Best Dim Sum

To the inveterate snacker, the tidbit fanatic, the unapologetic lover of tapas, antipasti, and other foods miniature, dim sum is Nirvana Central. It's delightful: A nosh-laden platter appears at your table, you point at the particular combination of culinary ingenuity that strikes your fancy, and before long the dumpling or fried prawn or sparerib in question gives way to others until an eclectically satisfying time has been had by all. What's most striking about Ton Kiang's fresh-from-the-steamer dim sum is its light, clean, crisp quality, a revelation after too many greasy pot stickers and ponderous pork buns. Outstanding examples include bright, bracing shrimp-chive dumplings, whole jumbo shrimp deep-fried till crisp and then sautéed with garlic and onion; small spareribs, crunchier and tinier than the norm; and crisp, deliciously fatty roast duck. Fresh, smooth mango pudding topped with cool condensed milk and studded with chunks of underripe mango is the perfect final nibble.