On a recent weekend trip to Richmond, Virginia to visit a good friend of mine, I was delighted to find he had gone above and beyond as a host, giving me tours of the city by car and foot, filling our 2.5 day schedule with museums (the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and the Poe Museum), outdoor excursions (a canal cruise and two sunbathing sessions at Bell Isle), and a series of satisfying local culinary experiences.

Unexpectedly, we opted out of heavy Southern fare and instead gravitated to a few of Richmondā€™s many international restaurantsā€”and were thrilled by the global flair found in such a quintessentially Southern city (as in, home of the Confederate White House).

Alexā€™s Thai Cuisine

I took a 12-hour red-eye bus ride from Atlanta to Richmond, and when I stumbled off the bus and into my friendā€™s car around 1:30pm, I was ready for real food, not the crackers and gas station candy I’d been snacking on. Just a block from the bus stop, in the historic, cobblestoned Shockoe Bottom neighborhoodĀ sits Alexā€™s Thai Cuisine, a no-frills, quiet restaurant with two front windows that fill the small front seating area with lovely natural light. My sweet and sour chicken was the perfect combination of light yet filling. Surrounded by Buddhist imagery while seated just across the street from Richmondā€™s famous 17th Street Farmerā€™s Market, I had the feeling that my weekend in this city was going to be textured and interesting.

restaurants in richmond
Photo courtesy of Sean Pavone via Shutterstock.

Kanoa Latin Cuisine

After a busy Saturday of sight-seeing, we had worked up a big appetite for dinner. We headedĀ into downtown Richmond to check out the recently-opened Kanoa, a restaurant that specializes in Venezuelan cuisine, with some Italian influence mixed in. The menu was extensive yet affordable, and I settled on two types of arepas, ground maize flatbreads, while my friend feasted onĀ a combination meal that featured cachapas (corn cake sandwiches) and tostones (crispy fried plantains). This is definitely a place worth taking your leftovers home, though Iā€™ll admit I polished off both of my arepas, and the menu features plenty of options for gluten-free and vegetarian patrons, too.

restaurants in richmond
Photo courtesy of Fotoluminate LLC via Shutterstock.

Kuba Kuba

My friend is the co-author of the Richmond food blog As Told Over Brunch, so a local brunch stop was a must. On my last morning in RVA, we walked over to Kuba Kuba, a fused restaurant and bodega located in the heart of Richmondā€™s Fan district. FoundedĀ by Manny Mendez in 1998, thisĀ joint serves home-style meals inspired by his Cuban heritage. After a weekend of rich food, I orderedĀ a simple breakfast of eggs, toast, and cafĆ© con leche, but the spinach and salmon tortilla my friend ordered looked like one of the best breakfast frittatas Iā€™ve ever laid eyes on. Kuba Kuba is a cozy and vibrant space, and, again, I found myself forgetting that I was in the heart of the South as I got to the bottom of my glass of coffee, the smell of peppers and sriracha in my nose.

Back For Second Helpings

The brevity of my trip meant thatĀ my international food tour of Richmond was cut short, but here are two more places worth trying for those passing through the RiverĀ City in the near future:

Pho So 1

Described as ā€œno frillsā€ and ā€œa hole in the wall,ā€ Richmonders are nevertheless enthusiastic about the cityā€™s favorite, humble Pho joint, where reviews note that they feel comfortable showing up in even their gym clothes to enjoy a meal. Another plus is the across the board agreement that Pho So provides speedy service, even if it can be terse. Perhaps this Yelp reviewer said it best when she commented: ā€œIt looks like a little trailer, but I swear itā€™s a true Richmond gem.ā€

restaurants in richmond
Photo courtesy of Ronnie Chua via Shutterstock.

Edoā€™s Squid

Located in the Fan District, Edoā€™s is the perfect place for those craving authentic Italian cuisine. Reviews commonly mention that while the space is small and typically packed (and the service thus a bit slower than desired), the food, particularly the ā€œoverflowingā€ seafood pasta dish, makes it worth some patience. Next time Iā€™m in RVA, Iā€™m hoping to fill up on the house red, some calamari, and the eggplant parmesanā€”after booking a table beforehand, of course.

RVA is clearly a city that seeks to blend tradition, innovation, and multicultural fare against its richly historic backdrop, making it a fascinating Southern city to travel — and eat — through.

What’s your favorite ethnic food experience in Richmond, Virginia? Please share in the comments below.

By Paige Sullivan

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Paige Sullivan is currently an MFA candidate in the creative writing program at Georgia State University, where she also works as a composition instructor and the poetry editor of New South, a literary journal. Her poetry appears or will soon appear in Qu, the American Literary Review, Mead, and others. In her spare time, she loves to write about foodways, animal ethics, creativity, and the city of Atlanta.

Paige Sullivan

Paige Sullivan is currently an MFA candidate in the creative writing program at Georgia State University, where she also works as a composition instructor and the poetry editor of New South, a literary journal. Her poetry appears or will soon appear in Qu, the American Literary Review, Mead, and others. In her spare time, she loves to write about foodways, animal ethics, creativity, and the city of Atlanta.

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4 Comments

  1. I recommend Akida for Japanese, Curry Craft for Indian, Mekong for Vietnamese and La Milpa for Mexican!

    1. So much yumminess!

  2. A hidden Gem is “Sumo San’s” in downtown shockoe bottom. Get the “crouching tiger” (it’s not on the menu but it’s amazing). Also, Buzz and Neds on the Blvd by the diamond (get the baby back ribs). They were on man vs food an won.

    Thanks!
    Brice

    1. @Brice: You had me a baby back ribs!

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