Kim Kim Vietnamese Restaurant, Houston

Plumes of heat rise above a pot as the ribs within it simmer in fragrant fish sauce. A chef ladles garlic sauce over sizzling scallops in a nearby pan. Those aromas float out to the golden-hued dining room as waiters emerge with dishes including sweet and sour chicken and vermicelli noodles laced around charcoal-grilled pork. Desserts such as sam bo luong, a flavorful mix of fruits, nuts, and seaweed, ensure evenings end as spectacularly as fireworks displays in a nuclear laboratory.