There are a few dumpling places in downtown San Mateo, so I was curious to see how this restaurant fared. I went on a Saturday at noon and there was just one couple dining; when I left, there were 4-5 more groups. The inside of the restaurant looked aesthetically pleasing. The bathroom was quite old but clean. One of the 2 dispensers was out of soap, which I had hoped they would check as part of the restaurant opening and closing procedures. Our waiter was very friendly throughout the meal and offered food suggestions for us to consider. Beef pancake roll - unique seasoning. I liked how they included shredded lettuce for that crunchy texture. It was wrapped in green onion pancake, so it was a bit oily and required some chewing. My dad didn't care for this. I initially thought this isn't bad but by the end of eating my half, I was ok not ordering this again. I think it's worth trying once. Beef stew noodle soup - beef was flavorful but I needed to chew it a bit, so if you have elderly loved ones with dentures, keep that in mind! Noodles were al dente. My mom didn't like how the portion is very small. Pork & crab meat XLB (Xiaolongbao, soup filled dumplings) - First thing I thought when the server placed the bamboo steamer down on the table was, 'wow, these are SO small'. But regardless, I could definitely taste the crab, and the broth was flavorful and plenty. If I were to dine here again, I would order this. Chicken & vegetable boiled wontons in chicken soup - The skin of the wontons was springy and unique. The broth had sesame oil but otherwise was pretty mild/bland. My mother liked the broth from the beef stew noodle soup more. Pan fried chive dumpling - contained egg, glass noodles, and a lot of garlic and chives. Very yummy and would get this again. Pork & shrimp potsticker - was juicy. The skin a little thick. They came with a tiny side of sweet, sour, spicy pickled veggies. I thought this dish was mediocre. High tail shrimp & pork steamed dumplings - The pork was dense, which wasn't necessarily bad. The dumpling was slightly juicy but wasn't broth-filled. My mom didn't care for this dish. Overall, I would rate this restaurant a 3.5/5 but will round it up. My mom thought the food was quite mid and admitted it as such to the waiter after we paid the bill. I'm honestly not sure if I would return, given all the wonderful other cuisines/choices here in the downtown area - perhaps if I'm craving chive dumplings or crab dumplings again. read more

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Loooooooovvvved this food & service. My bro ordered so I don't know what I ate...scallion cake, pork dumplings, chicken dumplings, spicy "numbing" noodles, several delectable soup dumplings, and more. All delish! Very interesting chive dumpling, plump, tasted kinda like yummy almost cheesy spinach. We feasted & made memories. Five spice beef shank. thin beef served on a dish cold, was the only unliked item. A bit dry/not much flavor. Hard surfaces/impersonal decor, but plenty of seating. read more

Hygiene here is highly questionable. At the beginning of our meal, I informed staff that there was no hand soap in the men's restroom. They said they would take care of it...but acted like it was an inconvenient request. At the end of our meal, the hand soap dispenser still had no soap. The entire time I saw male staff coming in and out of the restroom. One staff member even used the stall and obviously didn't have soap to use afterwards. Disappointed that they do not take hand hygiene seriously as a part of food safety. Shortly after this incident, our 4 year old kid got sick with fever, vomiting and diarrhea. It is very frustrating that the staff here didn't think it was important to protect the health of their customers by having basic hand hygiene. read more

Came here on a Saturday afternoon for a snack. The restaurant was fairly empty so we were seated right away. We ordered at 5:20, just getting an order of pork soup dumplings and one order of spicy beef pancake roll. We thought this would be a quick bite, but it took 30min for the pork soup dumplings and the spicy beef pancake roll to come. There were no explanations of why it took so long but it was obvious the staff were stressed so we tried to be patient. However, there was another table behind us that asked the staff when food would come, as they were also frustrated, and the staff just snapped back with 'can you please just wait'. Seems like there's some operational issues at this joint or perhaps they're just very understaffed. In terms of the food, the dumplings were delicious but the pancake on the spicy beef roll were really greasy and overly done. read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Spicy Beef Pancake Roll (1) 麻辣牛肉卷饼 - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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So I actually tried Dough Zone in their Houston location but I decided to give it a try in the bay, cause who knows, it might be better right? NOPE. It's like going back to your toxic ex thinking they changed lmao Dan dan noodles: just look at the picture and tell me what you see. boiled noodles with scallion and seaweed. Now, according to google, dan dan noodles are supposed to be "a spicy, savory Sichuan Chinese noodle dish featuring wheat noodles, a rich sauce, and toppings like minced pork, preserved vegetables, and peanuts." And now let's look at what I was served - there's clearly no sauce, no pork, no veggies, no peanuts. And the noodles are like ramen noodles so....Dan dan noodles? More like bland bland noodles. A disgraceeee tsk tsk tsk zha jiang noodles: i could not tell you what i was eating, i tasted like...nothing. it's like you can ALMOST taste the flavor, but just when you're about to, it disappears LMAO. pan fried dumplings: the dough was still raw (YIKES) and tasted frozen xlb: one of their saving graces. not bad, but not good. the skin was a bit thick, but soup was good cucumbers: as expected. i personally don't think it's anything wow-factor but it's good! i mean, how can you mess up cucumber right. Beef wrap: the beef inside was tough was hell, it was so tendon-y. read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Portions are definitely small but it's a good amount for family style! Ordered a few things and my favorites were the pan fried dumplings and beef pancake role. Only issue was the waiter mixed my table check with another table. The other table already paid the check and left. By the time I got my check, it was a different price. read more

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Very first time trying this place out! Wasn't very busy when I came in at around 4, so I didn't have to wait too long for the food to be served. The Green Onion Beef Pancake was very savory and moist. Definitely not a flavor I had ever experienced, but after the initial bite I began to enjoy it. Pairing it with Soy Sauce made it MUCH better! The High Tail Shimp and Pork Dumplings were very savory and tasty as well! And again, paired VERY well with the Soy Sauce. The Thai Milk Tea was very refreshing, though I didn't really care for the Rainbow Jelly. At least I tried it once, but I have a feeling I'd have enjoyed the Tea more without it. The atmosphere was nice and clean, and the service was superb! Will definitely come back to try some different dishes in the future! read more

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An easy place to go with friends, with a wide selection and reasonable pricing. They were able to split a table bill 8 ways which was above and beyond. The braised beef noodle soup was good - the broth and beef were nice, the noodles were just okay. Dumplings were juicy. read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Braised beef noodle soup with veg - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

Really good dumpling place! Service was very quick, and I liked how we ordered on our phone. Everything was good.the Dan Dan noodles were tasty, and the noodle itself was al dente. All the dumpling options like the wontons, Xiao long bao and crispy dumplings were all delicious. Meat was good and the skin wasn't too thick. It wasn't super expensive too! Such a great find. read more

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I frequently find myself in downtown San Mateo looking for a quick lunch spot. Dough Zone has always caught my eye for their advertised surprisingly generous lunch special, but I'm almost always looking for a more grab-and-go option. On this day, I finally had the time to sit down and try Dough Zone. Like many of the other dumpling offerings in the same vicinity, Dough Zone specializes in Xiao Long Bao but also offer some other quick bite options including DanDan noodles and Beef Rolls. Dine-in ordering is easy -- order at your own pace through their Toast app. I tried their Xiao Long Bao and the Beef rolls. Both were average at best, but at their price point, okay with me. The Xiao Long Bao was juicy though some of the dough was still dry on the top (could probably have steamed for a bit longer). The Beef Rolls came with a side of pickled cabbage, but otherwise were generously filled with meat (and nothing else). It would've been nice to have included either some cucumber slices or something in the roll itself as a bit more to cut through the thickness of the meat, but I definitely won't complain with how much meat was offered. Overall, if you're looking for a decently priced meal in the area, this wouldn't be the worse, but it also left me with something more to be desired. read more

Good lunch at Dough Zone. Their pork and shrimp pot sticker, pork xiao long bao and beef stew noodle were fantastic. We also ordered the sweet and sour cucumber and beef pancake roll. Everything tasted delicious. The place is nice and roomy. Service was okay. We had to track down a couple of times. read more

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Greeted friendly-like and Seated quickly. All the service workers and cooks are pretty young. Once greeted and seated the host placed a small saucer of grated ginger on the tables. Stark black interior with long tables was the Asian decor. Use a QR code or printed menu to order. Started with mild sweet marinated cucumber, spiral cut into a decorative shape. But, it needed a knife to separate. Pan-fried folded chive cakes were filled with tired green chives and garlic paste. It was crisp fried like a quesadilla. But the small wrapper could have been fresher and seasoned. Pork Won Ton with chicken soup was ordinary, really nothing special. The Xiao Long Bao pork soup dumplings seemed ok but could have been a pre-manufactured item. There was red vinegar to mix with the ginger that brightened the mild mannered dumplings. But again they were pedestrian. Prices are reasonable, but there is much dumpling competition in the small concentrated San Mateo downtown dining scene that I doubt I would be back. read more

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Dough Zone has great food. Pricy and low portion sizes? Yeah. I got the dan dan noodles (don't eat if you don't like spicy), and in the photo below was $8. Very pricy for something that I ate in 3 minutes. Service was very slow. Got sat right away, but sat there for 10 minutes unattended. My friends and I were watching the workers walk right past us to go attend and clean other tables. If they were really busy I'd understand, but they weren't at all. After 10 minutes, I decided to flag one of them down just to take our order. Came here with 2 of my friends and we all ordered our own separate orders. My friend and I get our food almost right away, whilst my other friend could only sit there. Awkward when that happens, because we already finished when he got his food 10 minutes after! We tried to wait, but after 10 minutes, the food gets cold. All in all, good food, not very good service, and pricy. read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Dan Dan Noodles 担担面 - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

Update: I've been coming to Dough Zone regularly since my last review and they're usually consistent in their flavors and quality but my last few visits have been disappointing. I always order the Pork XLB but lately they've been arriving with rips in the skin and already popped. Hoping for a better experience next time. ------------------ I usually go to Dough Zone whenever I'm in San Mateo and craving dumplings. Their food is consistently good, and their XLB's are a must try if you're visiting! The noodle portions are on the smaller side, but the price reflects that. The ube milk tea and banana naan bread are also yummy if you want something sweet with your meal. The service is friendly and efficient. I typically get seated with no wait, and the food comes out shortly after ordering. Overall, a solid spot for dumplings and noodles! read more

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We came in on Monday evening at 6:30 and seated promptly for 4. Unfortunately, they were out of xlb. This was a bummer! Easy to order via online menu. We ordered a variety of dishes but none really stood out. The beef stew noodle soup had very little flavor to the broth and hard to tell the steamed dumplings apart The beef roll pancake was too sweet. Sweet and sour cucumber Pork wonton in Chili Sauce Beef pancake roll Vegetable steamed dumplings Chicken potstickers Beef stew noodle soup Zha Jiang Mian Pork and shrimp dumplings Pan fried pork dumpling Service was non existent, other than dropping off the dishes. We ordered two jasmine tea but confirmed with server only needed one but still charged for two. read more

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We came on a weekday night, they weren't super busy. Staffs seemed friendly. They let us know there's no Xiao long bao available at all and make sure if we still want to grab a table. The dining area was pretty chill. Ordering was easy, we just scanned the QR code from the table. We tried a variety of things including dumplings, buns, noodles, potstickers, wontons and pancake rolls, nothing really stood out. We decided to do family style so we could try more dishes; the portion for each dish wasn't big. Everything was just okay. Skins of the dumplings seemed a little dry, and the fillings weren't quite the way I like them. No one checked in on us either. Overall, service, food and the whole dining experience was more of a meh. read more

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Service was good and food came out quick, however the food was just okay. We got a vegetarian noodle soup, sweet and spicy cucumber, zha jiang mian, chinese crepe, and vegetable dumplings. The best part of the meal were the cucumbers which were flavorful and refreshing! Dumplings had a tasty filling too! Everything else tasted okay, which was disappointing. read more

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I've always loved Dough Zone and eat it when I'm in Seattle. My experience at this location was really sad though. The good thing is that service was super fast and easy with the online ordering. Inside was well lit and spacious too. But the food lacked flavor that I was expecting. The zhajiangmian didn't taste or look like zhajiangmian. The pan fried buns were not flavorful at all and were also a mushy mess inside....just not consistent with what I usually expect at Dough Zone. Even though it's fairly priced and fast, I probably won't come back to this location :( read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Zha Jiang Mian 京味炸酱面 - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The place is spacious and inviting. Service was prompt and attentive. We were seated quickly and felt welcomed. The food overall was good, although the Dan Dan noodles and beef pancake roll didn't quite hit the mark for me (the noodles had a soapy flavor I couldn't get past). On the flip side, the pork wonton in chili oil was absolutely delicious, and the pork & crab meat Xiao Long Bao is a must try.. banana naan bread is good while warm. I also appreciated how you can just scan a QR code at the table and order directly. (no waiting for a server) and the food arrived surprisingly fast! read more

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Overall our dinner here was pretty disappointing... We heard so much about dough zone from friends and have passed by numerous times and finally decided to give it a try. We came on a Thursday around 6pm and were the only ones there. Prices are fairly low but also the portions are tiny. We ordered the jiajiang noodles and it was maybe 2-3 bites worth and didn't taste like your typical jiajiang sauce.. more like straight up hoisin. The scallion pancakes were also paper thin and super oily. The spicy wontons were alright but the XLB had very little soup inside and the skin was too thick for my preference. read more

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Grabbed dinner here with a friend on a Friday night. I've heard a lot about Dough Zone when I was in Seattle so I was excited to try it here. We were promptly seated once entering the restaurant -- the place is pretty big with lots of seating. You can order via QR but if you request, you can also get a traditional menu (the one where you check which items you want). We ordered dan dan noodles, chicken xiao long bao, pork q-bun, and a spicy beef pancake roll. Dan Dan noodles were alright; it was interesting that they including a numbing spice. Probably the worse Dan Dan noodles I've had, but it doesn't mean it's bad!! Xiao long bao was yummy, pretty normal. Waiting for the pork q-bun took so long that we ended up ordering the spicy beef pancake to eat in the meantime. The scallion pancake wrap for that was amazing and the dish overall was very yummy. The q-buns finally came out after like 40 minutes and were pretty good. I think I was thinking they were going to be Shengjian bao and they weren't (unless they are supposed to be and the ones we got just had no soup inside). With that said, it was still very yummy and I would agree and say its a must order here. Overall the vibes here are very nice, I can see it being a good spot to come with families. Food here is pretty decent, not a must-go spot for me, but wouldn't mind eating here. read more

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Had higher expectation after seeing 4 chains in South Bay but was quite disappointed. Portions are super small. Solid appetizers, nice a little snack in between, I thought they were great additions overall. Braised pig ear: just a personal favorite of mine, good flavoring Spicy beef shank: beef jerky without that insane hard texture Pan fried pork buns: way too doughy on the inside, pork was perfect and juicy but the dough was just too overwhelming. 2/5 Beef stew noodles: got what was expected 3/5 Pork xiao long bao: not piping hot, didn't break upon contact, solid. 4/5 Dan dan noodles- really disappointed,was really bland. First time I've seen it without minced beef either. 1/5 Spicy beef pancake roll- was ok, exactly what it says it was beef in a pancake roll, nothing special going on inside. 2.5/5 Pan fried won ton with chili sauce- it was ok. Chili sauce didn't do much. 2.5/5 read more

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We came here for lunch during the week, there was no wait and we were seated right away. The staff was very friendly. We ordered the lunch combo, which is a great deal, and a few other things to try. The combo came with cold drinks so I ordered the ube drink and my friend had the passionfruit drink. Both tasted good. My friend ordered the pig ears. I've never had them before. They weren't my favorite, but they weren't bad. The cucumber salad was good, nice and refreshing. The dan dan noodles were very flavorful. The soup dumplings were also good. My least favorite were the steamed pork buns. They weren't very hot and lacked flavor. Otherwise, the meal was good and everything was pretty reasonably priced. read more

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Dough Zone Dumpling House is a gem in the heart of downtown San Mateo. My husband and I love coming here because the menu has something for everyone--from dumplings and noodles to vegetarian-friendly dishes--so it's easy to find something delicious every time. Our go-to favorites are the Pork Xiao Long Bao, Dan Dan Noodles, Wontons in Chili Sauce, and Vegetable Potstickers. Each dish is packed with flavor and offered at a very reasonable price. The dining area is clean and welcoming, and service is efficient--you're usually seated quickly, whether you're a party of two or with a larger group. Ordering is simple with their QR code system, and food arrives in no time. The only downside is that a few tables sit directly under the vents, which can feel a little chilly. Overall, if you're craving authentic Chinese dumplings, Dough Zone is definitely worth a visit! read more

This is one of our "go-to" restaurant when we wanted dumplings. It was a very disappointing experience when we went there on a weeknight in Jun. The food was good as usual, the service was AWFUL! The lady who worked there definitely didn't want to be there. No hello when we walked in, no water was offered, no stopping by to ask how we are doing, order was missing, didn't even bother to stop at the table for the bill. Restaurant was cold because the server kept the door opened! Last to mention, the restaurant wasn't even busy.... Lots of dumpling restaurants in town, this service level isn't winning positive dinning experience. read more

Looking for a good dim sum place in San Mateo that's still open after 2 pm and found this. They don't serve the regular dim sum items we're familiar with but rather their hand made dumplings, wontons, and noodles. The green onion pancakes were light and crispy. All of the dumplings were delicious, tasted like home made. We ordered 2 noodles, the Dan Dan noodles were spicy and the Zha Jiang Mian noodles had a good umami taste. One of my favorites. Great to have something good and different. Really enjoyed this place. Will surely return and try more of the restaurants on E. 4th Ave. read more

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Wow i hate to rate this place this low but the prices are really cheap but the food lacked so much flavor. It almost tasted instant and fake. We were so confused why it tasted so weird but we ordered more and it had the same taste. The service was fine and the ambiance was cool but the food just lacked so much :( read more

We chose this restaurant be cause it was near the area we were at. When we walked in the place it looked pretty modern and simple. It was a little dirty near the walls. The service was quick and attentive. We ordered four dishes, green onion pancake, pork siu long baos, Dan Dan Noodles, and pork pan fried buns. The green onion pancake had good flavor and was thin. It was a little greasy. The pork xiao long baos had a good amount of meat and the soup inside was flavorful. Dan Dan Noodles were surprisingly good. It has a little spicy kick at the end. The portion was about a small bowl. The pork pan fried buns had a little doughy, would have preferred if the bun was a little thinner. If I were to come back I would get the Xiao long bao and Dan Dan noodles again. read more

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Love the variety of small plates - the portions were big enough to split between 3-4 people for everyone to get a bite of everything, but optimize for trying many different things! Would go again. read more

We came for dinner at 6pm on a Friday night . Place was maybe 1/4 full. Imagine our surprise when the waiter told us several of the dishes were sold out. Signature dumplings sold out at 6pm on a Friday night ? When we left around 7.15, there were actually people waiting to be seated . I wonder what they will be eating ? We will not be back . read more

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Stumbled upon this restaurant after a walk. It was a good decision. The lunch menu was a good deal and service was friendly. The ambiance is clean and casual. Would recommend giving this place a try! read more

Came in on a tuesday for lunch and it wasn't too busy so we got seated right away. The food here is yummy and fairly priced. I really enjoyed everything besides the dan dan noodles that were too spicy for my liking. The food came out so fast and i left with a full belly. read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

The food was SO good. I would say it's a similar taste to din tai fung but more affordable. Their lunch deal is such a steal. 10/10 would recommend coming during lunch on the weekday if you're looking to try it for the first time. You really get a bang for your buck. The inside was pretty big and could sit a lot of people. The food came out really quickly and everything was delicious. Would recommend getting the noodles and soup dumplings. The staff accidentally gave us another serving of soup dumplings, so we tried to give it back but they gave it to us for free which was super nice! The highlight had to be the taro milk tea. It tastes like real taro which is hard to come by. My family and I will be coming here again!! read more

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Very nice service and great food! Modern setting, a little loud. Service or takeout is super and fast

While the San Mateo Dough Zone isn't reinventing the wheel, it's worth writing this review to note that it is a superior location of the chain. We've been to two others in the Bay, and this one is the clear winner in terms of aesthetic, layout, friendliness, amount of dressing on my kale and overall experience. The decor across the locations is surprisingly inconsistent, but San Mateo struck the perfect balance between elegant and casual (Walnut Creek is a little too hole-in-the-wall and Cupertino is trying a little too hard). As for the kale salad, while the difference may be subtle, the overall flavor was a punchier blend of sesame and umami. I still wish the chain had more vegetable options to pair with the kale, but that's not a reason to dock this particular restaurant a star. Our waiter was palpably friendly and made it a personable experience even with mobile ordering. It's worth driving down from SF for this! read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing and broccoli from home - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

Mediocre and overpriced. Service was slow. Took me 20 minutes to get my soda and another 15 to get a lunch special@$20 bucks. I don't get soup wontons places. Dan dan noodles were meh. The space they occupy has had more restaurants in the past few years than you can imagine. Next up.... read more

A spacious location to hangout with a medium/large groups. Food itself was average, less savory than anticipated. read more

Ordered the beef stew noodle soup, it was bad. The soup tastes like water and put some red chili coloring into the dish. I had to pour some soy sauce into the soup to have more flavor. The service was bad. read more

The ambiance for this restaurant is really nice. We ordered the dan dan noodles, green onion pancake, beef pancake roll and pork soup dumplings. They were good, I liked the dumplings and beef pancake roll the most. The roll was like a fried burrito. The dan dan noodles were not really spicy, it numbs your mouth. Total for 4 dishes came out to be around $32, pretty good value for two people and it kept us full. read more

Dough Zone Dumpling House - San Mateo - Beef pancake roll - Shanghainese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Went for lunch on a Saturday... Less than 5 min wait around 1pm. Love that there is a no/little wait go-to spot in San Mateo for good food and quick service. Plenty of open space and enjoyed not being crammed into a tiny spot and pressured to eat quickly b/c of a line outside the door (i.e. Kaishoken, Udon Muzigo, etc) like some other places in the area. Go-to items: Spicy wonton Xiao-long bao (at least 1 tray per person) Sweet and Sour cucumber Q-Bao (similar to shen jian bao) Beef noodle soup (this item is OK, but if you need a soup, this is a good add-on) They used to have a paper menu and have switched to a digital ordering system where you login via your phone. Be sure to connect your phone number to earn loyalty points too. read more