Why go: Family-style portions of authentic Hong Kong–style cooking, from soups, hot pots, and rice dishes to a trio of succulent roast meats—pork, duck, chicken. So skilled is the veteran kitchen that dishes that might elsewhere put off a Westerner—say, a plate of pig intestine with sour cabbage and green onion—are made enticing.

What to get: Shrimp dumplings so light that they bob like buoys in their broth; shrimp and rice in a creamy egg-and-scallion sauce; Peking-style shrimp with broccoli; black-pepper beef hot pot; pepper-salted pork chops, the pounded, fried meat as tender as McNuggets; sweet baby clams with black-bean sauce; sautéed snow-pea leaves; eggplant in hot garlic sauce.

Best for: Families and groups; budget dates; anyone who wants to be reminded of the power of good Chinese cooking to satisfy.

Insider tip: There’s no alcohol license, so no beer or wine. Spend some of the money you save on an extra dish, and turn the abundant leftovers into lunch the next day.

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