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Pearl River Mart meets Miss Saigon at this massive, high-ceilinged, windowless restaurant where a gurgling fountain, fluorescent-lit shoji screens, burgundy walls, and the mounted head of a Chinese lion give the feel of a theme eatery in a mall. A twenty-foot-tall black curtain closes off the dining room from the piano-shaped bar; inside, a large projection TV screen flashes a celebrity-gossip channel on low volume. NYU students funnel in all day for happy-hour cocktails and healthy but humdrum Vietnamese food. The best dish, Apple's signature broiled boneless duck breast, comes with crispy, slightly charred skin and just enough sticky-sweet plum sauce to moisten the meat. Savory stir-fried beef cubes brighten up a long plate of vinaigrette-dressed romaine hearts. In a nod to collegiate conscientiousness, the restaurant also offers a vegetarian menu with mainly tofu- and seitan-based dishes. It’s just a notch above standard meat-free Chinese takeout. But the food’s actually a footnote to the bar’s potent, fruity libations. — Ganda Suthivarakom

A private karaoke room is available and can accommodate 16 to 50 people.