Asian food is having a moment. Nearly 3 in 4 United States counties have at least one Asian restaurant, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of SafeGraph data as of March 2023. While those are mainly Chinese, Japanese, or Thai, diners are increasingly trying other cuisines from the continent. That's brought Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, and Filipino food to the forefront of diners' culinary explorations.
Asian flavor combinations tantalize diners' expanding palates with flavorful sauces and a variety of spices. Those who like to turn up the heat love the different ways each country infuses pepper and spice into its food, from Korean gochujang sauce to Vietnamese chilies and fiery Indian peppercorns. Other dishes like Filipino chicken adobo and Vietnamese pho all pack a savory punch of umami.
The use of fresh ingredients and fermented foods like miso and kimchi brings a healthy aspect to many Asian cuisines. Unique fruits such as kumquat and yuzu also expand the range of flavors restaurants can bring to foods and drinks.
Many diners also like Asian foods because of their fun factor, with Korean barbecue and Chinese hot pot dishes offering communal experiences.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Asian restaurants in the Santa Cruz area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 6, 2025. Businesses were filtered to fall under at least one of these categories: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Indian/Pakistani, Vietnamese, Filipino, Malaysian, Pan Asian, or Asian fusion.
Restaurants selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of Santa Cruz were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included.
