Tam

8235 SE 13th Ave., 740-1325, tampdx.com. Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Sunday.

Tam is a cozy, Hong Kong-style wonton spot from a brother-sister team, Either/Or cafe owner Ro Tam and the Slants bassist Simon Tam. The spot's décor is inspired by the sultry '60s ambiance of period Wong Kar-wai movies, but the dumplings are a family affair: Their father learned the art of the Hong Kong dumpling while awaiting his U.S. visa. Tam's menu is as tiny as the place: three dumpling-and-noodle soups, and a side of greens ($5) topped with rich vegetarian oyster sauce. You'll want those greens every time, both for their flavor and to make sure you're full, which probably won't happen with one bowl of wonton soup. The house broth is a subtle chicken and flounder, while the dumplings themselves are wondrously starchy under lime-touched egg noodles, with fatty pork belly alongside shrimp in one version ($7), and an umami-packed pork-shiitake in another ($6), both soft love affairs with richness.

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