Updated Jan. 14, 2021
Asian cuisines draw on a diverse range of complex flavors, from rich umami to bright acidity to searing heat. This variety means endless pairing possibilities with wines from around the world. While sake often steals the spotlight, the wine programs at these nine restaurants have much more to offer. All are open for some form of on-premise dining in accordance with local pandemic restrictions, and all hold Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards for their wine lists.
To check out more wine-and-food destinations around the world, see Wine Spectator’s nearly 3,800 Restaurant Award–winning picks, including the 100 Grand Award recipients worldwide that hold our highest honor.
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Note: Opening hours and menus are subject to change as the industry continues to adjust to evolving regulations.
Azitra
8411 Brier Creek Parkway, Raleigh, N.C.
Telephone (919) 484-3939
Website www.azitra.com
Best of Award of Excellence
At Azitra, vibrant Indian flavors are matched by a comprehensive list of wines from all over the globe. Overseen by general manager Harmandeep Hundal, the wine program grew by more than 200 labels in 2020, adding up to a total of nearly 600. This earned the restaurant a promotion from Award of Excellence, which it held since 2006, to Best of Award of Excellence. California, France and Italy are emphasized, but a mix of other international regions are represented as well, such as Lebanon, Chile, Uruguay, Israel, Canada and more. Chef Narinder Kumar serves a lengthy menu of Indian staples, modern takes on classics and plenty of vegetarian options. A sibling location in Broomfield, Colo., has held an Award of Excellence since 2012 for its more compact wine list of 200 selections.
Hakkasan Miami
Fontainebleau Miami Beach, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, Fla.
Telephone (786) 276-1388
Website www.hakkasan.com/locations/hakkasan-miami
Best of Award of Excellence
Hakkasan Miami boasts a Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list amid the glamour of South Beach’s Fontainebleau hotel. Program strengths include France (especially Burgundy), California and Italy, with various bottle sizes like half-bottles and magnums available among the 400 selections. The list by wine director John Riccardo provides a mix of familiar and lesser-known labels to pair with chef Jian Heng Loo’s cuisine. Dishes include standard items of Hakkasan’s multiple outposts, as well as unique plates like a stir-fry of Bahamas lobster in XO sauce.
Jungsik
2 Harrison St., New York, N.Y.
Telephone (212) 219-0900
Website www.jungsik.com
Best of Award of Excellence
One of two Best of Award of Excellence–winning outposts from chef Jung Sik Yim, Jungsik's New York location is now offering its tasting menu for outdoor dining. Prepaid reservations start at $145 per person, and guests can choose from either four or seven courses. Sik Yim describes his culinary style as “new Korean,” so expect dishes like octopus with gochujang aioli, Wagyu short rib with sweet soy and bluefin tuna with truffled rice and mustard sauce. Just as dynamic as the menu is the wine list, comprising more than 1,100 labels curated by sommelier Catherine DiGennaro. The program shows strengths in France, especially Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne, plus California, Italy and Germany. An abbreviated version of the wine list is included in the restaurant’s takeaway and delivery options for those who prefer to experience Jungsik at home.
Lucky Palace
750 Diamond Jacks Blvd., Bossier City, La.
Telephone (318) 752-1888
Website www.lucky-palace.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Lucky Palace is a beacon of Chinese cuisine in Louisiana, offering a massive menu of classic dishes alongside a Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list. Owner and wine director Kuan Lim put together the selection of 360 labels, mostly focused on picks from California and France. This includes a substantial Champagne list that highlights several grower estates, as well as numerous Chardonnays. There’s no shortage of Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels or Cabernets either, and the list features verticals from Napa estates Spottswoode and Shafer. Lucky Palace also has a substantial by-the-glass list. All of these wines can be paired with the restaurant’s many small plates, including duck on a scallion pancake and cold sesame noodles, or with seafood options like crispy prawns, lobster tempura and alligator with garlic sauce. The restaurant is open for dine-in, but there’s also an abbreviated wine list available for pickup.
Mott 32
The Palazzo at the Venetian Resort, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, Nev.
Telephone (702) 607-3232
Website www.mott32.com/lasvegas
Best of Award of Excellence
Mott 32’s name might reference New York City’s Chinatown, but the restaurant has outposts around the globe in Hong Kong, Vancouver and Las Vegas. Located at the Palazzo at the Venetian Resort, the Las Vegas location holds a Best of Award of Excellence for a vast wine list of more than 600 labels. The program is grounded in wines from California, France and Italy, with particular emphasis on bottles from Burgundy and Bordeaux. These French flavors mingle with chef Alan Ji’s Cantonese-influenced menu, which highlights dishes like Peking duck and barbecue Iberico pork, plus numerous dim sum options.
The Oven
201 N. Eighth St., Lincoln, Neb.
Telephone (402) 475-6118
Website www.theoven-lincoln.com
Best of Award of Excellence
The Oven has been open in Lincoln, Neb., for nearly three decades, earning its first Wine Spectator Restaurant Award in 2002. Wine director Charles Ludwig’s list now offers nearly 2,000 selections, with a substantial by-the-glass program and dozens of half-bottles. The list is particularly strong in wines from California, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Italy that complement the Oven’s spice-fueled fare. With chef Ngawang Rinchen at the helm, the menu is a mix of traditional Northern Indian, Indian fusion and Bhutanese cuisines. This combination creates an exciting array of dishes for wine pairings, from familiar favorites like chicken tikka to a Bhutanese specialty of vegetables cooked with aromatics and American and Swiss cheese.
Uncle Yu’s at the Vineyard
39 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore, Ca.
Telephone (925) 449-7000
Website www.uncleyusvineyard.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Contemporary Asian cuisine comes to wine country at Uncle Yu's at the Vineyard. Located in California’s winemaking region of Livermore Valley, the restaurant has held a Best of Award of Excellence since 2006. Wine director Nicholas Liang offers guests 700 labels to choose from, with a focus on estates in California, Burgundy, France and Germany. There are considerable by-the-glass selections and many small-format bottles on the moderately priced list. There’s a diverse range of white wines from Italy, plus many Rieslings and Gewürztraminers; but much of the list is devoted to reds, including Pinot Noirs from California and Burgundy, as well as Rhône-style options like a vertical from the nearby winery Concannon. Diners can match these sips with chef John Phung’s menu of dishes such as lobster shumai, pan-seared scallops and Wagyu beef with aged orange peel.
Le Colonial
3035 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta, Ga.
Telephone (404) 341-0500
Website www.lecolonialatlanta.com
Award of Excellence
Le Colonial is known for serving up contemporary Vietnamese fare at several locations throughout the U.S. This includes its Atlanta location, where guests can experience Le Colonial’s celebration of 1920s French Colonial cuisine with an Award of Excellence-winning wine cellar. France and California are the main players on wine director Etienne Penny’s list of nearly 200 selections, featuring Champagnes from well-known estates like Billecart-Salmon and Laurent-Perrier. The list’s white-wine collection largely consists of Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays, but there are plenty of diverse alternatives from Alsace, Piedmont, Spain and farther abroad. Red-wine fans can look to a vast number of Cabernets and Bordeaux bottles, plus offerings from Piedmont, Tuscany, Mendoza and Rioja. These are supported by verticals of reds from France’s Château de Beaucastel and California’s Opus One. Chef Richard Lee’s menu features small plates like chicken-and-mushroom ravioli, rice-noodle rolls with sesame beef and yuzu-crab salad, as well as entrées like chicken curry and Le Colonial’s signature fried rice.
Mizumi
Wynn Resort, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, Nev.
Telephone (888) 320-7110
Website www.wynnlasvegas.com/dining/finedining/mizumi
Award of Excellence
Las Vegas has become a world-renowned hub for Asian cuisines. Japanese restaurant Mizumi puts this specialty on display at the Wynn Resort, with an Award of Excellence–winning wine list to match. Following myriad sake picks, the 325-wine list emphasizes bottles from France and California, including Cabernet Sauvignon from well-known Napa estates and Champagnes from top houses like Krug. Additional variety comes from Brunello di Montalcino, California Merlot and Amarone picks. Chef Devin Hashimoto offers a diverse seafood menu with many sushi options, as well as dishes like hamachi carpaccio, wild snapper sashimi and hay-smoked bluefin tuna belly. Guests can also enjoy richer dishes like snapper tempura, truffle-crab croquette and beef tenderloin with barbecue sauce.
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