Beer goes well with Indian food. And although Philadelphia has no shortage of Indian restaurants with great beer lists — Point Breeze’s Madira Bar comes to mind — the area had no Indian brewpubs. That drove veteran restaurateurs Karthic Venkatachalam and Gopal Dhandpani to open Vibe Haus in a strip mall off of Route 202 near King of Prussia Mall, which I wrote about earlier this week.

They’re offering four house brews — a pilsner, a lager, an ale, and an IPA on tap (plus cocktails) alongside a menu fusing Indian flavors with other cuisines. The food was just as impressive: I enjoyed butter chicken tucked inside pillowy bao buns; arancini flavored like the North Indian appetizer hara bhara; and Madras nachos. There are no tortillas in this kitchen. Instead, Vibe Haus uses papdi chips. The light, crunchy crackers generally found in chaat are the base for a spiced queso, black beans, cilantro crema, and tangy masala corn. It goes great with the pilsner. Vibe Haus, 402 Swedesford Rd., Berwyn, 835-224-5334, vibehausbrew.com

— Michael Klein

There are so many tempting dishes coming from behind the tiny open-counter kitchen of this bustling Indonesian corner cafe in South Philly that it can be hard to choose. Do I want sate cilok, whose skewered meatballs come rattling in a tall plastic cup and drenched in fragrant peanut sauce? Or ayam geprek, a smashed chicken cutlet over rice with a craggy crust that’s covered in the no-joke chile fire of Griddle & Rice’s sambal bawang? What about something sweet, like the roti bakar choco cheese toast, an Indonesian French toast fantasy with melted cheese, condensed milk, and chocolate sprinkles? Taken together, the menu’s expanse explains why this cheerful blue-and-yellow-striped café has become one of our favorite new options for a brunchy lunch and a star among Philly’s next-gen wave of coffee-centric Indonesian cafes.

My current favorite here is actually all about the noodles: bakmi ayam. This particular take on the traditional Indonesian breakfast noodle bowl comes from a Bangka Island recipe once sold by the grandfather of the owners’ family friend at a Jakarta street cart. A combination of tapioca flour and eggs contribute to the elasticity that gives the noodles a noticeable snap at the bottom of the bowl, where these springy threads shine with chicken fat, garlic oil, and soy. The toppings are a comforting celebration of Indonesia’s savory-sweet allure, with minced chicken two ways — one stir fried with the sweet soy of kecap manis, the other seasoned simply with chicken broth. The garnish of lettuce, scallions, fried wonton chips, and a fistful of fried shallots lend each bite a blend of both fresh greens and savory crunch. Try the café’s new hojicha iced latte mixed with smoky Indonesian palm sugar — an alternative to the now-ubiquitous matcha — to wash it down.

Griddle & Rice, 2151 S. 22nd St., 267-360-2900, griddlericephilly.com

— Craig LaBan

Wayne’s White Dog Cafe location is one of my favorite restaurants to visit when my husband and I want a treat or we’re celebrating something special. Many a birthday, anniversary, and Valentine’s Day have been spent lingering over the restaurant’s unique seasonal menus. Plus, the service at White Dog is always attentive, but not intrusive; efficient, but never rushed. And I just love taking in the different type of dogs that cover seemingly every corner of the restaurant. They’re in portraits, in sculptures, and even on needlepointed pillows dotting the seats along the wall.

White Dog’s farm-to-table cuisine is always fresh, and features local cheeses, produce, and meats. My medium-rare filet mignon was plated simply, served on a puddle of smoky caramelized onions with a dollop of Birchrun Hills Farms blue cheese butter on top. The filet was divinely juicy on the inside, crisp and slightly peppery on the outside. The pungent local blue cheese only enhanced the flavor of the meat, and the roasted broccolini on the side was tender-crisp with a pleasant char. White Dog Cafe, 200 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, 610-225-3700, whitedog.com

— Caryn Shaffer

My idea of utopia is a place where I can leave with a bottle of a wine and cup of soft serve ice cream for my walk home (because, you know, running errands is an excuse for a little treat). Superétte — the French wine bar and épicerie on East Passyunk Ave. — is the closest I’ve found.

Though Superétte is better known for its menu of vibrant light bites (like a sheet of tiny comté-stuffed ravioli bathed in brown butter) the restaurant’s ice cream is the real star. A singular machine pumps out picturesque swirls of vanilla and créme de cassis soft serve, the latter of which references an old-school French liqueur made from macerated black currants. Superétte’s soft serve is alcohol free, but it’s Dairy Queen-level thick and creamy. The vanilla bean adds a richness that made the twist feel luxurious. Gimme 14 of them right now. Superétte, 1538 Passyunk Ave., superettephl.com

— Beatrice Forman