Saigon Bistro is now offering Dim Sum on Saturday and Sunday in addition to its regular menu.

Dim sum is traditional Chinese fare consisting of a variety of steamed dumplings. It was developed in Cantonese teahouses where customers would spend hours sipping tea and snacking on small plates of both sweet and savory snacks.

While the downtown restaurant specializes in Vietnamese cuisine prepared with a French twist, owners Minh and Hanh Nguyen wanted to bring the tradition of dim sum to their customers. The Nguyens say there's a demand. Although some local restaurants such as Double Happiness on Wrightsville Avenue do offer dim sum, many Wilmingtonians have traveled as far as the Triangle to enjoy the delicacy.

“It has been very well received so far,” Hanh Nguyen said. “We have had a lot of people interested in trying it out over the past few weeks.”

Saigon Bistro currently offers 23 different dim sum items, including a very traditional BBQ pork dumpling and shrimp and Ginger Siu Mai dumplings. Nguyen said most of the dishes are prepared with pork or shrimp and served with a ginger vinegar or soy-based dipping sauce. The restaurant does offer leek dumplings and Buddha’s Delight, which is a tofu crisp filled with minced shitake mushrooms, celery, bell peppers and noodles, as vegetarian options.

The dim sum menu is currently available on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Saigon Bistro, 21 N. Front St.

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