UPTOWN. This restaurant serves Vietnamese cuisine with a few Chinese dishes thrown in for good measure. Choose from a wide selection of poultry, beef, fish, and noodle and rice dishes. Order the crab claws dipped in shrimp paste and served with a zesty sauce, or try the shrimp-topped crepes. A seven-course beef meal is the signature item. The staff is very friendly and eager to please, and the interior is quite pleasant with ochre-colored walls and soft lighting.

CHINATOWN. This unassuming noodle shop offers some of the best Pan-Asian eats in the area. The menu boasts a collection of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai items. Try Thai pad woon sen (glass noodles mixed with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables), or order their signature pork buns or chicken satay. The prices are very low, making this an extra enjoyable experience.

GOLD COAST. This restaurant combines French and Vietnamese cuisines to glorious effect. Evoking images of French-occupied Saigon, the interior is full of stylish bamboo accents, photographs, banana trees, and rattan furnishings. An upscale crowd turns out for dishes such as seared whole red snapper with chile peppers and garlic, chicken breast in coconut curry, or grilled purée of shrimp with angel hair. You can't go wrong with anything on the lengthy, well-rounded menu, and the wine list offers plenty of French classics. Reservations essential two to three weeks in advance. Business attire. EL: Red line to Chicago/State

EDGEWATER. This is a favorite for Vietnamese dining and was rebuilt after a fire devastated the building. Regulars are happy to have their beloved eatery back, and the dining room is better than ever with light rattan furnishings and tranquil potted palms. Northern Vietnamese-style cuisine rules the menu with dishes such as chicken slow-cooked in a clay pot with ginger and lemongrass, grilled fish wrapped in banana leaves, or the exotic lotus stem salad. Reservations strongly recommended on weekends. EL: Red Line to Bryn Mawr