HK Cafe

For years, Wong's King and Ocean City were the places picky Portlanders went for shumai. Their popularity has waned with the rise of this neon-lit dining hall in Eastport Plaza, which is now the busiest of all 82nd Avenue dim-summeries.

Keep in mind, crowds are a good sign—Chinese dim sum comes from industrial kitchens that employ an army of chefs to face crushing waves of hungry diners. Lacking scale for such an operation to pencil out, much of the fare you get in this country comes from warehouse kitchens in low-rent California suburbs.

Must-gets include the shumai, taro balls (those little spiky things that look like onion straws) and the chilled tripe, squeaky clean and well-seasoned, with freshening ginger and earthy green onion. I'm not usually quick to order tripe, but this little bowl was toothsome, like salty farfalle pasta.

HK also has extensive dessert offerings. Our favorite was pineapple egg yolk buns, dark yellow puffs filled with sweet pineapple juice and an egg yolk that's just a little runny when it comes off the tray before hardening into a steamed custard.

Pro tip: Go at 11 am or between 2 and 3 pm. If you arrive at 9 am, when the doors open, some items won't yet be rolling out on the carts. If you arrive at noon, you could end up with 40 minutes to kill wandering the aisles at the neighboring Dollar Tree.

GO: 4410 SE 82nd Ave., 771-8866. 9:30 am-11 pm daily. $$.

Willamette Week