At IHeartGR, we are passionate about showing off everything we love about Grand Rapids, and one thing we love about this fantabulous city is the diversity it brings. We want to provide a resource for supporting Asian-owned businesses by listing fifteen of our personal favorites. These businesses ROCK at what they do and make Grand Rapids one hundred times better!
Check out the map below!
1) Kaffeine
637 Michigan St NE Suite A, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
We had to start this list off with a BOMB coffee shop located on Michigan St. We love Kaffeine with all our heart and it is one of our go to places for our marketing team meetings,. The lattes are angelic and the sun shining through the windows makes me feel like a chic city gal in a movie stopping at the local cafe to read a book.
2) Ando Sushi
415 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Ando Sushi is often described in sentences including these two words: “amazing” and “obsessed”, and we would 100% agree. Ando is located on Bridge St, and if you are trying to decide where to go for your next date night, definitely consider Ando, especially if you love all things sushi!
3) Angel's Thai Cafe
36 Monroe Center St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
My mouth waters when I think about Angel’s Thai Cafe, and if you are obsessed with Thai food like me, you definitely don’t want to visit downtown GR without stopping for a bite to eat at Angel’s Thai Cafe.
4) Fuji Yama
1501 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Fuji Yama is an incredible hibachi restaurant that is great for groups or a night out with your special someone! If you love sushi, they have a large section of rolls too! Definitely check out their buffet, you will be amazed at everything they have to offer!
5) Cafe Boba
4314 Division Ave S, Kentwood, MI 49548
Let’s talk about Cafe Boba…
They are the best. Seriously you guys, Cafe Boba has my favorite boba tea, but if you aren’t a tea lover, you can get boba smoothies too! Feeling hungry? They have an extensive food menu! And lastly: It is adorable in there! We only have good things to say about our beloved Cafe Boba.
6) Erb Thai
950 Wealthy St SE #1A, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Erb Thai is one of the highest rated places to get Thai food in Grand Rapids, whoop! We highly recommend visiting and trying some of their Pad Thai, See-U, or Peanut Curry Noodles. Don’t forget to order some boba tea for the road too!
7) Sakura
3540 Rivertown Point Ct SW, Grandville, MI 49418
CALLING ALL HIBACHI LOVERS! Alright y’all, Sakura is an awesome place to spend a night out with family as your food gets made right in front of your eyes (and you cannot forget that you will probably get to see a real life onion volcano!). They also are very well-known for their sushi, honestly you have no reason NOT to visit amiright?!
8) Jaku North
2289 E Beltline Ave NE Suite B, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Jaku North is located on the East Beltline, just a short drive away from Frederik Meijer Gardens (so this would be the perfect place to get a nice dinner after seeing the fantastic butterfly exhibit at FMG!). They have a creative menu built of sushi, sushi burritos, bento, hibachi, and more. The ambience screams modern and gives off alllll the good vibes!.
9) Ding Tea
45 Ottawa Ave SW Suite A Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Coming at ya with another fab boba spot in GR! I see Ding Tea allll over social media right now because it’s just that good! You guys would be AMAZED at their flavor options, I feel like the list is endless! Ding Tea is located on Ottawa Ave and is the perfect place to pay a visit to on your way to or from work, while you’re strolling through the city, or just need a mid-day pick me up!
10) Maru Sushi
927 Cherry St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
You heard about Ando Sushi earlier and we couldn’t neglect telling you about Ando’s sister restaurant, Maru! Maru get’s a round of applause from so many Grand Rapidians for it’s incredible flavor. You are definitely going to want to check out Maru Sushi the next time you find yourself on Cherry Street!
11) Emonae Korean BBQ
6246 28th St SE Ste A Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Just a quick note before we rave about Emonae Korean BBQ: They are the ONLY Korean BBQ place in Grand Rapids!
So OBVIOUSLY you need to go experience this wonderful place and their delicious food! Korean BBQ is simply cooking a meal on the grill, and it is such a unique experience that you do not want to miss out on! Some dishes we would highly recommend include: Bulgogi, soy garlic wings, dumplings, and MORE.
In The Downtown Market
435 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
12) JuJu Bird
I only hear good things about Juju bird and this is the perfect place to grab a chicken sandwich or wings and enjoy them in the greenhouse upstairs! Juju Bird’s chicken is made to order everyday and they also make most of their sauces in house!
13) Rak Thai
I feel like Rak Thai has it all. They have AMAZING pad thai, which I highly recommend, and they also have some yummy boba tea. Their boba tea tastes SO fresh and Rak Thai has so many options when it comes to boba. The other day I got a mango tea with RAINBOW boba which was so much fun and tasted delightful!
14) Pho 616
This authentic vietnamese restaurant located in the Downtown Market is known for their beef pho broth which is a family recipe that takes about 12 hours to make! They sell everything from pho noodle soup, banh mi, and Vietnamese coffee along with specialty Vietnamese grocery items. Stop by Pho 616 for a unique, authentic, and delicious food experience!
15) Sushi Market
The Downtown Market has EVERYTHING you could think of so it should not be surprising that they have a BOMB sushi place! Sushi Market also has a catering service if your looking to have some great sushi at your next event!