Nue

"The cheerfully miscellaneous menu at Nue corresponds to the snug Capitol Hill restaurant’s globe-trotting theme, with spicy Chengdu-style chicken and waffles living peacefully alongside exceptional shakshuka and a Burmese fermented tea leaf salad, all of which you can wash down with an espresso martini, the world-conquering cocktail. A relatively large chunk of the menu is available to vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free folks." - Jade Yamazaki Stewart, Sophie Grossman, Eater Staff

"At first glance, the architectural tower of wings from Nue looks similar to a tree in a (comically small) rainforest, with branches of double-dipped breading and basil ribbons strewn around like leaves. Green Szechuan peppercorns add a bunch of tingly heat, and a splash of fish sauce cools it all down. " - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo

"The cheerfully miscellaneous menu at Nue corresponds to the snug Capitol Hill restaurant’s globe-trotting theme, with spicy Chengdu-style chicken and waffles living peacefully alongside exceptional shakshuka and a Burmese fermented tea leaf salad, all of which you can wash down with an espresso martini, the world-conquering cocktail. A relatively large chunk of the menu is available to vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free folks." - Jade Yamazaki Stewart, Sophie Grossman, Eater Staff

"The Deal: $35 Brunch, $35 Lunch, $35 Dinner (Daily) Make a stop at this multinational cuisine-inspired Capitol Hill spot a priority—their $35 three-course menu features starters like Beirut-style hummus, or a Danish chicken and mushroom tart, followed by entree hits from their regular menu and a small shortbread or South African chocolate malva pudding. " - Kayla Sager Riley, Aimee Rizzo

"With an ever-changing, globe-spanning menu and a wall-to-wall collection of culinary curios collected over a lifetime of travel, Nue may be the closest thing to the Gastro Obscura book in restaurant form. The name is a reference to a mythological Japanese monster with the body of tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog), limbs of a tiger, tail of a snake, and face of a monkey—a fitting image for a restaurant cobbled together from a dizzying diverse array of culinary influences. Uyen Nguyen, who came to the United States at the age of 11 as a Vietnamese refugee, pooled her creativity with her co-owner Chris Cvetkovich, an avid traveler working in 3D animation, and chef Brad Kostelyk to create a kind of edible love letter to delicious things that rarely share table real estate. The trio have made it clear they’re not interested in fusion, but rather a faithful, thoughtful representation of flavors. The choose-your-own-adventure quality inside this chimerical Seattle spot verges on extreme. Drink your way from the intersection of Ireland and Vietnam (the “McNguyễn” uses Irish whiskey and Vietnamese Coffee with sweetened condensed milk) to Scandinavia (don’t miss the Salmiakki cocktail). Orchestrate a vegan feast that ventures from Egypt to Sri Lanka. Dive into a plate of South African bunny chow or Dutch patat oorlog—“war fries” fully loaded with mayo, peanut sauce, and other spectacularly messy toppings. Try balut and Thai giant water beetles, the latter of which is served both as a dish and a vodka martini, aptly named the “Beetle Juice.” We are, of course, partial to the Atlas Shrubbed, which uses ginger shrub alongside a melange of other ingredients. Know Before You Go Swing by for brunch, which ditches the boring eggs Benedict for Malaysian coconut curry and Ghanaian cowpea stew." - rachelrummel, mocchiatto, toothandsnail