• Dumplings are a perennial dim sum favorite.dim sums with soy sauce image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com
  
  Dim sum is a brunch tradition in Chinatown. New Yorkers, including many Chinese immigrants, crowd into the city's restaurants for the Chinese version of tapas--plates of dumplings and other small bites of food washed down with tea. The question of which restaurants serve the best dim sum in town is a heated one, and publications from Timeout New York to the Village Voice to Zagat have all weighed in with the suggestions reflected below.
  
  

Dim Sum Go Go

• Topping the list of Time Out New York's dim sum picks, this two-story option is a little bit more tranquil and relaxing than some of the others. The carts come around loaded with delicacies such as dumplings and chicken feet. A good option for solo diners is the sample platter, which offers a taste of everything at a reasonable price. These are available for vegetarians, too.
  
  5 East Broadway
  
  New York, NY
  
  212-732-0796
  
  

Jing Fong

• The pick of Village Voice, Jing Fong is a massive restaurant that can seat more than a thousand people. The huge space is decked out in red and gold, and the formal waiters wear yellow jackets. The food choices are seemingly endless, with small plates of barbecued pork, fried radish and rice balls wrapped in banana leaves, turnip cakes and chicken feet.
  
  20 Elizabeth Street
  
  New York, NY
  
  212-964-5256
  
  

Vegetarian Dim Sum House

• After walking around Chinatown, where dead whole pigs strung up are a common sight, you may be in the mood for a vegetarian brunch. This Buddhist-influenced restaurant is just the place. The setting is tranquil, with mint-green walls and a dark green carpet. The options are inventive, moving beyond the obvious vegetarian dumplings to more adventurous faux-pork dishes made with tofu. They are doing something right, because they made Time Out New York's top five list of dim sum places.
  
  24 Pell Street
  
  New York, NY
  
  212-577-7176
  
  

Red Egg

• Featured in both Citysearch and Zagat's picks for dim sum places, Red Egg is also a favorite. The decor is a little snazzier than some of the other options, with black and pink painted chairs and 88 little lights set into the wood-paneled ceiling. (The lights reflect the belief that 88 is a lucky number.) In addition to the standard dim sum fare (ordered off the menu, not from a cart), they offer a limited selection of Peruvian dishes such as ceviche.
  
  202 Centre Street
  
  New York, NY 10013
  
  212-966-1123
  
  redeggnyc.com