Steaming carts of dim sum, flat noodles, crispy shrimp, spring rolls, and more traverse wide circles around Maxim’s banquet hall-sized dining room. Flanked by two performance stages, the room bustles with families relishing Saturday or Sunday brunch. Its gargantuan kitchen—in the center of the dining room—is laced with whole ducks dangling from hooks and cooks crafting, twisting, and wrapping mounds and mounds of steaming hot dumplings.

Maxim’s is a draw for the region’s ethnic Chinese—a statement in and of itself—who regularly pack the extravagantly decorated dining room. Shrimp and chive dumplings, flat noodles with pork and beef, fried shrimp balls, pork barbecue buns, spare ribs, Chinese broccoli, and whole sweet and sour fish are favorites.

Vegetarian options are varied and broad, though tracking down a server versed in English to get your preferences conveyed properly is a challenge. Still, the staff is friendly and proficient. Just be prepared to point and avoid in-depth questions. Maxim’s offers a good selection of Asian beers, as well as a full bar.