Hosting no more than a dozen tables between its exposed brick walls, Thai Lagoon offers a dining experience that's akin to eating in your own living room (with the added perk of the sweet and savory smells wafting from the kitchen). Citrus-colored accents, decorative fabric draped along the wall and unobtrusive indie music provide low-key environs for the neighborhood hipsters who choose to dine-in.

The veggie-friendly menu (every dish can be prepared without meat) features a standard selection of noodle, rice and curry dishes priced in the $7-$8 range. Large bowls of soup, including miso with udon noodles and vegetable tempura, lime-heavy tom yum and coconut-steeped tom kha, are a meal unto themselves. Salads are a fresh exception, with options like the namesake Laguna (avocado, mango, red pepper and spinach) and the shrimp- and squid-spotted Yum seafood salad. Don't save room for dessert; there isn't any, though there are fresh smoothies.

If you're craving fresh salmon or spicy tuna rolls, reserve your visit for the weekend when the corner sushi bar serves up more than a dozen types of rolls. Other than the peanut salmon roll, picks don't stray far from the expected. BYOB.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Jessica Herman