TasteTwenty Chef Ashleigh Shanti’s Asheville Dining Guide
Ahead of our Taste America event, the 2025 James Beard Award winner® shares her favorite places to eat, drink, and shop.
TasteTwenty Chef and James Beard Award Winner® Ashleigh Shanti
Sat, September 27, 2025
Editor’s Note: The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® culinary series presented by Capital One brings together chefs, special guests, and diners from across the country to celebrate the local independent restaurants at the heart of our communities. The Taste America TasteTwenty cohort, comprised of 20 exceptional chefs and changemakers, will showcase their talents and represent their city’s independent restaurant community at walkaround tastings and dinners nationwide.
These chefs are not only creative dynamos in the kitchen, they're also avid diners, so we’re introducing a special city guide series where each TasteTwenty chef will share what they love about their city’s food scene.
Next up in our series is Asheville chef Ashleigh Shanti, a 2025 James Beard Award winner®, American Culinary Corps Chef, and Chef Bootcamp Alum, who owns Good Hot Fish, a sustainability-focused fish fry concept inspired by the nostalgia of Southern fish camps. Here, chef Shanti shares the barbecue pop-up she can’t wait to see open a permanent spot and the best snacks for an evening of stargazing on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Good Hot Fish's menu includes fish plates and sandwiches and a sweet potato cabbage pancake.
What does it mean to be part of the JBF Taste America TasteTwenty cohort?
It’s such a special moment to work with chefs from such vast backgrounds and diverse cuisines. It serves as a great reflection of the melting pot that is American food.
What do you love about the food scene in your city?
The food scene in Asheville is vibrant, growing, and [has] proven to be incredibly resilient. The food my peers are putting out keeps me inspired and challenged as a chef. I’m thankful that our food community here is tight-knit and supportive. We all have each other's backs and recognize in a town of this size that a win for one of us is a win for us all.
Go-to spot to take visitors:
[James Beard Award winner®] Chai Pani. The okra fries are my favorite menu item, and I love their iced chai.
Must-try dish in your city:
Bologna sandwich from Hot Dog King, specifically the Hot Dog King in Fairview.
Good Hot Fish's interior.
Best special occasion restaurant:
Neng Jr.’s. My wife and I celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary at Neng Jr.’s. I always get the oysters and queso ice cream for dessert.
What does an ideal night out in your city look like?
Grabbing a nice bottle from Crocodile Wine and some cheese from South Slope Cheese Co. and stargazing on the [Blue Ridge] Parkway.
What restaurant are you most looking forward to checking out?
What The Smoke? is a pop up/soon-to-be restaurant. Clifton Green moved to Asheville to open this space just before Hurricane Helene. His space in East Asheville was completely ruined. Now he posts up with his smoker on Tunnel Road and sells some of the best barbecue in the city. I'm patiently anticipating his brick-and-mortar.
Restaurant dish you’d cry over if they took it off the menu:
Mapo Tofu at Gan Shan.
Favorite food/drink specialty shop:
Beradu in Black Mountain.
Who is another chef you admire in your city (and why)?
Chef Rakim Gaines of Capella on 9. He’s got big talent and no ego. It’s refreshing to connect with someone that is so grounded yet possesses such skill within this industry. His food is incredible and he’s just an all-around great guy. I’m glad to call him a friend.