When our server at Perilla, a new Korean-American restaurant, said that the sardines were her favorite thing on the menu, my friend and I side-eyed each other. The sardines? Really? Turned out to be the right call. Chef Andrew Lim riffs on a family Korean dish by dressing Portuguese oil-cured sardines with toasted rice and serving them alongside nori, mixed greens, kimchi, and fermented daikon. Eat them like a taco: Wrap a sheet of nori around a sardine with a little kimchi or daikon for a two-bite starter that packs a ton of umami. $15. 401 N. Milwaukee Ave., Fulton River District

Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Perilla's sardines are currently unavailable. However, the restaurant remains open for carryout and delivery seven days a week.