With a thriving city such as Portsmouth continuously growing with more restaurants and shops, it’s easy to see the many diverse restaurants and places the city has to offer.  This applies to a great deal of things including food. Most other municipalities in New Hampshire are starved of high quality ethnic food and are limited to a Chinese food takeout places. Portsmouth presents its youthful population with many options.

One option that residents have is Shio. Shio presents high quality Japanese food at a reasonable price. However, if you are looking for Japanese food in a more central location, Domo is a similar place in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. Portsmouth also has other Asian cuisine options. The Green Elephant is a vegetarian, Asian fusion restaurant right in downtown that is growing in popularity. Another popular Chinese place is Kim Lai on Lafayette Road. Kim Lai offers an Americanized take on traditional Asian cuisine, so, if you don’t enjoy some traditional Asian food, Kim Lai is for you.

With Portsmouth’s growing population comes the momentum of Mediterranean food. This is a diet that is traditionally followed by some parts of Turkey, Greece, Crete, and southern France. It offers many grilled vegetables, and grilled or steamed chicken, with little to no red meat. Cafe Nostimo and Cafe Kilim both offer traditionally Greek/ Turkish cuisine, in coffee shop formats. A third place is Habibi. Habibi is more middle-eastern fast food. Some of the most popular items on their menu are kebabs, falafel, and lamb gyros. However, there is usually the availability of tables as well.

Finally, for authentic Indian food, Shalimar India, located at 80 Hanover Street is the best place. Offering high quality authentic north Indian cuisine at a good price, this restaurant is suitable for students who want to try something new. Some of their most popular dishes include Tikka, Garlic Naan, and Tandoori Chicken (which comes from their tandoor clay oven). Another good spot to try is located at the Fox Run Mall. Offering very inexpensive cuisine with a fast food vibe is Spice of India. This joint offers big portions for a low price. Eating worldly in Portsmouth is easy to do with great places all around

We surveyed around to get information on what most people’s favorite type of ethnic food was and where they prefer to get it. Portsmouth High School geometry teacher, Mr. Goldenberg said, “The Japanese food of Sake was my favorite, but it is closed.” Then he told us that is favorite kind of ethnic food is Indian food and we offered the idea of Spice of India. He said, “Sure. I’ve never been there but I would probably enjoy it. I’m all about the Dal Makhani.” We then called up Spice of India to ask them what they thought the best food they have to offer is. They told us, “Probably Chicken Tikka Masala and rice, or naan bread.”

From Indian food, to Chinese, Japanese, and Mediterranean, Portsmouth has a wide variety of ethnic food. Young people in Portsmouth are very supportive of places like Spice of India, or Shio. The variety of ethnic food in a city is a great expression of how open it is to other cultures.