Lucky Three (Falls Church, VA)

How come our little Japanese car automatically steers itself to a Chinese Dim Sum restaurant every Sunday around noon? Tempura maybe, but Chinese? And the place it heads is Lucky Three, a Cantonese restaurant in Falls Church that caters to healthy eaters. Steamed Dim Sum is a big part of their all-you-can-eat buffet, with specialties such as Shumai (spare ribs glazed in black bean sauce), Crystal Shrimp Dumplings and Shrimp Fun. We also love the Sesame Balls (with a delicious cream filling) and Pork Stuffed Buns. The regular menu features excellent seafood choices: Oysters with Ginger and Scallions, Whole Steamed Fish with Brown Sauce, and Salted Baked Shrimp. Beware: peak times generate lines, but with a 500 seat capacity things move quickly. Ask those who are leaving if it was worth the wait. We think so.

A&J’s (Rockville, MD; Annandale, VA)

A&J’s is old news, you say. Best to think of it as a perennial – it’s simply one of the best and most authentic Chinese restaurants in town. No aggressive dim sum cart drivers forcing you to try this and that. Instead, you’ll get a simple menu – in English or Chinese (with a few charming typos) – listing everything from noodle and rice dishes to the most authentic northern Chinese-style dim sum plates. Everything is priced from $1.10 to $5.65, allowing diners to sample a wide variety without spending big bucks. For those of you who are still skeptical about trying things like Beef Tendon with Garlic Sauce or Sliced Pork Ears with Spicy Seasoning (our favorite), try either the Fried Pork Chops or Chicken served on Rice from the entrée menu. They are both served with a bowl of Chicken Broth. If you prefer noodles, we suggest the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup or Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with ground pork and bean paste sauce). You can find a completely separate breakfast Dim Sum menu, served only on weekends