Oh Gan Shan. This spot has been on my must try list for years now, and I'm sad to say that I finally tried it. Not because the food wasn't 10000/10, but because I want it every day and can't have it every day. This restaurant is counter service. The inside space is tiny, but don't let that fool you. There's outdoor seating available and a bunch of sake to choose from. Do yourself a favor and get the tofu dish. I think about this meal literally every other day. The tofu is crisp perfect, the broccoli is fresh, and the rice is a perfect addition. read more

Gan Shan - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I have been here twice - once during trivia night at Archetype Brewing and the other time with a fellow vegetarian. We were so happy with the options! When ordered from Archetype, the food comes out quickly and conveniently. That's a great set-up! When I came to eat at Gan Shan, we sat in their outdoor space, which was cute! Service was very friendly and accommodating as well. I don't know which dish I would pick next time between the General Tso's Tofu or the Gan Shan Rice Bowl because both were equally good! They do a great job with tofu here! The Gan Shan Rice Bowl had less tofu but more additions like pickled vegetables and kimchi. The General Tso's bowl had amazing flavor, and you didn't really need more than the tofu and broccoli! We also tried one of the ginger drinks, which was good, and some sake. It's a great place to come with a friend and share dishes to try more options. I will be back soon! read more

Gan Shan - GAN SHAN RICE BOWL - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

I came to Gan Shan for the vegan ramen and it did not disappoint! Most asian restaurants have miso, mushroom, or clear broth for the vegan option, so the spicy tomato broth base was a pleasant surprise! If you are vegan, make sure to specify no egg and I added fried tofu, which really made the ramen feel filling. I also ordered the General Tso's Tofu, which was also delicious and a well prepared classic. The interior was nicely decorated and comfortable. Service was great as well. They brought us out a Ramen with egg at first by mistake, and once they realized, they immediately took it back and remade it, which was much appreciated. read more

See all

When you place an order to go - add a tip even , & go & sit at a table to wait for your food , for almost 1/2 hour . Finally ask , hey , is that my food behind the counter? To be handed the food with a reply - I called your name 3 times ? I am literally sitting 3 feet from the counter & did not hear anyone call my name . They ask if my name is Anita - I said no . They hand me the food - now cold & act as if I am being unreasonable for questioning why the only person in the entire restaurant at this time is would expect them to actually hand me my food ? Ok fine . I drive home . Pick up the food - and see on the ticket - Anita ? It's not my food . I go back to the restaurant- and tell them AGAIN , my name is not Anita . This is not my food . Only to be shrugged off , sorry . Handed my food ( now cold ) & then get screamed at on the way out to Have a great night ???? Nope . Attitude is everything. I will not support this business anymore , not because of the mistake , because of the attitude I got when addressing the mistake (S) I asked for a refund , did not even want cold food anymore. Which I have never done in my entire life - not my jam . When I asked for the whole amount I paid to be returned to my card , including the tip , I was told they don't know why my bank says I was charged one thing , and the refund says another , Mistakes happen was the response I got . Which I am 100 percent agreement with . I make mistakes all the time . I just handle them differently. read more

We were sitting outside on the patio at Archetype Brewing (next door) on a beautiful late afternoon and decided to order food from Gan Shan. It's a small place, with very little indoor and some outdoor seating. As with many small restaurants in Asheville these days, you order and pay at the counter. The great thing is they'll bring the food over to you at Archetype, which is much larger and has numerous indoor and outdoor seating options. And you can have the food with a beer! The counter service was fast and efficient and the server who brought the food over to Archetype was very pleasant. The food could have been a little hotter when it got to us, but it was still warm enough and most importantly, it tasted very good. Portions were large, plenty of meat, sauces and veggies, with tons of rice underneath. The General Tso's chicken was very tender and the sauce was tasty. Sweet, but not cloyingly sweet. If anything, I would have liked maybe a bit more heat, so next time if we order this, we'd ask for some hot sauce to mix in. The broccoli was perfect, a little crunch, but still fully cooked (lots of Chinese places seem to over or under cook broccoli, but Gan Shan gets it just right). We added black bean chicken as the protein to a Gan Shan rice bowl. The black bean and sesame coating on the chicken was excellent, charred a bit on the outside but very tender inside. Even better was the eggplant which was coated with a seasoning mixture that was other-worldly. I could eat a whole meal of just this style of eggplant [Note: it is not the same as the eggplant appetizer, which is mixed with basil]. There were also slices of white radishes that were very good. We ended up using them as little wrappers for some of the chicken pieces from the General Tso's chicken and that made a great combination. Even the pickles in the Gan Shan rice bowl were excellent, on their own and when mixed with other things in the bowl. They were like an Asian version of Southern-style bread-and-butter pickles. There was a sweet soy mayo in between the meat and veggie layers and the rice. It was good in limited amounts, but I'm not sure it elevated the dish much at all. Prices are reasonable. Overall, I'd give this place a 4.5, but in this case rounded up to 5 instead of down to just 4. We'll go back, as there are several other menu items (like the shrimp curry and house fried rice) that we'd like to try. read more

Gan Shan - General Tso's chicken (left) and Gan Shan rice bowl with black bean chicken (right) - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Incredible food! Ask for the fries on a hidden menu. Best fries in Avl. I love outside seating ... it's enchanting sitting at tables underneath the trees. The staff are very friendly especially a server named Sky. She was I we the top nice and pleasant!!! Might be my favorite new restaurant in Avl read more

Gan Shan - Wonderful food. Drunken noodles and fries and spring rolls - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

consistently delish. 10/10 would recommend. The tomato ramen is absolutely delicious.

The food was great and I love that you can order it while sitting at Archetype brewing next door and they will bring your food to you. They have a pickup window as well and at the pickup window they have boxes and other things you may need like napkins and such. They have some outdoor seating as well which is nice. read more

Gan Shan - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

Too expensive. We ordered a rice and pork bowl, some fries, and a small can of sake and it was $50. Fries were 9 bucks for some seasoning. The sauce was all awesome. If it were a sauce store, 5 stars. The staff were lovely and made it welcoming even though there's no signage to suggest it's a counter order situation and we stood in the door for a while waiting politely to be addressed or told how to navigate. It's cute inside. Wouldn't be fun at all if it were crowded though. read more

Gan Shan truly deserves all the praise it gets! Our stop in Asheville was the final leg of our trip before heading back to Los Angeles, and after craving some Asian flavors, we decided to give this place a try. We were absolutely blown away by the food--hands down, the best culinary experience of our entire vacation, and we've dined at some pretty popular, high-end spots. Every dish was so flavorful, we couldn't stop talking about it. Huge kudos to the chef--you're a genius for crafting such mouthwatering dishes. We ordered five dishes (plus a complimentary dumpling!) and loved how they were served in bowls, which made it easy for everything to fit perfectly on the table. Brilliant idea! The service was also quick and super friendly. If we ever make our way back to Asheville, this place is a must-visit again! It's that good! read more

See all

Kung Pao Chicken is one of the most widely served American-Chinese dishes in the country. Gan Shan West, now operated by the same group that runs the best seafood restaurant in Asheville,, Jettie Rae's Oyster House, and the two very popular and highly rated Italian spots, Vinnie's, served the best Kung Pao Chicken I've ever had. We also had a rice noodle dish that was excellent. The menu here is limited, and outdoor seating is shared with several other spots nearby. But what Gan Shan West serves is excellent, reasonably priced, and well worth a stop for a meal or takeout. read more

Fresh food, great service. Love the outdoor seating! Definitely will be back. Great sale and local ginger beer too! Even though it was busy, it still felt peaceful ! read more

Gan Shan - Cold noodles and sake - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

We had dinner at Gan Shan West after we visited the Biltmore Estate. This restaurant is next door to a brewery and has outdoor setting. It has some indoor tables and chairs but it was a nice evening outside so we sit outside. We ordered the Mao Doufu which is made with sezchuan peppers and its so delicious and it came with white rice. I really enjoyed the saltiness of this dish and the softness of the tofu, the savory of the ground pork, the yumminess of the tree ear mushrooms oh so so good! We also ordered the spicy beef ramen, and the braised beef on this ramen tasted so good. The korean chicken wings were crispy and the amount of sauce was on point. So glad we came here for dinner! read more

See all

Opinions seem pretty split on this place, so I was iffy on trying it, but for me it was excellent. They have a location across from OWL bakery with a little indoor area, but they've made the most of their temperate locale with ample outdoor seating. I came for a mapo tofu. Most American Chinese restaurants offer some sort of cubed soft tofu with reddish sauce, but it is nothing like a proper mapo tofu, which uses Sichuan pepper, which has a strange, astringent taste and also causes a tingly numbing sensation of the mouth. It doesn't seem like it would be good, but when combined with the right amount of salty, savory, and spicy flavors, it is an exciting experience. Theirs delivered the balance of flavor I was hoping for; there was definitely ample Sichuan pepper in there, but the shaved onions and delightful variety of mushrooms added different flavor notes. Thanks to Asheville being Asheville ts was available vegan. It came with a ton of rice and a ton of broth, so the actual amount of tofu wasn't that much, but the portion was quite filling and I used the to-go containers they had out there. Other offerings included mushroom and corn dumplings which might convince a mushroom skeptic and an extensive drink list including some local sodas, of which the plum lime flavor was fantastic. They do an order at the counter model of service, and takeout business was brisk and efficient from what I saw. It wasn't absolutely perfect; I would have preferred a bit more tofu and less sauce and I would have liked the option for brown rice or something, but the food and drink menu delivered exactly the experience I'd hoped for. read more

See all

Great little duck in. The wings set the bar, followed by the general TSO's chicken. We loved the patio dining experience and friendly faces.

Used to be great. Quality and quantity has plummeted since new ownership in early 2024. Disregard reviews before Feb 2024 because that's when new owners took over and began tanking this business. Unique delicious dishes and proteins left the menu, replaced by cheap fillers like weird noodle dishes. Sauces got watered down, portions got smaller, but prices stayed high. There's a lack of good Chinese food in Asheville and it seems like this restaurant decided to sink to the competitions' level in the name of profit. Still edible, but no longer special. read more

If you consider your restaurant "Asian inspired" , I expect everything to be edible with chopsticks or a spoon. I.E. bite size pieces. I had the general tso chix. It was just ok, accompanied with white rice, broccoli that was too raw , too big and simply steamed (warmed). I "cut" the chix with two forks. I hope someone from GS reads and accepts it as constructive criticism. (yes, I do know that I could have asked for a knife, but TIA for the suggestion) read more

Gan Shan west is a small restaurant connected to Archtype Brewing. They offer a small menu of soups, apps, rice dishes & ramen variety. We ordered the coconut squash soup- it's rich & creamy great for a coconut lover like me. I also has the Mapo Doufu which I was underwhelmed with the pork is ground & the tofu was mushy. It's spicy so it's got flavor though. Husband had pork ramen and said it's just ok. It's a tad expensive for a lack luster meal. read more

See all

This place is the real deal. I came back a second time and we tried the spring rolls -- honestly, some of the best I've ever had. We also shared the General Tso's chicken, spicy beef ramen, and fried rice -- everything was full of flavor and cooked perfectly. On my first visit, I ordered the GSW Rice Bowl and loaded it up with Korean BBQ pork, sweet soy, mayo, chili oil, peanuts, roasted eggplant, kimchi, pickled broccoli stems, carrot daikon serrano pickles, and bread and butter pickles. It was so good I knew I'd be returning soon.., read more

Food was OK. I had a rice bowl which was OK for flavor, but not hot. Not cold, but not hot. Wife's curry special was good, and hot. Spring rolls were way overcooked. And just OK, at best. Disappointed, for sure. Will not be back. read more

It's hard for me to give one rating to Gan Shan, because my opinion varies so much based on the dish! Their ramen and variety of Asian fusion small plates (the steamed buns are SO GOOD) are absolutely delicious, and I also love their General Tsos Chicken. Last night, I tried the fried rice with Shrimp - it was a little too dry for me, and it desperately needed a sauce to accompany it. I was able to purchase a sauce for $1. I love that Gan Shan is conveniently located right next to Archetype brewery. If you're visiting Archetype, you can scan Gan Shans menu and they'll deliver it directly to your table! read more

Gan Shan - Fried Rice - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

My wife and I went to Gan Shan last night after visiting Archetype Brewery next door. It's a small place, but there is outdoor seating. We had the brussel sprouts, wings, and rice bowl. All 3 dishes were very good and perfect for my gluten-sensitive wife. We will definitely be back. read more

Mostly hits with just one miss at this charming local Asian eatery in W AVL. We ate our way around the menu on our first (and we'll be back for more) visit to Gan Shan West. The Appetizer hits include the pork steamed dumplings, crispy spring rolls...super thin/crispy wonton wrapped veggies, chilled sesame noodles packing great flavor and texture, and for those that partake in the fermented yum yums...the pickle and kimchi plate is the real deal. Entrees hit was the Kung Pao chicken - yes it sounds ordinary/common, but it was cooked and seasoned beautifully (served with a bowl of white rice. Additionally, each and every staff member we encountered was helpful, fun, and considerate (say hi to Ivan). And the outside seating under the trees provided both beautiful ambiance and comfort. The miss was the ramen (pork). The ingredients (noodle, pork belly, soft boils egg, sprouts, radish were all quality and presented just right, however the dish lacked the depth of flavor that it deserved. For doing such an on-point job with the other menu items, I gotta believe they can raise the level of the ramen broth. All in all they're doing a really nice job at Gan Shan. I appreciate the quality of food, the friendly service, chill atmosphere, and focused menu...most definitely coming back. read more

Great dinner, wonderful service, and reasonably price! We ate before a show at AyurPrana listening room, which is just a short walk away.

Couldn't agree more with Kim N. "Disregard reviews before Feb 2024 because that's when new owners took over and began tanking this business. Unique delicious dishes and proteins left the menu, replaced by cheap fillers like weird noodle dishes. Sauces got watered down, portions got smaller, but prices stayed high. There's a lack of good Chinese food in Asheville and it seems like this restaurant decided to sink to the competitions' level in the name of profit. Still edible, but no longer special." New owner and chef have transformed old Gan Shan from a very vegan friendly and healthy restaurant to a not vegan friendly and unhealthy middle of the road restaurant. read more

Hey ramen season I see you. I've moussed you. Is it me or is this place way bigger these days?! I feel the outdoor space has really expanded. And it's wonderful. Still quaint and cozy inside. Upon entering you can smell and hear the delicious mixture of salty and savory broths. There are A few tables inside to sit at. They are all arranged in cozy little spaces, mostly two top. I really like to start with the spring rolls. It's four of them and perfect for two people to share. They are crisp to perfection and come with a delightful sauce that's different. The veggie Ramen is amazing. Big and full of noodles, mushroom, corn, and onion. I honestly don't love the mushroom sprouts but all of the flavors together create some sort of magic. The staff is always really warm and they have ample beverage options. In the two cases surrounding the inside area you will find sodas, Pearce, nonalcoholic beer, kombucha, and plenty of sake Honestly every season is Ramen season but fall is extra Ramen season. read more

Gan Shan - The Vegetable Ramen add egg - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This was such a terrible meal. Photos made it look so good but the beef ramen was inedible for several people in my party. All you taste is salt. Lacking any authentic flavors. read more

See all

I read the reviews and expected pretty good quality but that didn't happen. The ramen looks seasoned but it is actually very bland and not much salt. I got the spicy beef ramen w a soy egg and the egg was the best part. The ramen just tasted like onions and a tad bit chili. I was honestly disappointed especially because of the price, the environmental fee and the taxes. My girlfriend got the pork ramen and it was really chewy and the broth just tasted like a mushroom. I read a review from 5 years ago that said the same thing so i am here to update that this was definitely a 1 out of 10. It genuinely tasted like " white people food" which to me just means not enough love and care for the food. Take this as you will, i wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Delicious huge pile of wings, did not disappoint! Pork dumplings were OK and the brussel sprouts had a little too much stem, but we were glad for a veg. I would go back again to try the noodle options. Unique sake and beer. Order at the counter and scope out a table... it gets BUSY. read more

Great food, amazing service, greatocation. Everytjomg was great and a lot of food for my wife and I. We will definitely go back. read more

Gan Shan - Veggie Ramwn, Poek Ramen, Dumplings and Spring rolls. - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

Excellent Ramen, great ambience and would highly recommend you trying it out. The service is pretty good nothing bad at all to say about the place. read more

Gan Shan - Spicy Beef Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Ordered two kids rice bowls, asked to add carrots. First of all I got the wrong carrots. They give me pickled carrots instead of regular carrots. Asked to get mayo and the chili oil on the bowls. Came on the side . Wanted sautéed onions for one of my bowls and said that they couldn't which is okay. I understand it being busy. Asked for a substitute which was the fried onions they put on the ramen was declined my request. Was pretty expensive as well paid $31 for two kids rice bowls. read more

Hey gan Shan what is this? 4 spring rolls for $8.5 for it to come like this? Seriously all of them are burnt to hell. Who gave the ok to serve this? You guys use to be good now it's just mids these days. read more

Gan Shan - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Appetizers were substantial and great. The caramelized wings had a delightful balance of fish sauce against the sweet glaze. Loved the dumplings we dipped in an apricot sauce and the ribs with pickles and seaweed. Note on pork soup get extra pork bellies. They are the most bestest I've ever had, rolled up then sliced into perfect disks. The normally tough rind is rendered super tender, when the broth is complex and greatly enhanced with the veggies and noodles. Chef Ray came out to the floor to look in on guest happiness, which was pretty neat. I had a taste of our other entries veggie rice bowl and chicken fried rice, both rasty and more than ample. That is to say, come hungry. read more

I love this restaurant. I have eaten here so many times over the years and it is one of my family's favorites. I will say I've occasionally had something that wasn't great but over 90% of the time it has been delicious. The food does run on the spicy side which is fine with me. Everything is flavorful. The fried fish specials are always fresh and wonderful. I love the rice bowl with the array of house made pickles, fried eggplant and other yummy toppings. The dumpling sauce is drinkable. The French fries are addictive. Other thing I love is the outdoor seating with the ability to grab a beer from archetype. It's perfect setting to bring our kids and they love the kids noodle bowl. read more

The only reason it's a three star review and not less is because I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt, hoping that my visit was a fluke and their broth isn't usually so tasteless. The noodles were good. Thick and yellow. The pork belly was delicious. Perfectly cooked and the only flavor/salt in the dish. The broth was brown and foggy so it looked promising but it had absolutely no flavor. It was almost like warm brown water. If I didn't take a bite with the meat it would just taste like nothing. There was no soy sauce on the table to add to the broth. Just chili paste. The service was great at the register. I would come back just because I know there's no way their broth is that tasteless on a regular basis if their reviews are this good. Photos were taken after we mixed up the food already because we forgot. Presentation was good; as expected for ramen. Eggs were also perfectly soft boiled. read more

See all

My husband and I just moved to Asheville and have been hearing about this place for a while. We were eager to try it, especially once we saw all the vegan options they provide! We ordered for pick up. We got the veggie dumplings, broccoli, brussel sprouts, vegan ramen, and the veggie curry special. The dumplings were good but fell apart easily. I liked the seasoning on the broccoli. We loved the brussel sprouts, but I felt like $10 was a lot for the serving we got. Ramen was pretty good, but I have had better. I enjoyed the veggie curry. Overall, we were thrilled with all the things we could eat that were vegan. The meal was good, but nothing blew us away. I think it has great options for a wide variety of people, so I see us bringing people here who visit. read more

See all

We went horse back riding on a nice sunny day. As we were on our way to visiting craft brewery the weather started to deteriorate and became cloudy and cold. So our plans changed from visiting craft brewery to a restaurant that served hot and spicy ramen. We looked at some reviews on Yelp and found Gan Shan West to be the best among all the other options. We ordered one tradition pork ramen with miso soup and one order of their special spicy beef ramen with a big chunk of bamboo. I am a huge fan of pork ramen and I have had pork ramen in many places. This one was a little bland, I would have liked it to be a little more spicier. So I had to add additional spicy paste to make it spicier. But I was still a little disappointed, nevertheless their spicy beef ramen was delicious and flavorful. The bamboo chunk added nice texture to it. I have seen bamboo shoots but this was my first time seeing a huge chunk of bamboo. Bamboo has many medicinal properties so definitely try this out. Pricing is equivalent to other ramen places. It could range anywhere from $13 to $15. Ambiance is nice. They also have veggie option. Also, they have paid parking spaces on the street if you're planning to drive. 4 stars because I was a little disappointed by pork ramen. Otherwise, it was a perfect late evening lunch on a cloudy and gloomy day. read more

Gan Shan - Pork ramen - Ramen Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

See all

Absolutely delicious take out. We had the Brussels sprouts as an appetizer and everyone loved them. I had the general Tso's tofu and it was extremely good and we had plenty of left overs. read more

I really (really!) wanted to like this place. I went three times hoping I just needed to find the right dish. I had mapo tofu (insanely salty and tasted like a packaged sauce from an Asian supermarket), Mongolian beef ($17 for mostly onions and scallions filler, minimal beef). The ramen is just ok (definitely nowhere near authentic but kids like it). The food isn't necessarily bad, but definitely does not work at its current (high) price point. read more