What's better than a truly authentic, Hong Kong-style meal of dim sum? Being able to get that meal nearly any time of day or night. Unlike most establishments, Dim Sum King serves the traditionally Sunday afternoon meal all day long, six days a week (no dim sum for you on Tuesdays), so you can quell that craving for yum cha and dumplings whenever the mood strikes. The menu is helpfully divided into three sections — small, medium and large plates, with corresponding prices — and has pictures as well as English descriptions under the Cantonese titles, helpful when encountering dishes like "White Cloud Phoenix Talons." The staff speaks limited English, but is always friendly and helpful. Favorites on the vast menu include savory turnip cakes, tangy beef balls and crunchy deep-fried shrimp balls, but the wide selection leaves room for ample experimentation over many visits.

READERS' CHOICE: Dim Sum King

Sugarcane is quickly becoming Houston's best option for an organic cocktail, and one sip of its unique take on the margarita will explain why. It's called a "Skinny Margarita" because it only has about 100 calories, but the real treat is how good it tastes. The bartender starts with an organic tequila (ask for Dulce Vida Blanco), then mixes in organic agave nectar, Citry Organic Orange Liqueur, freshly squeezed lime juice, freshly squeezed orange juice and a splash of spring water. The result is a lusciously simple and refreshing margarita on the rocks that satisfies your Tex-Mex craving even without a big plate of nachos on the side.

Busting out of a strip mall on Woodway, Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen is a true Texican kitchen. Sylvia herself roams the place, checking on tables as her enormous turquoise earrings sway delicately along with her nonstop motion. She is the center of this colorful universe, where she mimics the flavors of her youth in the Rio Grande Valley. The enchiladas, of course, are the star of the show. The cheese enchiladas get our vote for best in town. The homemade tortillas rolled and filled with a blend of cheddar cheeses and topped with Sylvia's signature enchilada chili are smooth and lack the seemingly requisite pools of grease. Meat enchiladas, too, are a win. They're packed with fresh, well-seasoned meat, and kicked up a notch by the thin, homemade sauce. Another plus? Portions are reasonable and not slathered with superfluous amounts of cheese.

Rumor has it that visiting Englishmen will get off the plane from London and hop a cab directly to the Red Lion for its fish and chips. Whether or not there's truth in this rumor, the delicious fish is undeniable. The fresh cod fillets are fried in a light, crispy batter that seems to magically adhere to the moist, flaky fish. Served with a side of fries and peas, this dish definitely doesn't disappoint.

This Korean restaurant's seafood pancake, or hae-mool pah-jun, is a force to be reckoned with. Diners often make the mistake of assuming this pancake to be less filling than it truly is while becoming addicted to its taste — it's presented as an appetizer but is the size of a medium pizza. The batter houses shrimp, octopus, oysters and chives that dance in the mouth. Add some of the accompanying spicy house sauce, and you'll soon regret ordering the all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue platter.

Hubcap Grill is a relative newcomer to the Houston burger scene, yet its influence is undeniable: Come lunchtime, the teensy downtown eatery is packed with suits, families, athletes, hipsters, youngsters, old folks, Americans and multinationals, all eating contentedly in close comfort. Among creative menu options like the Frito Pie Burger and the Peanut Butter Sticky Burger sits the Philly Cheese Steak Burger, our pick for best cheeseburger in Houston. This two-hander is a thing of beauty crowned with thin-sliced ribeye steak and melted Swiss cheese. The patty is juicy without sog, nicely enveloped in the warm queso, and the buns are lightly toasted to offer just the right crunch. It may not be a cheeseburger in the traditional sense, but it's one that will have you joining the crowd that worships at this house of ground beef.

Nippon's simple and traditional sushi is but a grain of sand in this culinary pearl. Before the hostess leads you to your table, request the Japanese menu. Sure, you might not be able to read Japanese, but that's part of the fun. With tapas-style dishes, most of the Japanese menu is intended for sharing over your favorite sake. Ask your server for help with recommendations or, if feeling truly adventurous, have the server order his/her favorites. Either way, you'll get a taste of true Japanese fare.

How good are the fries — or frites, as they're appropriately called here — at Broken Spoke? So good that you won't even think twice about recommending them as Houston's best fries to all of your friends once you've tasted Catherine Duwez's miraculous, double-fried, truly Belgian frites. Duwez, who was once part of the team that ran the late, lamented Café Montrose, debuted a Belgian menu at The Broken Spoke — a pre-existing restaurant which had a rather bland menu in place — in late 2009. The restaurant has been a hit ever since, due in large part to the beautiful moules frites it serves up, as well as the house-made mayonnaise which Duwez makes herself. The fries are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, never frozen and always perfectly seasoned. And if you ask nicely, Duwez will even give you a jar of the mayonnaise to take home if you want to tackle a meal of moules frites in your own kitchen.

Despite all the fabulous burgers and enchiladas Houston has to offer, sometimes you just gotta sneak in a salad. Our go-to place for salads is none other than Mission Burrito, where we just can't quit that Que Mas salad. For any of you Yankees, youngsters and nonnatives, "que más" means "what more," and the salad is a veritable treasure chest of ingredients — greens, potato, corn, roasted red peppers, jicama, tortilla strips, cheese and the meat of your choice (we like shrimp). It's an eclectic mix, yet somehow it works — the darn thing is hearty, healthy and gooood. Try the low-fat buttermilk dressing if you're a health nut, but we think the salad is especially fine with the cilantro ranch dressing. Dy-no-mite!

Pesce doesn't get the respect it deserves among foodies because it's part of the Landry's chain, and though it is a bit pricey, it does fish right. The Spicy Buffalo Calamari is a standout. For $10 you get a heaping portion of golden, fried calamari which can best be described as little ringlets of spicy goodness. Spiked with a dash of Crystal hot sauce, it's refreshing to see a high-end Cajun version of this classic appetizer that is often missing from so many menus. Served with carrot and celery sticks and a side of ranch dressing, the calamari is great to order at happy hour or to start off a fish feast.