_

This is a bar in Chinatown.

Buddha's Delight is the only restaurant of its kind in Chinatown, serving strictly vegetarian dishes derived from the Buddhist monastery cuisine of China and Vietnam. I-can't-believe-it's-not-pork, -chicken, -duck, and -shrimp options abound, but the artfully manipulated gluten and soy-based mock-meats become boring very swiftly. Stick to the fresh vegetable and noodle dishes instead. The spin-off, Buddha's Delight Too, has the same menu and an amazing drink selection, but with slightly more upscale décor; their mango shakes and iced milk coffee are delicious. Be ware of the 'satan', or imitation beef; boy will that give you some mad gas! Lunch sets $6-8; dinners $10-12. All-veggie buffet daily 11:30am-4pm (M-F $7.50, Sa-Su $9.50). Buddha's Delight Too located at 404 Harvard St., Brookline (617-739-8830; Green C-Coolidge Corner or #66 Bus). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

_

A Boston-based chain Legal Sea Foods offers a variety of high quality sea food. The clam chowder has been served at the last seven presidential inaugurations. Although Legal Seafoods now has an entire East Coast presence, it's base continues to be Boston. High quality seafood and extensive wine list. They also ship nationwide.

Took the place of Hu Tieu Nam Vang.

The major selling point of Kaze is its low-key ambience and beautifully tasteful décor. This Chinatown restaurant offers fresh shabu-shabu with a stellar variety of meat and fish. Great place for a group gathering and the perfect spot for a first date. Also, it's opened late (until 3am on the weekends).

Penang is some of the best value for food that you will find. The menu is huge and pretty much everything is delicious and rarely over $7 or $8. Even with a good Malaysian beer you can walk out of Penang with a full, satisfied belly for under $15. One thing to keep in mind is that most dishes have fish, however, there's options for vegetarians and a very tasty chicken and mango dish hidden at the back of the menu for those that eat meat but not fish. Yum.

The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common's stunning in-house dining room serves up classic American fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Situated on the ground floor of the Ritz Carlton Residences and the The Sports Club LA, Jer- ne is a sophisticated and polished place to grab a drink, quick bite, or enjoy a long meal with friends. Their winelist is extensive and they serve elegant American flair with a bit of a twist.

The best pho in Boston. It's not a big place and you will definitely have to wait but the food is worth it. You can get many different Vietnamese specialties here, but the recommendation has to be the pho - chicken, beef, even tofu is great. The decor is nothing to write home about but you won't notice once the put that big, steaming bowl of goodness in front of you.