Located inside the former Vernor Coney Island space, Flowers of Vietnam is a Vietnamese restaurant in Mexicantown and one of the city’s most exciting places to eat right now. It started as a pop-up, but after a year of borrowing the space, Flowers of Vietnam redesigned it to give it a more modern feel, while keeping the kitschy neon signage and lunch counter from the original. The menu changes regularly, but typically includes things like caramel chicken wings, lobster vermicelli, and a whole fried fish, along with interesting cocktails and coffee egg creams. Make this the first stop during your next visit.

photo credit: Michelle and Chris Gerard