From dim sum to dumplings, get the dish on Asian cuisine

During my quest for the tastiest Asian food along Route 40 West from Catonsville to Ellicott City, I discovered new gems and revisited old favorites.
 
All total, there are 25 Asian dining options, including Asian grocery stores with food courts or takeout hot foods. Most of these dining establishments are family owned. I largely stayed away from chains and carryouts.
 
I pondered how to list the restaurants and eventually chose alphabetically. I included a note on each one on the type of cuisine and specialties, along with the contact info. Only a few of these dining establishments have websites or Facebook pages. 
 
My focus was Baltimore National Pike because it has the biggest concentration of Asian dining in the Baltimore region. If you see an asterisk* next to a restaurant name, know that I have dined there at some point in time. 
 
If I have missed any fine Asian dining establishment in this corridor please share.
 
And a final request for any would-be restaurant owners: Will someone please open a Ramen noodle house?
 
Asia Supermarket
Asia Plaza Shopping Center
5510 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
410 788 0398
Sells hot food to go
 
Asian Court*
Chatham Station Shopping Center
9180 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 461 8388
Hong Kong dim sum, Chinese & Vietnamese pho
 
Ellicott Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ
Village Green Shopping Center
9380 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 461 6560
Korean BBQ, soon doo boo (tofu stew)
 
H Mart Asian Grocery*
Forty West Shopping Center
800 N. Rolling Road at Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
443 612 9020
Also known as Han Ah Reum which translates to "one arm full of groceries"
 
Han Joong Kwan
Village Green Shopping Center
9338 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 461 1099
Korean –Chinese cuisine
 
Hanoori Town
Forty West Shopping Center
822 N. Rolling Road at Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
410 747 8315
Food Court with Korean and Sushi
 
Honey Pig Dumpling in Lotte Asian Grocery, Catonsville*
One Mile West Shopping Center
6600 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
443 341 6188
A food stall selling Korean Dumplings
 
Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean BBQ*
10045 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 696 2426
Korean, Korean BBQ in the shopping center behind Double T Diner
 
Hunan Taste*
Forty West Shopping Center
718 N. Rolling Road at Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
410 788 8988
Authentic Hunan Chinese cuisine
 
Kim Bob Na Ra
9339 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 465 9166
Korean
 
Kimko Seafood Restaurant
10176 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 480 1442
Korean & Japanese Sushi
note: hard to find on side of a one-story industrial building
 
Lotte Plaza, Catonsville*
One Mile West Shopping Center
6600 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
410 455 0505
www.lotteplaza.com
Asian grocery store recently opened in the Toys R Us location. You can get Honey Pig Dumpling’s doughy concoctions stuffed with meat and vegetables.
 
Lotte Plaza, Ellicott City*
Golden Triangle
8801 Baltimore National Pike
Route 29 & Route 40
Ellicott City
410 750 9656
www.lotteplaza.com
Asian grocery store just up the road from its new sister grocer in Catonsville.
 
New Mi Roc Jo
Bethany 40 Shopping Center
10194 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 461 2333
Korean, Korean BBQ and sushi
 
Niko Japanese
Normandy Shopping Center
8450 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 418 8400
Japanese and sushi
 
Pho #1*
Westview Shopping Center
5764 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
410 719 7500
Vietnamese
 
Pho Pasteur
Forty West Shopping Center
710 N. Rolling Road at Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
410 744 7220
Vietnamese
 
Pho Saigon
1116 N. Rolling Road
One block behind Double T Diner
Catonsville
410 744 2740
Vietnamese
 
Pho Van*
Pike Park Plaza South
6477 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville
410 455 6000
Vietnamese; cash only
 
Sakura Japanese Steak
Enchanted Forest Shopping Center
10040 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 203 0755
Japanese; teppanyaki and sushi
 
Shin Chon Garden Restaurant
Golden Triangle
8801 Baltimore National Pike
Route 29 at Route 40
Ellicott City
410 461 33280
Korean, Korean BBQ; Travel Channel named it among the nation’s Top Ten Korean BBQ restaurants. 
 
Thai Aroma*
Golden Triangle
8815 Baltimore National Pike
Route 29 at Route 40
Ellicott City
410 480 5100
Thai food and some limited pho
 
Tian Restaurant        
Golden Triangle
8801 Baltimore National Pike
Route 29 at Route 40
Ellicott City
410 418 8198
www.tianrestaurants.com
Chinese style Korean
Carries the popular Korean Mad for Chicken dish and makes handmade noodles
 
Tongnamoo House
9445 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City
410 988 5683
Korean, Korean BBQ, limited Chinese
 
Yet Nal House
Bethany 40 Shopping Center
10194 Baltimore National PIke
Ellicott City
410 465 5960
Korean & Sushi
Restaurant front only says Korean Restaurant Cuisine. The name Yetnal is in Korean symbols.

Dara Bunjon has a passion for food – its origins, preparation and consumption. Her passion became her business Dara Does It. Her rants, raves, reviews, reminiscences, and recipes can be found regularly on her Dining Dish and Dara Does It blogs. 

All photographs by STEVE RUARK