"Everyone (including us) seems to like Laut, a Union Square restaurant that serves Malaysian, Singaporean, and Thai food. Though it’s one of the more expensive options on this list, it’s always crowded and loud. Suspended signs with dish names make you feel like you’re eating in a side-street somewhere in Southeast Asia, and colorful murals only add to that feeling. Their Malaysian dishes include a nasi lemak that’s a painter’s palette of various funky, pickled, rich and crunchy things. " - neha talreja, carina finn koeppicus, bryan kim