Instead of pad see ew, Thai fried rice and satay chicken, (though they still have those, if you want), you’ll see “Hunger” (a flat, wide rice noodle dish topped with shrimp, sausage, chili jam and cashews), “Holy Fried Rice” (featuring garlic, sweet peppers, corn, basil, two types of soy sauce and more) and satay tacos (finished with peanut sauce and pickled vegetables).

From the fried Brussels sprouts drowning in whipped coconut milk to the crispy “Chicken Bomb” dripping with tamarind lime sauce, the chef’s specialties on the menu are entirely unique.

When we visit, we most enjoy the tempura-style red snapper with fried shallots; it’s tender, crunchy and reflective of that old-meets-new thesis. The crispy chicken thigh pad Thai, though, is a close second.

Go: 126 Broadway, Hillsdale; 551-246-3646, koonthaieatery.com

La Vita Italian Specialties, Sparta

Hidden in a bowling alley strip mall, La Vita Italian Specialties is a European provisions shop turning out some of the most delicious lunches in Sussex County. Run by the husband and wife-duo Wade Moises and Alexandra Hast — alumni of Del Posto, Rosemary’s and other powerhouse New York City restaurants — the tiny “deli” serves Michelin Bib Gourmand-caliber food in entirely unsuspecting digs.

Offered on a daily basis are fresh pastas, artisan sandwiches, house-made sausages, vegetable antipasti and more. The seafood specials, when served, come in varieties from tomato-glazed calamari glassato (with capers, raisins, garlic and chili) to slow-poached octopus, and the light-and-fluffy focaccia may be the best in the state. Opt for a sandwich, and you’ll end up with a top-notch showstopper featuring spice-rubbed lamb shoulder, chicken cutlets brined in mozzarella whey or even porchetta (with caramelized fennel).

And for dessert? Expect decadent sweets like ricotta bomboloni and chocolate espresso tiramisu.

Go: 83 Woodport Road, Sparta; 973-826-4624, lavitasparta.com

Loving Indian Kitchen, West Creek

You can count on one hand the number of Indian restaurants in Ocean County, which makes the addition of Loving Indian Kitchen, which opened less than a year ago in the tiny town of West Creek, so exciting.

The restaurant, which seats about two dozen diners, is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of place behind Brennan Fuels on Route 9. But gas station food, this is not. The menu is packed with authentic dishes, and the dining room is decorated with a floor-to-ceiling map of India.

Start with potato and pea-stuffed samosas, which come dusted with chaat masala and alongside mint and tamarind chutneys, or shrimp tandoori marinated in yogurt, spices and ginger. Chicken biryani is tender, fragrant and perfectly spiced, and cheese-stuffed garlic naan is perfect for dipping in butter chicken.

Go: 331 Main St., West Creek; 732-851-2955, loving-kitchen.com

Luca’s Ristorante, Somerset

Forget the tired Italian-American plates of chicken Parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs when you visit this authentic Italian restaurant, tucked into an unassuming Route 27 strip mall.

True to its motto, this 20-year-old family-owned restaurant offers an authentic yet modern taste of Ischia, an island in the Bay of Naples, with dishes like short rib chuck and ground beef meatballs with pine nuts and golden raisins, and cocoa agnolotti stuffed with butternut squash in an herb sauce.

The restaurant’s ambiance is just as flavorful as its fare, with an intimate space decked out with exposed brick walls, Italian murals and an old grape press.

Go: 2019 Route 27, Somerset; 732-297-7676, lucasristorante.com

Pierogies House, Morristown

Pierogies House owner Evelina Berc was born and raised in Leżajsk, Poland, where she learned family recipes (many from her grandmother) that are now on the menu at this cozy Morristown eatery, blocks off the Green.

The menu at Pierogies House includes pierogi (of course), bigos, stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes and more, all made from recipes passed down for decades in Berc’s family. They were recipes worth passing down: Everything here is delicious, from the classic pierogi of potatoes and cheese and kielbasa and sauerkraut to the modern culinary creations of Philly cheesesteak and vegan butternut squash varieties.

Order a bunch for the table, get a side of some world-class applesauce to go with the potato pancakes, don’t skip out on the bigos (hunter’s stew), and most certainly order a few stuffed cabbage rolls.

Go: 145 Morris St., Morristown; 973-432-8270, pierogieshouse.com

Shokra Soups, Willingboro

Shokra Soups, which focuses on vegan food, is a welcoming respite on a cold winter day.

Why? It’s in the name.

Soup offerings include navy bean, plant-based gumbo, plant-based wonton and much more. The restaurant also makes vegan and gluten-free lasagna, a plant-based lentil cheesesteak, smoothies, and wraps with fillings like jackfruit and plant-based tuna.

Shokra Soups is owned by Willingboro couple Cory and Ada Cottingham, and their eatery is not just a restaurant. The Cottinghams are part of wellness and educational empowerment workshops in town and have participated in food drives, too.

The restaurant also shares kitchen space with The Supreme Sweets Dessert Shop, which is located behind Shokra Soups in East Ridge Plaza and is known for its banana pudding and bean pies. Both are Black-owned businesses.

Go: 621 Beverly-Rancocas Road, Suite 2C; 609-614-1912, instagram.com/shokrasoups

Shoti Bread House, Fair Lawn

Georgian food may be the new “it” cuisine in America’s biggest cities, but in New Jersey, a good Adjaruli khachapuri — the country’s iconic boat-shaped, egg yolk-topped cheese bread — is harder to come by. Residents of Bergen County, however, are lucky to call their stomping ground home to a humble hole-in-the-wall serving authentic versions of all of the nation’s edible staples.

Shoti Bread House is an Eastern European fan favorite acclaimed for its made-to-order cheese breads, such as Imeruli, a pizza-sized round bread filled with sulguni cheese; Royal khachapuri, which is similar but boasts a flaky, phyllo-reminiscent dough; and the aforementioned Adjaruli.

Saluting only the restaurant’s breads, though, would be doing it a disservice, as the chefs also whip up killer khinkali (Georgian soup dumplings), savory khashi (a beef soup rumored to cure hangovers) and flavorful grilled meat skewers, to name a few.