Den Den Cafe Asiana is a korean and japanese restaurant in College Hill, Providence.
Den Den Cafe Asiana on Benefit Street is the all-day Asian counter from the Den Den hospitality group. Bibimbap, soba, tonkatsu, rice bowls, gyoza.
Signature dishes: Hot-stone bibimbap, Seafood pancake, Katsu
Must order: Hot-stone bibimbap and a seafood pancake; an order of fried chicken to share.
Tip: Counter ordering; bring it back to the small dining room or take out. Late lunch is the quietest hour.
Address: 161 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903
Den Den's Korean fried chicken counter on Angell Street: double-fried wings and drumsticks in plain or gochujang glazes; small dining room, takeaway.
Signature: Double-fried wings, Sweet-and-spicy drumsticks, Tteokbokki
Order: Double-fried drumsticks with sweet-and-spicy glaze, plus an order of tteokbokki.
Tip: Half-and-half a tray of plain and spicy; orders ship in 12 to 15 minutes once you order.
Apsara on Public Street is Providence's longest-running Cambodian kitchen, with a pan-Southeast Asian menu running through Vietnamese, Thai and Lao classics.
Signature: Nime chow, Khmer curry, Singapore noodles
Order: Nime chow with peanut sauce and a Khmer curry; Singapore noodles if you want heat.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays; lunch is the quickest sit. Counter is no-frills strip-mall style, but the cooking is serious.
Los Andes on Chalkstone is the Providence Peruvian and Bolivian destination, with a waterfall and koi-pond patio. Lomo saltado, anticuchos, salteñas.
Signature: Lomo saltado, Anticuchos, Salteñas
Order: Lomo saltado and a round of anticuchos; ask if there are salteñas at lunch.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday for dinner with a 15:00 Sunday lunch; book the patio in summer.
Youssef Akhtarini's Aleppo Sweets on Ives opened in 2019, three years after his family resettled from Syria. Eight baklava plus a mezze menu.
Signature: Baklava, Mezze, Lamb kabob
Order: Pistachio baklava, an order of muhammara and a lamb kabob plate.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday; the takeaway counter does the same baklava as the dining room.
Wara Wara on Hope Street has been serving ramen, cold sake, oysters and tapas since 2016. Compact dining room; the bar takes counter orders late.
Signature: Ramen, Pork belly buns, Oysters and sake
Order: A bowl of tonkotsu ramen, pork belly buns, a glass of cold junmai.
Tip: Closed Sunday; the small bar turns over for walk-ins on weeknights.
Nicholas and Monica Gillespie's Dune Brothers built a Fox Point fish market, sit-down room and takeout window on Ives Street in 2024. Pier-to-plate fish.
Signature: Fish sandwich, Fish and chips, Underutilised local species
Order: The fish sandwich and a side of fries; whatever local fish is on the chalkboard.
Tip: The Jewelry District shack on Dyer Street is seasonal; the Fox Point room on Ives runs year-round.
