PROVIDENCE – Ever wonder how many places you could visit, just by eating the region's varied cuisines, without ever leaving Rhode Island?
It turns out, you can go everywhere, man. Well, maybe not everywhere, but pretty close.
Consider Jahunger, the Providence restaurant (333 Wickenden St.) whose owner, Subat Dilmurat, is a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Northeast. The restaurant serves a concise menu, heavy on homemade noodles, from the cuisine of the Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group mostly living in the Xinjiang province of China. The cuisine is a mix of Western and Eastern cooking, influenced by the spice trade, as much of the population lived on the Silk Road.
Dilmurat has had a hard time finding chefs because of the extensive training required to familiarize them with the cooking methods and practices the cuisine requires, although he said he had his best luck training Chinese cooks. With two floors, the restaurant serves a lot of people each night, as food comes out quickly after it is ordered.
In his kitchen on Wickenden Street, he pulls noodles prepared fresh, slamming them against a metal table, for Laghman Noodle, something his mom cooks at home. Instead of multiple noodles, Lagham is one continuous strand, representing longevity.
"Every day I could eat it and not get tired," he said.
But his signature dish is Jahunger Noodles, which he created with his dad 20 years ago. His parents run a restaurant in China's Xinjiang province, where the competition is fierce, so to stand out they had to make something new. To their regular noodles, they added scallions and made a special sauce. The signature dish, Jahunger Noodles, was born.
"Back home, we cook it with lamb," he said. "It used to be very hard to get, but now we have a good supplier."
Which other places and cultures can you visit without leaving the Ocean State? Let us count the ways.
Africa
Rhode Island is largely lacking when it comes to restaurants serving cuisine from African countries and ethnicities, but that doesn't mean there isn't an appetite for it. Toyin Wilcox opened The Village in 2009 in Pawtucket, after she had been running a catering company. It recently expanded into downtown Providence.
Nigerian: The Village in Pawtucket (200 Main St.) and Providence (100 Fountain St., downtown)
The Caribbean
Caribbean cuisine is spread across Rhode Island, although some specialties, including a Haitian restaurant, have closed in recent years. Pan-A-Day Take Away in Providence's West End, next to the Dexter Training Grounds, offers Guyanese food (considered Caribbean despite its location in South America).
Guyanese: Pan-a-Day Take Away, Providence (7 Parade St.)
Jamaican: Humming Bird Café, Newport (104 Broadway)
Jamaican: Flames, Providence (734 Eddy St.)
Dominican Republic
While the Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation, its cuisine gets its own section because of how important and prolific it is in Rhode Island. For a first stop, consider the chimi trucks on Broad Street in Providence, mostly on the mile-long stretch between Lexington Avenue and Jillson Street.
The first chimi truck in Providence opened in 1992, with the trucks hitting a peak of 15 pre-pandemic. Since then, their numbers have started to dwindle. They begin to arrive around sunset (earlier in the winter) and stay open long into the night, usually closing around 2 a.m.
Below are just a few options.
Johnny's Chimi Place in Providence (corner of Broad Street and Pennsylvania Avenue)
Ada's Creations (bakery/restaurant) in Providence (1137 Broad St.)
Punta Cana Bistro in Providence (500 Broad St.)
La Gran Parada in Providence (937 Broad St.)
Pito's I and II (counter service) in Providence (1029 Broad St. and 499 Cranston St.)
Carolina Family Restaurant in Providence (864 Broad St.)
Mexico
The two restaurants representing Mexico are both James Beard Award finalists. Maria Meza of Dolores (known for her mole) in Providence was named as a finalist for Best Chef: Northeast in 2024, while Tuxpan Taquiera was named a semifinalist for best new restaurant.
Street food: Tuxpan Taqueria in Central Falls (355 Broad St.)
Mixteca region, Puebla and Oaxaca: Dolores in Providence (100 Hope St.)
South and Central America
One of the trendiest cuisines at the moment is Peruvian, and Rhode Island is lucky to have multiple highly rated examples of Peruvian cuisine within its borders, including Los Andes in Providence and Shark's Peruvian Cuisine in Central Falls.
Journal food writer Gail Ciampa described Los Andes as a local hall of fame entry after it (and the entire state) were snubbed by The New York Times' best restaurants list in 2023. In that same story, Ciampa highlighted Shark's Peruvian Cuisine (as well as a few later entries on this list).
South America
Peruvian (and Bolivian): Los Andes in Providence (903 Chalkstone Ave.)
Peruvian: Shark's Peruvian Cuisine in Central Falls (1420 Broad St.)
Peruvian: Ceviches by Divino in Providence (11 Point St.) and Cranston (Chapel View, 1000 Chapel View Blvd., Suite 100)
Colombian: El Paisa Restaurant Bar and Patio in Central Falls (598 Dexter St.)
Brazilian: Braza Brazilian Barbeque in Coventry (15 Sandy Bottom Road)
Brazilian: Fogo de Chão steakhouse in Providence (in Providence Place, 148 Providence Place)
Central America
El Salvador: El Rey de las Pupusas in Providence (1019 Chalkstone Ave.)
El Salvador: Briana's Restaurant in Providence (758 Atwells Ave.)
Guatemala: Mi Ranchito in Providence (1955 Westminster St., West End)
Asia
The biggest countries in Asia are represented, as expected, along with some smaller countries, too. Cambodia and Laos both have entries on the list, as does the Philippines.
Cambodia
Chamnan Asian Kitchen in Providence (292 Reservoir Ave.)
4 Seasons in Providence (361 Reservoir Ave.)
Rhode Island Yummy in Providence (724 Cranston St.)
Apsara in Providence (716 Public St.)
Central Asia
Some restaurants in Rhode Island aren't easily categorized by country. The prime example is Jahunger, which serves Uyghur-style cuisine and noodles. The Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic group, with the majority of the population in the northwestern region of Xinjiang in China.
Jahunger in Providence (333 Wickenden St.)
China
Chinese restaurants picked for this list either represented a specific region or a specific type of food or dish, such as Bubble Waffle Cafe in Central Falls that serves bubble waffles, a Hong Kong specialty street food dessert described by CNN as a "cookie and sponge cake hybrid."
Szechuan province: Cheng Du Taste in Providence (495 Smith St.)
Buns: Jayd Bun in South Kingstown (1202 Kingstown Road)
Hong Kong: Bubble Waffle Cafe in Central Falls (870 Dexter St.)
Hot pot: LaMei Hot Pot in Providence (256 Broadway)
Hot pot: Y Shabu Shabu in Providence (393 West Fountain St., Federal Hill)
India
Four of the Indian restaurants that made the list are all run by Sanjiv Dhar, featuring the cuisines from specific regions of India: Chaska in Cranston, Kabob & Curry in Providence, Rasa in East Greenwich and Rasoi in Pawtucket.
General: Not Just Snacks in Providence (833 Hope St.)
General: Chennai Express in Cranston (745 Reservoir Ave.)
Southern India: Godavari in Cumberland (365 Mendon Road)
Modern fusion: Chaska in Cranston (Garden City Center: 16 Midway Road)
General: Kabob & Curry in Providence (261 Thayer St.)
General: Rasa in East Greenwich (149 Main St.)
General: Rasoi in Pawtucket (727 East Ave.)
Japan
Japanese cuisine has become increasingly popular in recent years, with restaurants focusing on one cuisine in the country. Ramen, sushi and prepared foods are all represented on this list.
Yagi Noodles in Newport had chef Basil Yu nominated (one of five Rhode Island chefs in the semifinals) for the 2024 James Beard Awards for the Northeast, along with Subat Dilmurat of Jahunger and Maria Meza of Dolores.
Ramen: Pickerel in Providence (3 Luongo Square)
Ramen: Yagi Noodles in Newport (20 Long Wharf Mall)
Sushi: Ran Zan in Providence (1084 Hope St.)
Sushi: Ichiban in Cranston (146 Gansett Ave.)
Appetizers: Wara Wara in Providence (776 Hope St.)
General: Haruki in Cranston (1210 Oaklawn Ave.) and Providence (172 Wayland Ave.)
Prepared foods: Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli in Providence (113 Washington St., downtown)
General: Sakura in Providence (231 Wickenden St.)
Korea
Mokban Korean Bistro in Providence (217 Westminster St., downtown)
Sun and Moon Korean Restaurant in East Providence (95 Warren Ave.)
DenDen Korean Fried Chicken in Providence (182 Angell St.)
DenDen Cafe Asiana in Providence (161 Benefit St.)
Sura in Providence (232 Westminster St., downtown) and in Johnston (300 George Waterman Road)
Laos
Champa in Providence (93 Hope St.)
Myanmar (formerly Burma)
Nanu Burmese Fusion is run by Ruth Chhuani and husband Vaiphei Thangafrom Myanmar, who came to the United States as refugees, then launched a food truck in 2020 before opening their location in Warwick. The Mohinga (the national dish of Myanmar) is a must-try, a fish soup that has rice noodles, egg, fried split chickpeas and scallions.
Nanu Burmese Fusion in Warwick (997 Sandy Lane)
Philippines
Pinoy Lane Food Mart in Warwick (24 Quaker Lane, Unit C)
Thailand
Heng Thai & Rotisserie in Providence (165 Angell St.)
Green Basil in North Providence (2086 Mineral Spring Ave.)
Street food: KhaoSan in East Providence (332 Warren Ave.)
Bee's Thai in Providence (167 Ives St.)
Vietnam
While Vietnamese food isn't just about the noodle soup pho, in Rhode Island, that's what gets the most attention, with two of the three restaurants on the list having the soup in their name. The cash only (and hole-in-the-wall) Asian Bakery & Fast Food bucks the naming trend, offering an excellent Bánh Mì.
Pho Horn's in Pawtucket (50 Ann Mary St.)
Phố Sài Gòn & Bar in Cranston (1106 Pontiac Ave.)
Asian Bakery & Fast Food in Providence (310 Broad St.)
Pakistan
Pak Afghan Cuisine in Pawtucket (293 Newport Ave.)
Europe
Armenian
Sonia's Deli in Cranston (816 Park Ave.)
Belgium
Zinneken's (waffles) in Providence (194 Angell St.)
England
Tea: Val's English Tea & Pie Shop in Smithfield (466 Putnam Pike)
France
La Moulin Rouge in Tiverton (1403 Main Road)
Pot au Feu in Providence (44 Custom House St.)
Bakery: Le Bec Sucré in Middletown (696 Aquidneck Ave.)
Greece (Mediterranean)
Most of the Greek restaurants in Providence have recently closed, but there are still options outside of the city.
Alanis Mediterranean Bistro in Cranston (74 Rolfe Square)
Mir Mediterranean Bar & Grill in Providence (605 Douglas Ave.)
Italy
The whole of Rhode Island is known for its Italian heritage and food, including all the spots on Atwells Avenue, and, of course, The Providence Journal has covered the Italian food scene pretty extensively over the years, but here are a few that are worth a visit.
Giusto in Newport (4 Commercial Wharf)
Angelo's Civita Farnese in Providence (141 Atwells Ave.)
Vanda Cucina in Warwick (1 Centerville Road)
Twin Oaks in Cranston (100 Sabra St.)
Poland
Krakow Deli Bakery Smokehouse in Woonsocket (855 Social St.)
Spain
Tapas: Palo in Providence (3 Steeple St.)
Portugal
Want to travel to Portugal? Look no farther than Warren Avenue in East Providence.
O Dinis in East Providence (579 Warren Ave.)
Aguardentein Providence (12 Governor St.)
Madeira in East Providence (288 Warren Ave.)
Galito in Pawtucket (214 Columbus Ave.)
Campino's Portuguese Restaurant in East Providence (218 Warren Ave.)
Middle East
Al-Shami in Providence (225 Thayer St.)
Syria
Aleppo Sweets (bakery) in Providence (107 Ives St.)
El Laham in Cranston (91 Rolfe Square)
Kaza Maza in North Providence (146 Waterman Ave.)
Iraq
Ashur Café in North Providence (1862 Mineral Spring Ave.)
Morocco
American (regional)
How many places in the United States can you visit without leaving Rhode Island?
Quite a few, including Hawaii, although some places, like soul food restaurants, aren't tied as much to a place as to an idea. And while you aren't actually going outside Rhode Island with a visit to Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown, the cuisine by James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Pocknett (a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag) is still regional in nature.
Hawaiian (Poke): Hometown Poke & Bubble Tea in Providence (185 Camp St.) and East Greenwich (37 Main St.)
Soul food: Food for the Soul in Providence (149 Admiral St.)
Northeast Indigenous: Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown (4349 S. County Trail)
Is there a restaurant we missed, or a place you think is worth visiting? Send an email to wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com with the subject line "World restaurants in RI" for a future story on everywhere else you can go without leaving Rhode Island.
Journal staff writers Antonia Noori Farzan and Gail Ciampa contributed to this story. Follow Wheeler Cowperthwaite on X: @WheelerReporter.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: A guide to international cuisines in RI, from the Caribbean to China