Whether traveling in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Helena, Honolulu or Hamburg, we often opt for Asian food. In busy air  terminals, many Chinese restaurants are geared to serving fast food. However, that doesn’t mean the fare can’t be fresh and delicious. Here are some airport examples:

Manchu Wok, Dallas-Fort Worth: In the food court of Terminal C, this Asian fast-food café offers steamtable and custom-made dishes. The price for a two-item platter is from about $7. Ingredients are fresh and include orange chicken BBQ pork and other items. Each meal topped off with a free fortune cookie. www.manchuwok.com

Fung Lum Express, San Francisco: Also in a food court, it’s at Terminal 3, and offers the usual Chinese dishes, plus varieties of dim sum, chive dumplings and banana shrimp rolls. Prices are from about $7, and open from 7:30 am to midnight, making it convenient for tired and hungry travelers. www.sfoconnect.com/...sfo/fung-lum-sfo Big Bowl, Chicago O’Hare: Located in Terminal 5 of one of the world’s busiest airports, the popular Chinese-Thai restaurant features a large array of Asian foods. The menu includes pot stickers, skewered satays, spicy Sichuan, orange chicken and stir-fry dishes. Prices are from $10. www.bigbowl.com

Sky Asian Bistro, Philadelphia: The Terminal C eatery features authentic Cantonese cuisine, along with other menu items from Japan and Korea. For a start, there’s the $9 inside-out wonton dip, with lobster, spinach and creamy Rangoon dipping sauce. Order two fresh crab cakes with chili sauce for $9. If flying in or out of Philly with kids on a Sunday, Sky Asian will feed them for free. www.icrave.com/project/sky-asian-bistro

Asian Chao, Atlanta: In Concourse A, the eatery features fast food and mall-like seating, but the dishes are genuine Asian. Along with egg rolls, chow mein, beef with broccoli, a special treat is deep-fried spicy chicken wings. Prices are from $8. www.asianchao.com