The food by chef Thai Dang (pictured below) is built for sharing, ideally by large groups whose members like a messy free-for-all, passing large platters of Vietnamese grilled meats or lunging respectfully across one another to pull a crispy tile of fried fluke from its frame, wrap it with herbs and lettuce, and dip it in sauce. There will be laughter, drips, and many negotiations about who gets the last cylinder of betel-leaf-wrapped sausage or who finishes the crispy chicken wings bathed in fish sauce caramel. There’s a colossal shrimp on the seafood platter, split open and burnished with grill marks. Should we share? This paradigm-shifting nine-year-old restaurant has been on cruise control in recent years, so maybe the fish is drier than it was or the crab fried rice not more than fine. That happens. You’ll still be licking your fingers after a meal here and contemplating dessert. 

Price: $$$
Address: 1800 S. Carpenter St.
Website: haisous.com