EAT AT YOUR RISK! I went for dinner and ordered spicy won tons, Braised lamb noodles soup, beef noodle soup, pot stickers and salted egg wings. Everything was just ok / ive definitely had better. I thought to myself - if i were in the area agin i might revisit... until i went to use the bathroom! OMG right there in the open in a supply closet - a vegi tray of fresh spinach produce on top of a mop bucket?! see attached photo. I WAS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED and wanted to scream while running outside of restaurant- im glad none of our dishes contained spinach but if that is how they treat their produce and food products i can only imagine what happens in the kitchen and rest on their restaurant behind the scenes. I honestly want to contact the health inspector and will NEVER go back and advise my friends, family and fellow yelpers of this dangerous restaurants habits. Shame on them. read more

Dumpling Era - Fresh produce in a supply closet on top of a disgusting used floor mop?! Health inspection VIOLATION! Absolutely disgusted. - Chinese Near Me - San Bruno, California

The pork and green chives dumplings and chicken fried rice are delicious every time, overall great food

Absolutely love this place. Was a little worried about ordering out since I have only ever eaten inside the restaurant, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's just as delicious at home They are fried green beans are well seasoned and have a little crunch, and their dumplings are always on point. read more

Food is really medicore. We feel like we can go to a better restaurant with the price that we paid. The place is not the cleanest. The bathroom is not dirty, just not a place that i enjoy visiting. The table is not dirty. But i would not apply the three second rules if the food fell off the table. I dont think I would go back. Not saying the food is bad. Just plain! read more

Don't let the greasy spoon ambiance of this dining spot deter you from trying this place, as the food keeps us coming back again and again. Our must-order appetizer is the spicy fried tofu. The presentation is a glorious stack of perfectly fried tofu covered in a generous sprinkling of chili and other spice powders and sesame seeds. It looks fiercely spicy, but has a pleasantly sweet taste that's evocative of bbq chips. The beef pancake rolls we tried were also very tasty, with a flaky wrapper surrounding seasoned beef and cucumbers. The dumplings are my personal favorite. They can be ordered steamed or pan fried (we always opt for the latter preparation). We also tried the hand cut noodles last trip, which did not disappoint. Grab a few bags of frozen dumplings to grind home with you before you leave. read more

Came here with some friends because we were around the area and hungry... and was not disappointed. For the price of the dumplings and the flavor/taste... it was pretty spot on. There was only 3 of us and we kept ordering more and more. The spicy wontons were pretty tasty and the one with the Green wrapping w/ Corn. Overall, this place is pretty good, but just the staff seemed pretty slow. It took AWHILE to get our order and AWHILE to get our food. I would come back here, but the service needs to step up their game. (GET THE SPICY WONTONS) - They reminded me of Din Tai Fung read more

Was looking for dim sum restaurants & this was one of the few Chinese restaurants with 4 stars on Yelp so decided to try it for the first time. The online ordering seemed to be more sophisticated than others that I couldn't find my order for a short while as I strolled up & down the page... Indeed after ordering I received an email addressing my name with a complete itemized copy with both English/simplified Chinese, prices & when to pick up the food! (See photo) I ordered 8 items to try. My son pretty much singlehandedly finished the "scallion pancake with egg" approving it. It came with 2 pieces that I sliced a few more for easier consumption. It became a finger food. Between 2 kids, they also finished 2 orders of steamed bbq pork bun. My girl requested the Shanghai soup dumpling. By the time I got to taste it, the soup inside was already cold. All of the dumpling skins are on the thicker side. It's easier to eat the portion with fillings. Ordered the "chicken & corn soup" but my sister was cautious not knowing if it's GMO corn! Can the owners tell us to assure ok to order it again? To be continued to finish this review... read more

The new spot added to my favorite list. I have been order this place 2 times a week since I stayed a hotel nearby. I like the beef/chicken fried cut noodles, dumplings, those are flavorful and tasted. The staffs are friendly too. Already tell friends this place, and will comes often in the future, support the nice and local restaurant. Cash get 10% off! read more

The beef noodle soup is outstanding as are the pan fried pork and chives dumplings. The generals chicken was ok but did not look like the picture. read more

Food is very delicious and good service. Reasonable prices. There is many parking . I also liked their appetizer except dumplings.

This place was OK, not amazing but not terrible. I came for lunch on a weekday and it was empty, but it was incredibly hard to get the waitress's attention when we needed it. We ordered xiao long bao and a couple different types of dumplings. Maybe I'm just accustomed to the way DTF makes theirs, because everything that's not similar (thin, soft and smooth wrapper) just doesn't seem "good" to me, including this place. The pork dumplings were decent but the dill ones had so much dill that we couldn't finish them, they were honestly overpowering. I'm glad we gave this place a shot but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again. read more

Great neighborhood spot for takeout! Desperately wanted a light meal during the heat wave, we got the Liang pi (cold noodle), cucumber salad, and pork and chives dumpling. Dumplings came with delicious vinegary chilli sauce. Yum! read more

Dumpling Era - Spicy Sesame Paste Liang Pi(Cold Skin Noodle) - Chinese Near Me - San Bruno, California

I came with a party of 4 on a Friday evening and there wasn't a wait. However once we started getting our food, a small line of people waiting to be seated started forming. They do offer the ability to add yourself to the waitlist online though, so that's handy! The main reason for my 3 stars was the food. Here's what we got: - Pork Shrimp dumplings w/ chives: Pretty decent, didn't blow me away - Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings): the skin was on the thicker side and the flavor of the meat was there, but there was absolutely no soup! The dumplings we ordered had more liquid in them! Sad! - Green beans: Perfectly crunchy! Probably the best dish we ordered. - Traditional Dan Dan noodles: I was most excited to try this but it was disappointing. The noodles were too soft and the flavor was off. - Pig Ear Pancake: For those who are unaware, when Chinese dishes come in pancake form, it means it's rolled up almost like a wrap. We never had pig ear in this form before so that was interesting! It was pretty decent as well, with the dough being a great texture. - Beef hand-pulled noodles: These noodles were much better than the Dan Dan noodles. Overall though, this dish was pretty average. Food wasn't horrible but I probably wouldn't come back any time soon. As for its location, the parking can be a little tricky, though not a deal breaker. It has a little parking lot behind the restaurant on Mastick and if that's full, there's street parking in the residential area which is easier to deal with than parking on El Camino. Pro tip: They currently have a deal where you can get 10% off your meal Tuesday-Friday if you check in on Yelp. read more

Delicious dumplings, yummy noodles and love their appetizers. Love to bring home their frozen dumplings too

So good! The quality is great and so fresh and hot. Nothing I can say bad about the food. Sure the dining room isn't the nicest but the food makes up for it. Very friendly and attentive as well. read more

Friendly staff. Great selection of Beijing/Shanghai style dishes. Everything was dishes that we ordered. Will definitely come back again. read more

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Maybe my expectations were a little high after hearing they had salted egg yolk chicken wings.. I've been here on a few occasions everything is more or less ok, service is just ok, the only thing that really stands out and makes me want to come back will be there salted egg yolk wings :) read more

We had the Shanghai Soup dumpling, the Surprised Shrimp dumplings, and the Chicken and Napa cabbage dumplings. They were all really good. Everything is handmade in-house and delicious. read more

I found Dumpling Era by accident and really glad I did. This is my go to for Dumplings and noodles. I've seen signs of restaurants when they talk about fresh noodles and I keep thinking, Whats the deal? A noddle is a noodle. Well Now I see why! I should be smacked in the face with a noodle! Their noodles are made on the premises, fresh and so delicious, the prices are very reasonable. When I first discovered this place I went there everyday for a week, their dumplings, hand torn noodles, etc, are excellent, and you can buy some to take home and make yourself. It's a small place, BUT those are the best places.....highly recommend!! read more

We thought to give this restaurant another try and not order the lamb noodle soup, since it didn't taste right the last time. We ordered beef noodle soup (comforting and hit the spot on on this cold day), beef roll pancake, pork and napa cabbage steamed dumplings, and a chicken knife cut noodles. My bf thought the knife cut noodles were a bit salty. I liked the texture of the noodles. The dumpling skin is a bit thick, but it's decent and freshly made. We'll be back again when we're in the mood for dumplings, since I live close by. read more

This place is simply outstanding, If i could give this place 10 stars I would. Their noodles and dumplings are soooo tasty and fresh, it's just amazing. They do a GREAT job, the staff is friendly and the place is super clean!!! I've been eating here the last 3 days. That's how much I like it. Their noodles are made on the premises. And the best part it's not expensive. Bravo! I don't put my name on anything, but I give them my stamp of approval! Great job!!!! Rocky Cologne Www.ijoke4u.com read more

This was our first time being there, and it was really nice. Before we ordered our food, the waitress gave us complimentary tea, which was fresh and hot. The menu is somewhat big, but we ordered the Black Fungus Cucumber Salad, Garlic String Beans, Shanghai Soup Dumpling, Spicy Wontons, Shumai, and Beef Noodle Soup. Our favorite was the Spicy Wonton and Garlic string beans. It was so flavorful! We enjoyed the Beef Noodle Soup, but it wasn't as hot when it arrived to our table. It was a good experience, and would like to return to try the crispy tofu next time. read more

The best dumpling spot we've been to in California so far. The dumplings were fresh and perfectly cooked. We got a couple of interesting noodle dishes, not stuff we normally order and we're pleasantly surprised by the flavor. All the flavors were distinctive and complimentary of each other. The portions were good for the price. Highly recommend read more

This place is a hidden gem in the Bay Area. It is so good and affordable compared to places in SF. After reading reviews on here we ordered the lamb knife noodles, steamed XLB, spicy wontons, and cucumbers. I was expecting the noodles to be a numbing spicy (like xian in nyc), but they were more of a spicy soy and very flavorful. Had some left overs for lunch the next day. Simply blown away by the flavors and portion size. read more

This is an excellent inexpensive hand made dumpling and noodle restaurant. It is clean and the service was better than average for Asian restaurants. My dining companions and I shared a variety of soup dumplings, pork dumplings, spicy stir fried green beans, hand cut noodles with pork, and beef noodle soup. Everything was authentic, hot and delicious and we ate every bite. Would certainly return. read more

I read the mixed reviews. Came in here because I had a voucher and was in the area. I was totally surprised. Everything I ordered was tasty. Dumplings Yes the dumpling skin could be thinner. I enjoyed the pork cilantro dumplings very much. Just enough cilantro and not overpowering instead. Scallion pancake I prefer my scallion pancake on the crispier side. May request that on my future visit. 7 color crispy tofu Very good but way too spicy for me Knife cut noodles Got the beef. It was a bit like beef chow fun but not as greasy. I would say this was the best dish I ordered. Ambience Don't expect anything. It's a Chinese joint. The place can be cleaner and the tables less greasy. Overall Happy with the food. However I am disappointed to find another Chinese joint doing things half heartedly. You have somewhat trendier chairs / set up. It's a plus. The restroom is dated and not clean. What is it about this that they don't get? A little paint job here and there shouldn't cost that much. Unfortunately it's typical in most Chinese restaurants. read more

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I don't understand the poor reviews. First time here tonight, only ones in the place, had a delicious experience. Fried tofu, mustard green pork soup, and scallion pancakes. Everything was wonderful, they have a massive pasta machine, they make their noodles which I am a huge fan of and appreciate good cooking. Many of the reviews speak about service. IT'S A CHINESE RESTAURANT, if you have ever been to a Chinese restaurant with high expectations for service, then you are not familiar with our culture. We go to eat, not to be babied. This place deserves 4 1/2-5 stars. Great food, honest cooking. Fair prices. read more

This place may look like a hole in the wall but their hand made dumplings are to die for I've never had a better handmade dumpling than the ones in dumpling era if you are ever in San Bruno or even close by the bay area check out this place and I recommend getting the pork with corn. read more

Pretty good dumpling and noodle spot for the area! They make their own dumplings that you can buy to take home! We always get the pork and napa cabbage dumpling and traditional dan dan mien. I have to say the do their dough right. It's got so much bounce and chewiness to it and is actually really great. Who would have thought a small unassuming place on El Camino could add such a special flair to the cuisine of the area. Oh another thing about their dan dan mien, it has the best combination of sesame and chili oil sauce I've had in the bay so far! read more

This is one of the places we go regularly for really good authentic Chinese food. The service is also pretty good. We love the lamb hand pulled noodles as well as the fried Shanghai buns. Yummy goes my tummy! read more

We came here with low expectations, looking for a quick meal after a long day. Even though we weren't expecting much, Dumpling Era still managed to disappoint. The service was possibly the worst I've ever had. Ever. Anywhere. It was just bad. Slow, rude, and unresponsive. It felt like they were intentionally ignoring us and avoiding eye contact. We had to ask for every single little thing. Then when we were close to finishing the older gentleman took everything off our table before we were finished. He took the tea I was still drinking and dumped it into my water glass, effectively ruining both beverages. On top of the bad service, the foos just wasn't very good. Wonton soup? Bland and flavorless. General chicken? Chicken was overcooked, dry and tough. Broccoli beef? Had better at Panda Express. Baby bok choy? Unpleasant, something was just off about the flavor. read more

Meh... lunch was OK. It wasn't great but it hit the spot. They slightly undersalt most of the dishes we had which was a surprise because I usually think most places over salt. For 2.5 people, we over ordered with eight dishes but this allowed us to try many things. To start, they brought out their Scallion Pancake with Egg and Pea Sprouts with Garlic. The Scallion Pancake was springy and pretty good. Next, came Spicy Won Ton with delicious hot oil. We would recommend ordering this dish and keeping the sauce for dipping the other dumplings. They don't have hot oil as a condiment on the table. Instead, they provide an orange colored hot sauce that I am not familiar with. It looks and tastes like habanero sauce. The Seafood Dumpling with Cuttlefish Black Ink and the Pork with Chives Dumpling were OK. There was a nice seafood flavor in the seafood dumpling. The texture of the wrappers was the perfect thickness and kept the filling in. Their Xiao Long Bao is not one I'd recommend. It had very little flavor in both the filling and broth. One of the reviews highly recommended the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings but they were only OK. We would have liked more salt in the batter. The chewiness of the noodles in the Dan Dan Noodles served hot were great but the flavors in the meat sauce were lacking. Service was not that attentive so all in all, the place was average. read more

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Love it when a local spot has great food and does well. I don't need to drive so far for good food! Dumpling Era has a really good Chinese chef and the flavors and ingredients look and taste like that of a restaurant from China. Actually my wife thinks it could compete in China as well! In addition, their noodles are hand pulled and they make their own dumplings. It's becoming common that new restaurants that pop up rely on interesting combinations of ingredients to make the food taste good rather than relying on legit cooking skills. Previously their Yelp rating was lower which was mainly due to the ambiance of the place and the servicing is sometimes slightly off. Wife had some suggestions to them about adding a TV, color, and some music and they ran with it and did all three. This Saturday I would say that our eating experience has greatly improved with some soft Chinese music in the background and also the lighting/slight added decor has warmed up the spot. For some reason whenever we go the service seems to be good. We always get our food fairly quickly (within 15 minutes of ordering) and most importantly the food tastes good as well. About a month or two ago we came and did see some people ordering take-out and it looked like they were waiting for awhile. Hopefully management can fix that part of their service as it does factor into their rating. Other than that they seem to be getting busier so it seems like they are heading towards the right direction. The only things I would suggest would be to add a scent diffuser or scent freshener to make the bathroom smell better, maybe paint either the top or bottom half of the wall to make the restaurant feel warmer as right now everything is one color. In addition, I never liked that ugly 1980s looking glass wall thing in the front of the restaurant so if they could remove that the restaurant would feel less tight. Lastly, the middle table doesn't really seem to serve its' purpose well in comparison to having more smaller tables instead. With smaller tables you could shift them around based on whatever parties are waiting in the queue. That table probably would be the last option I would take as its' not as comfortable being so high and with so many dishes/napkins/cups on there with nobody sitting it looks very messy/cluttered. Just a suggestion. read more

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So tasty food! Highly recommended. Dumplings were amazing! Also recommend pork ears and beef knife cut noodles. Big portions, so you can share. But they have a problem with delivery. Be careful you address could been read incorrectly. read more

This restaurant should still be in "Soft Opening" mode. They have no sense of managing a restaurant or how to expedite a order. Came here on Sunday 11.25.18 and had to wait aprox 90 minutes for us to get our food out. We order 5 dishes. People that came in after us was getting their food before us and we all basically ordered the same items on the menu. Learn to use your POS system, perfect example of someone with $$$ and a idea to run a restaurant with no experience. Food is sub-par at it's best. 1. Dumplings, it's ok but the service and the wait ruined the mood 2. Onion Pancakes (most likely frozen or store bought) nothing original about it. 3. Tofu, pretty to look at but the flavor was subjective 4. Green Beans, flavorful but soft and not crispy (probably because sitting on the pass forever) 5. Spicy Beef Tendon, not what I expected at ALL. Dumpling Era = Dumping Fail get your act together maybe you'll survive 6 more months. read more

I can't really tell you how the food tastes since I never received my order. This was my first time here and the decor and menu looked promising. I ordered something pretty simple, shrimp wonton and noodles for lunch. I waited for over 40 minutes and noticed that every patron who arrived after me had already received their food. When I asked about my missing order, I was told to wait. After waiting a bit more, I canceled my order. I received no apologies, but did hear the waitress yell at the workers in the back room. This place has been open for a few months already but they have no concept of how to run a restaurant. Customer service is totally missing and I can't really see how they can stay in business if they can't even get the simple stuff right.... read more

Food is decent. I really like their beef pancake and soups. managing and serving is AWFUL. I especially dislike the women that looks like Voldemort with the blonde bob. She gives you the most disgusting look when you order with her lol and is never paying attention. (Always on her phone) One more thing, food takes forever to come out. Expect 20-30 min wait for your food to reach your table. This has happened to me twice already. First time I waited 35 mins for dumplings to come out. read more

Give this place a shot! I was initially wary coming in here due to the reviews and the lack of appealing pictures. But I've passed by so many times and finally decided to stop in. + I'm glad I did - the place was recently remodeled to give a more modern feel. + the texture of the noodles surprised me, very soft, very slightly slightly chewy. Aka does not taste like basic store bought noodles. From the glass set up, looks like they hand pull the noodles? + the flavors of the food were distinct and pleasant in every dish + food came out in reasonable time, the staff were very accommodating + extensive menu options (English and Chinese) + super affordable prices, fair for the portion size! - I wish their menu had more pictures! - somewhat of a language barrier, though coming from an immigrant family, I do understand the struggles. In order of favorites: 1. Sweet baby back ribs (appetizer) - very flavorful, good portion size, nice plating. 2. Braised lamb noodles (main) - loved the texture of the noodles. They tasted unique, like other hand pulled noodles I've had! The lamb pieces are small but fair portion for the price, and very tender and yummy! 3. Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings (main) - the dough is slightly thicker than others I've had, but the soup and meat inside is very smooth and savory. 4. Mapo Tofu noodle (main) - noodle texture same as above. The tofu and noodle amount is generous and the dish came out piping hot. The flavor is subtle with a slight spice. Not overpowering taste or too salty, which I found very satisfying. 5. Tofu Crisps (appetizer) - I should've been more careful as this is a spicy dish and I am not a fan of spicy things. I brushed off the spice, but enjoyed the crunchiness of the tofu exterior. There wasn't as much flavor (well, probably because I brushed off the spice lol) but it was still enjoyable. I am a fan of their noodle dishes now for their thick noodle texture, flavorful and balanced dishes, and affordable prices. Also happy to support my small local businesses! Will come again sometime :) read more

My roommate and I order from here all the time. We cannot get enough of the beef chow main. So perfectly flavored and you throw the hot sauce on.... The wings, san tong style of course, are so good. I've also had the knife cut noodle with pork and a few of the dumplings. So glad this place exists!! read more

Tasted like frozen dumplings kept in the steamer. Sorry but not sorry. I won't go back. read more