Best International Restaurants in Houston

Pondicheri is James Beard Award Semi-Finalist chef Anita Jaisinghani's Indian street-food cafe. Her amazing take on breakfast tacos—the Morning Thali—pairs little dishes of potato curry, upma, and keema (which tastes like chili) with a fried egg on flatbread. For lunch, try the Lamb Mint Burger with onion masala and cilantro chutney on a brioche bun. There's also a huge selection of vegan fare. 2800 Kirby Drive; pondichericafe.com

Caracol has got to be the best Mexican seafood restaurant in the country. Consider ordering the wood-smoked Gulf oysters and the Sopa de Mariscos flavored with guajillo and costeño amarillo peppers served here by James Beard Award nominee Hugo Ortega. Munching on the stunning Petalos de Huachinango with its artfully arranged slices of red snapper, cucumber, jalapeño wheels, and tangerine sections, you might think you're eating sushi. Also try the craft tequila cocktails. 2200 Post Oak Blvd.; caracol.net

Underbelly is the home of James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd's new Creole cuisine—a mash-up of Asian seasonings, Gulf seafood, and Latino forms (like tacos and tamales). If Korean Braised Goat and Dumplings doesn't suit you, try the down-home lunch meat charcuterie plate with Shepherd's house-made bologna. 1100 Westheimer Road; underbellyhouston.com

Mala Sichuan Bistro is run by Cori Xiong and partner Heng Chen, two young University of Texas at Austin grads who grew up in China. Their menu features cutting-edge Chinese charcuterie, like the Garlic Bacon rolls; modern riffs, like the Funky Stick Chicken; and classic Szechuan favorites. 1201 Westheimer Road; 832/767-0911

Reef was named the top seafood restaurant by Bon Appétit in 2008. James Beard Award-nominee chef Bryan Caswell performs a multicultural take on Gulf seafood, including a classic French-style raw seafood tower, baked oysters seasoned with Indian lime pickle, and a Thai-style whole fish. Don't miss the gumbo (from Caswell's Cajun family recipe) or the amazing crispy-skinned red snapper. 2600 Travis Street; reefhouston.com

LA Crawfish might have a name that's inspired by Louisiana, but its owners are actually Vietnamese-Americans. The Viet- Cajun crawfish craze started in Houston's Chinatown. Asian-style mudbugs are boiled in lemongrass, ginger, and peppery broth. Then they're drained and shaken in a plastic bag with melted butter, garlic, and your choice of mild, medium, or fiery spices. 1005 Blalock Road; thelacrawfish.com

Weights and Measures has a menu that reads like it came from one of Fergus Henderson's London bakeries and cafes: Mushroom Toast with poached eggs, House Smoked Salmon with truffle egg salad on pumpernickel, "Bread+" appetizers that combine fresh breads with bold-flavored spreads. The Love & Squalor bar stops serving martinis when the last customer leaves. 2808 Caroline Street; weights-measures.com

French Riviera Bakery & Cafe serves up flaky croissants and fluffy scrambled oeufs (eggs) for breakfast, jambon (ham) sandwiches on crusty baguettes for lunch, and creamy chocolate éclairs for dessert. The years that pastry chef Louis Wu spent in Paris bakeries explain the European ambience. He and his co-owner brother, Robert, are Chinese-French-African-Americans who grew up in Madagascar. 3100 Chimney Rock Road, Suite B; 713/783-3264

Latin Bites is a Peruvian restaurant that has become justly famous for its cured-fish appetizers. The popular Fisherman Cebiche is served Peruvian style in a bowl with seasonal fish, the quick-cured fish Tiraditos are paintings on a plate, and the succulent Sashimi Tiradito Tres Sabores merges Japanese sushi with Latin flavors. Meat eaters invariably opt for the delicious South American Lomo Saltado (beef tenderloin) and savory meat-and-potato towers, which are called Causitas. Be sure to order one of the bar's specialty pisco cocktails. 5709 Woodway Drive; latinbitescafe.com