Sky Pavilion

Chef Zhongqing Wang runs the kitchen at this Sichuan spot near Times Square, where staff assemble dumplings at empty tables between rushes and gold paper fans line one wall. The tofu pudding arrives in a stone wok, silky against still-crunchy peanuts, and the Zigong-style stir-fried rabbit comes out sweet, spicy and garlicky. It's BYOB, and the dining room is built to handle large groups heading to a Broadway show before or after.