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The fundamentals: a lively, risky Thai-Filipino joint from a Top Chef alum, Leah Cohen, who's channeling her Filipino mother and the year she spent traveling in Southeast Asia. Why risky? Not everyone can get away with serving salmon skin chips for a snack and pork head with chili and whole egg as a main course. Cilantro haters will steer clear of a sweet-and-sour soda made from the herb, but they'll miss out on a refreshing treat. Cohen's food is gutsy and tasty, such as crusty quail in adobo sauce and khao soi, a fiery soup of red curry and coconut milk stocked with chicken, pickled mustard greens, shallots and a handful of crunchy egg noodles. There's no hard liquor, so the barmen get their kicks by making cocktails like Phuket punch with prosecco, grapefruit-cinnamon syrup and mint.