Steaming baskets of pillowy dumplings, carts filled with ready-to-order dishes and families gathered around a table overflowing with small plates — just some defining characteristics of traditional dim sum.
For a city filled with myriad culturally diverse restaurants, Rochester has limited options for traditional Cantonese Chinese cuisine.
Spin and Savor, which was recently opened on Monroe Avenue by local restaurateur Peter Sun, may change that. He and his business partner, Bin Sun (who translated for Peter and spoke on behalf of the duo during this interview), saw potential in the market.
“There’s only a couple of (dim sum) restaurants in Rochester,” said Bin. “That’s what made us want to be a part of it, too.”
Dim sum is a style of Cantonese cuisine originating in Guangzhou, China, consisting of small dishes traditionally served for brunch. Sun characterizes these dishes as “snacks,” ranging from sweet and savory to meaty. A dim sum meal is often shared among families and friends, with groups ordering many small dishes for sharing.
Another characteristic feature of dim sum is the unique service. Dim sum is traditionally ordered and served straight from a rolling cart as it passes the dining table. Spin and Savor decided to take a modern approach to the traditional dim sum service; instead of a rolling cart, there’s a long, bi-level conveyor belt wrapped around the dining room. Guests order dishes from iPads at the table and baskets of freshly prepared food are sent along the upper level of the conveyor belt when ready. The bottom conveyor belt constantly rotates throughout the dining room and features small, ready-to-eat dishes that diners can grab as the plates come around.
The idea of a conveyor belt dining experience is not new. Conveyor belt sushi is a popular concept in the U.S., and Rochester is already home to two conveyor belt sushi restaurants. When Peter Sun was creating Spin and Savor, he wanted to bring a new take to the internet-viral concept.
“How can we make us different from other people?” Bin said. “And then we thought of dim sum.”
It turns out conveyor belt dim sum is not only a novel concept in Rochester.
“We found out we were the only ones in New York State,” Bin said. “We might be the only ones in the country.”
The conveyor belt dining experience allows patrons to have an interactive dining experience while keeping overhead food costs down. A key feature of dim sum is the affordability. At Spin and Savor, small plates average about $6-10 per dish.
“Servers don’t have to take orders, and they don’t even have to deliver food,” said Bin. “Traditional dining can be expensive, the conveyor belt idea makes sure everybody can enjoy the food.”
While the conveyor belt style at Spin and Savor strays from the traditional dim sum cart service method, the food remains authentic as the kitchen highlights conventional Cantonese cuisine.
“Chef Wong makes everything from scratch,” Bin said. “He has over two decades of working with dim sum in New York City.”
Beyond the innovative blend of traditional cuisine and modern technology, Spin and Savor serves as a place where families and friends can gather to connect around a shared meal. For some, a visit to Spin and Savor means experiencing a new culture. For others, it might be a place that gives them a taste of home. For Bilin Gao, a native of Fujian Province, China, dim sum signifies the way familial Chinese culture is expressed.
“We are eating dim sum during happy times,” Gao said. “For example, when getting married, meeting friends (and) celebrating birthdays.”
Dim sum is also a tangible representation of community and tradition.
“We are talking together and taking care of each other,” said Gao. “Dim sum brings family together.” spinandsavor.com
