Bremerton Restaurateur Plots 1 A.M. Cantonese Dim Sum Spot on Marine Drive

A new restaurant aiming to fill Bremerton's late-night food gap is taking shape at 1340 Marine Drive, where owner Jeremy Chen plans to serve dim sum and other Cantonese-style dishes to customers ordering as late as 10:30 p.m., with takeout and delivery available until 1 a.m. Midnight Dim Sum is targeting a mid-October opening, according to Chen, and will occupy a space that has spent the last several years serving something entirely different.

The address most recently housed The Market 360, a Southern-style comfort food eatery known for fried catfish and jerk steak that was run by Northwest Food Group LLC, according to Checkle. City permit records show that company originally secured its occupancy permit for the site back in August 2023. As reported by WhatNow, Chen owns the building himself and is developing Midnight Dim Sum's full menu on his own, with plans for a small on-site seating area alongside online, pickup, and delivery ordering.

Chen is no stranger to Kitsap County's restaurant scene. He also owns Yamazaki Sushi & Steaks at 1405 NE McWilliams Road in Bremerton and Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse at 9989 Silverdale Way NW, Suite 109, in Silverdale, per the same WhatNow report.

A Late-Night Niche His Other Restaurants Don't Fill

The timing behind Midnight Dim Sum's late hours makes more sense against the backdrop of Chen's existing operation. Yamazaki Sushi & Steaks keeps limited evening hours, closing by 8:30 p.m. most days and opening at 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, or noon on Fridays, according to the restaurant's own posted schedule. A dim sum counter serving until 1 a.m. covers a stretch of the night that none of Chen's other restaurants currently touch.

The Midnight Dim Sum Facebook page has previewed dumplings, buns, and siu mai steamed to order, and the menu is expected to change potentially every month rather than stay fixed. Chen also plans to serve beer, sake, and wine once the restaurant opens, which means navigating Washington's licensing process before the doors open.

What It Takes to Pour a Drink in Washington

Washington state liquor license applications show Midnight Dim Sum is preparing to open, and a standard restaurant beer and wine license carries a $600 annual fee from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, along with a requirement for approved floor plans and local government notification. That's notably cheaper than a full-spirits license, which runs $2,200 a year. Washington Administrative Code also requires anyone serving or handling alcohol to complete Mandatory Alcohol Server Training and obtain a Class 12 or Class 13 permit within 60 days of starting work, with Class 12 covering staff 21 and older who mix or serve drinks and Class 13 covering servers between 18 and 20, according to Certus.

Filling a Longstanding Gap on the Kitsap Peninsula

Local dining compilations and community forums have long noted that Bremerton and the rest of Kitsap County lack a dedicated Cantonese dim sum establishment, with residents often driving to Seattle's International District or Southcenter for the real thing, according to Stacker. Local Yelp rankings show Bremerton's top-rated Chinese restaurants mostly lean toward American-Chinese stir-fry, teriyaki, or general Asian fusion rather than specialized dim sum. U.S. Census Bureau estimates put Bremerton's population at roughly 44,800, with Asian residents making up about 6.4 percent of that total, or around 2,800 people, representing one of the city's larger non-white demographic groups.

The timing also lines up with broader industry shifts. An American Culinary Federation report cited by Stacker found 45 percent of surveyed food professionals expect Asian food and regional flavor profiles to shape U.S. dining trends going forward, with menu mentions of condiments like chili crisp jumping 77.8 percent between 2023 and 2024.

A Commuter City Facing Ferry Cuts

Bremerton's growth has been fueled in part by Seattle commuters, a trend Hoodline has covered as priced-out Seattleites seek cheaper housing across the sound. Kitsap Transit's passenger-only Fast Ferry system carried a record 1.18 million riders in 2025, offering 30-minute crossings between downtown Bremerton and downtown Seattle. But starting Monday, Kitsap Transit is cutting seven daily round-trip Fast Ferry sailings after temporary state funding expired, dropping weekday service from 20 round-trips to 13, according to KING 5. The cuts are expected to affect roughly 430 daily walk-on commuters, prompting local officials to push for restored funding. It remains to be seen how the reduced ferry schedule might shape late-night foot traffic once Midnight Dim Sum opens its doors.

Whether the restaurant's liquor license and building inspections clear in time for its targeted mid-October opening is still an open question, as is how Bremerton diners accustomed to standard takeout menus will respond to a dim sum lineup that could shift every month.