The chaos of a Sunday dim sum brunch service: food carts in traffic jams between tables, guests waving at staff with x’ed-out menu cards, meandering servers pushing great columns of bamboo steamer baskets from which billowing steam gives way to plump and supple dumplings and bao. It is a cacophony of noises — the chattering din of hungry patrons catching up with extended families over oolong tea, the bubbling of fish tanks and the incessant clack of the ticket printer.

It’s not for everyone. But for me — heaven.

I’ve chased the spectacle of dim sum many a Sunday afternoon in cities such as San Francisco and New York, but only recently was I able to slip into a table by myself at Dim Sum King’s brunch service. It’s a full house every Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon.

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I will say, I’ve never eaten dim sum alone before, but — spoiler alert — it was a lovely experience. The benefit of small plates is that you can come with as many or as few people as you like and everyone can try a little of everything. Don’t feel weird going alone. Bring a book or people watch in between bites.

Dim Sum King opened up about a year ago, and Jennifer Biggs wrote a thorough and instructional New Eats on how to go about getting in and ordering. It’s true that the later in the day you go, the longer you can expect to wait. Though, as a solo diner arriving at noon, I was quoted a 20-minute wait but only ended up standing around for less than 10. Not a bad deal.

At my table, I was asked my preference of beverage and quickly presented with a paper menu. (Pro tip: bring a pen.) On the menu are 49 items to choose from, ready to satisfy all diners: the picky and the adventurous, the savory soul and the sweet tooth. I sipped my oolong tea and got to work.

You can do dim sum a bunch of ways. If you speak Mandarin or Cantonese, you’ll have even more ways, but sadly, I do not. That said, I am a bit experienced in the dim sum game. I know my staples, but I also like to be adventurous. That’s why I bring a pen — I mark off what I know I want right away and let the rest come to me by cart. That’s the beauty in the adventure: You never know what a kind and smiley lady is going to roll up to you and shove in your face. 

There are three sections of the restaurant’s dim sum menu (a menu of its own adjacent to the regular menu): small ($4.35), medium ($5.35), large ($6.35), and kitchen-sized plates ($8.95).

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I write this $10 Deal as an encouragement more than a specific path. Go forth and choose your own journey. With 49 dishes, there are plentiful combinations to be had for under $10 per person.

But I will share my notes on a few items to help guide you: 

Shrimp and Chive Dumplings (large)

These beautifully short and stout dumplings are a mass of ground shrimp and Chinese chives bound in an ultra-thin and translucent wrapper, then steamed and pan-fried. Wonderful spongy texture, light but meaty and flavorful, served with chili crisp. Absolutely lovely.

Soup Dumplings (large)

These dumplings are rather small for xiaolongbao and served in individual cups in a steamer basket. No burst of soup, which is the defining characteristic of typical soup dumplings. Flavor is not bad but boring. Maybe pass on these.

BBQ Pork Buns (medium)

Here’s everything you want in a pork bun: toasty, soft, pillowy, sticky and sweet on the outside, sticky and savory on the inside. Big and great to share. A must-get for me. 

XO Rice Noodle (kitchen)

Long, fat rice noodles are rolled up into chewy cylinders and wok-fried with hot peppers and XO sauce (a spicy Cantonese sauce, usually made with dried shrimp). Textural heaven. Spicy but forgiving. A little funky. Nice big plate to pass around the table.

Shrimp Stuffed Eggplant (large)

In this dish, ground shrimp is stuffed into halves of Chinese eggplant and steamed and seared before being topped with a velvety cornstarch gravy. Soft and tender. Very mild, but still tasty. Big hit for the eggplant lovers.

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Hong Kong Egg Tart (medium)

The Hong Kong Egg Tarts are flaky, little cup-sized pastries filled with egg custard. In my eyes, they are the perfect breakfast dessert: a little eggy and slightly sweet but not in a weird way. Served warm and buttery and very flaky. Solid cap to the meal.

Choose wisely at Dim Sum King, but it’s hard to miss with so many options. This is a meal with a story guaranteed, every time. And it’s one that you can reorder and revise over and over again.

Dim Sum King, located at 5266 Summer Ave., is open Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.