With Asia being home to 48 diverse countries, there are countless cuisines and dishes with various flavors, ingredients, and histories. Luckily, Bergen County has numerous diverse restaurants to enlighten our taste buds and allow us to visit cultures from across the globe. Here are ten dishes from the biggest continent in the world that are available for your taste buds as close as 15 minutes away. 

1. Soup Dumplings (小笼包 [xiao long bao])

Warm and succulent, soup dumplings are a staple originating from Shanghai, China. The dumplings’ skin is thick enough to hold the ball of meat—often pork or crab— and sizzling broth, but delicate enough for a single bite to release the flavorful juice. The three components tie the entire bite-sized dumplings together, giving it a plethora of texture and taste. 

Where can you find soup dumplings in Bergen County?

1. 1. Soup Dumpling Plus: 1550 Lemoine Ave #109, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
   2. Old Shanghai: 133 Broad Ave, Palisades Park, NJ 07650
   3. Dumpling Den: 249 Main St, Fort Lee, NJ 07024

2. Tteokbokki (떡볶이)

If you love a sweet and spicy combo, this one’s for you. Tteokbokki was considered a royal and luxurious dish centuries ago in Korea. While there are variations of the dish, its signature ingredients are tteok (chewy rice cakes), fish cakes, and Gochujang (chili paste) sauce. The Gochujang sauce often includes a sweetener, such as sugar or honey, to make it both sweet and spicy. Oftentimes you will see the dish garnished with sesame seeds and scallion. 

Where can you find tteokbokki in Bergen County?

1. 1. Bunsiknara: 254 Broad Ave, Palisades Park, NJ 07650
   2. Bunsiknara Plus: 260 Bergen Turnpike Suite 3, Little Ferry, NJ 07643
   3. Totowah: 337 Broad Ave, Palisades Park, NJ 07650

3. Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese teppanyaki (a dish cooked on an iron griddle) that dates back to the 17th century. The savory pancake typically consists of cabbage, wheat flour batter, and okonomiyaki sauce. Variations may include different proteins (meat or seafood), kewpie mayo, scallion, and bonito flakes. The pancake is simultaneously crispy and soft while being flavorsome as its numerous components complement each other. 

Where can you find okonomiyaki in Bergen County?

1. 1. Izakaya Kumade: 412 Bergen Blvd, Palisades Park, NJ 07650
   2. Soba Noodle Azuma: 246 Main St, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
   3. Razu Izakaya: 209 Main St, Fort Lee, NJ 07024

4. Butter chicken (murgh makhani)

Oftentimes accompanied with rice, butter chicken is a curry consisting of marinated chicken, butter, tomato, cream, and spices. This velvety curry dish originates from Delhi, India. In addition to rice, it is often served with naan, a soft and chewy flatbread. Butter chicken is mildly spicy, and is sweet due to the butter. The flavor of this dish is strong,tangy, smooth, and rich. 

Where can you find butter chicken in Bergen County? (Note: Butter chicken is also referred to as “Chicken Makhni” in these menus, as “Makhni” means “butter”.)

1. 1. Veda: 10 Jay St, Tenafly, NJ 07670
   2. Rudra Indian Bistro: 561 Cedar Ln, Teaneck, NJ 07666
   3. Mantra: 275 Rte 4 West, Paramus, NJ 07652

5. Pad thai (ผัดไทย)

Also known as the national dish of Thailand, Pad thai is a stir-fried noodle dish that is a popular street food delight. Pad thai is usually made with thin rice noodles, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, tamarind pad thai sauce, and scrambled eggs. There are many variations of pad thai, the popular ones being adding chicken or shrimp. The tamarind component of the sauce gives pad thai a tangy hint in addition to sweet and savory notes. The crushed peanuts and bean sprouts give a slight crunch to the slightly chewy noodles. 

Where can you find pad thai in Bergen County? 

1. 1. Bangkok Garden: 261 Main St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
   2. Khao Thai Cuisine: 4 E Palisade Ave, Englewood, NJ 07631
   3. Green Papaya: 110 Kinderkamack Rd, River Edge, NJ 07661

6. Summer rolls (Vietnamese spring rolls or Gỏi cuốn)

Perfectly paired with peanut dipping sauce, summer rolls are a refreshing Vietnamese dish. The rice paper wrap contains assorted ingredients such as meat (commonly pork or shrimp), rice/vermicelli noodles, lettuce, and mint leaves. Rice paper is sold as firm sheets, but once soaked in water, is pliable so that it can be wrapped. This chewy and slightly sticky wrap contrasts the crispy lettuce and vegetables inside. 

Where can you find summer rolls in Bergen County? 

1. 1. Simply Vietnamese: 1 Highwood Ave, Tenafly, NJ 07670
   2. Pho Saigon: 296 Main St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
   3. Saigon Kitchen: 2024 Center Ave, Fort Lee, NJ 07024

While Bergen County does not have all the Asian cuisines, it is still pretty diverse in its options. You never know, maybe you’ll find a new comfort dish from one of these cultures!