Looking for asian dinner ideas for two that go beyond your usual rice bowl? Think shrimp noodles, golden dumplings and salmon with avocado.
There’s plenty to borrow from these pictures, whether you want separate bowls or a platter to share.
These are meal inspirations rather than full recipes, with one garlic shrimp pasta photo inspiring an Asian-style variation. You can keep things simple or put out a few extra toppings.
Those golden dumplings are a pretty good place to begin!
Dinner ideas to save for your next night in
beef and broccoli bowls
We’re starting off strong with these beef and broccoli bowls. I love the generous sprinkle of sesame seeds over the glossy beef, broccoli and green beans.
Serve your rice to one side like this if you want to keep the vegetables and beef visible. Two matching bowls make such a nice starting point for dinner.
shrimp noodles and lime
How good does this noodle plate look? There are shrimp, bean sprouts and pieces of egg tucked between the flat noodles, with chopped peanuts scattered over the top.
Keep lime wedges on the table so you can each add a squeeze. I’d serve this on a shared platter with smaller bowls alongside.
salmon and avocado rice
This salmon bowl may just be my favorite one so far. I love the browned salmon pieces next to the sliced avocado and bright green edamame.
Try arranging your toppings in separate little sections over rice. Finish with black sesame seeds if you want to follow the picture.
beef bowls with fried eggs
That fried egg is my favorite part of these bowls! Sliced beef and onions sit beside white rice, cucumber ribbons and kimchi, with chopped green onions over the beef.
Keep a little bowl of extra kimchi between your plates, just like the one here.
shrimp and colorful rice
I love those browned shrimp on top of the rice. The peas, carrot strips and chopped green onions make the whole bowl look so colorful.
Read also: 20 Meal Ideas to Inspire Your High Protein Low Cal Meals
For a similar serving idea, divide your rice between two bowls before adding the shrimp on top rather than mixing everything together.
green curry with rice
Want something with plenty of sauce? Take inspiration from this green curry bowl, with chicken pieces around a mound of white rice. The cilantro, thin onion slices and green chili rings make such a pretty finish.
You could serve the chili separately if you and your dinner partner prefer different amounts.
dumpling noodle soup
Dumplings and noodles in the same bowl? I am absolutely here for this.
The folded dumplings sit beside curly noodles, bok choy and egg halves with bright orange centers.
The black and white sesame seeds are a lovely little detail. This is one to save when you can’t decide between a dumpling dinner and noodle soup.
sesame-topped chicken and rice
Don’t want lots of separate toppings? No problem!
This plate keeps things simple with glazed chicken pieces, white rice and a scattering of sesame seeds and green onions.
I’d add a cucumber side to my own version, but the pictured serving leaves the chicken as the main attraction.
golden dumplings for sharing
Those golden-brown dumpling bottoms look so good. I love how the plate is piled around a little jar of dark dipping sauce with green onions.
Add a vegetable side if you’d like a fuller spread. Then put the dumplings and dipping sauce in the center of the table for you both to share.
beef noodles with herbs
If you love plenty of herbs with your noodles, save this bowl. Thin beef slices, flat noodles and bean sprouts fill the broth, with red chili rings scattered on top.
Put extra herbs and lime wedges in the middle of the table. That way, you can each finish your bowl a little differently.
orange chicken platter
This orange chicken looks gorgeous with its glossy coating and sesame-covered pieces. I especially love the chopped green onions against that deep orange glaze.
Try a shared platter like this with rice in separate bowls. It’s a nice change from putting the entire meal in one bowl.
golden katsu curry bowls
I am obsessed with the way these bowls are arranged. The sliced breaded cutlet sits beside white rice and shredded cabbage, with brown curry sauce around it all.
The overlapping cucumber rounds on the front bowl are such a pretty detail. Keep the cabbage gathered to one side if you want the same presentation.
filled lettuce cups
Want a dinner you can put together at the table? Take inspiration from these green lettuce cups filled with a browned, crumbled mixture, carrot pieces and green onions.
For your own version, you could serve cooked ground chicken or tofu filling in a bowl with lettuce leaves alongside. Let each person fill their own.
Read also: 20 Make Ahead Meals and Prep Ideas for Your Weekly Menu
beef and pepper rice
This is another pretty beef-and-rice combination, but the vegetables are different here. Red pepper strips, thin carrots and green onions run through the glossy beef.
I love the little sesame seeds scattered across the top. Serve it over rice like this rather than hiding those colorful vegetables underneath.
salmon and avocado hand rolls
How cute is this little hand-roll idea? The open seaweed sheet holds white rice, salmon and a thick slice of avocado.
For dinner together, you could set out the fillings and seaweed separately so you can each assemble your own. I’d keep the filling simple like the one pictured.
chicken with peanuts and chilies
I love the peanuts and bright red chilies scattered over this chicken! The glossy pieces sit on white rice with plenty of chopped green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
The peanuts are the detail I’d keep in my own version. Choose a recipe with a chili level that suits you both.
cucumber ribbons and kimchi
We’re borrowing the cucumber-and-kimchi pairing from the earlier beef-and-egg bowls here. I love those wide, curled ribbons beside the orange-red kimchi.
I’d try this topping combination on a tofu rice bowl too. Keep the cucumber and kimchi in separate little piles like the ones pictured.
garlic shrimp pasta inspiration
How good do those browned shrimp look? The pictured dish is garlic shrimp pasta, with long pasta strands and chopped herbs scattered over the top.
For an Asian-style variation that isn’t pictured, try shrimp with rice noodles, garlic, soy sauce and green onions. I’d keep the shrimp on top like this so they don’t get lost among the noodles.
chicken and mushroom soup
I love the lime slices and leafy herbs on this pale orange soup. Chicken pieces, mushrooms and green onions show through the surface, with little orange droplets dotted across the top.
Read also: 20 One Pot Chicken Dinner Ideas With Rice, Pasta and Colorful Veggies
For a similar dinner idea, look for a Thai-style chicken-and-mushroom soup recipe. Serve rice alongside if you’d like a little extra, then finish your bowls with lime and herbs.
Read also: 20 Crockpot Chicken Recipes and Dinner Ideas to Inspire Your Menu
saucy vegetable noodles
Last but definitely not least, we have these gorgeous vegetable noodles. I love the red pepper strips and sliced mushrooms tucked between the glossy strands.
The bok choy and sesame seeds make the bowl even prettier. Save this one if you want vegetables to be a big part of your next noodle dinner.