Cuisine: Hong Kong–style Chinese—casseroles, soups, family-style platters, and especially dim sum. This cheery Wheaton restaurant’s rendition of the rolling feast is the area’s best, an eye-catching array of cold and hot dishes, dumplings, soups, and desserts as arresting as they are addictive.

Mood: Sedate on weekdays, the place springs to life on weekends, when the dim-sum carts make the rounds, the line stretches out the door, and the open room takes on the air of a house party.

Best for: Anyone in search of a leisurely, affordable, and tantalizing weekend brunch—or tired of the goopy saucing of the neighborhood takeout Chinese joint.

Best dishes: At dim sum, dumplings of every kind and size; noodle crepes with whole shrimp; steamed buns with water chestnuts, carrots, and bamboo shoots; steamed turnip cake; sweet egg-custard tarts; cream-filled “carrot” buns fashioned to resemble the root vegetable. At dinner, crispy pork; chicken in soy sauce; stir-fried snow peas; brilliantly green Chinese cress with soy sauce or shrimp paste; the teeming casseroles—look to the lamb, the oyster, and the eggplant-and-pork—on the tables of the restaurant’s many regulars.

Insider tips: Arriving too hungry for dim sum will put you in danger of ordering too much too fast. The kitchen parcels out its treats over the course of the morning and early afternoon, so allowing the experience to unfold over a couple of hours gives you a chance to try a range of tastes.

Service: ½