One of Chinatown’s Standout Dim Sum Restaurants Is Closing to the Public

Chinatown’s standout dim sum restaurant Joy Luck Palace will stop serving food to the public, starting on February 1. According to a notice posted in front of the restaurant, the restaurant will no longer serve morning dim sum or walk-in dinner. Instead, the restaurant will convert into a banquet center for association parties, as well as commercial and private parties, including wedding parties with dim sum catering.

Joy Luck Palace is relatively new to Chinatown, opening its doors in January 2016. But since opening, the restaurant has received high praise from Eater NY critic Robert Sietsema, who has called it one of the best dim sum spots in the city. The restaurant’s pig-shaped custard buns are its most recognizable and Instagrammable menu item.

Now, two years after opening, the restaurant is radically changing its model from a cart-style dim sum restaurant to more of an event space exclusively for large parties. The restaurant’s banquet-style dining room has made it a great place for large groups.

“Because of the difficulties faced by the present restaurant, it is necessary to make adjustments to the existing business models and practices so as to avoid being eliminated by the market,” the posted announcement, dated January 20, reads. The restaurant could not be immediately reached for additional comment.