"Verdict: Ha’s Snack Bar, from the team who ran eternally sold-out pop-up Ha’s Đặc Biệt, only has 24 seats. That’s the one reason why it’s hard to get in. The other is the food. This Vietnamese-inspired spot on the Lower East Side serves genre-bending, limited-edition dishes that are heavy on the fish sauce and bird’s eye chili. Past highlights have included sizzling snails in tamarind butter and a towering vol-au-vent overstuffed with clams. As far as we can tell, Ha's Snack Bar releases reservations about 20 days in advance. But those are extremely hard to come by. Your best shot is grabbing a walk-in seat. The place opens at 5:30pm, and if you get there by 4:45, you'll probably make the first seating at the bar. Arrive after 5pm, or with more than a couple of people, and you might have to wait a few hours." - bryan kim