Just opened

Global warning With a name like Viet Bistro and Lounge and with a chef-owner like Daniel Nguyen, also of Uptown’s Pasteur, we were expecting French-colonial Vietnamese food from this spot, which opens this week. Not exactly. “I’m doing all new dishes here,” Nguyen says. “Taking ideas from all over the world but using what I know about Vietnamese food.” The results: Japanese-tinged lobster-avocado roll and seaweed salad with baby shrimp; Chinese-Italian creations such as stir-fried five-spice duck over spaghetti; and label-defying dishes like pinot noir–marinated beef shish kebabs skewered with fresh pineapple, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. Nguyen is adamant about keeping entrées in the $12 range, hoping that diners will take their extra dough to the adjacent lounge space before or after dinner for a cocktail or glass of wine from the (what else?) global list. 1344 W Devon Ave between Wayne and Glenwood Aves (773-456-5920).—Heather Shouse