Tastes of the Region presents Asian cuisine

At times, living and eating in Northwest Indiana can be monotonous. Local restaurants featuring international cuisines offer a respite from ordinary meals. In particular, Northwest Indiana is home to a plethora of restaurants that satisfy an Asian-food craving or the need to try something new.

Exotic Thai

This Highland  restaurant was founded in 2005 and has been serving delicious Thai food ever since. They have their busiest and best days on the weekends when people come to dine in. Employee, Alex Jiang, who has worked at Exotic Thai for two years, said the top-selling items are the pad thai noodles at $8.95 and the spicy basil fried rice at $7.95. Customers also favor the thai iced tea, which is a sweet-tasting tea made with black tea, orange blossom water, star anise fruit, sugar and condensed milk.

Exotic Thai is one of the only Thai restaurants in the region and, as stated on their menu, their food is, “A marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences, harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai.”

Exotic Thai

9628 Indianapolis Blvd., Highland

(219) 924-7737

Fortune House

Since opening in 2005, Fortune House has become a popular Chinese eatery in the Region, delivering approximately 100 carry-out orders each day. Friday nights attract the most dine-in customers.

“People love our chicken dishes. The most popular are the sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, and General Tso’s chicken,” Dan Lou said. Lou added that many international students from PUC eat at Fortune House.

Fortune House

8250 Calumet Ave., Munster

(219) 836-1690

Dragon Bowl

Having been open for almost five years, the Dragon Bowl restaurant in Munster has been quite popular with region residents. Dragon Bowl takes pride in having the freshest and healthiest ingredients available to prepare their Chinese, Japanese and Thai fare. Behind the register hangs a certificate proclaiming that the restaurant’s food is free of MSG.

Bosco Lee, a Dragon Bowl employee, said the restaurant’s maki sushi rolls and fruit smoothies, which come with the optional add-on of tapioca pearls, are popular items. Dragon Bowl seems to be the most popular Asian restaurant with PUC University Village students.

“I liked that they use all white-meat chicken. There was no chewy stuff,” freshman Megan P’pool said. P’pool added that Dragon Bowl offers large portions at a reasonable price with friendly service.

Dragon Bowl

8231 Hohman Ave., Munster

(219) 513-0088