Asia Taste, Rockville

Asia Taste, AKA Jumbo Jumbo Cafe, serves up a Taiwanese chicken dish so delicious that readers of the Washington Post have said: "Almost everyone refers to this as 'crack chicken' because it's so addictive." That's how it ended up on the Post's list of 40 Dishes Washingtonians Shouldn't Live Without in 2013. To cook the street-style popcorn chicken, chefs dust on pepper and a five-spice seasoning before frying it with basil.

Chefs also whip up other Taiwanese eats, including the popular beef noodle soup. And you don't need to question their authenticity—the restaurant is owned by husband and wife duo Kathy and Johnny Yen. Johnny's family runs restaurants in Taiwan, and he trains all of Asia Taste's chefs himself, ensuring they stay true to the heart of Taiwanese cuisine. The restaurant's offerings pair well with sips of cool bubble tea filled with tapioca balls or a 1950s housewife's favorite afternoon snack—jelly (in this case, it's an iced lychee green tea topped with grass jelly).