It isn't hard to find Asian-inspired cuisine in Uptown. Argyle alone has more Vietnamese and Thai restaurants than it does housing. With so much monotony crammed onto one street, just deciding where to get your spring rolls can pose a serious challenge. Cafe Hoang makes it easy by offering both Vietnamese and Thai dishes.

The menu is divided into several tempting sections, but the one worth noting is the list of Vietnamese soups. These rice and egg noodle broths are not the kind you order by the cup, nor do you need to bother pairing them with a sandwich or salad. The steaming meal comes in a bowl larger than your face and is eaten with both hands; one to hold a spoon and the other a pair of chopsticks. Cafe Hoang's 10 varieties of the stuff will please the most carnivorous craving with options of sliced rare beef, chicken, pork, crabmeat and duck. The noodle portion of this meal is served on the side—drop the sticky ribbon-like strands into your soup or dip them in sweet peanut sauce.

Finish with a hot Vietnamese coffee, served strong and condensed like a shot of espresso, or cool off with a pickled plum ice drink while you watch subtitled soap operas from a wall-mounted television.

Centerstage Reviewer: Stacy Warden