The following is an extended version of the article that appears in our May 2026 issue.
Photo illustration by Ryan Rich
Auntie Ning’s
15 E. Brookland Park Blvd.
After years of snacking on them, I can say earnestly that Auntie Ning’s lumpia is a must-order. Launching the concept as a food truck and then opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Brookland Park Boulevard last year, Filipino-born owner Frederico Enriquez leans into recipes from his tias (aunties) while adding his own touch. Sisig — a comfort food of minced pork, calamansi (a citrus hybrid), onions and chile peppers — shares the menu with lesser-seen dishes including Filipino spaghetti, a Bolognese-style pasta featuring banana ketchup, brown sugar, hot dogs and ground meat. Sweet-and-sour sinigang and pancit round out options for vegan diners. For dessert, snag a turon, a sweet, sticky, crispy roll of banana and jackfruit wrapped and deep-fried.
Lily Fasil (Photo courtesy Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe)
Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe
402 1/2 N. Second St.
At Buna Kurs, patrons are greeted by the lingering scent of coffee, the beans from Yirgacheffe — fitting, given that the brew is at the heart of Ethiopian culture. “Buna” translates to coffee and “kurs” to breakfast, with both treated as rituals and a way to connect at this Jackson Ward cafe. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, owner and Virginia Commonwealth University graduate Lily Fasil turns out plates from a petite one-burner kitchen. The breakfast combo includes egg silsi (scrambled eggs in spicy tomato sauce), kinche (bulgur cooked and seasoned with olive oil or clarified butter) and injera fir fir, the traditional fermented Ethiopian flatbread spiked with spices and torn into pieces. Berbere-rich awaze tibs (bite-sized beef), layered anebabero (bread with spices) and snacky lentil sambusas (triangular pastries) are musts. Keep an eye out for traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies returning this summer.
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Campechano tacos (Photo by Ryan Rich)
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Photo by Johvana Gomez courtesy Cochiloco
Cochiloco
3340 W. Moore St.
Cochiloco is a feast for the senses. Checkered cement floors, bright tiles, metal folding chairs, a bar brimming with buckets of homemade salsa and slices of radish and lime, and swirling aguas frescas transport diners straight to the buzzing taquerias of Mexico City. While burritos and quesadillas are essential, it’s the tacos — including the three-meat campechano with carnitas, chorizo and chicharrón, or the restaurant’s namesake with pork adobada and grilled pineapple — that steal the show. For a taste of Jalisco, try the potato-stuffed tacos dorados, a nod to owners Nelson and Paulo Benavides’ roots.
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Pabellon bowl (Photo courtesy Con Salsa)
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Patacon (Photo courtesy Con Salsa)
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Maly Fung-Angarita and Juan Aguillon of Con Salsa (Photo courtesy Con Salsa)
Con Salsa
3016 Mountain Road, Glen Allen
In the bucolic suburbs of Glen Allen, Con Salsa channels the chargrilled, slow-stewed flavors of Venezuela. Maly Fung-Angarita runs the restaurant with her husband, Renzo Angarita; his cousin Juan Aguillon; and her cousin Antonio Fung. While arepas are a staple, their patacones — sandwiches with a smashed plantain bun loaded with meats and toppings — are a must. “Patacon is synonymous with Zulia [in northwestern Venezuela] because plantains are harvested there. Everything is louder, bigger, saucier and more extra in Zulia,” Maly says of her husband’s home state. Speaking to its labor-intensive preparation, she says, “To me, a patacon is a special treat.” Their carne mechada, braised Latin American beef, is similar, with customers often requesting it by the pound. Don’t miss the cachapas (sweet corn pancakes) stuffed with Venezuelan cheese or housemade juices from soursop to mora (Andean blackberries).
Whipped ricotta with Petit Four focaccia, charred asparagus and La Riviera tuna salad sandwich (Photo courtesy Jardin)
Jardin
1520 W. Main St.
If sipping wine on a corner cafe in France is on the summer itinerary, save yourself some bucks and stay in Richmond. Donnie Glass — the restaurateur behind Beaucoup, Grisette, Jardin and Petit Four — has transformed the former Baja Bean Co. patio into a hot spot for springtime vino drinking in 2021. Newly expanded hours make it an all-day affair. Tuesday through Sunday, starting at 8 a.m., Jardin leans further into its Francophile persona, serving everything from canelés to jambon beurres supplied by sibling bake shop Petit Four. “Jardin truly operates on the European plaza model — show up, sit wherever you want and stay as long as you’d like,” Glass says. The cafe program is fueled by Afterglow Coffee Cooperative and features grab-and-go Parisian picnic fare. P.S.: Inside the building, they’ve added couches and tables to their brick-lined wine lair and dubbed it The Salon.
Kua Kling (Photo courtesy Kin’d Thai)
Kin’d Thai
1218 E. Cary St.
Located in Shockoe Slip, Kin’d Thai unfolds in a kaleidoscope of colors, and the descent into its dining room feels like a mini adventure. A particularly memorable dish is Kua Kling, a pungent and fiery pillar of southern Thai cuisine. Co-owner Mai Sirimusika, who opened the restaurant in late 2025 with her husband, Tee Putthaphan, says, “Kua Kling represents who we are; it’s a reflection of identity, roots and journey.” She also shares that in Thai, “Kua” means dry-frying, and “Kling” refers to the way the meat tumbles in the pan and earns its signature texture. Minced chicken is dry fried in a curry paste, its expressive layers delicately built through aromatic chilis, turmeric, lemongrass and kaffir lime. “We grew up surrounded by these flavors,” she says.
Mr. Noodle
9127 W. Broad St.
Mr. Noodle is one of the only places in the city for a soup dumpling, or xiao long bao, party — bring a few pals to share in the celebration. Six plump, broth-filled peaks channeling the province of Shanghai arrive in a steamer, each packed with a gelatinous broth that melts into a rich soup when steamed. Order a few housemade scallion pancakes on the side, along with hand-pulled noodles (catch a sneak peek of them being rolled in the kitchen) served splashed with oil, swimming in clear beef noodle soup, or tossed with lamb and cumin. Happy slurping.
Nineveh Bakery
8026 W. Broad St.
Step into this storefront for the freshest housemade samoon (stone-oven-kissed Iraqi bread); tender falafel; zippy pickled turnips; bright tabbouleh; and refreshing jajeek, a Middle Eastern cucumber-yogurt dip. Run by a father-son duo, Nineveh Bakery is a West End eatery that feels like stepping into a neighborhood market, where unhurried service and conversation with patrons is second nature. The bakery doubles as a cozy destination for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare, but you’d be remiss to skip the diamond-shaped, pita-like samoon resting on white linens in rattan baskets, ready to be stuffed with falafel, shawarma or grilled kebabs.
