When I heard there was another dim sum place in the Philadelphia area, I laughed. As if anything could compete with Penn students’ long–lost–lover Dim Sum Garden. I felt like I was cheating on my boyfriend as I entered the hipster–Asian dim sum restaurant, known as Bing Bing Dim Sum. The waiters wore tight V–necks, thick–rimmed glasses and skinny jeans. All they had to do was turn on a Bon Iver song, and the place could have easily been mistaken for a specialty coffee shop in SoHo. 

Needless to say, I was skeptical of this restaurant’s overall vibe and menu. The food baby I had at the end of this culinary adventure showed that this skepticism did not last long.

Let us begin with the soup dumpling. There are few things more beautiful than a bamboo soup dumpling platter with four hot and steamy onion–domed shaped beauties waiting to burn the hell out of you. Seasoned soup dumpling eaters know that eating a soup dumpling is an art. These puppies make you work for them. But I promise it was so worth it. Bing Bing serves vegetarian as well as meat filled soup dumplings, something that Dim Sum does not do (gasp, a flaw). Bing Bing’s soup dumplings were easily comparable to that of DSG. The meat was moist (yes moist) and the soup was perfectly flavored and salted—and this coming from a salt–lover critical enough to salt peanut butter. 

Next on the agenda was the Pork Dumpling ($7). Caution: When ordering this dish, clear the table. Each individual dumpling is as big as a human hand with a fluffy, doughy top and a crisp, fried bottom. You can’t pick it up with chopsticks so don’t even try. This is not a no–contact sport. It’s filled with flavorful pork and veggies that melt in your mouth along with the soft dough that envelops it. I love food items that taste like they have cheese but don’t actually have cheese. Sounds weird, but you’ll understand. This is one of those food items: a rare specimen. Truthfully, I had never tasted something so good in my life….

…Until the Udon Noodles ($14) were served. Honestly, you can’t justify calling this dish a noodle dish. The noodles are so thick and heavy that the waiter brought over metal tongs, for fear that one’s chopsticks will break under the carb load (literally). The noodles were coated in a sesame sauce with tofu, mushrooms and other Asian veggies. My suggestion? Twirl the noodles around your chopstick like spaghetti and stuff your face. We can compare spiritual experiences post udon noodle. 

The last dish I would highly recommend is the Turnip Cake ($8). This is the part where you say, “Hell no, I’m not ordering this,” and I say, “Um, yes you are because it’s sex in a food.” What this “cake” most closely resembles is a gourmet McDonald’s home–fry. It has a thick crunchy outer layer and a gooey, flavorful inner layer. But it’s made of turnips, so you’re pretty much burning calories. It’s topped with a sunny–side up egg and a caramelized Asian–y sauce. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine that I will ever find a man I love as much as this dish. 

The waiter obviously recognized my bizarre obsession with food, since his only comment was, “Wow. You did a good job.” In other words, “I’ve never seen a girl eat this much in my life, maybe you should pump the breaks.” My challenge to you is to top my level of consumption and try Bing Bing for yourself. I will gladly volunteer to accompany you. 


Location: 1648 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148

@bingbingdimsum

TL;DR (too long, didn’t read): Soup dumplings are the eighth wonder of the world, and it’s extremely important to recognize this at a young age. If you need a break from fuck boys, head to Bing Bing and find true love. Is it legal to marry a dumpling?

Don’t Miss: The Maine Root Ginger Beer ($4). The waiter took my bottle before I was done with my last sip, and I almost flipped a table.

Skip: The Bang Bang Chicken ($16). At first I thought it was pork. Then fish. Then Tofu. Never Chicken. 

When to go: Happy Hour starts at 5pm. But you might as well just make a day out of it and arrive at opening time. 

Price Range: $ Approximately $10 an entrée. That’s like half a Sweetgreen salad with extra shrimp.