2 Best Restaurants in Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys, Washington

With its soaring ceilings and windows, mod lighting, and streamlined wooden booths, the downtown location of a growing Chinese dumpling empire that began in Bellevue in 2014 is as much fun for people-watching as for devouring perfectly formed pan-fried, boiled, soup, and steamed dumplings. Fillings run the gamut from chicken and vegetables with spicy garlic sauce to shrimp and zucchini, and the menu has an extensive array of sides and appetizers—try the braised pig ears or five-spice beef shank.

Along Highway 99's "restaurant row" a few miles east of downtown, this compact spot in an unassuming strip mall enjoys a sterling reputation for authentic dim sum. Bring a group of friends and select several plates per person, and don't miss the piggy buns (decorated with adorable piggy faces), salted egg yolk buns, shrimp-scallop shumai (a type of Chinese dumpling), crispy taro shrimp cakes, and sausage rice.