Chao Chao

Chef Stephan Brezinsky (Pok Pok NY, the Third Man) pulls from a childhood filled with home-style Vietnamese cooking—his mother was a native of French-ruled Saigon—for this 65-seat Alphabet City spot. In the sleek space—set with black leather banquettes and a vinyl nook stocked with 45s spinning everything from Ramones to De La Soul—the chef-owner turns out dishes like sriracha-zipped beef tartare with crispy shallots, banana-leaf–grilled skate with charred daikon, and a modern take on thit kho tau (traditionally, marinated pork and boiled eggs), comprising wok-fired pork shoulder and pickled soy egg in a caramel fish sauce. At the granite-topped bar, find cocktails from Dear Irving drinksman Tom Richter, including a Negroni-riffing Nah Toi (sake, Cappelletti, Byrrh Grand Quinquina).