Super good lots of students around (order ahead of time if possible.) Pork and shrimp Siu Mai: 9/10 super good I just felt like it was missing something flavor wise. BBQ pork buns: 7/10 something was a little off the dough part was super good but the pork... Fried pork and chicken dumplings: 10/10 ask for extra sauce. Shanghai pork soup dumplings: 10/10 super good nice flavor and nice amount of soup. Chicken wings: 10/10 salt and pepper style has jalapeños and a nice spicy kick. Shrimp Har Gaw: 10/10 nice mild flavor and great texture. Veggie spring roll: 10/10 ask for pot sticker sauce nice and flakey wrap. Sesame balls: 10/10 read more

I wouldn't travel to Berkeley for this. It's nothing particularly special. The chicken and corn dumplings were kinda interesting but soggy and the XLB had 2-3 drops of soup in each one. But, and this is a big but, it's super close to campus and the only option of it's type. They're pretty slow right now but if they speed it up by september, I might be coming here for lunch kind of a lot. It's cheap and something I have an appetite for pretty much everyday. read more

XLB cravings were definitely satisfied but -1 for the size of each bun. There is so much soup in each bun and dipping the buns in a little bit of vinegar + soy sauce is a good combo. The dumpling wraps were thick and held a lot of meat filling. There is quite a wait for your order because they steam and cook everything once the order has been placed, so it's fresh! read more

See all

Dropped in here around midday one beautiful day in the mid-June. I have been pleased with the efforts that they try to emulate Shanghai and Taipei's signature food item? Except, what they copied sort of resulted in a first time error that gets repeated over time when your fellow editors don't know enough shit to BS the rest of the paper with plausible pieces of information. To break everything down to get the gist of it. I mean, this place is not the best of all worlds. It is the fast food version of a simple restaurant you would find in Shanghai. I personally think maybe some of the airport food that I had in Pudong had much more tastes packed for your nervous system. It is enough to pass off as a midnight snack unless you actually want to care so much about flavor, your mind starts to sink into your eyes' sclera. Xiao Long Baos or Siu Lung Bao (in my mother tongue) should be more than fast food style. Similar to bad behaved patients I see in the hospital at work, they should scream at your GI receptors and make you not want to eat anything else. The anatomy of small round pieces of beef, pork, or sometimes chicken in rich broth all packaged ready to go within a single layer of flour which will not leak out is the best description I can give there. Then with your merry time, choose between ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, or spicy red pepper for additional flavors. Dumpling Express's main drawback: There definitely wasn't enough broth in their servings, the skin was ice cold, and when it was time to pay the bill, I still felt famished. I have to put down my chopsticks, grab a to-go bag, and find something else for my stomach to feed on. I wear braces and I have to very picky about this to save money on my treatment to make sure I can get them off on time. Service: Felt like a large merchandise store, you paid the bill, but so much stuff gets racked up at the end, you sometimes do not know which item is yours. Most of the workers are pretty condescending I feel or perhaps do not have a strong grasp of the English language I believe. Just to make things clear, I actually bust out speaking more Mandarin to make sure I could get my order done without wasting any of my own time. As a matter of fact, people crave this place as if there is no sunny day tomorrow. I understand why, it is so darn difficult to get something that is sort of typical to a foreign country even when it fails to get a passing grade. College students are in a bubble, thereby trapped in this sphere for the sake of convenience. Thank the Lord that there are other better places for the Xiao Long Bao. Any Cantonese restaurant beats the make believe Shanghainese/Taiwanese style food here. 多謝！ read more

Appreciate the quick service. We called 5 mins before closing and they still took our order. The dumplings were not like DTF standards but it was enough to satiate our cravings for dumplings. Plus, you cannot beat the price anywhere. read more

While the name suggests a strength in their dumpling offerings, I think that, while those offerings are good, Dumpling Express' strength is their entree dishes. For everything ranging from the porridge to the fried rice to the chow fun, the portions are extremely generous. They're definitely enough for two people, and often I find that they double as both lunch and dinner. Try to call ahead, if possible. The wait is long (around 15-20 minutes), and the space is very small with only a handful of seats inside and outside. They recently started offering a variety of new dishes, a list which they have posted on a wall inside. I decided to try the Hong Kong Style Seafood Fried Rice with XO Sauce. The portions were generous as usual, including the seafood, which consisted of white fish, scallops, and shrimp. I found the dish a bit underwhelming. While the dish was savory and full of umami flavor, it tasted extremely similar to the Yang Zhou Fried Rice, which has BBQ Pork and Shrimp. I was hoping for a different taste that better represented "Hong Kong Style" fried rice. Overall, I rate this place 3.5/5 stars, but leaning closer to 3/5 stars. Their portions will leave you full, but the dishes here seem to be assembled similarly, with changes to a few key ingredients, in regards to its entree items. read more

Service 5/5, food 3/5. I feel like this place can be a hit or miss. Sometimes food is really good, sometimes it's just ok. I always get BBQ pork buns, and Shanghai soup dumplings. But last week, when I got the buns, they were dry, and filling wasn't very tasty. The service is always good, prices and servings are reasonable. Would probably keep coming back because it's close and good for a quick meal. read more

Do not come here if you are in a rush. Expect at the very least a 15 minute wait. Came on a colder day and the place was filled. It took 10 minutes just to get to the front to place an order and then I waited another 25 minutes for my dumplings. I had the xiao long bao and they were pretty average. Curbed my dumpling craving. Nothing too great. Also, the service is questionable. I saw the owner place an different customer's order of xiao long bao on the counter and waited for the rest of their order to come out. 15 minutes later, when my order and the rest of their order finished, I saw him switch my box of freshly steamed xiao long bao so that I got the one that was sitting on the counter. Why couldn't you have just given me the order first instead of having me wait for cold dumplings? Idk. This place just isn't reliable imo. read more

Dumpling Express - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Dear Dumpling Express, I called to see if you were doing takeout during the Shelter In Place order, nobody picked up (and messages were full) so I drove by to see if you were open (unfortunately not) Im praying that you are among the small businesses in Berkeley that pulls through this difficult time. Let me know how to buy a gift card I'll happily purchase $200 of future soup dumplings! Long live dumpling express! read more

I wanted to LOVE this place. I am obsessed with soup dumplings - and compare everything to my trip to Tai Pei. Well - here they are making the dumplings and XLB as you wait so I had really high hopes. But I found the skin to be really thick - and honestly not that great. They are hand made - so I give them an extra star for that. They also haven't posted their hours - and don't have a listed phone number. I should take a star off for that annoyance alone. read more

Dumplings to go. I am a big fan of Chinese dumplings. I get giddy just thinking about xialongbao or shaomai. It is nice having a place where you can get freshly made dumplings to go, but unfortunately a few things hold dumpling express back from getting a stronger recommendation. The first thing, is that it is hard to come here by yourself. The orders of dumplings are either 6 or 12, and you there are no combos so that you can try an assortment of the different kinds. They also don't have too many places to sit, so you will have to get it to go. The second thing is that although the dumplings are certainly seem to be made fresh, for some reason they are just OK. They don't have that big juicy explosion of flavor that is so appealing about dumplings. I have tried lots of their different kinds in addition to their pork buns, and I just haven't been impressed. I have not tried their non-dumpling dishes, which seem more suited for individual orders. Come if you happen to need takeout dumplings for a group. read more

Dumplings made on the spot. Fresh off the steamer but just an average taste.

Very yummy but took a while. Friendly staff and decently priced. I do wish the dumplings were a little bigger though. read more

Dumpling Express - Wings n' dumplings...mmm - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Dumplings are okay. I prefer to get their entree (Chicken fried rice) since their portions are huge! The Kongee (porridge) is simple but very tasty. The only negative is that the wait time to receive your food is long. Remember to bring cash because it is more expensive to pay with credit/debit. read more

The shanghai dumplings are the way to go. They're nice and thin with some good juice inside. In fact, I bit mine open and the juice splattered everywhere--whoops. That was my first one so .. ya know... yum. Anyway, the wait was not too bad but it was kind of long for me since we pretty much had to stand there. I wish they could add seating or barstools at least. My friend and I just stood and ate our xiao long baos after we got them. I know you are EXPRESS but please, seating? The shanghai dumplings are very cute and come out looking like cupcakes, and totally affordable! I shared the 12 with my friend cause we just wanted to try them. Ended up wanting to get more. read more

Dumpling Express - Shanghai dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Had a craving for dumplings and got a variety. My favorite were the pork kimchi and pork soup dumplings but even the vegetarian buns were good! Service was a bit slow when we went to pick up the order but the quality of the food made up for that! read more

Replaced the old sando spot - Uncle Dougie. New handmade dumpling spot in Berkeley. You can see them making everything and the huge steaming area in the kitchen. Pretty solid if unspectacular dumplings. Ther're not bad, they are relatively cheap and the perfect kind of dumpling spot for the area. College kids with a lower bar will love it. It's exactly what 3 stars is supposed to be - A-Ok. read more

Dumpling Express - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I don't get it...why am I getting premade frozen dumplings like the ones you would get at 99 ranch's frozen section for only $3.99 while other reviews got freshly handmade ones??? 12 frozen dumplings cost $8. Thanks. Never coming back to this place ever again. read more

Dumpling Express - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Their bahn mi is just below average, their dumplings look great, I wish I tried their dumplings instead read more

See all

No frills, reasonably priced shanghai dumplings. They ran out of both the pork and the chicken dumplings by the time we got there at 8 p.m. on opening day, so we ordered the pork and crab dumplings. I don't know what the pork dumplings taste like, but the crab does not stand out. It was cool watching the ladies spoon the filling into skins and hand fold them into the steamer. The interior is simple, with some standing tables only, no seating. They have a few other items (mostly noodle variety) if you want to supplement your dumpling meal. read more

See all

Meh. I think that Dumpling Express is just ok in terms of food. There is no seating. There's a communal bar for eating your dumplings so it's definitely a to-go place. There's a line of people behind the glass making the dumplings for your consumption. Service is not bad, they're rather attentive for staff behind a glass counter. Their food, just didn't cut it for me. The doughy wrappers, similar tasting filing and blah chow mein... All in all, good place for a quick meal. But don't expect anything fancy. read more

Dumpling Express - Chow Mein - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Great har gow, really good. Price points make a lot of sense. Very walkable area. I will be coming back. Instant service. read more

I came here for dinner today and I ordered the beef chow fun. If you want to save some money, bring cash because the prices are different for cash vs card. I waited about 20 minutes for my food. The portion is large enough to be two meals for some people. The chow fun was pretty good but it was mostly just soy sauce flavored. The dumplings looked authentic and I tried one of my friend's. They are handmade and pretty good. A good spot for some Asian food cravings! read more

Dumpling Express - Beef chow fun - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

It's pricey for just dumplings and chow fun. Located close to the Asian Ghetto, it's a small restaurant with limited seats. There's a couple of outside tables and some stools inside. My boyfriend and I sat inside of the restaurant which was hot inside. We ordered two orders of Shanghai Soup Dumpling with Crab and Pork (card - $6.89 each order) since each order comes with only 6 pieces, and we also ordered a Chicken Chow Fun (card - $8.26). It took us about 12 minutes to get our order. - SHANGHAI SOUP DUMPLING WITH CRAB AND PORK (card - $6.89 each order): it was just okay but still good. There was really nothing that stood out about it. The crab can be questionable if it's imitation or real crab meat; I'd be surprised if it was real crab from this establishment. The meat was not as tendered as I would prefer, and the soup wasn't super flavorful. I've had better. This order is good when you're craving for soup dumplings but don't want to get dim sum in SF. - CHICKEN CHOW FUN (card - $8.26): the ratio between the noodles and chicken was off. We barely had any chicken compared to the amount of noodles. The dish was basically only noodles and veggies with a few strangle pieces of chicken. I would not order this again even if I was desperate for chow fun because it's just so expensive for what it is when I've had way better chow fun for half of this price. All in all, the dumplings were decent if you were desperate while the chow fun was disappointing. I also had to dock this restaurant down because the price difference in cash or card. Taking into account the price, this restaurant isn't really worth it other than the dumplings since I do love me some dumplings. Sigh. read more

See all

This is the place if you want to grab quick dumplings. I always get chicken dumpling and taste has been consistently delicious. It's in a student area, it's all about quick food rather than ambience. read more

I order takeout so can't comment on the restaurant itself. But the soup dumplings are absolutely out of this world. Keep up the good work!

Good flour, genuine dumplings and stuff. The Downside : too too too slow. 5 min per dumpling it is like. And they don't seem to have a way to make dumplings beforehand and quickly cook them. I think some science can be done here to quicken the process read more

Dumpling Express - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

The veggie dumplings r so bomb. i also got mixed veggies with rice and the veggies r so yum and fresh

Love this place. I could live off dim sum for the rest of my life. The dumplings are fresh, delicious, fairly cheap, and service is fast. My friend and I go there ever time we're in town, and we particularly love the char sui bao, pork sui mai, and taro root bun. They also sell bulk amounts of frozen dumplings to take home and warm up, for a lower cost than fresh ones. They have other food like banh mai, which we've never tried, so can't say how good it is. Plus they sell some houswares like plates and bowls, which is kinda weird, but neat. The only downside to this place is seating. There's just one little bar which is somewhat cramped, and it's along the entry ramp so people on one side of the bar have their stools sitting on the ramp, which is awkward. Highly recommend this place if you like dumplings and want a quick meal. read more

I came in here with a craving for soup dumplings, so that's all I've tried (but I'll update this review next time). They were well priced at about 6 dollars for 6 pork soup dumplings and a pork bun, and the service was fast and efficient. They gave me my order immediately and two of the six dumplings were a little dry and slightly tougher, which makes me think that maybe they weren't as fresh; but they were still super tasty and it was really nice to be able to walk in and walk out with my soup dumplings in an instant. I'm coming back for more! read more

Pay and order at the counter before receiving food. This place is a good affordable "fast" food option for those who are craving dumplings. We tried the soup dumplings both pork and the pork with crab roe. Both were really good but didn't have as much broth as I would have liked. We also tried the chicken and corn dumpling as well. Different but good. The chicken and corn dumpling looked just like Shandong dumplings do. You can tell they make everything in house. I also saw you can buy some for the freezer! I might try that next time I'm here. I also got the vietnamese original banh mi. That was good as well, would get one here again. Keep in mind since they do make everything in house it will take awhile for your order. There is counter seating and some patio seating outside. Although I gave this place 3 stars. if I lived close by it would be a regular spot to get your dumpling craving on. It isn't mind blowing but you will be satisfied after especially at the affordable price. read more

If you are a college student and you are looking for something good to eat. I would recommend this place. Has great food and I always get dumplings on my way out to snack on. I usually use Snackpass too just so if they are busy I can cut the lines. Very nice customer service too they work hard to make sure the order is right and I appreciate it. read more

This place is a nice cheap location especially for the students to stop by and grab some great Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. Still, there are a couple flaws with the place such as their tight inefficient ordering and seating. Nonetheless, it serves as a good place for Asian delights. Order: D5) Pork Dumpling with Kimchi - A quality made dumpling packed with a nice sour and spicy taste from the kimchi. I was slightly disappointed by the wrap they used as I hoped for a thicker style one. Mixed with vinegar, the dumpling reminded me of the ones my parents would make when I was younger. 1 order of 12 pieces served as a good snack or small lunch meal. An improvement would be to increase the size of the filling to have more meat and a tad less kimchi because the strong taste of kimchi can overpower a lot of the flavors. Service: This location, like many in Berkeley, enjoy cash more than cards. The cashier had no problem communicating with the customers in multiple languages including Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. He is extremely polite and clearly shows his willingness to help serve others. My real gripe would be the set up of the place. It is extremely difficult and uncomfortable snaking through the table where people sit to order. There really isn't a nice location to wait for our dishes, so it makes the for-here people feel awkward and crowded. Otherwise, the place feel suits the "grab-and-go" style and I would definitely visit here again to eat! read more

I love this place !!! They have amazing good and prices !!! I been hunting for good soup dumplings and this place has them !!! read more

Dumpling Express - Crab and pork soup dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

This place has everything. From drinks to dumplings to different meat dishes. I got the banh mi and it was pretty good. The person next to me had pho and it smelled great so I'd like to try that next time I'm there. Give this place a try. read more

I really wanna give them a 1 start review. But their food is sooo good. They have my favourite amazing dumplings and Xiaolongbao. BUT, I ordered food delivery from them via DoorDash today. And 20 minutes after my food is supposed to get here, the Dasher called, saying that THEY GAVE OUR ORDER TO SOMEONE ELSE. NO APOLOGIES. I'm so mad right now. Thinking about calling them right now but dunno what that would get me. AHGGGG SO MAD!!!!!!!! read more

really great service; the owner is so nice and their shanghai soup dumplings are BOMB would recommend.

I'm not a dumpling expert but I thought these were so tasty and they're homemade! I ordered the pork and kimchi which the owner kindly stated they would be 15 minutes to prepare but they also have other options (e.g. pork and cabbage) readily available. I wasn't in a rush so I opted for the wait and ordered a hot large jasmine tea for $1.65. If you pay in cash I believe its a 10% discount so my 12 large dumplings were $6.87. The dumplings were soooo tasty and I really hit the spot. I was looking more for a snack so I saved half and next day added the rest to some leftover broth and veggies for a delicious soup. I don't live in Berkley so not sure when I'll be back but if I did I would go here instantly! read more

Dumpling Express - Yummy pork and kimchi dumplings. - Shanghainese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I go here pretty much every week because my mother really likes the BBQ pork buns. And for good reason! They're quite good, and you can get 6 for around $7. Decent deal. And they make them fresh! I don't really like the other buns all that much, unfortunately. Recently though, I found out that they have chicken potstickers, I believe listed on the menu as fried chicken dumplings or something. And they're pretty good too! Finally, something else I can get besides BBQ pork buns. There's better things you can get around the area for sure, but if you REALLY just want BBQ pork buns, this place is probably your best bet. read more

Inexpensive homemade dumplings! Soup! Rice plates Sandwiches Ice coffee Better then the cluster of restaurants down the street Cash is even cheaper.... Small but stool seating available You can even buy frozen dumplings to take home.... Try this place read more