Whether by using sorcery or secret skills, this takeout-only strip mall joint ensures that its katsu stays impeccably crispy and the sushi comfortably chilled in the filling bento boxes. Combinations also include choices like tempura, teriyaki, sushi, karaage, and grilled salmon, and the boxes come with a ton of little nibbles that make lunch just a little more exciting.

At Rajdhani, there are no menus. This Bombay-based chain, which draws on the Rajasthani and Gujarati tradition of thali restaurants, is essentially an all-you-can-eat buffet that comes to you. Once diners are seated at tables—each one gleaming with massive shiny steel plates, each with four to five bowls—servers start showing up to the table to fill it with all manner of curries, chutneys, sweet dishes, flatbreads, even drinks on the side. Refills and more refills follow, until you say stop. The food (all vegetarian) has hits and misses, but the experience is unforgettable. Come very hungry. 

The minimalist polish of Taiwanese boba chain Rabbit Rabbit Tea belies the impressive, extensive menu of the shared shop’s kitchen, One n’ a Half Lab. The two halves appear functionally separate in name only, likely some intricacy of the franchise agreement. Customers order from a kiosk at the entrance, though staff happily weigh in on choices from the many varieties of Taiwanese bento, beef noodle soup, and individual malatang spicy hot pots. But the fried snack section of the menu holds the real highlights, notably the crunchy-tender popcorn chicken, and pairs nicely with the extensive tea selection.

The chalkboard reads more like the menu at a seasonal small-plates restaurant than a taco trailer in a coffee shop parking lot. Garlicky broccoli, brussels sprouts with carrots, and zucchini-corn-tomato tacos pack just as much flavor as the saucy meats on the opposite side of the 10-item menu that features exclusively homey, stew-filled tacos de guisado.

An encyclopedic menu of South Indian cuisine, half of which is completely vegetarian, keeps this sprawling strip-mall space bustling constantly on weekends as people tuck into oversize dosa, comforting sambar, and rich filter coffee. The crowds shrink only slightly on weekdays, when tables fill with the lunch special, a colorful platter of rice, curry, and bread served with an assortment of snacks and accoutrements.

The shiny dark wood furniture and lengthy menu of northern-leaning Thai classics shares a lot with the area’s many good Thai restaurants. But Khao San sets itself apart with a few notable additions to the menu, like the deep-fried trout salad with green apple and cashews, and in the details, such as the pink, sour sausage (nam) that gives its flavor to the bright, herby crispy rice salad, nam khao tod. The less common a dish, it seems, the better Khao San’s rendition.