A new dim sum concept is coming to town, and behind the opening is a local culinary duo with an affinity for old traditions—and a knack for re-inventing them.
Mother and son duo Jane Guo and Jackson Fu already have two establishments set in the City of Brotherly Love: Dim Sum House, at 3939 Chestnut Street, and their second location at 1930 Chestnut Street, which opened at the start of the pandemic, in early 2020.
The latest addition to the Dim Sum House by Jane G’s line-up hits close to home for the restauranteurs, as they live just around the corner in Northern Liberties. This new venue—which will feature a restaurant, bar and lounge—will open near 2nd and Girard, and will boast seating inside for around 100 guests, a 20 foot bar, private event spaces, and, for the first time, a large covered outdoor area that will seat around 100+ guests.
Both Guo and Fu have been searching for a new location long before COVID-19, and with this third concept, they plan to make their experience bigger than ever, as the indoor and outdoor space combined make this the largest Dim Sum House restaurant to date.
“Fishtown and Northern Liberties, here we come,” said Fu in a statement. “After the huge success of our pop-up dim sum shop at the Piazza Pod Park several years ago we were being flooded with requests to open in Northern Liberties. After an extensive search, and a pause during the pandemic, we are thrilled to announce our new, third home. It was well worth the wait, as we found a truly unique space that will let us expand outside for the first time ever. We always wanted to have a permanent outdoor concept, and we can’t wait to spend spring and summer nights with everyone under the red lanterns and the stars.”
Fu also notes that after living in the area for almost a decade, he has seen both Fishtown and Northern Liberties explode with traffic, making it one of the most sought-after areas in the city to live—and to open a business.
As a release states, Fu and Guo plan to get active and involved in the two neighborhood business districts. Currently, they work and support University City District and Rittenhouse Row, and they are looking to form new relationships with the Fishtown Kensington Area BID and Northern Liberties Business Improvement District.
NLBID Executive Director Kris Kennedy said in a statement: “As a dumpling fanatic, I personally could not be more excited that Dim Sum House is opening at Girard and 2nd. A dine-in Chinese restaurant, particularly a dumpling house, is a superb addition to Northern Liberties and I have no doubt it will do very well here. We wait with bated breath for their opening – and of course, we have our fingers crossed to add them to the lineup to Northern Liberties Restaurant Week when the time is right.”
Speaking of dumplings, hungry diners can expect a lot of them coming from Dim Sum House by Jane G’s. Dim Sum literally means “touch the heart” in Chinese, and with each menu item, this family-owned business aims to be not only authentic and delicious, but also meaningful.
The new 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 pushcarts). As a rule of thumb, Shanghai Dim Sum items tend to be a little sweeter, whereas Cantonese is known to be more seafood-heavy and lighter, with a natural taste. The Shanghai cuisine at Jane G’s will feature what’s known as the most world-renown dish, aka the pork soup dumpling. Guests can enjoy different pork-filling based soup dumplings from original, crab and pork, extra spicy and pan-fried. Other favorites include the donut-like consistency of pumpkin tarts, curry chicken dumplings, and vegan-friendly vegetable bao buns.
On top of two styles of dim sum, Philadelphians can look for entrees and favorites from the region of Jiang Nan (or South of the river), which, as a release states, is comprised of mainly Shanghai, Canton and Zhejiang cuisines. Patrons will also find special sections with offerings that are gluten free, vegan and vegetarian. Ten new dishes are also being introduced, including vegan friendly soup dishes, steamed lobster with canton noodles, honey vinegar spare ribs, garlic seaweed salad, stir fry brussel sprouts and stir fry cauliflower.
The bar also follows suit with Fu’s love for Asian culture. The new Dim Sum House by Jane G’s program will feature an upgraded and expanded list of offerings highlighting eight beer selections on draft and up to two dozen in total with cans and bottles, plus a full-service bar with wine, spirits, signature cocktails and sake. Specialty crafted frozen drinks, a menu for the outdoor dim sum and cocktail garden, plus, expand tea and coffee selections will also be available for this location.
For signature cocktails, selections will be named after old school kung fu/martial arts movies and of course, some cult classics. “There are a lot of odes to old school classic feel cocktails from the 20’s and 30’s and pre-prohibition,” added Fu.
The new Dim Sum House by Jane G’s will follow all of the same ingredients that the previous two locations already embody. But now, with an updated touch, old traditions will feel brand new again.
As a release states, when opened later this year, Dim Sum House by Jane G’s – Northern Liberties/ Fishtown will include lunch, dinner, and bar service seven days a week, with hours expected to be Mondays through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
To learn more information about the new location (1214 N. American St.), visit dimsum.house
