At the recently re-opened San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, chef Corey Lee pays tribute to some of the world’s best dishes by other chefs (Thomas Keller, Wylie Dufresne and others) using a model that works like a museum collection of cuisine.

Website: insitu.sfmoma.org

Address: 151 3rd St.

Phone number: 415-941-6050

Number of seats: 60 in dining room and 60 in the lounge

Entrée price range: $26-$34

Popular dishes: Caramelized carrot soup with coconut foam and chaat masala; “The Forest”: quinoa risotto, mushrooms and parsley "moss"; Liberty duck breast with French green lentils, apples and aged red wine vinegar sauce.

What others say: “Flavors and images of three decades as a reviewer swirled in my head while sitting in the museum-like dining room at In Situ … probably the most ambitious and unique restaurant I’ve ever experienced.” –Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle

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Carrot, sour curd, pickled pine

This stately destination in a Ritz-Carlton with serene seaside views was given over recently to chef Jason Pringle, formerly of San Francisco’s Epic Roasthouse and Aqua as well as the Miami location of Daniel Boulud Bistro Moderne.

Website: ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/california/half-moon-bay/dining/navio

Address: 1 Miramontes Point Rd., Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Phone number: 650-712-7000

Number of seats: 136

Entrée price range: $36-$68

Popular dishes: Dover sole with porcini, Meyer lemon and Dungeness crab fondue; black cod with lentils, clams and smoked paprika jus; maple-glazed Liberty Farms duck breast with sweet potato, chestnut and huckleberry jus.

What others say: “You know he’s doing something right when peers such as Peter Armellino, chef of the Michelin-starred Plumed Horse, single [chef Pringle] out on Facebook and Twitter for ‘slaying it.’” –Jennifer Graue, The Mercury News

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Maple-glazed Liberty Farms duck breast

Derived from a pop-up concept hosted by the vaunted restaurant Hopscotch, this brick-and-mortar home for noodles and broth serves up ramen as presented by a fourth-generation immigrant from Japan.

Website: itaniramen.com

Address: 1736 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, Calif.

Phone number: 510-788-7489

Number of seats: 31 in dining room and 18 at bar

Entrée price range: $11-$18

Popular dishes: Miso pork ramen with sliced pork belly chashu, bean sprouts and nori; crispy pig ear with lime and house-made shichimi pepper; DIY spicy tuna hand roll with seaweed salad.

What others say: “The ramen dishes feature some A+ building blocks: The chashu, or slow-braised pork belly, that tops one of the restaurant's five standard ramen dishes (and is available at an add-on to any of the others) is as luxuriously soft and unctuous as you could hope.” –Luke Tsai, East Bay Express

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Ramen

In Alameda Landing, this third location of a fast-casual concept (with others in San Francisco and Palo Alto) melds South Asian flavors with Californian ease and flair.

Website: tavakitchen.com

Address: 2640 5th St., Alameda, Calif.

Phone number: 510-640-8282

Number of seats: 50 in dining room, 25 on patio

Entrée price range: $8-$10

Popular dishes: Yellow curry chicken in coconut lemon grass sauce; braised lamb meatballs in smoky tomato yogurt sauce; chicken tikka in light tomato cream sauce.

What others say: “Indian food ordered the Chipotle way!” –comment on Yelp

Baked marble potatoes

Braised beef

This highly health-conscious chain made moves into the Bay Area with this location in the environs of Palo Alto (and another in Walnut Creek).

Website: truefoodkitchen.com

Address: 180 El Camino Real Suite 1140, Palo Alto, Calif.

Phone number: 650-272-5157

Number of seats: 243

Entrée price range: $14-27

Popular dishes: Edamame dumplings with dashi, white truffle oil and Asian herbs; butternut squash pizza with smoked onion, organic kale, vegan almond ricotta and dried cranberry; spicy panang curry with organic potato, long bean, bok choy, carrot, Thai basil and coconut shrimp broth.

What others say: “Been waiting for True Food Kitchen to come to the Bay Area and now they have two locations. I don't need to go down to SoCal anymore! Woo hoo!!!” —Yelp commenter

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Edamame dumplings