221 FOOD & DRINK SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2025.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2025 room for dessert, the baked gulab jamun are a sweet, decadent end to your upscale Indian meal. e e e B E S T C H I N E S E R E S T A U R A N T SPICE SPIRIT CHINESE CUISINE & BAR 1955 W. MAIN ST., #101, MESA 480-809-6030 AZSPICESPIRIT.COM Want to try some spicy bullfrog? Or are you more of a fried rice fan? Spice Spirit in Mesa has an extensive menu: roasted duck, dry pot, dumplings, barbecue, Hunan-style dishes and Americanized Chinese classics. With a name like Spice Spirit, you can expect plenty of dishes that bring the heat — Numbing Chicken, anyone? — but there are also basic choices such as beef with broccoli for folks who don’t enjoy the burn. Perfect for big groups, the large restaurant offers tables fitted with lazy susans and tall, comfortable booths. Before or after you take a spin around H Mart next door, stop by Spice Spirit, navigate around the takeout orders flying out the door and settle in to enjoy your meal. e e e B E S T T H A I R E S TA U R A N T LOM WONG 218 E. PORTLAND ST. 602-675-0522 LOMWONGAZ.COM The Valley’s best chef runs the kitchen at the Valley’s best Thai restaurant. Lom Wong serves a menu that celebrates different regions of Thailand. Knowledgeable servers walk customers through the journey, with some dishes straight from chef Yotaka “Sunny” Martin’s home region of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, and others learned from the Moklen communities from the southern part of the country. Start with a bright, intensely flavorful shredded green mango salad and crispy fried chicken before diving into the spicy, creamy entrees made with hand-pounded curry paste and fresh coconut milk. Creative cocktails comple- ment the food, which customers enjoy in the gorgeous, modern-yet-cozy dining room with exposed brick walls and gem-toned accents. Perfect for date night or a full family meal, this downtown Phoenix restaurant is a true Valley destination. e e e B E S T F I L I P I N O R E S TA U R A N T TAMBAYAN FILIPINO FOOD 1534 W. CAMELBACK ROAD 623-806-2532 TAMBAYANPHOENIXAZ.COM The name translates to “place to hang out” in Tagalog, and it couldn’t be more appropriate. While the restaurant serves up mouth- watering classic Filipino dishes such as sisig, adobo, pancit and lumpia, the environment is decidedly casual. The dining experience? Potentially hilarious, as a direct result of Tambayan’s official “karaoke night every night” policy. (If you’re confused, it’s worth knowing that in the Philippines, karaoke is basically a national pastime.) If no one is singing already, just have your waiter get their iPad up and running. Tambayan is also an ideal place to take a family or large group to share a mega platter of delights. Don’t forget to order the skewers. e e e B E S T K O R E A N B A R B E C U E SIZZLE KOREAN BBQ 3720 N. SCOTTSDALE ROAD, #200, SCOTTSDALE 480-247-2027 AND OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS SIZZLEKOREANBBQ.COM Get ready for a meat overload when you visit Sizzle Korean BBQ. Sizzle isn’t an all-you- can-eat joint, but the combos and platters certainly provide plenty of delicious bites. At the three locations of this local mini-chain, each table comes equipped with a circular grill in the center. After you place your order, your server will cook the raw cuts until tender and crisp. The meats here are notice- ably higher quality than what you’ll find at many KBBQ spots; thin slices of brisket and flavorful marinated short ribs are some of our favorites. Meats can be ordered indepen- dently or as part of the beef or pork combo. Break up the protein with a bite of kimchi or pickled radish, as a rainbow of banchan come with each meat. The combos come with kimchi stew or soybean stew to round out the experience, and don’t forget to add one of the fresh fruit-filled cocktails to your order for a delicious, interactive night out. e e e B E S T K O R E A N R E S TA U R A N T STONE KOREAN TOFU HOUSE 1870 W. MAIN ST., MESA 480-361-0523 6910 E. HAMPTON AVE., MESA 480-830-6705 THESTONETOFUAZ.COM While Stone Korean Tofu House is one of the newer spots to join the cadre of excellent, longstanding Korean food staples in the Valley, it has quickly established its exper- tise. The first location opened in Mesa’s Asian District in 2020, followed by a second spot in the far East Valley in 2022. The restaurant is known for its namesake tofu, which is made fresh in-house and added to its bubbling soups. Served in black clay pots, the simmering liquid scorches and delights. Servers deliver each bowl with a raw egg, which customers are instructed to crack directly into the soup and swirl around until it cooks through, absorbing some of the bright orange broth. Other soup ingredients can include pork dumplings, mussels, clams, ham, sausage, mushrooms and more. There are also multiple preparations of tangy, savory beef bulgogi, bibimbap bowls and plenty of banchan to go around. e e e B E S T J A P A N E S E R E S TA U R A N T SHIMOGAMO 2051 W. WARNER ROAD, CHANDLER 480-899-7191 2320 S. SANTAN VILLAGE PARKWAY, #104, GILBERT 602-595-6448 SHIMOGAMOAZ.COM Exceptionally fresh, artfully presented sushi is on the menu at this warm and welcoming Chandler restaurant, where the food’s elegance is matched by its inviting atmo- sphere. The Big N’ Spicy Roll is terrific if you’re in a sushi mood and like a bit of heat. Each bite is topped with a dot of sriracha that fills out the center of the jalapeno slice on top. Inside, spicy salmon brings more fire to the party of cucumber and tataki sauce. And if you want more than just sushi, the kitchen menu has you covered, from a tender cod dish to grilled Wagyu beef. Sake cheese- cake? Yes, please. Executive chef Daisuke Itagaki continues to use his years of experi- ence to maintain the restaurant’s excellence and continuously up its game. The family- owned and -operated spot added a Gilbert location last year to give the Valley even more incredible food. e e e B E S T A S I A N B U F F E T HARBOR SEAFOOD SUPER BUFFET 10030 N. METRO PARKWAY E 602-997-8889 HARBORSEAFOODSUPERBUFFET.KWICKMENU. COM Oh, you’re too good for a buffet? Cool story, bro. We admit that we don’t usually go the all-you-can-eat route when choosing where to dine, but sometimes, we just want to have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Enter Harbor Seafood Buffet, a wonderland of Asian options in a quirky, faux-elegant dining room. First, the sushi is decent, and there are a lot of options, from a host of rolls to sashimi and nigiri. (Anywhere we can get all the unagi we want for one low price is a winner in our book). Beyond the raw stuff, Harbor’s got all the Asian-American fare you could want, including crab rangoon, teriyaki chicken and pork buns. On weekends, they bring fresh oysters, soft-shell crabs and other seafood delights. We wish they had the tradi- tional buffet soft-serve ice cream on tap, but nobody’s perfect, and they make up for it with a freezer case of single-serving frozen treat options. The next time you feel like indulging, Harbor is the move. e e e B E S T J E W I S H D E L I SCOTT’S GENERATIONS 742 E. GLENDALE AVE., #142 602-277-5662 SCOTTSGENERATIONS.COM The Snyder family has served New York- style deli fare at Scott’s Generations Phoenix for generations — since 1989, to be precise. The restaurant, deli and bakery offers scratch-made soups, knishes, baked goods and an expansive menu of breakfast and lunch staples, including sandwiches that aren’t just stuffed, but toweringly over- stuffed with hot pastrami, turkey, egg salad, lox and cream cheese. Our go-to is Scott’s Perfect Reuben; the massive sandwich comes with your choice of corned beef or pastrami, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. We like it best on traditional rye bread. We also appreciate that Scott’s serves latkes year- round, and is a go-to for Jewish meals and treats, including Yom Kippur break-the-fast platters and Hanukkah sufganiyot.
