AweSum Dim Sum
160 East 23rd Street/612 Eighth Avenue
New York City, NY 10010/10018
(646) 998-3313/3314/(212) 520-8099
Open: Sunday 9:30am-8:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:00am-8:00pm/Friday 11:00am-9:00pm/Saturday 9:30am-9:00pm (The 23rd Street store)
Open: Sunday 9:30am-8:30pm/Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:30pm/Saturday 9:30am-8:30pm
My review on TripAdvisor (East 23rd Street):
My review on TripAdvisor (Eighth Avenue):
Awesum Dim Sum at 160 East 23rd Street
I love it when I can eat at a restaurant on its first week open and get to enjoy the excitement with the owner as they establish their dream. That is what myself and my best friend felt when we ate at AweSum Dim Sum the first time. The restaurant is on my Advantage Dining Program and was recommended. So I tried it for the first time and loved it and then I took her and she agreed.
The extensive menu of Dim Sum is posted outside the restaurant.
Everything on the menu was excellent. All the Dim Sum on the menu is fresh and cooked to order. When it arrives, it is sizzling hot and busting with flavor. The tough part is knowing what to order because everything on the menu is so good.
My first trip I devoured the Har Gow, small Shrimp dumplings with shrimp and bamboo shoots. Each bit had a small crunch of the pieces of shrimp inside the wrapping and the sweetness of the fish. Lightly set in the soy sauce and hot oil brought out the flavor of the dumpling. I had these a another trip to the restaurant and they are just excellent.
Har Gow are small shrimp dumplings
I also ordered the Spring Rolls, tiny vegetable rolls deep fried to perfection filled with carrots, water chestnuts, black agaric, bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Each crackled with the flavor of the vegetables inside and the crisp fried wrapper on the outside.
The Spring Rolls crackle with flavor
Another standout that the restaurant put a new spin on was the Baked BBQ Pork Buns, which were baked into a sweet dough and it was if they were steamed in the end. The BBQ pork was sweet and tangy at the same time. They have a crisp sweet outside and chewy consistency.
The sweetness of the dough compliments the tangy pork
This is also the same for the White Custard Buns, which look very similar on the outside but are filled with a sweet yellowish-white baked custard on the inside. They are sweet and crispy on the outside and sugary and creamy on the inside.
On this trip, I tried the Crispy Shrimp Rolls, which had tiny shrimps studded inside a crispy wrapper that had been pan fried and had a light crunch to it. Dipped into the chili oil and then the soy sauce brought out the flavor of the shrimp and accented its wrapping.
Crispy Shrimp Roll
The one thing I have enjoyed on all three trips to the restaurant is the Pork Soup Dumplings. These are amazing. A small pork meatball is wrapped around by a light dumpling wrapper and so juicy that when you dip them into the soy sauce and bit into them, they burst in your mouth with an intense juiciness.
The Pork Soup Dumplings are so juicy
One unique dish I have not tried is the AweSum sampler, which is a Sticky Rice Wrap, a BBQ Pork Bun, a Crispy Shrimp Roll and Chicken Shu Mai, which gives you a full taste of all the treats that the restaurant carries.
The AweSum Sampler
Another great item is the Pan Fried Pork Buns. They are light and pillowy on the outside and a nice combination of ground pork and cabbage filling that is nicely spiced. These are lightly pan fried and have a crisp exterior in each bite.
In my recent trip with my best friend, we went through about half the menu ordering the Har Gow, the Scallion Pancakes, the Baked Pork Buns, the Chicken Shu Mai, the White Custard Buns and the Fried Dumplings.
On another visit when finishing walking the Kips Bay neighborhood for my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”, I revisited the restaurant again for a late lunch. I just wanted a quick snack and ordered the Baked Pork Buns again and tried the Fried Rice Dumplings. The Fried Rice Dumplings were made with a rice dough surrounding minced pork and what looked like chopped mushrooms and were heaven in every bite.
On another recent trip to Awesum Dim Sum, I tried some newer items to the menu. I had the pricer Shrimp Wrapped with Bacon ($7.00) which was really good. Ground Shrimp which was seasoned and wrapped with bacon had a smokey and savory flavor to it.
The Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
The Roast Pork Pastries ($5.95) were little puff pastries filled with rich and sweet sliced pork and had a sweet and savory flavor to them as well. The Shu Mai, which are the shrimp and pork open-faced dumplings were delicious in the soy sauce provided. For dessert, I had the tiny egg custards which had a custardy consistency in flaky puff pastry.
The Shu Mai is excellent
On another trip, I returned to the Har Gow and Roast Pork Puffs again and they are just excellent but this time but I added the Pan Fried Juicy Buns, which are two large buns filled with ground pork, shrimp and spices. They were pan fried to perfection and the inside and out. They were delicious.
The new Eighth Avenue store is similar to the East 23rd Street store
The store just opened a new branch by the Port Authority and the food is also excellent here and the prices are still the same and very fair for everything you get for your meal.
My dinner at the new Eighth Avenue Restaurant
The Pan-Fried Pork buns were excellent
The Baked Pork Buns were sweet on the outside and filled with sweet roast pork
The Vegetable Spring Rolls were crisp and delicious
The best part is that the prices don’t break the bank as each Dim Sum is between $4.00-$6.00 and the drinks here will run between $1.50 for hot tea, $3.00 for soft drinks and $5.00 for a beer.
The service could not be nicer as things come out quickly the owner and his son are always so friendly especially when it is busy.
The restaurant has a cool contemporary feel to it with light colors and pale woods. It has a nice modern twist to it.
The East 23rd Street store
There is lots of inside counter space to sit at and there are tables outside on a nice day to dine at with friends and family. I have noticed that since its opening the place has gotten busier and busier with the local college students. It is also nice that they have a new branch on near the Port Authority on the way home. It offers something new to an area they could use some nice restaurants.
The whole experience is a nice way to spend the afternoon and I will be back!