Silom 12, Chicago

The chili reds and basil greens of Thai cuisine create splashes of color inside the confines of Silom 12, where white-brick walls and a shadow-box-style bar evoke the atmosphere of Bangkok's work-hard, play-hard Silom district. The Southeast Asian menu includes both Old- and New-World dishes, as well as some from the off-world colonies. Glass, egg, and rice noodles wrap around meat and vegetables, often crowned with aromatic sauces such as panang curry and black-bean gravy.