The June Hit List: Kultura, Little Miss Ha, Ma’am Saab, Babas, and more

Noodle Nights return in June, with limited seats available each Saturday night, each with a specially made pasta, antipasti, dessert, and more. Ranging from springy veg corzetti to nduja-spiked fagioli, this Resy-ticketed prix-fixe menu will hit the spot. And it’s Babas, so you know the wines will be refreshing and unique.

Opened May 26, this Meeting Street Pakistani spot is the brainchild of chef-owner Miriyam Ghaznavi, a former teacher who first tried her hand at the restaurant game at the now-closed Workshop food hall (purely coincidentally, half of this month’s Hit List are Workshop veterans, along with Pink Bellies, Nikko Cagalanan’s Mansueta’s, Little Miss Ha, and Rebel Taqueria). Since then, Ghaznavi also opened locations of her Pakistani street food spot, Malika, in Mount Pleasant and James Island. Now open in a venerable space once home to Jestine’s Kitchen, Ma’am Saab is fetching rave reviews. Look for Ghaznavi’s must-have butter chicken, fresh chaat, and other unique bites you won’t find anywhere else in Charleston. It’s been a long time coming.

Call 843-259-2660 for reservations.

This hotspot at the north end of King Street’s bustling shopping and dining scene is unabashedly fun. Chef Thai Phi turned what was once a lowly CofC campus-area food truck slinging noodles and “Animal-Style” burgers to a full-on experience that’s a treat for locals and visitors alike. The garlic noodles and burger sticks around, with inventive additions and creative cocktails like the signature Yuzu Disco.

You might recognize chef-owner Nikko Cagalanan from a recent win on Food Network’s Chopped, but he’s currently showcasing his Filipino fare inside Baguette Magic (a knockout bakery by day, in its own right) each Friday and Saturday night. Fine-tuning creative dishes now for years in Charleston, Cagalanan’s offerings range from traditional lumpia along to twists on staples like lechon with a recent offering featuring pork belly and ribs. The rotating menu is small, but dialed-in, and the setting is intimate, so get a Resy now for your next night out.

Drive-through coffee may not immediately cue “must-have,” but ask any Charlestonian who’s stopped by the original North Charleston spot and you’ll be gently corrected. With fun, cartoony seasonal menus that belie some serious caffeinated drinks, take a spin through and you’ll see why. (As if the line at the new Mount Pleasant location isn’t proof enough.) You can’t go wrong with great cold brew or with a specialty drink, like lavender haze — matcha flavored with sweet cream and lavender.

“Dank sandwiches” are the specialty at this George Street counter serving three square meals a day. The project of two Charleston restaurant grinders, be on the lookout for sammies stuffed to the gills, like a Southern spin on a chopped cheese with pimento cheese, or the fat Italian-style Jabroni. Showing up a little earlier? Grab a steamed bagel sandwich or breakfast burrito.

Check out the menu here.

Fresh seafood is the name of the game at this Johns Island outpost, perched on Maybank Highway, conveniently located, even for non-islanders. Crudo, shellfish, fresh-catches, and more grace the menu, like the craveable, snackable ahi tuna served with avocado and wontons. Behind the bar, refreshing cocktails are on standby (like an all-local G&T), with a comprehensive wine list for any taste.

Three Sirens continues riffing on what’s proven to be a formula that’s bringing back locals at this cozy Park Circle spot. Weeknight dinners are a delight, but chef Paul Farmer also leaves plenty to return for over the weekend. Fresh cavatelli hits the right notes with blue crab for a perfect spring dish. Checking out the cocktail menu, try the Roman Holiday, a spritz featuring cappelletti (think: halfway between Aperol and Campari), dry vermouth, grapefruit, and soda. Finishing the weekend strong? Fried chicken is served up family-style for Sunday supper each week.

OK, stay with me: A Star Wars/fast food taco/street cart mashup serving up seriously good tacos and potent margaritas near the Park Circle area of North Charleston. Just head over and order the Beefy Cheesy Soft & Crunchy and you’ll see what we mean.

See Rebel Taqueria’s menu here.

There’s no sign outside this popular Vietnamese spot, tucked inside the Mount Pleasant Whole Foods shopping center. But there may be a crowd, judging from how owner Janice Nguyen Hudgins’ restaurant has hooked East Cooper loyalists. The egg rolls are the star of the show, the recipe of Hudgins’ mother (and restaurant namesake), Thu-Ha Ngyuen. It’s indeed a family affair, with traditional banh xeo, vermicelli noodles, and more also flowing from the kitchen, managed by Hudgins’ brother.