You can smell the warm, nutty scent of freshly milled masa before even opening the door to Tatemó. What started as handmade tortillas at the farmers market has become a fully-fledged Mexican tasting menu restaurant in Spring Branch. The brilliant yet wholly unpretentious six-course tasting experience (served Thursday to Saturday nights only) focuses on heirloom corn. Something that carries over to counter-service Sunday brunch with the most comforting short stack of fluffy masa pancakes.

The Galleria area Jewish deli Kenny & Ziggy’s functions both as a memorabilia museum and an everything-is-bigger-in-Texas-especially-the-food standard bearer. Sandwiches cannot arrive in any form other than triple decker, the booths probably fit about 20 people, and the Hungarian stuffed cabbage is legitimately an entire cabbage. With a menu as massive as the food, just about anyone can find something to enjoy (and still take leftovers to-go).

Everything at this Thai spot is value-added: from the jam-packed but comfortable dining room, to the natural wine list, and the spicy-as-hell food. Make sure to order the deeply aromatic papaya salad drunken noodles tossed with chiles and thai basil, and, if it’s available, a warm mango sticky rice that will melt away any lingering spice. Go to dinner with a special group of friends, or on a date, and let yourself melt into Street to Kitchen’s world.

The temple many Houstonians look to for bánh mì is Cali Sandwiches & Pho in Midtown. The seating may be a little uncomfortable, and the service slightly chaotic, but the bánh mì are really good. The bread is crispy, the pork is smoky, and the mayo is some kind of mythical concoction that does things that normal mayo doesn’t do. Cali is usually pretty busy for lunch, and it’s always crushed with to-go orders. But despite all the frenzy, the food comes out fast, hot, and exploding with flavor.

ChòpnBlọk combines flavors from Nigeria, East Africa, and Ghana, with a few Creole ones, and creates something new, like an element on the periodic table that hasn't yet been discovered. You should get the golden bowl, where savory-sweet kelewele, refreshing coconut curry, and smoky jollof jambalaya party together in the same dish. Even though it’s a food stall surrounded by dozens of others, Chopnblok is a destination restaurant.

Kind of like highway billboards and humidity, Mala Sichuan Bistro is part of what makes Houston, well, Houston. There are five locations across the city, because the classic Sichuan food at Mala Sichuan Bistro is mouth-numbing and habit-forming. The tingling effect of the mala peppercorn packed into every dish always makes for a good time, almost as though you’re sucking on too many Warhead candies all at once. Pull together a group and order as many dumplings, noodles and vegetables as you can.

Never order two of the same dish at Himalaya. The owner won't let you anyways. He’s larger than life, lumbering around the restaurant chatting up diners, suggesting more food, and passing out to-go orders. At least half of the people in the cluttered dining room are regulars, and the owner seems to know them all. He’s got them hooked, not only on the aromatic food like the pepper-heavy chicken hara masala or the gamey and sweet mutton biryani, but on the entire restaurant’s personality.

The taco-obsessed will easily find a home at Cochinita & Co., the Mexican kitchen and cafe in East End. Cochinita & Co. is named for the traditional Yucatan dish cochinita pibil, in which the tender roast pork gets marinated in citrus and warm, peppery achiote. Each bite bursts with tangy, meaty goodness. It’s frankly kind of rude that more food doesn’t automatically regenerate on the plate. This place is charming yet certifiably chill, the kind of spot everyone wishes they had in their neighbor

Nancy's Hustle is like the friend that you can leave alone at a party and they’ll make five friends by the time you come back to check on them. You come to this charming EaDo joint for creative, bistro-y dishes like lamb tartare on a crisp sesame flatbread or a juicy cheeseburger served on an english muffin. And the service is just as impressive as the food. Even at the coziest table at Nancy’s Hustle, the staff will ensure that you and your nancy cakes have as much elbow room as possible.

A cornerstone of the Third Ward, Reggae Hut has been making staple Caribbean meals for over 25 years. Immune from life’s daily hustle and bustle, the place practically mandates that you stay awhile. While they do a brisk takeout business, we’d rather sit in the lived-in wooden chairs while laid-back reggae tunes play in the background. The food here, including some of the best oxtail in Houston, is rich, decadent and leaves you wishing you ordered extra coco bread to soak up every morsel.