Why go: In an era of Technicolor Thai restaurants with kitschy names and candy-colored cocktails, this bare-walled, one-room storefront seems almost, well, square. The focus is cooking, which pumps new life into familiar dishes.

What to get: Kanom jeeb, a thick, pleated dumpling filled with shrimp; pig’s-knuckle stew, a braised hunk of knee meat in a broth laced with cinnamon, ginger, and star anise; crunchy honey-roasted duck; a chili-fired stir-fry of catfish, eggplant, and rhizome.

Best for: Diners who prefer to be dazzled by flavor rather than atmosphere.

Insider tip: Though the menu doesn’t say so, the kitchen doesn’t mind swapping proteins (tofu for pork, pork for chicken) for many of the main courses.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

See all Cheap Eats 2008 restaurants