Jane Guo and Jackson Fu announce the grand opening of Dim Sum House by Jane G’s at 3939 Chestnut Street in University City this Wednesday, January 11, 2017. This expansive and stylish Old Shanghai inspired restaurant, bar and lounge features 6,000 square foot of space and will seat over 225 people in five unique dining spaces. Three talented chefs will show off their expertise in the kitchen with a menu that focuses on two authentic styles of Chinese dim sum (Shanghai and Cantonese), plus fried rice, noodles, chef specialties and familiar Chinese favorites. At the bar, look for a full line of spirits, 19 beers, 10 signature cocktails, and wine by the glass and bottle. The restaurant is located on the second floor, with the entrance found between 39th and 40th streets on Chestnut.

Grand opening festivities on Wednesday include free soup dumplings from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, plus a grand opening party at 7:00pm with the Lion dance, firecrackers, live music, DJ, food sampling and drink specials.

Dim Sum House is owned by a family familiar to the region’s culinary scene. President Jane Guo also owns Jane G’s two-bell reviewed restaurant at 1930 Chestnut St. Partner/General Manager Jackson Fu has been involved with Jane G’s and his families restaurants for decades. His wife owns Dim Sum Garden in Chinatown.

“Dim Sum House will focus on Shanghai and Cantonese dim sum every day, all day (even late night)," said Fu. "We aim to impress guests with our menu, size and design. We want to provide an A+ experience without the stuffiness of a super high-end restaurant. We also want to surprise guests with fair prices. Our focus will be to push for sharing, affordability, and of course, quality.”

Opening services include lunch, dinner, late night and bar service. Opening hours are Monday through Friday, from 11:30am to 2:00am, and Saturdays and Sundays, from 11:00am to 2:00am. Full kitchen service stops 10:00pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 11:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays. A starter late night menu is available from 10:00pm to 2:00am nightly, with a full late night menu to launch later in winter. Delivery service and catering will also launch starting in February. Dim Sum House is fully handicap accessible.

Patrons can take advantage of meter parking on the street, or utilize a private lot in the University City District area. Down the road, look for parking discounts and partnerships. Dim Sum House is located near several major SEPTA lines. The restaurant is within striking distance of 30th Street Station, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, International House and many other major institutions in University City.

Reservations are available on OpenTable or by calling (215) 921-5377. Connect on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with user name @DimSumPhilly. The website will launch in February at www.dimsum.house.

GRAND OPENING - FREE SOUP DUMPLINGS

Dim Sum House celebrates grand opening day on Wednesday, January 11, 2016 with festivities starting at Noon. From Noon to 2:00pm, enjoy free soup dumplings in the dining room (one order per person, dine-in only).

At 7:00pm, the grand opening party will kick-off with the Lion Dance and firecrackers outside at the main entrance. Inside look for free menu samplings throughout the night, discounted drinks ($3-5 for beer, wine and select cocktails), live music and a DJ. Admission is free. 21 and up to drink, with identification. Reservations for tables are available now by calling (215) 921-5377.

MENU

Dim Sum House’s menu will be a combination of Shanghai Style Dim Sum (soup dumplings) and Cantonese Style Dim Sum (a la carte style instead of the push carts). Shanghai Dim Sum items tend to be a little sweeter, whereas Cantonese is more seafood heavy and more light and delicate, natural taste of foods.

“Focusing on quality and freshness of ingredients, we aligned our Dim Sum concept with those found in most all of Asia and even the West Coast in the USA,” said Fu. “A La Carte style allows the kitchen to prepare fresh made to order dishes. Although it takes a little longer to arrive, but there’s no question in terms of the freshness and quality of food. Also, most Dim Sum restaurants with the push carts end their service by around 2:30-3PM everyday. We wanted to offer Dim Sum around the clock.”

In terms of dishes Fu wants to be known for, he said, “Shanghai Soup Dumplings (made fresh to order, every order). Usually made with pork filling, the highlight of the dish is that you will find broth within the delicate dumplings. Very flavorful and a fun way to eat!” Fu also spotlighted Shrimp Siu Mai, which are an open face dumpling packed with fresh shrimp wrapped in a egg mixed with flour dumpling skin, then topped with a single green pea for color. “We make our Shrimp Siu Mai EXTRA LARGE reminiscent of the Dim Sum restaurants in Hong Kong.” Last, Fu wants Philadelphia to fall in love with his Pork Belly with Mustard Green Make Your Own Sliders featuring very flavorful pickled mustard green served with the Chinese Bao which is made from flour, baking soda, & yeast. “The texture of the bao’s are very light and fluffy, almost like biting into a marshmallow.”

Full menus are found here:
http://bit.ly/dimsumhouseimages
The menu is executed by not one, but three chefs. Each was brought in to showcase their style of cooking expertise. Chef Chen focuses on Shanghai Style Dim Sum, Chef Ricky Lee focuses on Cantonese Style Dim Sum, and Chef Weng Qingheng will oversee the noodles, fried rice, signature dishes and familiar favorites.

BAR

Dim Sum House features a full service bar features wine, spirits, signature cocktails, and draft/bottled beers. The inspiration for the bar program came from Fu’s love for asian culture and the quality and interesting ingredients that Dim Sum House can use. “I pair a lot of classic design with asian flare and updated spirits, especially a lot of the craft distilleries.”

Bar offerings will be broken down as follows:

Wines by the Glass - 14 offerings priced $8.00 to $10.00 including white, red, sake and sparkling.
Wines by the Bottle - 27 offerings priced $35.00 to $190.00 including white, red, sake and sparkling
Draft beer - Four taps pouring for now, with room for expansion. Currently pouring Troegs Mad Elf, Yards Philly Pale Ale, Snapshot Wheat (witbier) and Lagunitas IPA.
Other beer selections - 15 (including 4 large format), with notable beers, Tsingtao, Hitachino White, Sapporo, New Belgium Tart Lychee

For signature cocktails, look for a starting list of ten cocktails named from awesome old school kung fu/martial arts movies and of course, cult classic Big Trouble in Little China. ““There are a lot of odes to old school classic feel cocktails from the 20’s and 30’s and pre-prohibition,” added Fu.

In addition to capitalizing on Fu’s 14 years of experience in the bar and restaurant industry, Dim Sum House will tap the talents of Beverage Manager Nickolas Brozek. Notable local spirits partners include Stateside, Faber Evil Genius and Bluecoat.

For the full beer, wine and cocktail menu, visit:
http://bit.ly/dimsumhouseimages

“From the bar to the dining room, our goal for service will be a focus on being knowledgeable and precise when needed, knowing how to execute a full wine bottle service or a kung fu tea service -- and everything in between.”

DECOR

Dim Sum House features 6,000 square feet of space featuring Old Shanghai inspired rustic and old woodwork decor with a modern flair. The goal was to create a classy, clean, comfortable yet beautiful environment that would compliment the food and the service experience.

Antiques, oil paintings, wood features and decorations throughout were hand-selected by the family and interior designers (DAS Architects) and came from China. Decor highlights include the sliding barn-style wooden doors custom made for the private dining room, and the Italian tiles of waves at the bar.

LAYOUT

Dim Sum House can seat up to 225+ patrons, with room for additional seating to be added. The breakdown by room is as follows:

* Bar - 16 seats
* Bar Lounge and Pool Table - 84
* Main Dining Room - 80
* Private Party Space - 25
* Private Party Banquets - 24
* Chef’s Table - Up to 20

In the bar, lounge and main dining room, look for comfortable and spacious banquets that can seat up to 10 people. The bar and lounge also features an old style pool table, with televisions for game day viewing. In the kitchen, look for a full dim sum department, along with a smokehouse, double convection over for pastries and three hood locations.

JOBS

Dim Sum House will create 20 full time and up to 20 part-time jobs during opening phase (front of house 25, back of house 10-15). There is definite potential for expansion and increase in staff as word gets out and Dim Sum House enters its first spring.

UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT

University City was a natural choice for Dim Sum House because of the variety of residents and the vast number of businesses, schools, and hospital systems. “While attending school at Drexel, we would constantly trek to Chinatown for authentic Chinese cuisine and it was always a chore finding rides or taking the subway,” said Fu. “What better way than to bring the food right to the students doorsteps.”

University City is also enjoying a restaurant boom with the news of five new restaurants coming to Hamilton Court, plus the Michelin-starred team behind New York City’s Rebelle coming to the new FMC Tower. Beiler’s Donuts also announced plans to open in University City.

DOWN THE ROAD

Look for Dim Sum House to launch official happy hour and late night menus. Also, Dim Sum House is exploring vegan and gluten free menu options. In February, look for delivery on several platforms including Grub Hub. Later in winter, look for the launch of weekly events, such as nurse appreciation night, dim sum tastings paired with whiskey, wine or beer, industry night, and other special events.

Looking ahead, Fu also said, “We want to create a mold for Dim Sum House to replicate across different cities with the same focus on style, decor, service and quality of food.” Could a Dim Sum House be coming to a city near you? “Stay tuned,” added Fu.

CONNECT

Reservations are available on OpenTable or by calling (215) 921-5377. Connect on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with user name @DimSumPhilly. The website will launch in February at www.dimsum.house.