Vientian Cafe

Because this is the Bay Area, we’ll always embrace any place serving excellent lunch specials with BBQ chicken or curries with a side of rice for under $13 dollars. Enter Vientian Cafe—the standout Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese spot in East Oakland. But also come here for the flavorful deep-fried rice with fermented pork ($12.95), the perfectly spicy, fresh papaya salad ($12.95), and the sweet-tangy angel wings ($10.95). You’ll also want to ask for the separate menu of Lao specials, which includes a tangy fermented sausage.