"Prince range: $$$ An ant salad cracker paired with a seven-day fermented yadong to let the spice bloom. Escargot with red pepper tucked throughout the shell adorned with a luxe “Thai pesto.” A beef carpaccio encircling a bouquet of pickled vegetables, all of it a nod to both the aromatic coriander rising from the plate and the beef salads of Northern Thailand. This is typical fare while dining at the Kimpton Hotel Enso’s hotel restaurant Hed 11, overlooking Japantown below. Owner Naruephon “Billie” Wannajaro and chef Piriya “Saint” Boonprasan prove to diners why the Michelin Guide recognized their talents overseas before praising them in San Francisco. The 11-course dinner tasting menu, running $111, is the main attraction. Best for: Getting a look at what the future of Thai food in the United States looks like from two of its most thoughtful entrepreneurs and cooks." - Paolo Bicchieri