Heiwa Shokudo

Upon entering, we waited a while before anyone greeted us or was seated. I'd say about 10 minutes. I ordered the vegan veggie ramen soup (the ramen noodles are egg-based; they used rice noodles instead), which was delicious! I also tried a couple of vegan sushi options, all of which were fantastic. The staff was knowledgeable about veganism and could customize most of their menu. It is a bit of a “hole in the wall” kinda of place; for example, there were dead bugs all over the lamp directly above the table. However, the staff was helpful with ordering and I’d certainly go back for takeout.

Visited 7 months ago

What a gem of a place!! Took us soooo long to try this place as it was always busy. We were attracted by some of the dishes that are less commonly found in the usual sushi places in the US. We tried Sukiyaki and Tempura shrimp and vegetables and they were both delicious. And service is amazing here, our server Stone is friendly, helpful and authentic. The kind of service we associate with Asheville but is missing in many places. Place is small but with outdoor seating which will be nice on good weather days. This is going to be one of our go-tos from now on!

Visited a year ago

Highly recommend Heiwa's ramen and rolls. They are flavorful, tasty, and fresh! I cannot talk enough on how friendly the staff are as well.
Went in for an early dinner just around 5pm and easily got a window seat and received a complimentary ginger drink with my meal

Visited 9 months ago

Amazing place to get authentic Japanese food. I knew the chef was Japanese when I tried the pickles (oshinko) We also ordered the tarantula, unagi freak and honeymoon special uramaki rolls. The fish was very fresh. We asked that they don’t put any sauces on top and this made it even better.

Visited 8 months ago

I love this place. I came here for a friend’s birthday back in 2018 or so and had a great experience. Now whenever i’m in town i make it a point to suggest eating here to whoever i’m traveling with. nobody ever leaves disappointed. Tonight i brought my partner for his first time and we got some sushi to share (dragonfly roll, firefly roll, and the sea devil). It was delicious as always. I was very happy that he liked it so much because i have been talking about coming back here since we started planning our trip months ago. I don’t normally post food photos, but it was so pretty that he asked me to take one before we dug in. the people beside us even turned and commented on how nice it looked! I also love the ramen. Usually i get the tonkotsu. Portions are great for the price, staff is consistently sweet and helpful. When the weather is nice the patio space is lovely. It’s a tight fit inside the shop so be prepared to get cozy. It’s always a wonderful experience and i already can’t wait to come back :)

Visited 8 months ago

Heiwa has been a staple of ours for years. The large menu makes it possible to satisfy a wide variety of palates. Even when the kids were little, we could find something that they would like while also satisfying my sushi cravings.

Until recently, this was our favorite ramen in town, but a few new places have knocked it down a spot. Still solid ramen though. And again, the menu also has rice dishes and sushi, and bento boxes and noodles, and really it’s quite a large offering.

Heiwa crafts my favorite sushi roll. I am usually a bit of a purist, and even with their Hamachi freak roll, I have them remove the avocado. And I have to tell them, “Yes, I just want Hamachi with seaweed and rice around it, and then more Hamachi on top.” So I usually dispense with the crunch and the sauce, and all of the other elements that make some sushi a bit more western. All that said, they create a roll called ‘salmon mayo’, not something I would normally order, but my daughter ordered it once, and I’m hooked! The salmon is just seared on top, and inside the roll you will find tomato and spinach, with a little bit of spicy mayo on top. It sounds weird, but the combination is sublime!

Their bento boxes are generous as well. And come with sprouts and a lot of different sides.

Atmosphere Is interesting. I’m a bit torn here. I love their outdoor porch, and it’s just shaded enough in certain spots to have a wonderful summer meal outside. It was wonderful to eat outside during the height of Covid as well, when we did not feel comfortable eating indoors. They also have a wonderful private room that my Book Club would often reserve. Just enough for eight of us. But, and this is a small complaint, the bathroom always feels a little dirty, and has a funny smell. Updating the bathrooms would be amazing!

Location: I love the fact that it is a few doors down from the bookstore where I used to host a quarterly reading series. So we would go to Heiwa, and I would bring my big box of wine and the author bios, and take the curators of the reading series out to a nice meal before we descended upon the bookstore for the quarterly reading. The servers knew us, and it was nice to be recognized, and to be wished good luck for the reading. The downside is that it really is in the middle of downtown, and so finding a park can be a bit stressful!

So overall, definitely a favorite place for so many reasons. Don’t neglect to check out their specials board! I’ve seen everything from special mushroom dishes to special trout rolls, to special sakes!

Visited 10 months ago

The quality of food here is 10/10! Although the dining room is small and cramped, it has a warm and cozy ambiance. It helped that the music volume/selection was the perfect white noise to cover nearby table’s conversations.

There is a parking lot right next to the building you can pay by phone app or use your card at a reader in front. There were just 2 spots left (late February, 4:20 pm on a Saturday) We got here as soon as they opened 4:30 pm. By the time we were done with our meal, there was a line from the host stand to the door, seemed to be a lot of takeout orders too. Definitely a popular menu. So not a place to relax, but to eat and leave to free up tables for the next patrons.

I got 2 different house sushi rolls and a Japanese style pork belly bun. Husband got tempura chicken which looked good, and we each got bubble tea which was served in a cute mason jar cup. Tbh, for how pricey it was the serving of milk tea was very small especially compared to every other boba tea I’ve had.

I can’t wait to come back here one day! Maybe next time we can snag the front window high top seats. Wish their tables were more spaced out, but it is an extremely small building. I would enjoy eating on the patio when the weather warms up.

Visited 2 years ago

Service: 4/5, Quality: 5/5, Value: 5/5
Vegan Options: 3/5

Overall: great rolls for a great price. Excellent spot for vegan options, though you'll need to decipher the menu a bit if ordering vegan.

Longer version:
Service - we were seated promptly and had an attentive waiter. The food arrived quickly and the visit went swimmingly. Only thing that was missed was the waiter wasn't 100% sure on which rolls were which and we were left guessing based on our memory of the ingredients.

Quality - the rolls were delicious. We tried the Altenderfer roll, Sweetie pie, Alligator roll, All about tofu, Rock'n roll, Sweet fried tofu futomaki, along with tofu appetizer. My wife and i both liked the futomaki roll the most and then the rest of the rolls were also good. The sweetie pie and alligator rolls were my second and third favorites.

Value - this was one of the cheaper sushi places I've tried that has Vegan Options. The portion sizes are what i expect from a sushi restaurant with rolls sufficiently filled with goodness, and the cost per roll was quite reasonable.

Vegan Options - there was a large selection of vegan options and the ability to make your own rolls, however, the menu was confusing. It used 'VG' without clarification this was Vegetarian or Vegan and our waiter didn't know either. The offerings from this restaurant would be a 4/5 in this category if they were clearly marked. We also think offering a vegan sample platter would be a huge hit with the city's vegan scene.

Visited 8 months ago

Visited 3 months ago

Visited 3 months ago

Visited 3 months ago

Such a lovely cozy warm tasty blessed nook. Thank you so much!

Visited 3 months ago

Little place with a cool vibe.
Service was pleasant and fun.

I got the miso Ramen, a couple sushi rolls and some dumplings.
It was wonderful

Visited 3 months ago

Still, after all these years, my favourite restaurant in Asheville. I've been eating here regularly since 1996.

Visited 3 months ago

So much good vegan food!

Visited 4 months ago

our family has been coming here since we moved here 17 years ago. they’ve been consistently amazing and delicious. wait staff are always friendly and we love the owner too. the food is always amazing and fresh. highly recommend. very homey atmosphere

Visited 4 months ago

I ordered the tempura chicken with vegetables, everything was done in tempura.... chicken, potato, onions. With a bed of rice and no sauce. It gave the impression that there was alot more tempura, but the vegetables were fillers. My woman ordered chicken teriyaki and pork dumplings. The dumplings were solid. The chicken teriyaki was plain grilled unseasoned chicken with teriyaki on the side, a couple of florets of broccoli with a bed of rice. Chicken was tender, sauce had good flavor but watery, very fluid. Should have been cooked in it. There was no explanation of how the food was served either by the menu or who took our orders. Complete waste of money

Visited 4 months ago

Visited 4 months ago

We arrived at the restaurant and were not served. The waiters walked past my table without looking at me, serving the table next to mine, while I remained unattended. I called three times but still received no service. I went to the cashier, and they said someone would come to my table, yet I was still ignored.

Unfortunately, I got up and left.

Visited 4 months ago

Great customer service

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

Lovely atmosphere, very attentive and accommodating staff. The sushi was awesome. I highly recommend the Sweetie pie roll. I love sushi and it was not only delicious but also unlike anything I've had before. The tempeh and sweet potatoes made a crunchy umami that I loved.

Visited 6 months ago

Ramen was ok , not much flavor

Visited 6 months ago

Honeymoon hand roll is still a great bargain. And it is yummy. Everything was excellent. Black garlic ramen was delicious but the broth could have been a little more velvety.
Good food at great prices.

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

Upon entering, we waited a while before anyone greeted us or was seated. I'd say about 10 minutes. I ordered the vegan veggie ramen soup (the ramen noodles are egg-based; they used rice noodles instead), which was delicious! I also tried a couple of vegan sushi options, all of which were fantastic. The staff was knowledgeable about veganism and could customize most of their menu. It is a bit of a “hole in the wall” kinda of place; for example, there were dead bugs all over the lamp directly above the table. However, the staff was helpful with ordering and I’d certainly go back for takeout.

Visited 7 months ago

Visited 7 months ago

The cushions on the chairs outside were super dirty, smelled bad and old. Buy new cushions! Food good.

Visited 7 months ago

Best most authentic Japanese restaurant/ sushi in Asheville.

Visited 7 months ago

Best Japanese food in Asheville

Visited 8 months ago

Amazing place to get authentic Japanese food. I knew the chef was Japanese when I tried the pickles (oshinko) We also ordered the tarantula, unagi freak and honeymoon special uramaki rolls. The fish was very fresh. We asked that they don’t put any sauces on top and this made it even better.

Visited 8 months ago

The veggie ramen is amazing

Visited 8 months ago

Pork belly bao was expensive at $7 a bun. Pork belly was cooked nicely tho.

The poke bowl was swimming in sauce so you couldn’t really taste the fish or other individual ingredients very well.

The sea devil roll was an abomination. Maybe this was mentioned on the menu but the salmon inside was not raw. It was super overcooked and included a lot of the gray parts of the meat, making it extremely fishy and unpleasant. Glad partner took one for the team and finished it off lol.

Will not be back.

Visited 8 months ago

Great home style food! Delicious as always!

Visited 8 months ago

Heiwa has been a staple of ours for years. The large menu makes it possible to satisfy a wide variety of palates. Even when the kids were little, we could find something that they would like while also satisfying my sushi cravings.

Until recently, this was our favorite ramen in town, but a few new places have knocked it down a spot. Still solid ramen though. And again, the menu also has rice dishes and sushi, and bento boxes and noodles, and really it’s quite a large offering.

Heiwa crafts my favorite sushi roll. I am usually a bit of a purist, and even with their Hamachi freak roll, I have them remove the avocado. And I have to tell them, “Yes, I just want Hamachi with seaweed and rice around it, and then more Hamachi on top.” So I usually dispense with the crunch and the sauce, and all of the other elements that make some sushi a bit more western. All that said, they create a roll called ‘salmon mayo’, not something I would normally order, but my daughter ordered it once, and I’m hooked! The salmon is just seared on top, and inside the roll you will find tomato and spinach, with a little bit of spicy mayo on top. It sounds weird, but the combination is sublime!

Their bento boxes are generous as well. And come with sprouts and a lot of different sides.

Atmosphere Is interesting. I’m a bit torn here. I love their outdoor porch, and it’s just shaded enough in certain spots to have a wonderful summer meal outside. It was wonderful to eat outside during the height of Covid as well, when we did not feel comfortable eating indoors. They also have a wonderful private room that my Book Club would often reserve. Just enough for eight of us. But, and this is a small complaint, the bathroom always feels a little dirty, and has a funny smell. Updating the bathrooms would be amazing!

Location: I love the fact that it is a few doors down from the bookstore where I used to host a quarterly reading series. So we would go to Heiwa, and I would bring my big box of wine and the author bios, and take the curators of the reading series out to a nice meal before we descended upon the bookstore for the quarterly reading. The servers knew us, and it was nice to be recognized, and to be wished good luck for the reading. The downside is that it really is in the middle of downtown, and so finding a park can be a bit stressful!

So overall, definitely a favorite place for so many reasons. Don’t neglect to check out their specials board! I’ve seen everything from special mushroom dishes to special trout rolls, to special sakes!

Visited 8 months ago

I love this place. I came here for a friend’s birthday back in 2018 or so and had a great experience. Now whenever i’m in town i make it a point to suggest eating here to whoever i’m traveling with. nobody ever leaves disappointed. Tonight i brought my partner for his first time and we got some sushi to share (dragonfly roll, firefly roll, and the sea devil). It was delicious as always. I was very happy that he liked it so much because i have been talking about coming back here since we started planning our trip months ago. I don’t normally post food photos, but it was so pretty that he asked me to take one before we dug in. the people beside us even turned and commented on how nice it looked! I also love the ramen. Usually i get the tonkotsu. Portions are great for the price, staff is consistently sweet and helpful. When the weather is nice the patio space is lovely. It’s a tight fit inside the shop so be prepared to get cozy. It’s always a wonderful experience and i already can’t wait to come back :)

Visited 8 months ago

Great food! All flavors were excellent. Staff were very friendly. Steamed shoyu was a highlight. Tonkatsu was light yet still flavorful. Not the typical heavy broth but still great!

Visited 8 months ago

Service: 4/5, Quality: 5/5, Value: 5/5
Vegan Options: 3/5

Overall: great rolls for a great price. Excellent spot for vegan options, though you'll need to decipher the menu a bit if ordering vegan.

Longer version:
Service - we were seated promptly and had an attentive waiter. The food arrived quickly and the visit went swimmingly. Only thing that was missed was the waiter wasn't 100% sure on which rolls were which and we were left guessing based on our memory of the ingredients.

Quality - the rolls were delicious. We tried the Altenderfer roll, Sweetie pie, Alligator roll, All about tofu, Rock'n roll, Sweet fried tofu futomaki, along with tofu appetizer. My wife and i both liked the futomaki roll the most and then the rest of the rolls were also good. The sweetie pie and alligator rolls were my second and third favorites.

Value - this was one of the cheaper sushi places I've tried that has Vegan Options. The portion sizes are what i expect from a sushi restaurant with rolls sufficiently filled with goodness, and the cost per roll was quite reasonable.

Vegan Options - there was a large selection of vegan options and the ability to make your own rolls, however, the menu was confusing. It used 'VG' without clarification this was Vegetarian or Vegan and our waiter didn't know either. The offerings from this restaurant would be a 4/5 in this category if they were clearly marked. We also think offering a vegan sample platter would be a huge hit with the city's vegan scene.

Visited 8 months ago

Dreamy Japanese dinner experience ⋆୨୧ ₊ﾟ🥡🥢 ⊹ɞ

Visited 9 months ago

Highly recommend Heiwa's ramen and rolls. They are flavorful, tasty, and fresh! I cannot talk enough on how friendly the staff are as well.
Went in for an early dinner just around 5pm and easily got a window seat and received a complimentary ginger drink with my meal

Visited 9 months ago

Visited 9 months ago

I’ve eaten here dozens of times and I just can’t anymore. The food can be very good… but the place is just so dirty. I wish the owners would clean it all up! I’ve always been a little scared of what is going on in the kitchen. WELL yesterday the host and 2 waitresses were all looking inside of a sake carafe and making faces and saying “gross” as if there was mold or some other ick inside the fresh serving vessel. I’ve had stomach aches after eating here several times and didn’t want to believe it was the food because it’s so tasty…but I can’t deny it anymore. The food safety is concerning.

Visited 9 months ago

I’ve enjoyed eating at Heiwa Shokudo for over 15 years now and still enjoy every bite.

Fantastic lunch specials, with something for everyone. The sushi is delicious and they make their own ramen broth in house.

Seating is available outside on their patio, inside in the general seating room, as well as a small private room for groups.

Street parking is available and there is a pay to park lot directly next to the building.

Visited 10 months ago

Great sushi! Isabella was amazing.

Visited 10 months ago

As someone who has had quite a lot of Japanese food throughout my life, I can safely say outside of Japan, Heiwa Shokudo is the best I've had. Though a small restaurant in downtown asheville, the ramen and pork donburi delivered big flavor that left me wishing I could eat more. Highly recommend for anyone that wants authentic and delicious Japanese food at more than reasonable prices.

Visited 10 months ago

Great selection of authentic Japanese food! Everything from sushi to ramen to donburi. It's been hard to find authentic Japanese style sushi in the area but the options here reminded me of Japan! とても美味しかった!

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Love their vegan options!

Visited a year ago

I love this place, it's my go-to in Asheville. Absolutely delicious with tons of options - it's so hard to choose. The waiters are very friendly and helpful in navigating the extensive menu.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Nice folks, bland food

Visited a year ago

Cozy is the perfect way to describe this restaurant - it is very small and you may have to wait to be seated. But you can walk around the street it's on and do a bit of shopping while you wait. Once your wait is over, though, it's really great food and at a great price. Our waiter Stone was very friendly and even recommended some cool places to check out during our weekend trip.

Visited a year ago

What a gem of a place!! Took us soooo long to try this place as it was always busy. We were attracted by some of the dishes that are less commonly found in the usual sushi places in the US. We tried Sukiyaki and Tempura shrimp and vegetables and they were both delicious. And service is amazing here, our server Stone is friendly, helpful and authentic. The kind of service we associate with Asheville but is missing in many places. Place is small but with outdoor seating which will be nice on good weather days. This is going to be one of our go-tos from now on!

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Sushi and bao buns were great! Ramen is a no go. Broth was watery and smelled unappealing. Service was outstanding. All in all recommend but not for ramen.

Visited a year ago

Got a hot pot on a rainy day. It was perfect. There’s limited seating, so it took a while to get a table. However, it was worth the wait

Visited a year ago

Quaint spot with fantastic, authentic Japanese. From soba, to sushi, to the pork soup dumplings, I can't pick a favorite.

Visited a year ago

We go here because they’re mostly organic!! It’s sooo hard to find organic restaurants and especially organic sushi/japanese food. Huge fan of this place, everything tastes amazing and the quality is great. Please keep up the organic ingredients

Visited a year ago

Great sushi! love the building too highly recommend it

Visited a year ago

Awesome service and food as always ! Had the Gypsy Soup with the chicken---to die for!!!

Visited a year ago

I am so glad we found this little place! My fiance and I live in Delaware, but we are moving to Asheville in July. We visited the city last week, and I was recommend this restaurant from the Facebook group, Asheville Foodies. Everything was fantastic. The service was great, atmosphere was awesome, and the food was amazing. My fiance and I eat Japanese ramen every Friday night as a tradition from our favorite ramen place in Delaware. So we wanted to establish a new Friday night ramen spot for when we move. And I think we found it! Such a little gem.

Visited a year ago

Great food, great staff, and overall cute place. Limited seating and they don’t take reservations but highly recommended!! They have amazing variety on their menu.

Visited a year ago

Pretty disappointed all the way around. Food was bland flavor and the service was way slow and inattentive. Had to ask them to remove a pile of dishes we were finished with to make more room for our entrees twice on a tiny 2 person table

Visited a year ago

Wonder food in small, intimate space with great, friendly service.

Visited a year ago

The ramen legit tasted like sock water. Sushi was just ok. The ambience is nice and the employees were great. Food was unfortunately a let down.

Visited a year ago

Best sushi place in Asheville, especially for vegans.

Visited a year ago

Truly good Japanese food. Excellent vegan & vegetarian options. The wakame salad is crave-worthy and the miso soup is comfort food perfected. I don't eat sushi but the folks I know who do all seem to like it there. I have a particular addiction to the Spicy Garlic Tofu. And even though the dining room is tiny, it's still comfortable. But when it's warm enough for the patio to be open, it's a magical spot to eat.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

This is probably my favorite Asian restaurant in town. I love the intimate feel of the restaurant, the food is always incredible, and the service is great!

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Amazing and peaceful. We got the Heiwa Ramen and chose pork belly for our protein and it was simply amazing.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

So excited we found this gem in downtown Asheville. Everything was extremely good and the service was top notch. We took our friend from out of town and he was impressed. We can’t wait to go back for more !!

Visited a year ago

Hardly ever do I leave a review the moment I leave a place but the service we received at this restaurant was so incredibly kind and welcoming, I had to rave about this place immediately. My husband and I and our little baby girl picked this place last minute and upon arrival we were told there would be a 20 minute wait (they were busy!) but we didn’t mind because it’s freezing outside and didn’t want to find another spot. We sat at a high top while waiting for a table that can fit a high chair and before we could open our menus, our server, Stone, said they had a cancellation and had us move to their back PRIVATE room! This room could easily fit 6-8, I think, and they gave us the entire room. Having a baby this is incredible because .. well, it’s self explanatory why having a private room is beneficial when you have a 9 month old! We ordered chicken karaage, gyoza, sashimi and one of their hot pots to share. We were so happy with all of the options! Stone and the rest of the servers were so kind and even popped in to say hi to our baby! Kind and warm service really stands out to a couple like us. We are also in the service industry so we appreciate it that much more. I can’t wait to come back to Asheville to dine at this restaurant again. Thanks for making our final night a memorable one! Such a random found evening! 5 stars!

Visited a year ago

Small place so you may have to wait. Food was great along with the service.

Visited a year ago

Small place, be sure to get there early to ensure you get a seat. Sushi is well prepared with flawless presentation. Warm, chill vibes perfect for relaxation and catching up with a friend. Friendly staff. Well planned menu. Very affordable.

Visited a year ago

The sushi is unfortunately horrible. It's the only thing I had. I would stay away from it and order something else.

Visited a year ago

Delicious food, great selection on the menu. Great price and absolutely great service. Small quaint atmosphere. Will definitely come back again.

Visited a year ago

Sushi Rainbow roll and BBQ eel were great! Fresh, undyed ginger yummy. Kimchi (not as red as i am used to) but very tasty. Thank you

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Service was slow but the food was very good, good lunch spot

Visited a year ago

My husband and I and our friend ordered seafood udon hotpot, yaki ramen, and spicy garlic chicken lunch special. Hotpot is ok, yaki ramen is pretty good but the spicy garlic chicken … hmm let’s just say I am surprised that the dish is too bland. Nothing spicy or garlicky and the portion is too little (presentation is also bad) and that rice is not included in the set? That’s first.
The menu is combination of Japanese/Korean/Chinese. I don’t mind this but the food could have tasted so much better.
But we will come here again because we love the view from the window. We will try other items next time. Hopefully it’s better.

Visited a year ago

More VEGAN experiences while in Asheville, NC Heiwa Shokudo was soooooo tasty, seasoned to perfection delicious- my, my, my! Soooooo good to my taste buds. I love it here. (My phone died and I did not even get pics of all the dishes - smh🤦🏽‍♀️)

Visited a year ago

Food was good.
Service was interesting. Maybe a change of shift?
Very good sushi.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Place was great, would definitely go back. Food was very authentic and more importantly, delicious. Loved the set up. Service was great as well and they were very accommodating. The burdock app and tonkotsu ramen were great as was the house sake.

Visited a year ago

Came in on a Saturday at opening time. We were greeted and seated right away. The service was excellent. The reman was pretty good . Nice chill atmosphere.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited 2 years ago

The quality of food here is 10/10! Although the dining room is small and cramped, it has a warm and cozy ambiance. It helped that the music volume/selection was the perfect white noise to cover nearby table’s conversations.

There is a parking lot right next to the building you can pay by phone app or use your card at a reader in front. There were just 2 spots left (late February, 4:20 pm on a Saturday) We got here as soon as they opened 4:30 pm. By the time we were done with our meal, there was a line from the host stand to the door, seemed to be a lot of takeout orders too. Definitely a popular menu. So not a place to relax, but to eat and leave to free up tables for the next patrons.

I got 2 different house sushi rolls and a Japanese style pork belly bun. Husband got tempura chicken which looked good, and we each got bubble tea which was served in a cute mason jar cup. Tbh, for how pricey it was the serving of milk tea was very small especially compared to every other boba tea I’ve had.

I can’t wait to come back here one day! Maybe next time we can snag the front window high top seats. Wish their tables were more spaced out, but it is an extremely small building. I would enjoy eating on the patio when the weather warms up.

Visited 2 years ago

Food was horrible, Ramen had no depth of flavor, just way oversalted noodles for $15.00 with 1/2 egg, a few mushrooms and some spinach. They were out of pork for the Ramen so I got shrimp gyoza, order of 3, very tiny with fishy flavor. Sooo disappointing would not give them another try

Visited 2 years ago

Glad I found this place, long wait for a Tuesday night but happy we finally got in. Loved the spicy tempeh roll and dumplings, great service!!!

Visited 2 years ago

I judge a restaurant by whether or not the main staples are good. I was looking forward to a cold house salad with ginger dressing. The ginger dressing was watery and tasteless and I would rate a 1 star. The Miso soup tasted like water- absolutely no flavor. Horrible!! The sushi rolls we ordered were warm . 🤢 The Unagi Deluxe was very good . Service was mediocre.
Prices are decent.

Visited 2 years ago

Best Japanese food I’ve had in NC. Love it here!

Visited 2 years ago

It was pretty ok. The glass noodles were disappointing. They were soggy and not translucent like typical glass noodles were. They were mushy. The maguro in the sushi dishes were authentic, and I really appreciate that. Much of the sushi in the mountains has naguro tuna very diluted with crumbs, or not tuna at all.

Visited 2 years ago

amazing food and experience

Visited 2 years ago

We enjoy grabbing some sushi on the patio. Midweek is nice for locals. The food is delicious and the lighted patio makes it a bit romantic.

Visited 2 years ago

Great food. The sushi was better than the ramen though.

Visited 2 years ago

Julia was a great server! Nice and attentive and the food we got was great. My friend got the Tofu Spicy Garlic and the sauce was so delicious. I got sushi and a frozen lemonade it was also fantastic

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Good Japanese. Good soup.

Visited 2 years ago

literally the most mid ramen I've ever had
WHAAT kind of tonkotsu pork ramen doesn't have pork in it??? There was absolutely no meat or protein of any kind in the ramen which was kind of a disappointment. Broth was very salty and honestly just didn't taste good, there was one overboiled egg floating in the broth with very little toppings
Im kind of sad and disappointed

Visited 2 years ago

So yum! The food came out looking so cute way cuter than I was expecting and there was a lot of it too the salad before the bibimbap was yum. And the atmosphere was cute and cozy. 10/10

Visited 2 years ago

Heiwa Shokudo was a favorite of ours from the first time we ate there and we've been back many times since. Unfortunately, the last couple of times weren't as great as usual. Our most recent visit was with visiting family and we gushed about how wonderful it was at Heiwa but sadly, it wasn't the case that evening.

My favorite dish, the Ramen Black came out lukewarm and the broth was lacking the usual depth of flavor. I would also swear the amount of broth was less than it's ever been before. One out of four of our dishes came out hot and most of them were also lacking flavor.

The wait staff were typically pleasant and helpful, even the "new guy" but because of the underwhelming food experiences lately, we may be searching for a new noodle spot. This isn't unique to Heiwa though, we've been feeling similar disappointment from a few of our other favorite spots. Asheville is getting more expensive by the day, the food quality is falling shorter of the mark and the portions are getting smaller :(

We're cooking more at home these days because of the above reasons, which is good but we do still like to treat ourselves once and a while. We're losing the dependability and consistency of our "favorites" and the rising prices and shrinking portions are making it sting more.

I hope Asheville can get back to the charming and delicious foodie town we fell in love with and not become just one more overpriced and disappointing tourist trap.

Visited 2 years ago

We were super excited to try this establishment with our daughter. She is a Ramen fanatic. We have tried Ramen from all over the states and outside the states. How ever our experience was sadly VERY unpleasant. Out waiter was as helpful as he could be I guess, but him running back and Fourth to various tables didn't help. He brings us water to table in Dirty glasses. You couldn't even see you reflection in the glass. No ice. Just warm tap water. He did show us the specials. We ordered Sushi..Chicken Dumplings..all 3 of us got various kinds of Ramen. All 3 were tasteless. We had a Deep fried sushi roll that had just been barely..barely fried..just rolled around in grease for a few seconds..Our waiter checked on us 1 time once we got our food. NO refill on our drinks..nothing.. The napkins that held our silverware smelled of mildew..The Owner who's name is Nomi/Naomi? Was very friendly to other individuals who came in. She greeted them with a smile. Made conversation etc. All she did was stare at us. No smile..no conversation..just stares..as if we should be elsewhere...Never once asking how our meal was or if we needed anything else. Other customers received So much Attentiveness . Wish we could have received that as well. Definitely not a good environment you want to eat in. My Big suggestion would be make sure ALL your customers regardless of them being a regular..a tourist...or race the same. After all all our money 💰 is the same right?. The only time the owner spoke to us when it was to run our card for our bill..Go figure!. We have been to many establishments here..and definitely can find another place to spend $100 that would be more customer friendly and clean!

Visited 2 years ago

Absolutely delicious!!! so many vegan options!! Affordable prices!! Good portions!! Our server, Sean, was so kind and helpful, he gave us excellent recommendations 10/10 highly recommend!!

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

We LOVE this place! It's been one of our favorites since we found out about it a few months ago. It's a tiny spot and kind of lackluster inside but the food + service makes up for it in a BIG way. Everything we've eaten here is delicious... from hot pot to ramen to sushi rolls and rotating specials + a great variety of sake. It's been consistently delicious each time!

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Excellent sushi and service

Visited 2 years ago

Wonderful dinner!! First time here and it won't be the last. The vegan options were so good!

Visited 2 years ago

Great local restaurant. Good service, good food, highly recommend. Parking can be a little tight depending on what time you go.

Visited 2 years ago

The salmon avocado roll and the sashimi cuke wrapped roll were amazing! Atmosphere a little meh. Second time I got dish I wasn’t as good as first. Inconsistent.

Visited 2 years ago

Haven’t been in person - but if you’re looking for good tofu, do not go here. I’ve had some bad tofu in my day but by all means this place takes the cake. Chefs are following instructions, no hate against them - but whoever is giving the tofu recipes needs to reevaluate. It’s bland, not cooked well, soggy, and just a huge disappointment. The miso soup seemed like it was made with red instead of white miso? Very odd tasting. The sauces are absolutely delicious - the teriyaki and garlic sauces are great - flavor profile and consistency are on point. I haven’t had anything else from here so I can’t speak on that, but the tofu recipes really need a redo.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Classic Japanese restaurant with good sushi and ramen. Make sure to check the hours.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Very busy place but fantastic food and were extremely accommodating about my gluten free needs! Had sushi and Donburi.

Visited 2 years ago

*Delicious* Aaaa cha-cha-cha!

Visited 2 years ago

We ordered takeout sushi and enjoyed it very much. The fried oyster sushi was a delicious splurge, as were a few other rolls we tried.

Visited 2 years ago

Great little ramen/sushi restaurant in Asheville. Food was pretty good. Only issue was a big clump of ginger in the noodles and they have me pork instead of crab shumai but corrected it. Sushi was delicious. Cute atmosphere with nice patio outside.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Delicious food and wonderful service. Had the sashimi bento for lunch and it was very fresh. 10/10

Visited 2 years ago

Deliciously friendly

Visited 2 years ago

Been coming here since I was a kid and it will forever be my favorite sushi/ramen spot in Asheville. Always amazing service, friendly staff, cozy ambiance, and authentic food. Very cute outside patio area, one big party room that I’ve had countless birthdays in. Their executive seafood soup is my go-to!

Visited 2 years ago

Tried to order on doordash and ramen options were not listed on there for some reason. Tried to call and phone was dosconnected. Had to go in and order. Staff was nice. Said they would text when my order was ready. I never recieved a text after waiting a half hr. Finally went back in and got order, which had been sitting there for awhile. Said they would add shrimp to the ramen and added *a single shrimp* lololol. The ramen tasted alright. The gluten free seaweed salad is awesome.

Visited 2 years ago

Been there 4 times now. The food is good, but man the wait can be extremeeeeely long.

I don't think it's the workers fault, I think they are understaffed.

Visited 2 years ago

This adorable, small restaurant has such delicious food! The hot pots and noodle plates are especially good and the serving size is impressive. I also enjoy their original sushi rolls.

They have bubble tea that can be made with soy or oat milk and plenty of other vegan options as well!

Friendly service & expansive menu. Parking can be tricky when it is really busy downtown but there are several paid lots nearby.

Visited 2 years ago

Very cozy, great food! Definitely a date or very small group location.

Visited 2 years ago

Great prices, medium quality food but tasty, cute spot for a date

Visited 2 years ago

Delicious vegetarian food!

Visited 2 years ago

For small little Asheville, NC; Heiwa Shokudo was an amazing little gem downtown.
Their staff was absolutely polite, friendly and welcoming.
The restaurant itself was a extremely homie and cozy. The prices were remarkable! I was absolutely shocked how full I was with the money I've spent. Although, the hot pot taste more like a ramen broth; it was yummy. My party absolutely enjoyed her ramen. This establishment is vegan, vegetarian and all the above friendly.
There is no personal parking lot so you will have to park in paid parking or along the streets.
Overall, this was a place I would surely visit again while in Ashville.

Visited 2 years ago

We visit Asheville often, and celebrated Valentines dinner here mainly for Tonkatsu Ramen. I am a Tonkatsu Ramen lover. We have made the hour and a half long trip many times, and visit a new Ramen shop each trip. The good..It was busy so we understood the wait. Server was pleasant. And the vibe was good. So first off, I have never ordered creamy Pork broth Tonkatsu Ramen that didn't come with pork belly? Never. And as for the creamy rich pork broth, was NOT creamy and slow cooked for hours. It was clear, and had no flavor whatsoever. If you put Tonkatsu on your menu, it should be creamy and rich. I'm not saying other items aren't delicious..Just if you want authentic Tonkatsu just know theirs is different. This was my experience. and just a point, This is in no way not liking this restaurant. Just not the Tonkatsu Ramen.

Visited 2 years ago

Small place with amazing ramen. Definitely spring for the hand rolls as well.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Amazing service, the atmosphere was amazing as the moon was out and the outdoor lights were on. Pretty small place with great sushi and good ramen. I'd recommend to get the rolls and ask about what the ramens are like. Spicy miso ramen wasn't spicy that much but it was delicious.

Visited 2 years ago

Authentic, cute & unpretentious restaurant, locally-owned by a Japanese woman. Delicious food, served quickly with friendly service. Excellent vegan & vegetarian options. Love the gut-friendly fermented options like natto & vegan kim chi. There's a small book nook with adorable books with Japanese themes.

Visited 2 years ago

Such a sweet little corner pan-asian noodle shop (about 20 seats) with authentic options and beautiful tea. Go here! You won't regret it!

Visited 2 years ago

I came to Heiwa Shokudo by myself and enjoyed my meal. I got the spicy miso ramen (with vege broth and tofu), the tempeh futomaki, and some hot tea. The restaurant is very vegetarian friendly and all of the food was very good. Total came out to $25 plus tip for all of the food, which I thought was great value. Major downside of this restaurant is that their location is very small. They seemed to have a hard time accommodating larger groups and there can be a long wait. They only had a few waitresses as well, and I had to wait a while a few times to get water or the bill. That being said, everyone was very friendly and accommodating. Overall, great experience and would come back, but would be hesitant to bring a group. They did have some more seating outdoors but it wasn’t open today. I hope this restaurant can one day build an extension to have some more seating

Visited 2 years ago

This is a really good place. Closest to actual Japanese food as served in Japan in the Asheville area. IMO, the hot pots are better than the ramen.

Visited 2 years ago

Absolutely perfect!

Visited 2 years ago

Nothing was especially bad and nothing was especially good. It was all mediocre.

Visited 2 years ago

everything is super tasty and the portions are good! great place to come for a quick and filling lunch.

Visited 2 years ago

friendly service and amazing food!
We spoke with the chef and the waitress and host were really nice.
I got the seaweed salad and Spicy Miso Ramen w/ GF noodles, he got a noodle plate. If I lived here I would come often!

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

I love soup and ramen is a favorite. The gluten-free selection was more than I’ve found many places!

The service was friendly, the food was flavorful and satisfying. I ended up texting several other gluten-free friends about this place for future restaurant options.

Visited 2 years ago

I used to come here regularly. All I can say is what happened? The food had no flavor. The ramen was terrible. The soup was terrible. The sushi was terrible. You'll be better served by any neighborhood Chinese takeout and at a fraction of the price. I sent back my food because it wasn't what I ordered. Barely ate anything. Stopped at Aldi on the way home for some nuts - which was a better meal. I give this two stars only because I don't think Google will show a one-star review, and I think this review is worth considering. Also - the sanitation score was a 94. Not somewhere you want to eat raw foods.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Seriously so good

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

This place is WONDERFUL!! Their black ramen is to-die-for. Service is so attentive and thoughtful. Ginger honey tea is tasty.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Great small Japanese restaurant. Good outdoor garden

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Loved it! Food was excellent!

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

A fantastic and cozy little restaurant with a variety of vegan/vegetarian options, reasonably priced as well.
It's quite small so odds are there'll be a wait but it's def worth it.

Visited 2 years ago

Get the hot pot

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

I don't know if it was Google's fault, but Maps said that it was less busy when we got there. It took them 30 minutes to take our order. Not to mention that it was very obvious that the water was from the sink (tasted gross) and my cup wasn't cleaned properly and still had small black sticky substances.We cancelled our order since we were on a time limit.

Visited 2 years ago

Food was so good, server was wonderful but the owner treats the employees in a dehumanizing and disrespectful way. What a shame….. couldn’t help but notice

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Love the vegan food here, especially the sweetie pie roll! 10/10 ambiance and service also great ❤️

Visited 3 years ago

This was the most stressful dining experience I've had in a while. Had to ask multiple times for the things we already ordered. Food was good.

Visited 3 years ago

Excellent food. Ramen. Sushi and tea.
Awesome service. Definitely would go again when in town

Visited 3 years ago

Love sitting outside, fresh sushi

Visited 3 years ago

Always delicious. The wait was much longer than expected. so may not want to come on a day you are rushed for time. But the food is definitely worth it! I got the pork belly ramen 🍜

Visited 3 years ago

(Updates responding to owner) Food took over an hour and a half (we arrived at 7:30PM after calling ahead, asked how long food would take around 8:40pm and received all of our meals by 9pm). All of the tables around us who arrived after us were served first (there are about 7 tables inside). Boba tea was forgotten (we brought up after over an hour and then no longer wanted), appetizer was forgotten, and one of our meals was forgotten. Staff never apologized until they were prompted. Once prompted we, a table of 5, were offered two small ginger side salads and tea for one that we split. We asked for a discount and they gave us only 15%. The worst service I have received in a restaurant. We would have left if we weren’t so hungry.

Visited 3 years ago

My favorite place to eat in downtown Asheville. Much love 🤍

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Very delish!

Visited 3 years ago

The food is acceptable the girl who has taken care of me has not made me feel comfortable at all very distant I have said goodbye and she has looked at me I do not recommend this place

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

We had sushi and Udon noodles. Quite good. Outdoor seating available.

Visited 3 years ago

Food was ok. Table and glass were dirty.

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

One of my favorite AVL spots 🍱

Visited 3 years ago

For the quality of the food it is pretty overpriced. The servers are very nice and professional but the food also takes a very long time to come out. When it does it tastes bland and not very fresh.

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Slow service but it is worth it . Great service . Will do again but with less plates plus all their Roman is pork broth :( but the server told us there is a vegan choice. :)

Visited 3 years ago

Three of us ordered the same miso ramen and it was the worse we ever had. My wife is Japanese and she said it is worse then instant ramen. The owners have no idea what real ramen taste like.. STAY AWAY from this place! A total waste of money!

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Excellent food and service with the cutest little patio. Amazing vegan options!

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Relaxed, quiet, local, and it has good sushi.

Visited 3 years ago

One of my favorite lunch spots when working downtown. Easy online ordering so I know when to walk over & pick it up. Fresh & flavorful menu items that energize me for the afternoon.

Visited 3 years ago

Great place, the house ginger tea is a must!

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Once you eat here you'll recognize every other sushi place in town is almost garbage. So decide if you're ready. It is certainly a bummer to no longer be able to fully enjoy any of the other places. But at the same time, to experience the revelation of FRESHNESS which is this place, is totally worth it. 🍣🍶

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

Visited 3 years ago

One may notice that my other google reviews contain jokes. I do not joke about Heiwa. It is an Asheville institution, the owners are good people, and it’s easily the best Japanese food within at least a 2 hour radius. There is no substitute.

Visited 3 years ago

Proper authenticity. Long waits for take out but food is great!

Visited 3 years ago

Most authentic Japanese food in Asheville. Fantastic ramen, and their donburi are great too.

Visited 3 years ago

天ぷら定食を食べました。
ボリュームもあり、美味しかったです。

Visited 3 years ago

Best Japanese restaurant in town.

Visited 3 years ago