Untable

Untable’s "What The Hell Fried Rice"—listed on its menu with 12 chile pepper icons—feels almost like a direct challenge to nearby Ugly Baby, a restaurant known for its ability to make diners ugly cry with its “Thai spicy” dishes. Untable’s founders include an Ugly Baby alum, but that fact—and the spiciness of much of the food at both places—are where the similarities end. 

A self-proclaimed “unconventional” Thai restaurant, Untable takes a sorta-deconstructed, small-plates approach to its concise menu of nicely plated dishes. The What The Hell Fried Rice for example is served as a small mound of grains topped with a shrimp, and surrounded by things like raw onion, fried shallots and ribbons of fried egg. You’ll also find dishes like crispy crab croquettes in a pool of tom yum puree and a tom kha chowder.

It's all a little fussier than average for a low-key lunch or dinner in the neighborhood, but check this place out if you live nearby and are in the mood to spend a few extra minutes with your silverware, daintily mixing and forking up your food.

photo credit: Robbie Andren