Asian food in Annecy

<2012 Asian food options in Annecy, France>Just a few summers ago, the few Chinese restaurants in Annecy served less than authentic food, including omelettes and stir-fries using tasteless, pre-cut, frozen vegetables. Some were called ‘Asiastique’ restaurants, serving everything from Thai to Japanese — the authenticity watered down with ever country added. In the past few years, things have improved! Not only are there better Chinese options in Annecy, but sushi and Thai food options have improved too. Here are my top three:

1. Sushi Shop (13 Rue de la Poste, Annecy)

This place opened in late 2011 with the involvement of one of the judges of the French version of TV show Top Chef. It’s a chain sushi restaurant, and I love it because there is so much choice for vegetarians. You’d normally expect a fish restaurant to have the least options, but here in Haute Savoie, it’s the opposite. No diot sausages or lardons in sight. Service is professional and helpful.

2. Le Petit Shanghai (Grand Epagny shopping village, about five shops after Espace Montagne, outskirts of Annecy)

In the middle of a huge outdoor shopping village, Le Petit Shanghai opened just a few months ago in early 2012. The Cantonese dishes are authentic, varied, tasty and cheap, allowing a group to share an abundance of dishes without over-spending. Service is friendly and fast.

3. Lan-Som-Tam (33 Avenue des Romains, Annecy)

I wrote about this place when I discovered it in January this year. Decent Thai food in a cute little restaurant a ten-minute walk from the Courier shopping centre in a residential area. The plates are a little small, but the taste is fantastic. Service is friendly and welcoming.

Sushi in particular has exploded in Annecy. A friend tells me that O Sushi near the Palais de Justice has been running for years and is very tasty, while another friend raves about a new place called Sushi Express in the old town. There’s also Bingo Sushi in the Carrefour Centre but I rarely seem to be there when it’s open or when I’ve got time to stop. It looks like I have some more ‘research’ to do. If anyone wants to add to this list, please add yours in a comment below.

UPDATE JULY 2014: Sadly, Le Petit Shanghai has suffered the same fate as the great Lebanese restaurant in the big Carrefour centre. Both have been replaced with thriving creperies. The Tuk-Tuk Thai restaurant does offer decent Thai food, and a Chinese restaurant next to the Asian supermarket just off the roundabout near the train station also offers decent Chinese food.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2014: Wok in Rue St Claire (just after Place St Claire as you head away from town) does amazing Pad Thai. Friendly staff, fast service, and cooked right in front of you. Extremely popular already and easy to see why! Meanwhile, Sushi Shop have done massive cost cutting, so it’s now more self-service and no table service, plus plastic takeaway dishes even if you eat in. The menu seems to have Frenched up further (less traditional Japanese ingredients and more French flavours).

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I'm a technical author, journalist and writer from Australia who has been living in Europe since 2000 and exploring the world from there. My passions are writing, snow sports and travel.

10 Comments on “Asian food in Annecy

  1. Since coming to London I have tried so much good Asian food that I simply never had before in SA. We just never ate anything Asian at all and now I eat dim sum, sushi, noodles, sticky rice dishes, Cantonese, Thai, Tandoori etc all the time. I’m glad you’ve found great places near you!

    By the way, on the entirely unlikely chance that you’re travelling that weekend, I thought I’d let you know that I’m in Nord Pas De Calais on the first weekend in June. I know, opposite side of the country from you but just thought I’d mention it!

  2. Emm, I’m glad you’ve embraced all that great food. London certainly has a great variety (oh how I miss Royal China’s dim sum!).

    Although it is indeed entirely unlikely that I’ll be in Calais in early June, it’s a certainty that I’ll be ten minutes down the road a few weekends before that. What a pity there’s no crossover. Still, I need to come to London soon after that so I’ll give you a shout in case you’re around when I’m there. Would be great to meet up. :O)

  3. The Tuk-Tuk Thai restaurant in Annecy has been recommended to me by a few friends! Although I still haven’t been because it’s all the way in Annecy-le-Vieux, vers Novel, and I just have been too lazy to go over there. (I live in the old town.) One friend even says it’s better than Lan-Som-Tam..

  4. Mitch, that’s great to know. I’ve passed that restaurant so many times on my way from one place to another and have never stopped either. It’s on the list to try now.

  5. Hi, any more info on the Asian supermarket? I’m trying to find it via Google Maps Streetview but the Chinese restaurants I find by the train station don’t appear to have a market next to them. Thank you!

  6. La Cuisine de Wadad, across from Sushi Shop, on Rue Sommelier, is a delicious little Lebanese restaurant. Hosted by the chatty owner, he lived in New York for a while, his English is perfect and we felt warmly welcomed to Annecy on our first night.

    • Jonathan, thank you for the Lebanese tip! That’s now on the top of my list of places to go. This *really* makes me happy!

      • Just a quick note to let you know that the Lebanese place was great! Friendly staff (American waitress) and great food. The one that closed at the Carrefour centre was still just a tiny bit better for taste, but this one will do just fine. Thanks again for the tip, Jonathan.

  7. Hi Wendy,
    I finally got ’round to this shop. They were closed for vacation the first time I went. They have a small selection and almost everything I bought I could’ve found at Monoprix. Still, it’s nice to know it’s there.