Asian

Throw a brick along 38th Avenue and chances are good it'll plunk down into a bowl of pho noodles. This is the epicenter of Tacoma’s [1] thriving Vietnamese community and is the place to go in the South Sound for fresh spring rolls, vermicelli noodle dishes, and, of course, pho. Do yourself a favor and go directly to
Nhu Thuy (758 S 38th St., 253/474-3992, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily) to experience the best pho among all of these little mom-and-pop establishments. A close second is Vien Dong Vietnamese (3801 S. Yakima Ave., 253/472-6668, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Sun.).

For ultra-fresh Japanese sushi, head downtown to Fujiya (1125 Court C, 253/627-5319, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon.–Fri. and 5:30–9:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat., closed Sun.).

If you've just had a full day at Point Defiance and you've got to satisfy the little ones with Americanized Asian dishes, venture over to Imperial Dragon (6805 6th Ave., 253/565-5477, 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Sun.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat.), where you can find a compromise between traditional Chinese fare and kid-friendly sweet-and-sour dishes.