COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA. Make sure to visit Bo Ling's on Saturday or Sunday to sample delicious dim sum, the restaurant's true culinary stars. Delicate shrimp dumplings, stuffed eggplant, and steamed barbecue pork buns are just a few of the savory bites that servers parade by your table on rolling carts; hail an attendee to sample anything that catches your fancy. During the week, entrees like scallops in oyster sauce, orange peel shrimp, and General Tso's chicken take center stage. Friendly service and an impressive wine list provide additional reasons to return.

WESTPORT. A nice alternative to KC's standard steakhouses and burger joints, this attractive restaurant's trendy design includes high ceilings, exposed brick walls, hardwood floors, and original artwork. The Mongolian BBQ-style set-up features a fabulous "raw" buffet, where you can select favorite meats, seafood, noodles, vegetables, spices, and sauces. From there, skilled chefs take care of everything, mixing up your personalized version of a stir-fry. A regular menu features standard Chinese fare, from General Tso's chicken to Peking duck.

DOWNTOWN. Boasting an attractive storefront setting, Hien Vuong is an easy favorite with the city's global-minded, younger crowd. Specializing in homemade Vietnamese cuisine, the restaurant takes diners to enchanting Southeast Asia via traditional cuisine, enlivened by aromas of cilantro, mint, and curry. The kitchen takes great care to prepare each morsel, whether it's a handmade spring roll, pho tai, chicken lemon grass, or shrimp stir fry with vegetables.

STATE LINE. One of the area's top places for sushi, this eatery offers an upscale yet casual setting and a sushi bar where you can watch chefs work their magic. Family-owned Jun's has been around for more than a decade, and the staff prides itself on superb service and fabulous handmade rolls. Enjoy tempting tempura, sukiyaki, sashimi, or hamachi ­ regulars even laud Jun's special Kansas City strip teriyaki dinner. A private tatami room is ideal for large parties.

COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA. Kona Grill has created quite a stir by successfully pairing a varied sushi and sashimi menu with enticing, full-sized entrees. Stylish, elegant light fixtures illuminate modern wooden chairs and a bar, behind which tropical fish glide through a 2,000-gallon aquarium. Crowd-pleasing macadamia nut chicken, pan-seared ahi, and baked sea bass top the menu, or you can spice up your meal with a Houston roll: tuna, cream cheese, and jalapeno wrapped in soy paper. Order a bit of sake to wash everything down, and you're set.