She started us out with tea, and with soy sauce and chili oil for dipping. Then, like floats in a parade, came a never-ending march of carts, each one more delightful than the last. We chose to try dumplings (shark's fin, shrimp and pork); sugar-cane shrimp; pork puff-pastry turnovers; steamed bok choy; pan-fried turnip cake; beef with flat noodles; and of course, the $12 (no, that's not a misprint!) special whole crisp-fried lobster. Our tabletop was soon filled with food and a brief while later, alas, we were, too.

At the table next to ours sat a family, the Hicks--husband Steve, 63, wife Nadyne and college-age daughter Bethany--eating a totally different assortment of dishes, including their favorites, sticky rice with lotus leaves, steamed pork buns and sweet rice balls with red-bean paste, respectively, and doing so in an assured yet altogether leisurely way. Turns out the Hicks have been going to Fortune for dim sum about once a month for more than 20 years.

What I gleaned from the paterfamilias--what I like to think of as the "Tao of Steve"--was fivefold:

1. Go with a large group, so you can sample lots of dishes.

2. Avoid sitting at the end of the table, food doesn't always make it down that far.

3. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

4. Have a good time, but remember to pace yourself.

5. Stay in your comfort zone, but don't be squeamish about trying a new item or two. "It's all about the textures."

Who knew that Chinese brunch could be so much greater than the sum of its carts?

Kurt Rabin: 540/374-5000
Email: krabin@freelancestar.com