Feel a Part of Little Rock With These Ethnic Eats
Taste your way around the globe with these seven delectable dishes from Little Rock’s most worldly restaurants.
Shui Jiao
A downtown favorite, Three Fold Noodles & Dumpling Co. (611 S. Main St.) offers a carefully curated menu of truly authentic Chinese fare. Known for its minimalist, all-white decor and tried and true menu, Three Fold offers dishes that are served every day in Northern China. Try the house-made shui jiao (Chinese dumplings) filled with your choice of protein and served with a dipping sauce.
Khao Soi
Richard Glasgow, owner of kBird (600 N. Tyler St.), shuts the restaurant down each year to travel to Thailand, collecting recipes and experiencing true Thai dishes firsthand. The restaurant has all the usual suspects like curry, fried rice and pad thai, but we suggest trying something more unique. kBird has a variety of specials like Khao Soi, a northern Thailand-style dish of curry with egg noodles.
Feijoada
A mainstay in the Hillcrest neighborhood, Café Bossa Nova boasts a large menu filled with Brazilian staples like the Feijoada. The dish, known as “Brazilian soul food,” is only available on Saturdays and features black beans cooked with assorted sausages, smoked pork hocks and carne seca alongside rice, farofa and a collard greens salad.
Empanadas
Located in the heart of SoMa, Dos Rocas Beer & Tacos is home to an eclectic mix of Paraguayan-inspired street food. The menu includes dishes like chorizo tacos, pupusas and empanadas. Dos Rocas' empanads are fried pies stuffed with cumin-spiced ground beef, green peppers, onion and chopped egg. We suggest pairing a few with their excellent mezcals.
Paella
If you’re feeling adventurous, make a reservation at La Terraza Rum & Lounge for their Venezuelan cuisine. In particular, the Paella is one of La Terraza’s specialties. The Spanish-style rice dish is served with clams, chicken, mussels, shrimp and calamari, and it happens to be big enough for two.
Vacio Flank Steak
Buenos Aires Grill & Cafe (614 President Clinton Ave.) serves up delicious Argentinian classics. Argentina has long been famous for its grilled beef, and Buenos Aires pays homage to that legacy with delicious steak options like the Vacio Flank Steak. It’s a thin cut of meat that when cooked gets crisp on the outside while the inside stays perfectly tender. The Little Rock Guest Guide crew also recommends any of the cafe's empanadas.
Chicken Nasi Goreng
This new SoMa hangout is home to much more than delicious cocktails. Atlas Bar’s menu is inspired by owner Tony Poe’s travels, and he worked to recreate his favorite meals from around the world. The chicken nasi goreng (fried rice) puts an Indonesian stamp on traditional fried rice. Think: spicy, pungent and delicious.