Wau

It’s possible your server at Wau will tell you that beef rendang was once voted the best food in the world by CNN, all in hopes you’ll order this Indonesian dish for dinner. “Best Dish” is a ludicrous premise, but your server will be right—you should totally order it. This Southeast Asian restaurant is one of the few places serving beef rendang on the UWS, and their version comes apart with your fork, revealing new layers of smoke and heat in every bite. Other dishes like roti canai and Indonesian fried chicken are perfectly satisfying, even if they don’t hit as hard as the stuff at Wau’s sister restaurant, Laut. Remember this place the next time you're looking to walk in somewhere with one or two other people for a casual catch-up. If you like to stretch your legs, get a seat inside. The covered sidewalk section is a bit of a tight squeeze.