"Sometimes, we forget what it’s like to feel alive. When that happens, we go to Chao Thai. Yes, the food here usually packs a good amount of heat - but the dishes also have so much going on that it tends to jump-start the neurons in our brains. The crispy duck salad, for example, with its cashews, pineapple, ginger, and onions, is a galaxy unto itself. Get it, try the sour sausage salad as well, and bring a friend or two to help you eat everything at this tiny cash-only place." - Hannah Albertine, Bryan Kim