Dim sum is practically everywhere these days , but a new Rockville Centre shop has an interesting but controversial back story (as well as some tasty Chinese dumplings). Dim Sum Bloom is an expanding group of fast-casual dumpling spots that started in Manhattan's Upper West Side. The original restaurant created a stir in early 2023 when it opened as Shun Lee Cafe, a similar name to an iconic midtown Chinese restaurant Shun Lee Palace that's been popular since 1971.
The new spot's owner, Sean Li, previously worked as an accountant for the Shun Lee group of restaurants and said he had gotten permission to expand into the fast casual market. But when expectant fans realized the new venture wasn't the same as their beloved spot, blowback ensued and Li was forced to change the name and go at it alone. Since then, Dim Sum Bloom has expanded with even more casual takeout shops in Elmhurst, Queens and now the South Shore of Long Island.
The menu here doesn't include the gourmet Shanghainese and Cantonese dishes that the original Shun Lee Palace was known for, but it does have upscale options like black truffle shumai and Peking duck. The dumplings are often prepared at the Manhattan location by a team of Cantonese chefs and reheated at the various takeout locations. The restaurant also serves claypot rice dishes ($13.
95) with traditional toppings like fish fillet and cordyceps flower, a stringy fungus used in Chinese cooking. Although here it's served in a foil takeout container rath.