QXY Dumplings, a well-known restaurant in Chicago’s Chinatown, is preparing to open its second full-service location in Wicker Park, general manager Jesse Li said on Mar. 23. The new site at 2018 W. Division St. has passed inspections and is waiting for final city licenses before hosting a soft opening in the coming weeks.
The expansion is significant for QXY Dumplings, which has built a reputation for its variety of boiled, steamed, and pan-fried dumplings since opening in Chinatown over a decade ago. The new restaurant will offer nearly the same menu as the original location at 2002 S. Wentworth Ave., including appetizers like cucumber salad and spicy cabbage kimchi, as well as dumpling fillings ranging from halal lamb to sea urchin and crab roe.
Li said renovations at the Division Street space took about a year due to delays related to tariffs imposed last year by President Donald Trump. These tariffs affected imports of bamboo used for custom tables and chairs made specifically for the restaurant.
“We didn’t want to change anything for the soft opening,” Li said regarding the menu plans. “Later on, we’ll see, if [we find] something interesting, we’re going to add it to the menu.” He also noted that regular customers had asked for another location because of long waits at their first site: “People like dumplings, and I like to see more competitors nowadays… There’s more dumpling shops opening, and we like to see that.”
Once it receives its liquor license, QXY’s Wicker Park branch plans to serve beer brands such as Asahi and Tsingtao along with an ongoing collaboration with Off Color Brewing—a lager brewed with aromatic herbal tea—and eventually wine paired with specific dishes by summer.
Looking ahead, Li said he is considering adding delivery through third-party apps but remains concerned about maintaining food quality during transit: “We really want to represent the real authentic Chinese restaurant in China… When you open the door… ‘Hey I’m not in America anymore.’”
The new Wicker Park location will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m., accepting both reservations and walk-ins.
