1. Hai Hai
Northeast
A tropical paradise awaits you at Hai Hai, chef Christina Nguyen’s second restaurant, which started winning accolades almost as soon as it opened in 2018. Sitting on the patio, a casual space accented with sparks of Caribbean blue and turquoise, you feel like you could be beachside, lychee slushie or jackfruit sangria in hand. The cocktails — masterminded by Birk Grudem, co-owner and Nguyen’s husband — are a draw in and of themselves but also play nicely with the rock-star roster of Southeast Asian dishes: salt and pepper fried tofu, Vietnamese crepes, spicy Balinese cauliflower, beef laab lettuce wraps, crispy coconut shrimp toast. For dessert, choose from two ways to get your Vietnamese coffee fix, in pot de crème form or as a post-dinner drink, mixed with vodka, coconut, and amaro.