Popular Dim Sum Spot Opening UES Location

Dao Dim Sum

Dao Dim Sum, which has several locations throughout NYC–most of which are known as ‘Dim Sum Garden’–will soon open its first Upper East Side location at 1134 First Avenue (between East 62nd and East 63rd streets).

Eric Liu, one of three partners who own and operate the business, confirmed to East Side Feed that the group leased the space that once housed La Nuit Hookah and before that, Johnny Rockets. Liu is targeting March or April to open the new UES location, which will be the restaurant’s sixth joining two in Flushing and three in Manhattan at 57th Street and Second Avenue, 39th Street and Lexington Avenue, and on Madison Avenue between East 33rd and 34th streets.

Liu was born in Hong Kong but has been in New York for 20 years. Dao Dim Sum was born out of Flushing’s Chinatown about eight years ago when Liu set out to bring high-quality dim sum to other parts of New York City, wondering why the best versions of it were only available in Flushing. Liu’s lead chef and partner, Jinhe, is also from Hong Kong and brings 30 years of dim sum experience to the table.

There’s certainly no shortage of dim sum options throughout the city these days, but if the response to Dao Dim Sum’s Madison Avenue location is any indication–more than 400 reviews on Google and a 4.9 rating–Liu has achieved his goal.

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The most popular dish is the nine-piece Dim Sum Platter which includes bites like jumbo shrimp dumpling, roasted duck dumpling, black truffle dumpling, crispy beef roll, fried crispy shrimp, and more. Among the additional dim sum offerings are beef with black pepper roll, fried stuffed pepper and crispy roasted duck rolls. Dao Dim Sum also serves traditional Chinese food like General Tso’s Chicken, Sesame Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken, not to mention more than 24 seafood dishes highlighted by multiple shrimp and lobster offerings.