It's difficult, when someone asks "what is your favorite restaurant in Madison?" I've found that often I come to the conclusion that Ha Long Bay is my favorite spot to eat.
First, their lunch specials cannot be outdone. They have many of their top dinner choices available for about half the price at lunch. I recommend the panang curry- extra spicy. The portions are more than enough and the curry sauce is creamy, rich, and full of flavor. I've never been disappointed with any of the curries FYI. One drawback is that it does take quite a while to get your food at lunch time, you may need to allocate up to an hour if it's busy. Plan accordingly because it's worth the wait.
The beer selection is acceptable (Chang, Singha, Capital Amber are the 3 I order).
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable enough.
If you arrive during dinner time, you may have to wait up to 1 hour for a table. Drop your name in and come back after getting a drink nearby and you'll be set.
I would recommend this place to anyone.