Caffé Swish (CLOSED)

Located across the street from Columbia University, Caffé Swish has been nourishing students, faculty and locals with tasty Pan-Asian eats since 2002. The restaurant takes its name from the sound of meat sizzling on shabu-shabu pots, installed at every table: Toss beef, seafood or crisp veggies onto the flame and dress them with a variety of sauces, like sesame or peanut. The rest of the satisfying menu covers every imaginable crowd-pleaser: sushi and sashimi, ramen and udon soups, teriyakis and pad thai. For dessert, mango ice, topped with slices of the fresh fruit, is refreshingly straightforward.