Sue Dimsum or Su Xiao Liu 苏小柳 may sound like the name of a Jiangnan lady, though it is in fact a modern dim sum chain that started in Shanghai.
Founder Chi Guanghui 池光辉 was already in the restaurant business before this, running a seafood concept, but later found the seasonality of seafood limiting when it came to expansion.
He eventually turned his attention to something far more everyday: Xiao Long Bao.
Sue Dimsum has since expanded to Hangzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi, and despite the “Dim Sum” name, there is actually quite a lot more on the menu.
The branch I visited was the West Lake outlet 西湖分院 at Hubin IN77, which is particularly convenient if you are already around West Lake or Longxiangqiao.
There was already quite a crowd when I arrived, with a large kitchen team working behind the glass, wrapping Xiao Long Bao, filling steamers and preparing the rest of the dishes.
Rather than ordering à la carte, I went for the two-person set, which was ¥139 when I visited.
It came with Gold Award Signature Fresh Pork Xiao Long Bao 金奖头牌鲜肉清汤小笼包, Southern Late Japonica Rice Seafood Paofan 农场晚粳米小海鲜泡饭, Scallion Oil Chicken 自熬香葱葱油鸡, Sesame Oil Shredded Lettuce Stem 小磨麻油拌青莴丝, Hand-Pounded Crispy Pork Chop 手打酥皮·鲜猪排 and Milk with Blood Glutinous Rice 牛乳血糯米.
Looking at the amount of food on the table, this already felt quite generous for two, with a full spread from starter, carb to dessert.
The “Gold Award” Signature Fresh Pork Xiao Long Bao 金奖头牌鲜肉清汤小笼包 is currently one of the most popular dishes at the IN77 branch.
Six came in a bamboo basket, plump rather than petite, with skins thin enough for the filling and broth within to show through slightly.
The brand puts quite a bit of emphasis on the hand-made aspect of its Xiao Long Bao, from rolling the skins to wrapping them in-store rather than relying entirely on a central kitchen.
The Southern Late Japonica Rice Seafood Paofan 南晚粳米海鲜泡饭 felt more soupy than the usual Pao Fan I had back home, and came in a brass pot almost filled to the brim, with prawns, greens and other ingredients in the pale seafood broth.
The rice still had some bite rather than turning into porridge, which made it easy to keep spooning through.
The Scallion Oil Chicken 自熬香葱葱油鸡 came with a rather generous pile of chopped spring onions over the chicken, with scallion oil and juices collected underneath.
Then there was the Sesame Oil Shredded Lettuce Stem 小磨麻油拌青莴丝, almost fluorescent green and piled into a small mountain.
The Milk with Blood Glutinous Rice 牛乳血糯米 (not as scary as it sounded) rounded off the set, with dark purple glutinous rice served in milk.
If you are already around West Lake or shopping at IN77, Su Xiao Liu is convenient enough for a sit-down meal, especially if you want Xiao Long Bao without making a separate trip elsewhere.
Sue Dimsum (Su Xiao Liu Dim Sum) 苏小柳点心·手作小笼包 – West Lake Branch 西湖分院
Hubin IN77 C2 Zone #B1-164, 255 Yan’an Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, China
杭州市上城区延安路255号杭州湖滨in77 C2区B1-164号
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
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