LET'S SAY you've got friends or family in town from Kansas or South Dakota and you want to treat them to food they can't get back home. Here are five suggestions that will leave good tastes in their mouths.

Dim Sum You'd be hard pressed to find quality dim sum anywhere between San Jose and New York City. Get your fill of this Hong Kong specialty at ABC Seafood, 768 Barber Ln, Milpitas. 408.435.8888.

Izakaya I guarantee your relatives from Kansas haven't had izakaya-style Japanese food. Outside of Tokyo, one of the best sources for these Japanese tapas is Saizo, 592 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, 408.733.7423.

Just About Anything on the Menu at Manresa If you want to blow the minds of your out-of-town guests, take them here. The caliber and creativity of the food makes it the top restaurant in Silicon Valley. The trick here is getting your guests to pay for dinner. It ain't cheap. 320 Village Ln, Los Gatos. 408.354.4330.

Pho While Vietnamese restaurants are spread across the country, Silicon Valley, and San Jose in particular, is a mecca for the food, especially pho, arguably the world's best beef noodle soup. Get yours at Pho Tau Bay, 454 Keyes St, San Jose. 408.999.0345.

Tacos To most of the country, tacos are crunchy tortilla shells filled with seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese and iceberg lettuce. But we know better. For a taste of taco perfection head straight to Metro Balderas and order an al pastor taco, 688 S. Almaden Ave, San Jose. 408.295.4078.

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