Chalawan

Chalawan in Porter Square has a giant menu of Southeast Asian food. It’s vegetarian friendly, it’s filled with things you may not have seen before (like the chicken wrapped in betel leaf), and some of it is downright phenomenal. The seared scallop topped with caramelized duck is one of our favorite new dishes of the year. It’s served in a single spoon, and you’ll probably order another round for dessert. It’s a comfortable place to have a leisurely meal and share a lot of dishes, and, even though they don’t have a full liquor license, they do have a few $7 glasses of wine, which basically makes them humanitarians.