaste is also BYOB, charging £3 per person corkage.
We started with some crispy poppadoms with dips, and some appetisers to share; a selection of tasty Vegetable Starters including samosas, pakoras and onion bhajis, and a delicious plate of juicy Garlic King Prawns cooked with butter, fresh herbs and cheese.
The Special of Namaste Seafood Combo was fantastic; a sizzling feast of butterflied jumbo prawns in tamarind cooked in a clay oven, alongside a pan fried fillet of seabass.
We also loved the Monkfish Patia with onions & lemon, in a hot sweet and sour sauce. All the seafood comes from local supplier Ewings, so you know it’s going to be top notch.
Accompanied by Saag Paneer (chunks of cottage cheese cooked with spinach and garlic), some chilli naan, and pilau rice, these sides completed a superb selection of delicious Indian dishes. And there’s 10% off takeout food when ordered using the restaurant’s app.
Yomiko, Coleraine.
Yomiko is a fabulous Asian street food & Bubble Tea café in New Row, Coleraine.
Serving up Breakfast, Ramen Bowls, Bento Boxes, Bao Buns and lots more, there are plenty of options for all tastes.
We had a couple of great drinks-the Dragonfruit Snow, and the Brown Sugar Bubble Tea, and our delicious dishes included a superb Tofu Bento Box with sticky rice, Asian slaw, veggie dumplings and a spicy sriracha dipping sauce.
We also really enjoyed the Chicken Satay Skewers in a nutty Malaysian sauce, and the Taiwanese Veggie Baos which were light, fluffy, and flavourful.
Yomiko is a little gem in Coleraine, with attentive, friendly service, and great value Asian street food. It’s dog-friendly too!
Tulsi Indian Restaurant, Holywood.
Tulsi is an excellent spot in the heart of Holywood, offering classical dishes from several regions across India. From street-food style dishes and traditional home cooking, to gourmet fine dining, Tulsi has it all.
Named after Holy Basil, a herb with spiritual significance in many Indian Households, Tulsi prides itself on using the freshest ingredients, many of which are produced and sourced locally, to create authentic Indian cuisine.
We began the evening with a couple of great cocktails; the savoury Panjabi Tadka, a fruity, spicy spin on a Bloody Mary, and a great Dirty Martini.
Our starters were delicious; Paneer Tikka, marinated in yoghurt and spices, cooked in a tandoor, and some Pani Poori-crispy hollow spheres filled with spiced potatoes, and tangy tamarind water, literally bursting with sweet, sour, and spicy flavours.
Mains included a sensational Seafood Mixed Grill-an assortment of monkfish and prawns, grilled in a tandoor served with a curry sauce, and a delightfully tangy Achari Chicken with pickled spices.
We’re huge fans of a Daal Makhani-velvety black lentil daal, slow cooked with butter, cream, and aromatic spices, which made a superb sharing side dish.
Accompanied by wholewheat Aloo Paratha stuffed with mildly spiced potato, Mushroom Basmati Rice, and a bottle of Portuguese Coreto “Joker”, bursting with plump red fruit and silky spice, this was a wonderful Indian feast
