Bamboo baskets of steaming dumplings, fluffy buns stuffed with sweet-and-savory barbecued pork, crisp spring rolls and endless pots of jasmine tea ... Dim sum (or yum cha), that Hong Kong tradition, is a staple of Chinatowns the world over. Except, it seems, in Japan. However, if (like many people I know) you've scoured Yokohama Chinatown and found it sadly bereft, all is not lost: It turns out that dim sum is just hiding in unlikely places.

Or behind an unlikely name: Le Parc (1-19-6 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; 03-3780-5050; www.cordon-bleu.co.jp) is considered by many to be Tokyo's best dim sum. It's the rare place that can claim to have only Hong Kong chefs working in the kitchen, and they make everything by hand (seasonings, too, are imported from Hong Kong). There are dozens of different dishes to choose from, including the hard to find cheong fun: intestine-shaped, steamed rice crepes filled with the likes of pork or shrimp (Bi-Mi, below, has them on Sundays and holidays). The decor is oddly formal — maybe going for a Shanghai French concession vibe? — but it's not a snooty (or expensive) place.

Bi-Mi (Sun Rose Daikanyama Bldg. 2F, 11-6 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; 03-3770-2168; www.bimiyamucha.com), which I learned of from a Taiwanese-American friend, does feel like a Chinese restaurant (the white linen tablecloths and heavy chairs kind). The dim sum menu is as impressively long as at Le Parc, but with more "expert" dishes such as chicken claws in black bean sauce and braised pig knuckles. The chef here, too, is from Hong Kong.