From Korean short ribs to sushi, this Biloxi restaurant offers a tour of Asian cuisines

The Asian restaurant Tien, in the IP Casino Resort in Biloxi, has been around since 2008, and I do not know why I have not visited before.

If you are serious about Asian food, this is the place for you. They describe it as multicultural, mostly Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Japanese, but also which includes Teppanyaki, Shabu Shabu, Dim Sum and Sushi.

The concept is simple and brilliant, take the best from each of the most well-known cuisines, and present it with authenticity, beautiful plating and world-class service. Tien is a AAA Three Diamond rated restaurant.

Even with the current dining restrictions — no tables are pre-set with dinnerware, napkins, tablecloths and glasses, and dining capacity reduced to 75% (the casino’s parent company, Boyd Gaming, takes it down to just over 60% to be safer) — Tien comes off as a classy place.

Get a table in the back if you can, there is a delightful view of Biloxi Back Bay.

This concept just would not work if the menu were jammed with dozens of offerings from each country. I like the way it is organized, not only by country, but by category: Vietnam, Japan, noodles, Rice, small plates, sushi, rolls, China and Korea, to name the main sections.

Executive Chef Shannon Johnson said the top sellers are the Beijing Barbecued Duck, General Tso Chicken, a Chinese-American dish, and Korean Galbi, beef short ribs, but I saw a world of other things that looked delightful.

In the small plate, or street food section, Singapore dumplings, a steamed curried chicken dumpling with a ginger infused ponzu, a Japanese citrus based sauce, looked wonderful, as did the Tuna Tower with wasabi, avocado, cucumber and yuzu dressing, and it was as artfully presented as could be.

One of my favorite dishes has no name and is not on the menu. When a guest is pondering the sushi list and just can’t make it his/her mind, the chef will put together a plate of the best he has that day. It is not only another great idea, and the plate is quite impressive.

The Super Crunchy roll was also a top pick of mine. It is eight pieces of tempura shrimp (my all-time favorite), cucumber, cream cheese in a soy wrapper, topped with shrimp, crab sticks, avocado, tempura crunchy flakes and served with spicy mayo, sriracha and Unagi sauce, a sweet soy sauce.

I also had a chance to try the pad Thai, Thailand’s most famous dish. It is Thailand’s street food at its best, and perhaps that country’s best comfort foods. It is just spicy enough for most American palates, and delicious.

The menu is just a two-pager, a concise tabulation of Asia’s best, served in a relaxed setting, soft lighting and skilled service.

There is a lot of good Asian food on the Coast, but no where else will you have the diversity of selection. This is simply a great restaurant.

Restaurant Tien

Location: 850 Bayview Ave, Biloxi

Hours: Friday-Monday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Phone: 228-436-3000