Royal Bistro, Peachtree Corners

Unlike some Thai restaurants, at Royal Bistro, presentation matters almost as much as flavor. Massaman, red, and green curries occupy low-profile bowls, the better to show off all their ingredients, including tiny peas and cashews. Skewers of spicy barbecue-lime chicken sit parallel on long white plates, and sprinklings of crushed peanuts surround mounds of pad thai, from which green onion slices elegantly emerge.

For dessert, customers rave about the 20-layer crêpe cake, whose slices comes covered with a thick band of sweet and earthy coconut custard colored a pastel green.