Ashima, 44 Phan DinhPhung, Hanoi

"Hot pot is all the rage right now in Ha Noi, and Ashima offers a delicious and perhaps more upscale take on this culinary ritual. Sara Schapiro samples the house specialty for The Vietnam News. Hot pot, or "lau" as it is called here, has taken over the sidewalks and alleys of Ha Noi. At every turn you can see people bundled up in coats, scarves and hats perched on plastic stools, huddled over simmering pots of broth, the steam billowing upwards as it hits the cool air. Since I’ve never experienced a Ha Noi winter, I was surprised to see these little, roadside eateries increasingly crop up as the temperature drops."