At Mandalay, Burmese and Thai magic in the Falls | Restaurants

Poached shrimp, imitation crab stick and calamari cut so that when poached it curls into bite-sized seafood hedgehogs that hold sauce like ridged pasta. You might even find tiny dried shrimp, the raisins of the sea.

Salads are a strength of these cuisines, such that one and a pile of rice is a meal, not just a pregame warmup or a throw-in. There are eaters of some ambition who have still never tried tea leaf salad ($9.99), or le peth thoat, the Burmese national dish.

Leaves that others may dry for beverage use are harvested and pickled, like sauerkraut, to extend the season. Fried beans and peas, plus shredded cabbage, make the salad crunchy as heck. Tomato adds juice, then the whole shebang gets a toss in lime and garlic oil dressing.