Welcome to Tech, class of 2026! As new students and fresh faces pop up on campus this fall semester, the hustle and bustle of campus life begins to resemble the fast-paced tumult of its home city of Atlanta.
Especially as the semester ramps up, there are times when the commotion of college life can only be calmed by exploring the city and eating!
Here are the Technique’s recommendations for those special days when you just want to get away — perhaps when you just finished an exam you have been studying for all week, to celebrate your Week of Welcome or even for those days where you are just too hungry! In times like these, here are the Asian restaurants (all within walking distance of Tech’s campus) that we recommend for new and old students alike.
WAGAYA
Our Rating: 4.7/5
When looking for a comfy spot to enjoy some Japanese food, look no further than Wagaya Westside. This restaurant is just a short stroll down State Street, nestled on 14th Street near Home Park.
You may think that the primary demographic of this restaurant would be students, but actually, Wagaya is well-known and loved amongst Atlanta natives and Tech students alike.
Wagaya is a perfect harmony of ambience, comfort and most importantly, good food.
“Wagaya is my favorite place to grab sushi near Tech,” said fourth-year BMED Ibrahim Mahmood. “The lively atmosphere is so welcoming and I often hear students chatting about classes and hobbies, which reminds me that there is still a GT community beyond campus.”
The Technique’s recommendation for newcomers is the Ramen Plus Two meal, which allows you to pick a bowl of ramen and two sushi rolls along with it. If ramen isn’t your favorite, Wagaya has an extensive sushi menu, and lunch and dinner platter specials. When ordering sushi, consider trying the Dragon’s Breath roll, as the server blowtorches the sushi right at your table!
ANH’S KITCHEN
Our Rating: 4.5/5
Anh’s Kitchen is a Vietnamese restaurant located on Peachtree Street, which is a popular site for students to walk to and hang out in Midtown. Despite being nestled front and center in the liveliness of Midtown Atlanta, Anh’s Kitchen is a haven of sorts.
Calm and homey, the restaurant is relatively slow-paced, with customers trickling in to enjoy some food and time together, and trickling back out.
Anh’s Kitchen has a sense of nostalgia to it that keeps loyal customers coming back for more.
Try going to Anh’s Kitchen on frigid winter nights and warming yourself up with a large bowl of pho.
The Technique’s recommendation is the Spicy Beef Noodle, which features rare beef, brisket and a steaming bowl of pho with chili oil stirred right in.
BLUE INDIA
Our Rating: 4.2/5
Barely even 100 feet away from Anh’s Kitchen lies Blue India, also on Peachtree Street. Clearly, Peachtree Street is a popular hub for food, shopping and students!
Warning: Blue India has the potential to make you extremely homesick.
The menu selection alone can hit close to home for restaurant-goers, and above all, the masala and sheer amount of flavor in the food makes it an ideal restaurant for your spice cravings. Most importantly, Blue India is very popular on weekend nights, so make sure to make a booking ahead of time!
The underdog of Blue India is definitely the bhindi chaat.
Additionally, as much Indian cuisine is vegetarian, Blue India is definitely very vegetarian friendly!
“Blue India always reminds me of home-cooking,” said Rashi Yadav, third-year AE. “I loved going there for the first time with my friends, and trying food my Indian mother would definitely approve of !”
PIJIU BELLY
Our Rating: 4.1/5
Our last recommendation in the immediate area is Pijiu Belly, an inventive Korean-Chinese fusion restaurant.
For all the West Campus dwellers, this restaurant is relatively closer than those towards Midtown; one short 15-minute walk down 10th Street will bring you right to Pijiu Belly.
Considered an underrated gem, the great atmosphere, service and food characterizes Pijiu Belly as a Technique favorite. The only problem is that once you see the menu, you’ll want to order everything!
If you had to choose one item to start off with, we would recommend the bento box or the bulgogi bap.
The bento box and any of the ramen choices come in quite a large quantity, so in typical college student fashion, it can be packed and double as another meal for later.