Bite Club: Turmeric catfish at Matta's Lil'Dame residency

As a huge fan of Matta, I grabbed three friends and snagged a reservation there last week.

The menu: Fresh veggies and herbs galore. The menu is divided into two sections — the first, dishes to enjoy for fun, like grilled eggplant and crudo, plus dishes served with rice, alá mushroom curry and cilantro pork ribs.

• We ordered nearly everything, but what stood out to me was the Chả Cá Lã Vọng, or turmeric catfish.

The bite: Turmeric can be an overpowering flavor, but in this dish, complemented by fish sauce-based nước chấm, peanuts and a pillowy bed of vermicelli, it hits the perfect, bright note.