Hai Hai

With bright blue chairs, teal walls, and plants dangling from the ceiling, the dining room at Hai Hai is a leafy respite from the snow in the winter and the perfect place to sit outside and have lunch on the patio in the summer. Start with an order of salt and pepper fried tofu and then try the Hanoi sticky rice, which is topped with ground pork, wisps of pork floss, Chinese sausage, and pickled vegetables (substitute mock duck to make it vegan).

The rum-spiked slushie or the refreshing Tour Bus Tales, made with gin, cava, ginger, and a pho-spiced shrub, is a nice balance to all the spices and heat in the dishes. Save room for the dessert: the che is a refreshing, sweetened soup with fresh fruit and jellies, and the Vietnamese coffee pot de creme is a great choice for something richer.