One of the area's pioneers in Southeast Asian cuisine, Dalat is still going strong. Try the shrimp and cucumber Dalat rolls or seafood stuffed peppers for starters, followed by Vietnamese crepes, or Dalat-style vermicelli topped with grilled pork, spring roll and fresh cilantro. Dalat's version of pho, the traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup, is exotic and aromatic, and the accompanying dish of fresh herbs and vegetables makes it as winning in warm weather as in cold. The decor may be modest, but the well-prepared food, friendly service and modest prices keep the customers coming back year after year.

An extensive selection of sushi at bargain prices has made Akashi a favorite spot for the RTP crowd. Follow their example and munch to your heart's content on half-price sushi rolls (choosing from an eye-popping list of 78 options) and dollar-a-pop nigiri. The kitchen turns out respectable gyoza and yakitori, but steer clear of the tempura and teppanyaki offerings. Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner nightly.

The menu is "Southern coastal cuisine," which translates to "half Cajun/Creole and half pretty much anything else." From the latter category, don't miss fried green tomatoes. From the Cajun/Creole half of the menu, shrimp r