Osha Thai Noodle Cafe, San Francisco

This may be the hippest noodle joint in town, with a cool blue color scheme that is as vibrant as the spicy soups on the menu. Most of the artsy club crowd here is digging into huge plates of noodles topped with meat, chicken, seafood or veggies but you will also find salad combinations that include barbecued chicken and papaya or pineapple and shredded pork. The sensational soups come with spicy pork meatballs, shrimp marinated in lime juice or fish dumplings that bite back with an edge. The prices are low and the youngish wait staff is quick with a good attitude.