Find the best Asian food in Knoxville at these Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean restaurants

Asian cuisine is some of the most popular and complex food in the world. You should find a Knoxville restaurant to match your cravings.

Knoxville has many Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and fusion restaurants that are worth trying. Let this list be a guide the next time you want to try something new.

Here, in no particular order, are a few favorite Asian restaurants. Use it as a reference if you're looking for a specific dish or want to mix it up.

Knoxville Japanese restaurants

There are some interesting and popular Japanese restaurants in Knoxville where the food is steeped in centuries of tradition and artistic presentations. From sushi to steak, here are a few favorites.

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse in Knoxville is great way to experience Japanese hibachi grilled food. "Hi" is a Japanese word for fire and "bachi" means bowl. From watching your food prepared in front of you and fellow diners to enjoying the sushi bar, Wasabi is a communal experience.

• 226 Lovell Road and 118 Major Reynolds Place, Knoxville
• 865-675-0201

Mikata Japanese Grill & Sushi

Mikata Japanese Grill & Sushi is one of my personal favorite places for Japanese food. It's a small restaurant near Hardin Valley Road and was great while I was a student at Pellissippi State Community College. My favorite dish is the chicken and shrimp with extra shrimp sauce.

• 10918 Spring Bluff Way, Knoxville
• 865-670-3883

Ichiban Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar

Ichiban Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar is known for its sushi and soup selections. Diners boast about the amazing atmosphere along with the convenience of takeout. This is a great location for visit if you are driving on Clinton Highway.

• 6737 Clinton Highway, Knoxville
• 865-947-8888

Knoxville Vietnamese restaurants

If you're looking for popular and exciting Vietnamese restaurants, this list may give you some ideas for your next meal. Vietnamese food is known for its simplicity and remarkable taste.

Sticky Rice Café

Sticky Rice Café is a family restaurant located on Jack Dance Street that highlights several generations of Lao recipes passed down. Focusing on simple foods, Sticky Rice Cafe offers a great variety of meats, soups, sides, desserts and, of course, sticky rice. I recently tried this restaurant ordering the spicy chicken laab, seasoned Grandma's stir-fried noodles and their delicious fried bananas.

• 120 Jack Dance St., Knoxville
• 865-249-6273

Bida Saigon

Bida Saigon is authentic Vietnamese cuisine on Kingston Pike. Its menu consists of a variety of noodles, rolls and pho, a soup dish with broth, rice noodles, meat and herbs.

• 8078 Kingston Pike, Suite 165167, Knoxville
• 865-694-5999

Pho 99

Pho 99 is a location Knox News reviewed a little over seven years ago and it is still going strong. A small business that prides itself in serving traditional cooking and an excellent place to try pho for the first time.

• 9117 Executive Park Drive, Knoxville
• 865-357-2099

Knoxville Chinese restaurants

There are several great Chinese restaurants that deserve a visit. Chinese is the most popular type of Asian cuisine in America, and the variety is infinite.

Asia Kitchen

Asia Kitchen is a highly praised by customers for their fresh food focusing on Pan Asian and Chinese cuisines. Some web reviewers say the sometimes brusk service can add to its authenticity. Their spicy hot and sour soup is perfect for anyone with a cold, and they recommend trying their highest-rated dish: Kung Pao chicken.

• 8511 Kingston Pike, Knoxville
• 865-670-9858

Szechuan Garden Chinese Restaurant

Szechuan Garden Chinese Restaurant also scores high in South Knoxville. Customers say the food is amazing with great service from the staff. It's a small family restaurant on Chapman Highway, and some say their hot and sour soup is the best in Knoxville.

• 4211 Chapman Highway, Knoxville
• 865-579-0889

Golden Garden Chinese Restaurant

Golden Garden Chinese Restaurant on Western Avenue has highly rated stir-fried noodles and amazing soups that make this family-owned restaurant a must try.

• 5737 Western Ave., Knoxville,
• 865-588-5517

Knoxville Thai restaurants

If you're looking for a few Thai restaurants to try out while you're out for lunch or dinner, take a look.

Chaiyo’s Thai & Sushi

Chaiyo’s Thai & Sushi near the University of Tennessee has the best pad thai in Knoxville, according to Thrillist.com . Don't think it's just for students ‒ this is an excellent place to try, especially if you are looking for dishes with customizable spice ranges.

• 601 James Agee St., Knoxville,
• 865-249-8081

Fai Thai Kitchen

Fai Thai Kitchen offers authentic cuisine on Kingston Pike known for its friendly service (with a robot server!) and tasty dishes.

• 4451 Kingston Pike, Knoxville
• 484-324-8424

Tuk Tuk Thai Fusion

Tuk Tuk Thai Fusion chefs bring passion and authentic Thai cuisine to their menu. Customers say the dumplings are awesome.

• 9253 Kingston Pike, Knoxville
• 865-247-6878

Knoxville Indian restaurants

With smaller selection of Indian restaurants in Knoxville, it's easy to try a few. Indian food especially has a wide variety of recipes, tastes, spices and traditions.

Ooh Lala Indian Kitchen

Ooh Lala Indian Kitchen describes its Kern's Food Hall booth as a "vibrant culinary" experience with a contemporary twist. It's a newcomer to the scene.

• 2201 Kerns Rising Way, Unit 126, Knoxville

GJ-2 Indian Street Food

GJ-2 Indian Street Food is a new food truck that offers a variety of sandwiches and entrees. The food truck adds to the authenticity for street food cuisine.

• 9253 Kingston Pike, Knoxville
• 540-541-0832

Sitar Indian Cuisine

Sitar Indian Cuisine is ranked number one for on threebestrated.com for the best Indian restaurant in Knoxville. Their mission is to deliver the best-tasting food and to satisfy every customer that walks through their doors. It's a Bearden classic.

• 6004 Kingston Pike, Knoxville
• 865-588-1828

Knoxville Korean restaurants

Korean cuisine emphasizes the use of fresh ingredients like rice, vegetables, meats and grains. Korean food has evolved for centuries. Traditionally, the Korean people say food and medicine are from the same origin and have healing powers.

Gogi Korean Kitchen

Gogi Korean Kitchen offers a diverse selection of Korean meals. Located on Middlebrook Pike, customers describe the seafood as amazing and the location as convenient. Ranked highly on Yelp , this restaurant is good for newbies and experienced foodies.

• 3725 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville
• 865-281-5797

Q Korean Steakhouse

Q Korean Steakhouse is all about the atmosphere. Meals are prepared right in front of customers for a real Korean BBQ experience. Customers say the food is addicting and the K-Pop adds to the fun.

• 8851 Town and Country Circle, Knoxville
• 865-474-1486

K Pocha

K Pocha is a newer Korean snack bar. Customers like the feel of a nice night out with an excellent vibe. Many say the fries are extra special. Definitely on my list for a place I want to try.

• 7315 Kingston Pike, Knoxville
• 865-584-0047

Asian fusion restaurants in Knoxville

Angry Dumplings Tea

Angry Dumplings Tea has all different types of tea and is known for its dumplings. But the owners serve up a few other great options, too, in South Knox. The menu offers a half-dozen each of fruit teas and milk-based teas, the latter of which include a house boba and a matcha variety (oat, coconut, Lactaid and soy are offered as milk alternatives). The menu may be small, but the flavor is huge.

• 1119 Sevier Ave., Knoxville
• 760-899-4121

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Find the best Asian food in Knoxville at these Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean restaurants