Tom Kiang Restaurant   

Every weekend, lines of urbanites brave foggy weather and long waits for dim sum brunch at Ton Kiang. Once inside, the crowds (about half Chinese, half others) don't notice the clean if sparely decorated interior -- they're too busy staring at carts of jewel-like dim sum, accompanied by tasty red and green sauces. On a good day, Ton Kiang is one of the best dim sum spots around. Siu lung bao, Shanghai-style steamed pork dumplings, are juicy, gingery and balanced. Chicken feet braised in red chili sauce are tender and deeply flavored. The kitchen has a way with flaky pastry, including slightly sweet egg custard tarts and a lip-smacking curried beef turnover. Nai wong siu ben, chewy rice cakes filled with custard, are a nice way to finish, as is the silky mango pudding. Shrimp is a specialty -- and when they're done well, shrimp dumplings (the standard har gao and shiu mai, along with others containing extras like spinach and scallops) are delicate and tender. But sometimes -- due to timing or high turnover -- the dumpling can get a bit rubbery. Later in the day, the bustle subsides and Ton Kiang serves mostly Hakka food, from southern China. Standouts include tender salt-baked chicken with a gingery sauce, prawns cooked rare with pickled greens and rice wine sauce and very good "fresh bacon" (actually side pork) braised in a complex, delicious sauce with dried mustard greens.