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28 THE ART OF O ne of the buzziest restaurant openings this year is Yauatcha, the worldly, single- M i c h e l i n - s t a r r e d eatery founded in London more than a dozen years ago that has debuted its second U.S. outpost at the Houston Galleria. Yauatcha was created by the internationally famed owner of Hakkasan Group, Alan Yau — he's the man credited with catapulting dim sum into the mainstream of London dining, bringing high style and taste to a meal traditionally never served past sunset. The Cantonese tradition of dim sum began thousands of years ago along the Silk Road, where small teahouses offered weary travelers small bites along with a sip of tea (or yum cha, the art of drinking tea). Tea-loving Brits took to dim sum at once — small plates meant to be shared — and now we're following suit. At Yauatcha, chef Ho Chee Boon's dim sum selections are steamed, baked, pan-fried, and grilled, in signature dishes such as steamed scallop shui mai ($10) and cheung, fun rice rolls filled with prawn and crispy bean curd ($10). Twenty-four types of hot organic teas, wines, and artisanal cocktails are also served. A table of two or 20 can feast on an array of dumplings, buns, and rolls, elegantly served by the ever- attendant waitstaff. Or, you can move on to Cantonese main courses, such as kung pao chicken ($16), jasmine-tea smoked pork ribs ($22), and the extravagant Peking duck, a two-course indulgence served with 30 grams of caviar and XO cognac sauce ($238). Showstoppers are pastry chef Graham Hornigold's petits gateaux, which are influenced by French classics but designed to hold their own against the robust flavors of chili oil and ginger, pickled cabbage and soy that precede. The much-adored Gigi Huang, whose father founded Hunan restaurant in the Pavilion on Post Oak, has come on as marketing manager and brand ambassador. Yauatcha's sophisticated DIM SUM BY LAURANN CLARIDGE 1 0 , 0 0 0 - s q u a r e - f o o t s u r r o u n d s , designed by Paris-based design firm GBRH, employ the five principle hues of feng shui (blue, yellow, red, black, and white) with blue-tinted glass partitions, brick walls with white teardrop-shaped lighting, white marble, and leather-clad banquettes embroidered with floral patterns. Aside from the dining room, choose to sit on the outdoor terrace shaded from sun, or at the interactive dim sum bar to be close to the action. Yauatcha Houston, The Galleria, 5045 Westheimer Road, 713.357.7588, yauatcha.com. Raspberry delice cake with lychee ice cream Cassis grand macaron Roasted duck pumpkin puff Nashi Momo Phoenix's tail shrimp shui mai ALL PHOTOS COURTESY YAUCHATA