128 Dim Sum Restaurant — Restaurant in Bethlehem

I offer this review within the context of having grown up eating items that appear on the menu. So, for good or bad, my standards are based on a 50 years of having really good and some really bad dim sum.

The atmosphere is actually quite nice. It's a small establishment but given the novelty of this food for this region, it makes sense that the owners chose a smaller foot print. So, be warned if you're going with a large party; it may be difficult to find seating. But, please also understand that restaurant owners take huge risks in opening up something as novel (to this area) as this is. The dining area is nicely decorated in "traditional" flair. It's comforting.

Service is prompt and the server was friendly. It wasn't busy when I went.

One doesn't typically go to dim sum by themselves but I tried the place on my own. It's a food you typically share with others (like tapas). So, I only ordered the fish ball noodle soup, sui mui, and egg tart. The soup base could have used a little more salt but the noodles and the fish balls were more than fine. It takes a little longer to get the sui mui (12 minutes); this is a great sign since it meant that it was freshly made (or, at least made from an uncooked state, as opposed to pre-cooked and frozen). The sui mui was flavorful, tender, and juicy (note, I ate one before I took the photo below). Top notch, in my book! The egg tart was decent. It could have been baked just a little longer.

All in all. This was a good experience and I would go back. Will try the sticky rice next time. I'll even bring along some others to try out other...

Service was okay nothing crazy considering it was us and another pair. They gave us (two people), one menu that had half the items on the list crossed out. Ordered a pork bun, soup dumplings, and pork dumplings with a milk tea. Milk tea was a bit strong but not terrible. The pork bun tasted microwaved it wasn't like the pork bun you usually get at a usual dim sum restaurant there wasn't any sauce or anything inside. For the record I did go to nan xiang xiao long bao the new michellin star restaurant next to KOP. Not the type of person to leave a horrible review unless it's not very good. I was a little hesitant when I walked in because I could see trash boxes out the back screen door. That plus the bathroom floor was slippery and had a rag sitting across from the toilet. The soup dumplings were okay but overcooked and completely fell apart when i tried to pick them up. Was my birthday btw. Really disappointing but I will be going to Hunan Springs in allentown look it up if you want good family style food. Also served on paper plates and bowls and not even enough paper plates for both of us just one small paper plate and paper bowl. A passerby suggested they were leaving their own...

I was excited that a dim sum spot was opening in the area. I really wanted to like it. But unfortunately the food’s not good. I can’t in good faith recommend 128 in its current state. The lo mai gai’s the only thing I’d get again. They’re newly opened so I believe they will improve, but they better do it fast.

The wonton noodle soup might as well be in water, and the noodle had zero chew whatsoever. The shumai filling needed to be kneaded a good deal more, as it was crumbly rather than bouncy, and it needed some aroma. The tripe was devoid of salt. The chicken feet needed to be steamed for several more hours, as the skin and connective tissues have not even begun to transform into gelatin. The xiao long bao had a thick pasty skin and hardly any soup inside.

Dim sum’s really difficult to make so we should offer them some grace. The restaurant’s an ambitious undertaking. This review is harsh, yes, but someone had better say it. Being aware of a problem is the first step...