Support Us Button Widget

New dim sum restaurant Sum Bar to open in Greenville, SC in early 2023

The downtown joint features dumplings, small plates + cocktails made with baijiu.

GVL_Khailing_Neoh_SumBar_DEC2022

This food is unbelieva-bao. | Photo by GVLtoday

Table of Contents

This news is all that and dim sum: Sum Bar (307 E. Washington St.) will open its downtown location next month, on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Before the highly-anticipated spot (y’all kept selling out the pop ups, so we know you’re excited) starts taking reservations, there will be a grand opening festival to celebrate the restaurant and Lunar New Year. Keep reading for all the details.

GVL_Sum_Bar_Space_DEC2022

This place is wonton in a million. | Photos by GVLtoday

The space

Inside the newly-painted blue building at the corner of East Washington and North Church Streets (next to Fireforge Crafted Beer), you’ll find modern light fixtures, more pops of blue + details as cozy as the soup dumplings you’ll be ordering. We loved the statement light fixture above the biggest table in the house, the Asian cookbooks tucked on shelves + all of the little details that make this place homey.

You can’t miss the light up dumpling basket seat inside “The Garage” leading to Sum Bar from Fireforge.

GVL_Khailing_Neoh_SumBar_DEC2022

We love this photo op (designed by Chef Khailing Neoh) siu mai-ch. | Photo by GVLtoday

The food and drinks

If you’ve been to a Sum Bar pop up, you’ve tasted Chef Khailing’s shumai (traditional Chinese dumpling), sesame balls (fried sweet pastry) + gai lan (Chinese broccoli). Expect to see those familiar favorites with some more additions like char siu pork, chili wontons + lots and lots of other dumplings.

While the drink menu is still being fine-tuned, you’ll find drinks made with baijiu (pronounced bye-joe). The versatile spirit, with variations that can be as different as whiskey is to tequila, translates towhite liquor” and is nicknamedfire water.” You’ll be able to order a flight to taste the complexities, or sip a cocktail with this unique liquor.

The party

Chef and owner Khailing Neoh says her biggest hope for Sum Bar is to introduce people to cultures different from their own. That’s why she’s opening her restaurant with a Lunar New Year festival and celebration.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures and is a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors.

On Saturday, Jan. 21 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the festival will feature local vendors, family fun (read: bounce house for the kids), and — of courseSum Bar bites and Fireforge brews.

Then, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., the party moves inside Sum Bar for a late-night grand opening event with food, drinks + dancing.

The future

There’s even more down the pike for SumBar, like plans for a take-away window to get all the sesame balls your heart desires while you enjoy a beer from Fireforge. Sum Bar also hopes to host events in the shared space between it and Fireforge, and partner with the new coffee shop joining the property: Coffee Coffee.

More from GVLtoday
Since 2004, Brunch for a Cause has raised money for relief efforts after natural disasters, but this time it’s a lot closer to home.
Greenville is one resilient town, and we won’t let a hurricane stop us, so here are some confirmed events this weekend.
We’ll add to this article as we share feel good stories in the aftermath of Helene.
If you have trees and limbs to get rid of, here’s what officials say you need to do with storm debris after Helene.
We will update this article with donation and volunteer opportunities in the aftermath of Helene for our local area and our Western NC neighbors.
From remote work to connecting with friends and family, it’s hard to go without power and internet in 2024. We’ve rounded up spots to find Wi-Fi in Greenville after Helene.
Our neighbors have come together to help support one another during this unprecedented storm, and we could all use a little positivity, so here are some highlights.
As clean up continues, we’re looking at river levels, rain totals, and wind gusts from Helene’s historic weather impact.
Greenville County Emergency Management is sharing next steps if you need assistance if your home or business was damaged by Helene.
In the aftermath of Helene, the power is out for hundreds of thousands, trees are down, and the Reedy River is raging as we take a look at Helene’s impact on Greenville, SC.