While exploring Uptown's "New Chinatown" on Argyle Street, the hungry can escape the Asian hodgepodge of smells, sights and sounds in the quaint, cozy Cafe Lao. Adorned with golden Buddha statues and fish tanks, this small Vietnamese eatery combines familiarity with freshness. Its only real downside comes with the view of dilapidated, barred-up storefronts across the street, but this problem has an easy solution; guests can simply put their backs to the window or enjoy whatever is showing on the flat-screen television (this could range from a Bears game to the movie Underworld).

The menu offers a large variety of classic Vietnamese dishes, from beef noodle soup to gourmet rice dishes, all for a reasonable price. Unlike many Asian restaurants, Cafe Lao also has a small selection of simple sandwiches. You can order your basic cold cut deli or egg on French bread or branch out and sample the more exotic cuisine, like, say, fried duck tongues or pork ears. Those who can afford something a little fancier can brave the "fire pot": vegetables and duck, fish or ox tail come to boil in—what else?—a fire pot. The seafood entrees, with choices like frog and squid, cost up to $25. Before heading back onto Argyle to do more investigation, refresh with a cool avocado or jackfruit shake.

Average cost: $21-$30

Centerstage Reviewer: Paige Gray