"Choosing Hai Cang in Chinatown for a birthday celebration let’s people know two very important things about you. One, you really, really like to eat (a lot of) seafood. Two, you probably have, like, a lot of friends. Hai Cang’s massive menu, lazy-susan ready tables, and wall of fresh seafood tanks are there to crush you with incredible food. Get pounds of Dungeness crab dressed in sticky tamarind sauce, dry-fried lobster, and platters of noodles and rice. Bring at least 10 people—you will need their stomachs—and revel in knowing that on your birthday, you are both full of great food and also very popular." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas