Cô Lạc

From the team behind Saigon Social, Cô Lạc turns to central Vietnam. It is named for chef Helen Nguyen's mother, who grew up in coastal Quy Nhơn, and the menu follows that coast — seafood, noodles and the small rice and tapioca cakes of Huế. Upstairs there are cocktails; downstairs, an intimate dining room.

Most of the menu comes as a prix fixe. Look for the Huế set, a run of small bites including bánh bột lọc, translucent tapioca dumplings steamed in banana leaf, and the stir-fried chayote with butter that regulars order every time. The pho cheese melt, a French-dip sandwich with cinnamon and clove in the jus, is a Saigon Social-style liberty worth taking.