217 FOOD & DRINK BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT OLD TOWN TASTE 1845 E. BROADWAY ROAD, TEMPE 480-702-7101 OLDTOWNTASTE.COM Old Town Taste often finds itself on our annual lists of the Valley’s top Chinese restaurants and favorite Tempe restaurants, for good reason. Slide into a turquoise booth or snag a table with a lazy susan and explore the menu with friends. This Tempe strip mall spot serves regional Chinese cuisine with a focus on Sichuan dishes with a huge range — its menu includes a section dubbed “American Chinese food” with noodles and orange chicken as well as dumplings, dry pot, crispy intestines and whole sea bass. But reach first for the Chongqing spicy chicken, a mountain of crispy fried poultry studded with tongue-numbing peppercorns and sweet green beans. On cold days, nothing beats the spicy fish and tofu soup. A massive bowl arrives at the table still bubbling and brimming with bright red chile oil. Inside, spoon-tender fish falls apart as you scoop it. In your eagerness, yes, you will burn your mouth. And yes, the pain will be worth it. i i i BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT SHIMOGAMO 2051 W. WARNER ROAD, CHANDLER 480-899-7191 2320 S. SANTAN VILLAGE PARKWAY, #104, GILBERT 602-595-6448 SHIMOGAMOAZ.COM Sanae and Yoshio Otomo opened Shimogamo in 2003. At the time, Chandler had no sushi spots that tasted, to them, like home. Their daughter Mika and her husband, Daisuke Itagaki — trained in French and Italian cooking, and experienced as fine-dining chefs in Tokyo — now run the kitchen and offer dishes you rarely see around the Valley: Saikyo-miso cod, Hokkaido scallops in seaweed butter, a bacon udon carbonara that arguably outdoes its Italian namesake. The sushi counter still does the heavy lifting, slinging escolar, sweet shrimp and sea urchin most restaurants can’t source. The star of the menu might be the Zen Roll — spicy yellowtail, shishito, pickled burdock and seared albacore on top — which showcases the kitchen’s range in each heav- enly bite. BEST FILIPINO RESTAURANT NANAY’S FILIPINO RESTAURANT 2390 N. ALMA SCHOOL ROAD, #103, CHANDLER 480-821-7906 NANAYAZ.COM “Mabuhay!” — loosely translated as “Welcome!” or “Long live!” — is probably the first word you hear as you stroll through Nanay’s front doors. Next, aromas lure you toward the day’s dishes prepared by the staff. You notice stainless-steel pans behind the glass, warming a rotating lineup of Filipino comfort food. Sinigang, a sour tamarind stew with pork, eggplant, daikon radish, string beans, kangkong and tomatoes, remains a favorite. Crunchy lechon — deep-fried pork skin — which could be dipped in vinegar or tangy Mang Tomas sauce, is on point. Don’t sleep on the lumpia, crispy brown pork rolls that disappear fast. Pancit, a rice noodle dish with vegetables and chicken, makes a worthy substitute for rice. Can’t decide? There are about a dozen other entrees you can mix and match as two- or three-item combos, or order à la carte. At the dessert case, Filipino sweets wait to finish the job. Some days the karaoke machine fires up while families cool off with halo-halo, a colorful dessert layered with shaved ice, ube, coconut, sweet beans, corn, milk, fruit and ice cream. Before heading out, don’t forget to say “salamat” — “thank you” in Tagalog. i i i BEST THAI RESTAURANT SALA THAI TEMPE 1740 E. BROADWAY ROAD, #106, TEMPE 480-264-4287 SALATHAIAZ.COM Sala Thai has served Phoenix and Peoria for more than 20 years. More recently the local, family-run mini-chain opened a third loca- tion in Tempe, with a twist. This tiny strip- mall restaurant with modern, moody decor serves a street food menu where the dynamic flavors are amped up. Expect spice, vinegar, heat and tang. When you order the Som Tum papaya salad tossed with green beans and tomatoes, opt for E-San style so the funky dish gets boosted with fish sauce and fermented crab. Dip tender, barbecued red pork into spicy vinegar prik nam som or slurp up noodles that taste of fresh makrut lime leaves in the khao soi. Then, with your mouth still tingling, cool yourself with creamy and sweet Thai iced tea. i i i BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT DA VANG 4538 N. 19TH AVE. 602-242-3575 DAVANGRESTAURANT.COM On 19th Avenue just south of Camelback Road, Da Vang is a quintessential neighbor- hood restaurant, always full of regulars. The dining room is simple yet welcoming. The food is both affordable and excellent. While many customers go straight for a piping hot bowl of pho, the long menu also offers spring rolls, banh mi, rice and egg noodle bowls, beef stews, rice plates, hot pot and shareable family-style feasts. Pull up a seat, sip on some Vietnamese iced coffee sweetened with condensed milk and dig in. Just know that if you want to visit for dinner, do so early: The restaurant closes at 7 p.m. i i i BEST KOREAN BARBECUE SIZZLE 21001 N.TATUM BLVD., #36-1210 480-265-9406 AND OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS SIZZLEKOREANBBQ.COM Korean barbecue is an occasion. Even if you’re at one of Sizzle Korean Barbecue’s three locations for a casual lunch, watching the staff cook fresh cuts of meat at your table is a spectacle. Their combos include marinated short rib, ribeye and the beef belly, or bibimbap, steamed egg and rice. Each comes with that heavenly moment when you lean back and watch your meal, well, sizzle in the middle of the table. No feast is complete without snacky bites of banchan, at turns savory and sweet and delightful. Cap your experience with a mango bing soo ice that blends shaved ice and mango in a way you won’t forget. BEST JEWISH DELI SCOTT’S GENERATIONS 742 E. GLENDALE AVE., #142 602-277-5662 SCOTTSGENERATIONS.COM When you walk into this New York-style Phoenix deli, you’ll likely see Scott Snyder, one of the namesake restaurant’s Genera- tions, behind the counter or hear his New York accent while he chats with customers. Since 1989 he and the rest of the Snyder family have made homey soups, knishes and baked goods. Somehow, after those decades, Scott’s Generations remains bright and friendly with generously portioned, consis- tently great breakfasts and lunches at a reasonable price. In the morning, nosh on latkes or a bagel and lox. In the afternoon, grab Scott’s Perfect Reuben, with its immac- ulate pastrami on traditional rye bread. The sandwiches defy gravity, Jenga-ing towers of turkey or tuna salad. Challah and black-and- white cookies are year-round staples, while traditional holiday foods, including Hanukkah sufganiyot and Yom Kippur break-fast platters, are annual essentials. i i i BEST ITALIAN DELI ROMANELLI’S ITALIAN DELI 3437 W. DUNLAP AVE. 602-249-9030 ROMANELLISITALIANDELI.COM For over 50 years, this family-run west side deli has enriched its customers’ lives with red sauce and bubbling heaps of oozy mozzarella cheese. Inside, its tables are surrounded by shelves loaded with imported Italian olives and an outrageous variety of pastas. The deli whips up cold and hot sand- wiches including a corned beef Reuben, cheese with roasted peppers, turkey and provolone. Or hit the baked ziti, antipasto salad and the multitude of marinated goodies. Then saunter to the bakery for cannoli, cheesecake, bread and cookies. The staff and the food are here to make you happy, as the cheerful customers inside would surely attest, were they not, at this very moment, mid-bite.