My Brother's Crawfish

8220 SE Harrison St., 774-3786, mybrotherscrawfish.com. Late lunch and dinner daily.

Places where you order seafood by the pound can be kind of scary, but this Vietnamese-run Cajun transplant delivers high quality in generous quantity. To compete at Universal Plaza, the 82nd Avenue foodie nirvana masquerading as a strip mall, a chef has to be sharp, and here everything from the main event—tender crawfish—to routine sides like the earthy, complex dirty rice delivers. My Brother's prepares your choice of crawfish (price varies), mussels ($9.99 a pound) or clams (also $9.99) in "boil" format—a deeply rich, spicy broth. Throw in corn and potatoes, and you've got a meal. A cornbread side provides a sweet contrast to the seafood preparations. For people who like it dry, the blackened fish and chicken breast ($12.50) bring the cayenne without any grease.

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