Uthapam, tete du cochon, ceviche, kielbasa, tajine, ban chan, injera, katsu sando, fatayer, sesos tacos — these are just some of the delicious eats served up by Cincinnati’s many authentic international restaurants. Want to expand both your vocabulary and culinary horizons (and, perhaps, your waistline)? Begin your edible exploration with these CityBeat favorites. *Note: This is obviously not a comprehensive list of every delicious international dining destination in the city.

 

 

Fortune Noodle House 349 Calhoun St., Clifton This Clifton eatery specializes in hand-pulled noodles, the star of its menu. In a soup, the noodles soak up the broth but stay chewy, a quality unique to fresh homemade noodles. The pan-fried dishes also don’t dissapoint: try the shredded pork noodle for a well-balanced, flavorful meal, or check out some of the other favorites. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Uncle Yip’s 10736 Reading Road, Evendale Uncle Yip’s is strip-mall Chinese food at its finest, with authentic (yes, that word gets tossed around a lot, but this is the real deal) Cantonese, Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. At dinner, the clientele is made up of families and friends gathered around tables sharing dishes like ginger and green onion lobster, rock salt squid and Peking duck. It’s like being transported to Hong Kong’s Temple Street Night Market in the Cincy suburbs. Try the weekend dim sum service, complete with rolling carts featuring baskets full of different little steamed or fried delights. Photo: Facebook.com/UncleYips
Arrechisimo 8100 Blue Ash Road, Deer Park Arrechissimo is Venezuelan slang for “spectacular.” Located in the tiny, working-class neighborhood of Deer Park, it offers a one-page menu of Venezuela’s most beloved signature dishes. Though more than half of Arrechissimo’s menu involves fried food, dinner entrées and some side dishes offer a respite from any oil overload. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Baladi Restaurant and Bakery 3307 Clifton Ave., Clifton This Syrian restaurant offers a broad menu of Arabic eats: there’s hummus, falafel, kebabs and gyros, but branch out and try something you won’t find on other Middle Eastern-leaning menus, like foul (fava beans, olive oil and lemon juice) or fatayir (a “cheese boat” baked in handmade dough). Do yourself a favor and save room for a handmade dessert, like kunafa (filo dough, ricotta cheese and cream) or the icy mint lemonade. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
La Mexicana 642 Monmouth St., Newport Home of some of the city’s best tacos: tacos al pastor with deliciously marinated pork shoulder, barbacoa, carne asada, lengua (tongue) and sesos (brains; they wash down perfectly with a cerveza). For vegetarians, wide-ranging fillings include seasoned pumpkin flower, corn truffle, hongos, beans and queso fresco. This inexpensive and authentic menu has been known to incite cravings after as little as one visit. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Le’s Pho and Sandwiches 3 E Court St., Downtown This unassuming spot has a simple yet extensive menu, offering both traditional Vietnamese dishes as well as those that cater to less adventurous palates. Try the banh mi, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich complete with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, teriyaki or Dac Biet (a hearty combination of pork and pâté), topped with pickled carrot, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and just the right amount of mayonnaise. The eatery closed this spring to welcome a tiny new addition to the family, but will be reopening soon. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Ando Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar 5889 Pfeiffer Road, Blue Ash Sushi might be everywhere now, but chef Ken Ando knows how to do it right. The dining room includes a 10-seat sushi bar, which is the perfect place to watch Ando work his magic on the freshest of fish, sourced directly from Japan and Taiwan. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Elephant Walk Injera & Curry House 170 W McMillan St., Clifton Elephant Walk Injera & Curry House boasts a large, double-sided menu — Northern Indian on one side, traditional Ethiopian on the other. But what’s really awesome is the daily lunch buffet. It has both Ethiopian and Indian dishes so you can sample all you can eat of both cuisines and carbo load on both naan and injera, each country’s unique take on bread with which to scoop up your meal. Photo: Khoi Nguyen
Chako Bakery 611 Main St., Covington This Covington bakery serves up delicious baked goods with omotenashi, a word for Japan’s unique sense of hospitality. In addition to baked staples like bread and cookies, try Chako’s Japanese sandwiches like the katsu sando, a pork favorite you’ll have to be quick to get — a limited amount are made each day — or the popular, bright green matcha roll. Photo: Mesa Serikali
Bridges Nepali Cuisine 4165 Hamilton Ave., Northside The restaurant name — Bridges — encourages diners to use food as a means of connecting to new cultures. owner Ashak Chipalu creates Nepalese food using his mother’s recipes. The dishes are rich with spices — like ginger, garlic, cumin, chili pepper and cilantro — that elevate the simple ingredients like chicken, potato, lentils and cauliflower. In addition to its bowls and curries, it’s known for its unique and wide-ranging samosa selection, as well as momos aka Nepalese dumplings. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Mahope 3935 Spring Grove Ave., Northside This Northside eatery is introducing Cincinnati to Cambodian food. Try ban chao rolls (pork and vegetables, wrapped in a rice flour crepe and paired with a roasted peanut sweet and sour vinaigrette) or vegetable kathiew (a vegan dish similar to pho, with a variety of vegetables and mushrooms immersed in noodles and broth). Photo: Facebook.com/Mahope
Maize 1438 Race St., Over-the-Rhine The restaurant takes its name from maize, a corn flour dating back some 10,000 years and first utilized by indigenous Mexicans. The flour serves as the basis for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize and acts as an access point for the rich world of Latin American cuisine. The ceviche is perfect: plump and plentiful mahi, snapper and shrimp served with diced mango, serrano pepper and lime. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Thai Express 213 W. McMillan St., Clifton A favorite stop for inexpensive, good Thai food and friendly service. The tiny, no-frills kitchen puts out some very tasty Thai food. Everything is cooked in one of the two giant iron woks, and nothing on the menu is outside a nearby University of Cincinnati student’s budget. Most dishes come with your choice of tofu, chicken, pork or shrimp. All-time favorites are pad Thai, the red curry with chicken, spring rolls and beef salad. Photo: Paige Deglow Photo: Paige Deglow
Zundo Ramen & Donburri 220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine This restaurant promises “soulful” ramen — a traditional Japanese dish consisting of a meat or fish-based broth, noodles and a range of vegetables and protein — to foodies in OTR. Zundo also offers traditional Japanese cuisine with a modern twist, like donburi (a stew that consists of various meats and vegetables served over steamed rice) topped with eel or sashimi, plus a full bar featuring Japanese classics like sake and soju. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Babushka Pierogies Window 1200 Main St., Over-the-Rhine Stop by Babushka Pierogies to sample a variety of its namesake dumplings, ranging from the traditional (filled with cheese, potatoes and bacon) to the local (stuffed with lentil Cincinnati-style chili) to full-on U.S.-Russian fusion (deep-fried “pizzarogies”). In addition to the pierogies, try the Russian Caravan tea or stop by their Findlay Market location for kielbasa, borscht and stuffed cabbage rolls. Attached to the window is owner Sarah Dworak’s full-service bar, Wodka Bar, serving an array of Eastern European bites (caviar, rye bread with dill butter, a kielbasa bowl) with wheat, potato, grape, corn and rye vodkas. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Wunderbar 1132 Lee St., Covington When stepping foot inside Wunderbar, the German-themed Covington restaurant and watering hole, be prepared for the wurst. German sausages are the star of the menu: wholesome, authentic and in most cases housemade, freshly ground from locally sourced meats and free of fillers. Also a fan favorite is the ever-popular giant pretzel with beer cheese. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Tortilleria Garcia 11774 Springfield Pike, Springdale / 5917 Hamilton Ave., College Hill Omar Garcia, the restaurant’s owner, grew up on a family farm in Michoacan, Mexico and learned how to make corn tortillas the old fashioned way from his mother and grandmother. Garcia honors his family’s culinary history by uncompromisingly follow their recipe for fresh tortillas — never using flour or preservatives. Garcia’s menu consists of classics like tamales, burritos, housemade salsas and rotisserie chicken, in addition to tacos. Photo: Paige Deglow
Bauer Kitchen 435 Elm St., Downtown A truly unique exploration of German cuisine with French accents. Along with expected meat offerings (jaeger schnitzel, choucroute garnie, oxtail stew), Bauer also offers “tete du cochon:” half of a piggy’s head cooked sous vide for three days and crisped before serving. The pig head is served on a board accompanied by housemade mustard, pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, potato salad and Sixteen Bricks bread. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Marrakech Morrocan Cafe & Grill 341 Ludlow Ave., Clifton The chefs, who hail from Marrakech, serve up Mediterranean staples, plus a variety of tajines — flavorful stews slow-cooked in a conical earthenware pot — and bastilla, a sweet-and-savory chicken pie layered with scrambled eggs, shredded chicken, caramelized onions, ground almonds, confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon. Don’t miss out on the Moroccan mint tea. Photo: Jesse Fox
Raya Lebanese Restaurant 801 Elm St., Downtown This spot’s shawarma is incredibly flavorful, hitting on all the desirable trademarks of the sandwich. It’s a little more compact than usual, leaving you with plenty of room to enjoy some lentil soup, a Greek salad or, if you’ve been good, some baklava. Photo: Emerson Swoger Photo: Emerson Swoger
Haru 628 Vine St., Downtown White tablecloths might not be synonymous with Korean dining, but Haru offers the same authentic touches as other more lowbrow eateries, serving ban chan (small bowls of appetizers like kimchi and potato salad) before the meal and a wide variety of entrées such as kimchi fried rice, sweet potato noodles (jap chae) and vegetarian-friendly tofu dishes. To drink, you can try plum tea, soju and Korean beers. Photo via Facebook.com/HaruKoreanRestaurant Photo: facebook.com/HaruKoreanRestaurant
Al-Madina Market and Grill 6 W. Corry St., Clifton This grocery-plus-restaurant boasts a humble yet comprehensive selection of Middle Eastern staples alongside its open kitchen. The chicken shawarma is lauded by savvy students from nearby University of Cincinnati’s campus. Paired with the spicy garlic potato side dish, this chicken shawarma is a formidably flavorful meal. Photo: Paige Deglow Photo: Paige Deglow
Amma’s Kitchen 7633 Reading Road, Roselawn Amma’s serves only vegan and vegetarian Indian food, but you won’t miss the meat when the flavors are this complex and amazing. On Wednesdays, the lunch buffet offers a slew of vegan-only entrées. Features include familiar dishes like vegetable korma and chana masala, as well as unique items like the uthapams, a South Indian style pancake. Homemade breads include the puffy pillows of cooked dough called batura. Photo: Facebook.com/AmmasKitchen
Hot Pot and Noodle 4750 Fields Ertel Road, Mason This strip-mall spot lets you build your own hot pot — a giant pot of broth (choose from flavors like “Nine Boxes Spicy” or opt for the mellower bone soup) that you build into the soup of your dreams by adding ingredients like bean sprouts, lotus root, rice cakes, mushrooms, tofu and all sorts of meat and seafood. Photo: Facebook.com/HotPotOhio
Bread House Bakery 11974 Lebanon Road, Sharonville This traditional Chinese bakery serves a wide variety of buns, cakes and other treats. Try their egg tarts, a tiny circle of heaven beloved by foodies across the world, and pair it with their milk bubble tea, another crowd favorite. Photo: Facebook.com/BreadHouseBakery
Maki Express Ramen House 209 W McMillan St., Clifton Formerly a sushi restaurant, Maki opened a new chapter serving up ramen and other Japanese dishes. The restaurant is small and intimate, and the atmosphere is a great mixture of modern and traditional. Sit down and enjoy a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen, or dive into an order of takoyaki. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Teranga 8438 Vine St., Hartwell An African/American fusion restaurant with a diverse and affordable menu. Find $6 meals, like the Senegalese Senburger, or full diners like grilled tilapia and Jamaican-inspired oxtail with rice and peas. It’s a great place to try West African dishes such as Michoui Gigot (stuffed lamb leg with onion sauce). Sides range from couscous and French fries to fufu and attiéké. Photo via Facebook.com/Teranga
Darou Salam 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside Although humble in appearance, this is Cincinnati’s best-kept secret for authentic African food. Darou Salam offers Senegalese cuisine ranging from lamb dibi, which is grilled lamb paired with an onion-mustard sauce, to firir, a fried whole tilapia (yes with the head — but don’t be scared, it’s tasty), and bissap sorrel, a famous Hibiscus juice and Senegalese favorite. Photo: Google photos, by owner
Laszlo’s Iron Skillet 1020 Ohio Pike, Withamsville This decades-old Hungarian joint serves up a wide array of Eastern European dishes. Try their potato pancakes, sauerkraut, goulash stew, cabbage rolls and more. The menu offers 10 types of schnitzel — breaded and fried or sauteed — including a “Cincinnati”-style pork tenderloin, fried and topped with goetta and black pepper cream sauce. Photo: Facebook.com/LazlosIronSkilletRestaurant
Island Frydays 2826 Vine St., Corryville Island Frydays is the definitive restaurant to break out of culinary monotony featuring authentic Caribbean cuisine made by former University of Cincinnati football captain and Jamaican native Leo Morgan. Though the restaurant has a petite and unassuming interior, they pack a whole lot of flavor. Photo: Facebook.com/IslandFrydays