M Shanghai Bistro & Garden

Brooklynites don’t need to trek to Chinatown to find good Shanghainese food—just head to Williamsburg to dine at M Shanghai Bistro & Garden. Plop down at one of the tables with communal seating and go to town on the menu of dim sum favorites. Think hot and sour soup ($8), scallion pancakes ($7), the juicy pork buns also known as xiao long bao ($9 for six) and ma-pao tofu ($11.50). Vegetarians will be happy to hear that M Shanghai Bistro offers both a vegan and vegetarian version of their menu to make ordering sans meat that much easier. Wash down all the steamed dumplings and spicy stir-fried vegetables with big pots of oolong, chrysanthemum or green tea ($5 each). An extended happy hour—from noon to 4pm, then again from 5pm to 7pm—makes it absurdly easy to take advantage of $5 beer and wine deals.