Taste of Thai--Thai restaurants are to Chicago what Chinese restaurants are to many other American cities: ubiquitous, affordable, and perfect for a quick meal that offers a taste of the exotic. If you've never tried Thai, Chicago is a great place to start. Good introductory dishes are pad thai noodles topped with minced peanuts, or the coconut-based mild yellow curry.

Arun's and Erawan are the city's reigning gourmet interpreters of Thai cuisine, but many other low-key places are scattered throughout the residential neighborhoods. Most entrees at these spots don't go much beyond $10. A staple of the River North dining scene (and the 1st place I ever tried Thai food) is the bright and airy Star of Siam, 11 E. Illinois St., at North State Street (tel. 312/670-0100). Amarit, a few blocks off the Magnificent Mile at 1 E. Delaware Place, at State Street (tel. 312/649-0500), consistently delivers top-quality noodles, curries, and Thai iced tea, even if the decor runs toward the shabby. Thai Classic, 3332 N. Clark St. at Roscoe Street (tel. 773/404-2000), conveniently located between the busy Belmont/Clark intersection and Wrigley Field, offers an excellent all-you-can-eat buffet on weekends, if you want to try a taste of everything. If you're wandering the Lakeview neighborhood, a good stop is the Bamee Noodle Shop, 3120 N. Broadway at Wellington Street (tel. 773/281-2641), which offers a good selection of "Noodles on Plates" and "Noodles on Bowls," as well as a number of soups and fried-rice combinations.

Chinatown

Chicago's Chinatown is about 20 blocks south of the Loop. The district is strung along two thoroughfares, Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue as far south as 24th Place. Hailing a cab from the Loop is the easiest way to get here, but you can also drive and leave your car in the validated lot near the entrance to Chinatown or take the Orange Line of the El to the Cermak stop, a well-lit station on the edge of the Chinatown commercial district.

Chicago dining experts consistently praise affordable Hong Min, 221 W. Cermak Rd. (tel. 312/842-5026), as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city. The hot and sour soup gets raves, as do the noodle dishes and roast duck. If you can't decide what to get, opt for dim sum.

Penang, 2201 S. Wentworth Ave. (tel. 312/326-6888), serves mostly Malaysian dishes, but some lean toward Indian and Chinese (they've even added a sushi bar, to complete the pan-Asian experience). Sink your teeth into the kambing rendang (lamb curry in 11 spices) or the barbecued stingray wrapped in a banana leaf.

The spacious, casually elegant Phoenix, 2131 S. Archer Ave. (tel. 312/328-0848), has plenty of room for big tables of family or friends to enjoy the Cantonese (and some Szechwan) cuisine. A good sign: The place attracts lots of Chinatown locals. It's especially popular for dim sum brunch, so come early to avoid the wait.

The eclectic menu at Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant, 232 W. Cermak Rd. (tel. 312/808-1318), doesn't include as many authentic Vietnamese dishes as one might want. The spring rolls are Vietnamese style, though, and go down nicely with a bottle of Chinese beer. A popular dish is shabu shabu, a kind of Japanese fondue in which you construct a soup: To a steaming bowl of hot broth, you add the shrimp, fish, and veggies.

In this mezzanine-level dining room of Won Kow, 2237 S. Wentworth Ave. (tel. 312/842-7500), you can enjoy dim sum from 9am to 3pm daily. Most of the items cost between $1.50 and $2 an order. Other house specialties include Mongolian chicken and duck with seafood.

Little Italy

Convenient to most downtown locations, a few blocks' stretch of Taylor Street is home to a host of time-honored, traditional, hearty Italian restaurants. If you're staying in the Loop (an easy cab ride away), the area makes a good destination for dinner.

Regulars keep coming back for the straightforward Italian favorites livened up with some adventurous specials at Francesca's on Taylor, 1400 W. Taylor St. (tel. 312/829-2828). I recommend the fish specials above the standard meat dishes. Other standouts include eggplant ravioli in a four-cheese sauce with a touch of tomato sauce and shaved parmigiano, as well as sautéed veal medallions with porcini mushrooms in cream sauce. (This is part of a local chain that includes the popular Mia Francesca.)

Expect to wait well beyond the time of your reservation at Rosebud on Taylor, 1500 W. Taylor St. (tel. 312/942-1117), but fear not -- your hunger will be satisfied. Rosebud is known for enormous helpings of pasta, most of which lean toward heavy Italian-American favorites: deep-dish lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo that defines the word rich. But I highly recommend any of the pastas served with vodka sauce. A newer location is near the Mag Mile at 720 N. Rush St. (tel. 312/266-6444).

Tuscany, 1014 W. Taylor St. (tel. 312/829-1990), is one of the most reliable Italian restaurants on Taylor Street. In contrast to the city's more fashionable Italian spots, family-owned Tuscany has the comfortable feel of a neighborhood restaurant. The menu features large portions of Tuscan pastas, pizzas, veal, chicken, and a risotto of the day. Specialties include anything cooked on the wood-burning grill and Tuscan sausage dishes. A second location is across from Wrigley Field at 3700 N. Clark St. (tel. 773/404-7700).

Greektown

A short cab ride across the south branch of the Chicago River will take you to the city's Greektown, a row of moderately priced and inexpensive Greek restaurants clustered on Halsted Street between Van Buren and Washington streets.

To be honest, there's not much here to distinguish one restaurant from the other: They're all standard Greek restaurants with similar looks and similar menus. That said, Greek Islands, 200 S. Halsted St. (tel. 312/782-9855); Santorini, 800 W. Adams St., at Halsted Street (tel. 312/829-8820); Parthenon, 314 S. Halsted St. (tel. 312/726-2407); and Costas, 340 S. Halsted St. (tel. 312/263-0767), are all good bets for gyros, Greek salads, shish kebabs, and the classic moussaka. On warm summer nights, opt for either Athena, 212 S. Halsted St. (tel. 312/655-0000), which has a huge outdoor seating area, or Pegasus, 130 S. Halsted St. (tel. 312/226-3377), with its rooftop patio serving drinks, appetizers, and desserts. Both have incredible views of the Loop's skyline. Artopolis, 306 S. Halsted St. (tel. 312/559-9000), a recent addition to the neighborhood, is a casual option offering up tasty Greek and Mediterranean specialties, wood-oven pizzas, and wonderful breads and French pastries.

Pilsen

Just south of the Loop and convenient to McCormick Place and Chinatown, Pilsen is a colorful blend of Mexican culture, artists and bohemians, and pricey new residential developments. The area's nascent restaurant scene is showing signs of life, but, for now, the local fare is decidedly casual.

Nuevo Leon, 1515 W. 18th St. (tel. 312/421-1517), is a popular Mexican restaurant, serving the standard offerings. Across the street, Playa Azul, 1514 W. 18th St. (tel. 312/421-2552), serves authentic Mexican seafood dishes, favorites being the salads and soups.

On the more bohemian side, linger over coffee and eggs at Bic's Hardware Café, 1733 S. Halsted St. (tel. 312/850-2884), or a salad, sandwich, or refreshing fruit milkshake (liquado) at the Café Jumping Bean, 1439 W. 18th St. (tel. 312/455-0019).