Spicy Moon

Little sister to Han Dynasty, Spicy Moon also spins up fiery Szechuan cuisine—steamed dumplings, fried rice and chili-slicked noodles. The kicker? The food here is all vegan, baby. From pint-sized beginnings in the East Village, the little vegan restaurant that could now has quite an impressive reach, with four total locations in Manhattan and a partnership with Goldbelly, so you can get their dan dan kits delivered to your door.

But if you live in NYC, we say make a trip to the neon-wonderland that is the Bowery location. Clocking in at 11,000 square feet, the massive outpost could easily moonlight as a nightclub if it wanted to—and it kind of does, with a purplish pink-tinted dining hall that hosts DJs and drag queens. But food and drink remain the focus, as half of the restaurant functions as a brewhouse with massive copper tanks that brew a variety of gluten-free beers. Meanwhile, tables pile high with dumplings that swim in a fiery chile oil with bits of vegan chili crisp, crabless rangoons and peanutty dan dan noodles that have that good spring to them. Groups should add a shareable big bite to the table—we prefer the salt-and-pepper style with golden-fried veggies and tofu. But for a little nod to NYC, the spring rolls that spill out with a faux chopped cheese are never a bad idea.