Boonie's

The intoxicating, unmistakable aroma of garlic fills the narrow room every time someone opens the rice cooker. This rice is the foundation of all things that are good at this homey Filipino restaurant that started out as a food stall. To begin, the crispy pork belly hash is an impressive starter that could very well double as an entrée. Pork, in fact, is all over this small menu, arriving as crispy belly or marinated with herbs and spices or presented as sausage. Tender filets of steelhead trout swimming in a burnt tomato and tamarind broth offer a delicate reprieve from the meat. Dessert is a must: A creamy plantain comes wrapped as a spring roll, dusted in brown sugar and deep fried. It’s as close as you’ll ever get to a handheld crème brûlée.