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The exterior may scream strip mall and the neighborhood offer more cannoli than char siu, but this undistinguished-looking Bensonhurst restaurant turns out solid Chinese food and even better dim sum. In fact, the latter was so good that the owners of Lever House poached dim sum chef Joe Ng in early 2006, when they opened their ritzy Chinatown Brasserie. Even though some regulars grumble that the dumplings’ quality has declined, the change of chefs has done nothing to disperse the crowds; long waits for tables in the bare-bones dining room during cart-wheeling hours (before 4 p.m.) aren’t uncommon. And you’ll still find serious dim sum. Pointing at what looks best—a first-rate ordering strategy given the English-challenged but enthusiastic staff—might yield spongy little fish balls flecked with cilantro; delicate steamed shrimp har gow dumplings; or a most unusual treat of slick rice noodle wrapped around a chewy, crunchy stick of Chinese bread. A far cry from Chinatown, it all adds up to a culinary excursion with a big, tasty payoff. — JJ Goode

Steamed shrimp dumplings, $2.95; fish balls, $4.95