Teni East Kitchen

Burmese food with a California spin is on the menu at Chef/owner Tiyo Shibabaw’s cheery spot in Temescal, where the tea leaf salads come with kale and there’s plenty of flaky, golden roti bread to go around. Everything is affordable here, but the lunchtime specials are an especially good deal: a hot and flavorful entrée (like spicy coconut curry chicken with rice noodles) and a fresh salad—go for the pea shoots topped with radishes and fried garlic in a turmeric dressing.

Bright and airy, with exposed wooden beams on the ceiling, Teni draws a crowd of hipsters of all ages. Its dining room can certainly fill up fast at prime hours, but it’s worth the wait for food that’s fresh, flavorful, unfussy and generously portioned.