Top 15 Gluten-Free Asian Cuisines to Explore in Durham

Jose Marti

Great gluten free options. Our waitress Sisi was the best. She remembered our order and took care of all our requests promptly and correctly. She's always gone above and beyond our expectations.

Brandy Price

Dine in | Dinner | $10–20 Food was fantastic. Nothing labeled Gluten-free on the menu, but the waiter told me exactly what was Gluten-free, what could be modified, and what was off limits. Small place, but very relaxed atmosphere. Had this at Dinner yesterday. Would definitely recommend and go back. However, I'm confused about the 93.0 (A) rating - maybe it was an off day when the inspector came? Because the food was delicious.

Molly Williams

We love the buffet and the crew at Sitar! The flavors are always delicious and strong. The quality and freshness is consistent. We try to make it here monthly — at the very least. If you have any dietary restrictions the buffet has cards for items with details if it includes nuts, dairy, meat and gluten. The buffet offers salad, rice, main courses, fruit, soups, chutneys, naan and desserts. The service is first class! They make us feel so welcome every visit! It’s a wonderful experience — we recommend 10/10!!!

Alan Caulder

Cami Lattner

We left feeling underwhelmed by the entire experience. The restaurant was extremely loud—it felt overstimulating and made it hard to focus on conversation or enjoy the meal. While the decor itself is nicely done, the atmosphere was far from relaxing. We ordered a variety of dishes: tonkatsu ramen (gluten-free with rice noodles and no soy egg), fried dumplings, pork buns, skewered chicken hearts, grilled edamame (without togarashi), vegetable tempura, and matcha gelato. The ramen was disappointing—it tasted only of salty pork, with no depth or nuance. The broth had potential, but the dish as a whole didn’t come together. The dumplings were fine but forgettable. The pork buns were dry and lacking in flavor, and the dish felt incomplete. I didn’t try the chicken hearts myself, but they were tiny—smaller than grapes—and looked overcooked and dry. Each skewer had only three small pieces. The edamame was actually enjoyable. The grilled preparation gave it a great smoky flavor that stood out. The tempura, however, was overly greasy and made up mostly of okra, which no one at our table cared for. That dish, like a few others, went mostly untouched. The matcha gelato was good if you’re into matcha—light and not overly sweet. Service was okay. Our server never gave her name and initially entered the wrong item (vegetable ramen instead of tempura), then left both on the bill. She did correct it and was friendly. We also couldn’t help but notice there weren’t any Asian chefs or diners during our visit, which felt telling for a restaurant serving Japanese food. Overall, the food lacked flavor, the vibe was overwhelming, and we wouldn’t return.

Mary Cain

Cami Lattner

Kennedy was lovely. We ordered the fried wontons, steamed dumplings, and Drunken Whale sushi roll. The dumplings and the wonton dipping sauce are excellent. The wontons had a good ratio of filling. They look like large tortellini’s. I didn’t love the sushi but it’s a personal preference. It had scallions and the taste was overpowering. The ingredients tasted fresh despite that. The space is larger than expected and it’s very loud. It looked like a lot of business dinners and we did not see any kids in there. They have gluten free soy sauce available and the menu specifies gluten free, vegan and vegetarian. EDIT: We went a second time and tried a few new items. The miso soup was perfect. The edamame was fine but there wasn’t enough salt and they used salt crystals so sometimes it was unpleasant to chew. We tried three desserts and realized this was where the food was most lacking. The lemon sorbet was exactly as expected. The Filipino Flan was grainy and overcooked. The Flan is supposed to be more dense than traditional Cuban flan, but it still wasn’t that good. Third was a Ying Yang and it’s supposed to be a sticky rice dessert but it was more mushy than anything. Also, not enough of the liquid. Doesn’t change our rating but wanted to update and include!

Margaret Carroll

Emerald

Really delicious food! Nice to have more Asian options in the area. They have gluten free and vegan options.

Annie Franceschi

As a family, we’ve eaten at Akashi weekly for years! It is our absolute favorite place for sushi and hibachi in NC. Everything is high quality and delicious every time. My son loves their miso soup and they have gluten free soy sauce for my husband. We are so grateful to be just down the street from the best Japanese spot in Durham!!!

Neil Spinner

What a gem of a restaurant. My sister got gluten free+mild, I got regular Udon+Thai hot. Flavor, heat, service all absolutely fantastic. Restaurant is clean. Highly recommend.

Paul Thompson

Caitlin Marks

John Gillham

Angel Calvert