For AAPI Heritage Month, our critic reflects on her half-Asian life and spotlights some of her favorite (wholly Asian) restaurants from Naples to Cape Coral.
Annabelle Tometich|Fort Myers News-Press
I've never felt the right amount of Asian.
Growing up in Fort Myers, I was too Asian: dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin. Different.
Visiting family in the Philippines, I wasn't nearly Asian enough: too tall, too big, hay nakolook at her giant feet!
Different.
As Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month concludes, I feel only half-equipped to comment. I'm a half-Asian who's spent most of her life just trying to fit in this town. I'm honestly not sure if the Philippines is more Asian or more Pacific Islander. I've asked my mom and Google. Their answers are equally confusing: The Philippines is an archipelago of Asian islands located in the Pacific Ocean. They're Pacific islands in Asia. They're Asian and Pacific. Got it?
I'm not sureI do.
Sometimes I think I'm going about this all wrong. That it needn't matter how Asian or not-Asian I am. That I have roots in Asia and a platform at this news outlet. That I should use that platform to uplift other Asian voices, voices who may also feel Different.
FROM 2018: Embracing my Filipino funk: Eat Sarap and The Magayon give SWFL Filipinos hope, halo-halo
JLB REVEALED: After 41 years, we're unveiling our restaurant critic
I didn't fall in love with Asia's myriad cuisinestill I was an adult. As a kid, I preferred pizzas, burgers, chicken nuggets — foods that were far more common in 1990s Southwest Florida. As I've grown, so have my tastes, as well as this area'sculinary diversity. Want pho? Ramen?Tataki? Takoyaki? We've got it. Lots of it. All over this place.
I still don't feel the rightamount of Asian. But maybe I'm not as Different. as I once was.
So, let's uplift. Here areseven local, Asian-owned restaurants that are making Different. taste delicious.
Lan Xang
Part Lao, part Thai, part Vietnamese, Lan Xang is a tour of Southeast Asia that gets better with every bite. From homemade Lao sausages infused with kaffir lime leaves to pho, pad Thai and the very best sticky rice I've ever had in this town, Lan Xang doesn't disappoint. The restaurant also offers a range of boba teas and curries. Omnivores can't skip thesiin savan, a Lao-stylebeef jerky that's chewy, crisp and wholly addicting.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Lan Xang - Lao. Thai. Vietnamese. is a mouthful of amazing
(Royal Palm Square,1400 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers;239-689-8603;facebook.com/lanxangftmyers)
Namba Ramen & Sushi
With Namba, the one-named-wonder who is Chef Koko gives us anizakaya-style experience in a North Naples strip mall. What's izakaya? Think of it as Japan's version of a gastropub or tapas bar. It's a place for chef-driven snacks and boozy beverages. At Namba, that means the area's hands-down best ramen, outstanding bites of sushi, steamed buns filled with Berkshire pork, miso-glazed Brussels sprouts. Namba is also one of the rare local places where you can find karaage, Japan's take on fried chicken, served with Chef Koko's house-made mayo.
ALSO: Dining in Naples: What we love about Namba Ramen & Sushi
(8847 Tamiami Trail N., Naples;239-592-4992;nambanaples.com)
Captain Hook's Sushi, Pho & Thai
Such a silly name. And yet such a seriously delicious place. I went to Captain Hook's not knowing what to expect. I found legions of loyal fans at the 6-month-old Cape Coral restaurant, as well as beautiful sushi boats and wonderful noodle dishes. Offering Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai fare, Captain Hook's traverses a lot of ocean. Thankfully, it crosses it well.
MORE: Around the worldin three Cape Coral restaurants — JLB
(2612 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral;239-673-8138;captainhookssushi.com)
O'mei
I had my first-ever Peking duck at O'mei when I was just a wee-baby restaurant critic. I called the day before to place my order and spent the next 24 hours dreaming of what was to come. When I saw it — that crisply shellacked skin, the steamy pancakes, the sticky plum sauce—I nearly fainted. It was everything I hoped it would be. And then some. I've had other Peking ducks since, in Chicago and San Francisco. But none have compared to O'mei.
FROM 2019: Ring in the Lunar New Year at these Fort Myers and Naples restaurants
(O'mei recently moved back to its original location: 14700 Tamiami Trail N., Naples;239-631-8106;omeinaples.com)
India's Grill
In 2015, I wrote a story bemoaning our lack of Indian restaurants. Back then, Lee and Collier counties' Indian eateriesnumbered exactly four. Six years later, that count has more than doubled. We have fine-dining Indian at 21 Spices by Chef Asif in Naples. We have south Indian cuisine at Ahana's Bombay Grill in Bonita Springs, and Bangladeshi fare at Passage to India in North Naples. Cape Coral finally got its own Indian restaurant when Masala Mantra opened on Del Prado Boulevard in 2019. We even have an Indian food truck, I Love Curry. And then there's Suman Chaniyil. Mr. Chaniyil opened India's Grill in Fort Myers in 2016. A couple years later, he took over Spice Club Indian Grill in San Carlos Park, and then he opened Le Indya in Naples. His restaurants offer Indian-American fare riddled with spices, nuance and depth. It's food that's familiar and affordable. It's a delicious gateway to this South Asian wonderland.
REVIEW: Le Indya brings masala-spiced flair to North Naples — JLB
AND: Masala Mantra is finally here, and it is great — JLB
(4724 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers;239-931-6751;indiasgrills.com)
Siam Hut
Way back in 1984, before most of the restaurant owners on this list could balance a checkbook, Siam Hut was changing the local food scene for the better. This Cape Coral restaurant introduced thearea to Thai cuisine.Toy and SomnukBangthamai opened Siam Hut after leaving the bustle of New York City for the quiet of the Cape. In their restaurant's early years, they had to hold customers' hands and walk them through the menu, explaining curries and shrimp toast and pad Thai. Today, theBangthamais' son Toon runs things. He has far less explaining to do. Most people here know just how delicious Thai food is — thanks to Siam Hut.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: It's high time for Thai food
(4521 Del Prado Blvd. S., Cape Coral;239-945-4247;capecoralsiamhut.com)
Origami
Speaking of originals, there's Rosa Kim. Before sushi was something you could grab from a Publix cooler case, she did some hand-holding of her own, walking her Origami customers through the nuances of sashimi and maki rolls and the right way to eat wasabi. When Kim opened Origami in south Fort Myers in 1995, sushi was still a novelty in these parts. Korean food was unknown. She brought us bibimbap,japchae and jar after jar of her own fermented kimchi. Ms. Kim has given this area so much. I'd like to say thank you, make that:Kamsahamnida.
MORE: The 20 best dishes I ate in 2020 from Fort Myers to Naples — JLB
(8911 Daniels Parkway, southFort Myers;239-482-2126;sushiorigami.com)
Jean Le Boeuf is the brand under which our restaurant critics have written for more than 40 years. This articlecame from staff writer Annabelle Tometich. Follow our critics atfacebook.com/jeanleboeufswflor @JeanLeBoeuf onTwitterandInstagram; email jleboeuf@news-press.com. Connect with this reporter:atometich@news-press.com; @abellewrites (Instagram)
