Good service. Was surprised by the pricing. Lots of dumpling choices in the east bay. Food was good but $80 wasn't enough food for 2 people. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - 8 soup dumplings for $20.... Had to get it but woah - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Had high hopes for this place, always seeing lines in the SF location. Known for its giant dumpling soup dumpling, I was excited to try it out! I ordered the -green beans -XLB -Tom Yum -tofu -fried rice And out of all those I'd have to say the green beans were the best and sadly everything else was just ok. For the price you pay, the portions were quite small. The soup dumplings looked a lil sad and flat as if they were melting on themselves. Tom Yum broth was tasty but the older brother XLB was not having a great night. Having grown up eating at a million Chinese restaurants. When I orders the fried rice, I was expecting a typical Chinese fried rice. Instead I got something straight out of a a frozen trader joes fried rice bag. (No knock to Tj's though, I love y'all) I feel somewhat bamboozled into thinking I'd be getting a good Chinese meal but each dish just seemed a bit off. It seemed a bit too Americanized for me. So if you're looking for more traditional dumpling experience, there's better elsewhere. Green beans were good though, ha. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Sad and dumpy :( - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've written reviews for all of the dumpling times, except for the new one in I believe Sunnyvale. Let's just say this one is pushing for the top spot of the best one. Christina, who is the manager and may be the general manager made me feel like I had a sister that I never had. They ran out of a sparkling yet she gave me a better sparkling wine at the same price to accommodate me which made the meal so much better. Having the sunset out the front of the restaurant on a blazing hot night that was absolutely beautiful in Berkeley. I couldn't say enough good things about this place. Service was on point. Dumplings were spectacular. If you want rock solid dumpling type of meal, I'm telling you this place rocks it. Thank you dumpling time for knocking another one out of the park. read more

From out of state stumbled upon this place and couldn't be happier. We ordered the sea food Gyoza had it fried, BBQ Bao fried as well, both AMAZING. The home made sauce that comes w the Gyoza is just right, not too tangy not too salty. Servers were kind and attentive. Will definitely return when back in the area. read more

Dumpling Time just opened another location in Berkeley! It's located near cute (and pricey) shops so it's a bit dangerous for the wallet. Everything we got was delicious! My favorite was the seafood spinach wrap dumpling! Yummmy! It's a bit on the pricier side compared to a hole-in-a-wall spots, but still cheaper than DTF. Definitely hits the spot if you're craving for sum comfort carbs! read more

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I've been here before and really loved everything!!! My son and daughter are here and haven't tried it... So we're here again. Hostess held the table with the high back which was perfect for my husband who has back problems. We ordered A lot of food that we're going to eat family style! It's nice and warm outside but a little breezy in here. My son says he's cold but he only has a T-Shirt on. The rest of us have sleeves and we're fine. Ok, we're finally done eating and even had dessert!! Once again, we are totally satisfied!! My daughter's favorite was the mushroom salad. They both gave two thumbs up to everything. Everyone working there was very pleasant and helpful to us and each other.!! We will be back!!! read more

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Our first time here. There is a sign that said "Grand Opening". We've been to the one in SF and really liked it. I think this branch is still working out it's kinks and hopefully will get better in the future. My comments on the food (we've had these items in the SF branch): Tom Yum Goon - there was not enough of the Tom yum flavors in these dumplings. It tasted like regular dumplings with colored wrapping. Shrimp toast - the shrimp paste on the toast was definitely skimpier than that of SF. Crispy Tofu Squares - they were not crispy at all. I really loved the ones at the SF branch. Southwest Fried Rice Noodles - the noodles was too wet for it to be "fried". The consistency should be dry. Since this is a relatively new business I will definitely come back and give it a second chance. Hopefully once the kinks are worked out I can give it another review. read more

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Expensive and made me very sick! Not sure what it was but had stomach ache and felt I'll read more

It's a wonderful option if you're craving a little dim sum fix. They don't have a huge menu, but everything I tried was solid. The garlicky green beans were my favorite - crispy and lip-smackingly garlicky. The xiao long bao was piping hot, with a tender skin housing a juicy pork belly broth that you can dip in some shaoxing wine sauce. The har gow dipped in that green sauce was delicious. Portion sizes were satisfying, although the pork bao (which you can have seared or steamed) were a bit too small for my liking (I like big buns!) and char siu pork lacking in flavor and heft. Perhaps they were just more refined, as the dough on the bao and dessert trio of buns were perfectly and subtly sweet and spongy. Service was fast and attentive. It looks to be a busy spot, so choose your time to visit wisely, as they take walk-ins only right now. read more

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The xlb are pretty good and large in size but the gyoza was underwhelming and too oily. The spoons and plates are made out of some sort of cheap material. The wait staff was nice but not attentive- perhaps the place was understaffed the day we went. Overall a bit underwhelmed. read more

My favorites here: Pork potstickers Chicken Wings Lobster siu mai All were very delicious. If you're coming here for lunch on a weekend, i would recommend you come in early. The restaurant was completely full around noon with a small group of people outside waiting for a table. read more

After running errands on a rainy day, we stopped here for lunch. We got there when they opened so we were able to get an inside table quickly. For lunch we ordered the sweet and sour DT wings, seared BBQ pork bao, har gow, lobster siu mai, chili pork dumpling, lamb dumplings, pork gyoza, chicken gyoza, xiao long bao, and Beijing noodles. The noodles and bao were mainly for my son, as he loves these items. Of the dishes we ordered, I highly recommend the lamb dumpling and lobster siu mai. The lamb flavor is very pronounced, so you will need to like lamb to enjoy it. As I do, it was delicious. It was topped with cherry tomatoes and sliced radishes, which added a crunch and acid to the lamb flavor. The lobster siu mai flavor was delicate and enjoyable to eat. The chili pork dumpling had a lot of the chili sauce on top of it. So if you don't like spicy, you should not try this one. I found this dumpling to be OK. The pork gyoza was better in taste than the chicken. My son enjoyed eating the crispy dumpling skirt from each of the gyozas. Service did seem slow as there seemed to be 1 main server assisting all tables. Luckily this did not affect all of our dishes from arriving to our table. As we were leaving it was getting crowded for lunch. It was a good call to get there when they opened. read more

Dumpling Time is one of my favorite spots in the Bay for dim sum. We checked it out on their first weekend open and found a small line on the otherwise busy 4th Street Corridor. The short 30 minute wait was well worth the food that came after. I'm a fan of the SF locations and found all of the favorites to be the same quality if not cooked a little bit better! Glad to have one of my favorite spots now on the East Bay. Favorites: Shrimp Toast - You can't go wrong with the crunchy and flaky texture! Chili Pork Dumpling - Easily a new favorite with a small amount of spice and chili oil drenched! Tom Yum Goong - Theres only two choices for soup dumplings but they are both very tasty, especially paired with the vinegar they give you for dipping. read more

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I was excited when I found out that they were going to open a Dumpling Time in the East Bay since I've only been to the one in SF. We came here on a Saturday right before they opened at 10am because I thought there was going to be a long line, but boy was I wrong! We were the first group to get seated so we decided to sit outside because it was such a nice day. Some of my favorite dishes: - Seared BBQ Porks: super crispy on the outside and the meat was juicy - Steamed BBQ Porks: baos were soft and fluffy and the meat was juicy - Shrimp & Pork Siu Mai: meat was flavorful and the skin was chewy - Spring Rolls: extra crispy on the outside and the sweet and sour sauce made it taste even better - Chili Pork Dumplings: the chili had a nice kick to it and complemented the dumplings very well The portions are on the smaller side and is definitely family style. It's also a little on the pricier side for dim sum. The restroom is a little difficult to find. My friend ended up going to the fire riser and found out that it wasn't the restroom. I went towards the door that was labeled fire alarm control panel plus exit, but right when I was about to go to the other direction, and employee said that was the correct door. We suggest specific signs to indicate where the restroom should be so it won't cause so much confusion. read more

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Loved what we tried here! The XLB and Tom Yum version was quite yummy! The vinegary sauce that comes with it enhances the flavor perfectly especially with a hint of chilli oil. We also got the garlic green beans. So yummy with a satisfying crunch. The chilli pork was ok. I enjoyed the beijing noodles especially with some of the chilli oil added. I also ordered a sweet cucumber juice which was lightly seeet and bery refreshing. The service was great! Our XLBs came out quickly and other dishes followed suit. The space is a little small but perfect for a date! read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I am a big fan of the SF location in the design district and after waiting for months, the Berkeley location finally opened. Fair warning, this location is smaller than the SF one, so large parties will be harder to seat. I opted to go for lunch, as people don't linger, so the tables turn over quickly enough. My friend and I went on a Monday at 12:30 and there was a 30 min wait (no reservations or takeout). Since she has never been to the other locations, I kinda ordered a little of everything. Overall, everything was tasty but did notice a few things. Shrimp Toast: 4.5/5 (I'm not sure but the shrimp toast had more shrimp back in the day, but the donut seemed a little sweeter) XLB: 5/5 (always my favorite, must have) Fried Tofu: 5/5 (They use soft tofu, so be careful, it will be hot when you pop the whole thing into your mouth.) Pork Gyoza: 4.5 (Juicy and delicious) This location also has new things: Lobster Siu Mai, Wagyu Beef Boiled Dumplings that one might to try. (Also, there is wine, beer and sake that is served here). Beside the food, the interior is super cute and the chairs are comfortable. I would suggest to come a little earlier than when you want to eat, as there will be a wait (weekends will be crazy). Also, this location just opened, and the service is good but still a working project. read more

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Menu is so much smaller than expected which was shocking. We arrived around 5 on a Thursday and they were out of both short rib and chicken wings for the day so I couldn't try it.We had the lamb dumpling, shrimp and pork shy Mai , lobster dumpling and seaweed salad. Overall the taste was ok. Nothing spectacular at all but the lobster had the best and most flavor to me. For the price I think there is better dumpling places to eat at. It is a tiny restaurant but bright and a nice setting to have lunch. read more

I was always curious about what business would open into that vacant space, and it was finally Dumpling Time--a perfect addition to the hip Fourth Street area. This location is smaller than the ones in the City, so I was bummed that the menu here did not have the full offerings I was accustomed to at the other locations. The tom yum XLBs were an innovative offering for the traditional XLBs. We could really taste the tom yum broth inside and the beet skin gave these a vibrant look. The seafood gyoza were also a highlight for us. The bottoms were crisp and there was a good flavor to the crab and shrimp filling. The Southeast Fried Rice Noodles had a fragrant curry flavor. These were the equivalent to Singapore rice noodles. Some of the other items we ordered were only average--the har gow and siu mai. Though it was nice and crisp, I wish the shrimp toast had more shrimp in them. This was just like eating a Chinese donut with a spicy aioli and a dab of shrimp meat inside. Service was great. We waited about 5 minutes during an early weekend lunch for an outdoor table. It's a nice option to have in this area, though some of the other options a bit further south (i.e., Din Ding in Union City) have bigger and better XLB options. read more

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I expected a lot more from Dumpling Time given all of the hype around it. It's located on Berkeley's Fourth Street, which is accessible via the 51B bus line. There's ample street parking but it does tend to get crowded during the afternoon and evening. I've eaten here twice and this review will cover both times. The last time I visited, the restaurant had recently opened. We ordered the tom yum XLB, shrimp toast, Maine lobster siumai, seafood gyoza, and trio of buns. Everything except the trio of buns was mediocre and lacking in flavor, especially the Tom Yum XLB and siumai. I was pretty disappointed because I'd heard great things about the SF location. My most recent visit was better but also not the best (my mom wanted to visit). We ordered the regular siumai, gyoza, regular XLB, and a few more items I can't remember. The siumai and gyoza were actually quite good. However, the XLB were quite bland and missing that savory broth flavor that they should normally have. I was glad that it improved but the XLB should definitely be better if that's one of the main dishes they promote. The place is well-decorated with a rather nice ambiance and it doesn't take too long to be seated, luckily. If you want to try out a famous spot, check it out since you might find something you like. read more

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This new spot in Berkeley on 4th street is in the new downtown area amongst several stores and restaurants. They have indoor and outdoor spots. Service is quick and efficient. Parking is easily available on the street. Menus were available with QR and physical for different preferences. All dumplings we tried were delicious and flavorful. The shrimp toast was unusual and the lamb delicious was scrumptious. Would recommend this spot for a good dumpling fix. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Beijing Noodles and Shrimp Toast - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Tried the hot & sour soup style dumplings and they tasted awful... 6 dumplings for $17 pretax is also a bad deal.

The broccolini was a little overcooked but tasty but that shrimp toast more than made up for it. It had the texture of a Chinese donut with minced shrimp stuffed inside of it. I didn't try the soup dumplings yet but that's my next goal. read more

The food was amazing! We sat outside and it got Cold and they turned on the heaters. So that was nice. Service was good too. I definitely will be coming back. We also tried the dessert dumplings, which the filling reminded me of a Mexican custard. Delicious read more

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I have a deep and abiding love for the Beijing noodles, which are spot on for the noodles I enjoyed when actually in Beijing. The crispy tofu is delectably crispy, spring rolls are springy. The price is right and the service is always excellent! A good, solid place for reliable comfort food. read more

I went on a weekend and it wasn't busy but there was a sign in sheet outside. The employee was watching me put my name down and I stepped back to wait for my name to be called (I was like second on the list). Red flag 1 is as I saw people approach the front, they were getting seated. So... I basically went up to the door and was seated by another employee. So now I was a little irked since the employee watching me put my name down could've seated me from the start. The only person who helped us in any way was the man in the Hawaiian shirt. Everyone else did not make me feel welcomed/ I felt like I was an inconvenience to them. As for the food, it was nothing special. Sorry. read more

Dumpling Time gets three stars if you're looking for authentic Chinese food, but four stars if you're alright with an Americanized version :) My first visit was during their grand opening over the summer, and I was pretty disappointed when I tried the dumplings. It's not that they're bad; they're just clearly not the most authentic. Most customers are those shopping on Fourth Street who've stopped by for lunch or dinner (so clearly a different base than a small mom and pop shop in Chinatown, for example). I finally came back for a second time in February because I thought I should give the restaurant another shot. This time, I knew what to expect and the experience was good. There's still a waitlist on the weekends, so I'm glad the restaurant has kept up the momentum! I ordered the following which is way too much for two people: Garlicky Green Beans, Shrimp Toast, BBQ Pork Bao, Pork XLB, Lamb Dumpling, and Beijing Noodles. The Garlicky Green Beans and Beijing Noodles are ironically my favorite even though they're not dumplings. The BBQ Pork Bao and Lamb Dumpling are also decent. I probably wouldn't recommend the Pork XLB unless you have low expectations for soup dumplings. I'm used to incredibly soupy ones that are steamed on fresh cabbage, so the fact that these are called "XLB" give you a hint in terms of their authenticity. A big plus is that the food comes out super quickly. I'm not sure how they do it, but I think my six items came out in less than 15 minutes! That makes the wait worth it, and again, if your standards aren't too high, these dishes are a pretty good fusion. read more

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Dumpling Time, is a great little spot. The menu is small, but all the dishes we had were excellent. We had Pork Sui Mai, BBQ Pork buns and the Woodear Mushroom salad and we would return to try their Noodle dishes and Gyoza. The Garlic green beans smelled delicious and seemed very popular, that we will try next time also. This place is a great addition to 4th Street! read more

Celine was lovely with service and attention. Very happy to have come here. The BXL and baño pork and shrimp ones are outstanding. The pork noodles Beijing style are exquisite read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Love food, great service, and comfortable outdoor seating with heaters! Try the shrimp toast, it's a unique and scrumptious appetizer. Also love the potstickers (extra crispy) the soup dumplings. And the cucumber juice. It's a little pricey, but worth it when you can afford it. Fun place to go for a family outing or small dinner party. read more

The food was fine. The service was fine. I was surprised by the "Living Wage" surcharge. I had never seen one before. It can be found mentioned at the bottom of the menu on the website but not on the Yelp menu. I didn't notice a mention of it on the menu I was given. I am happy to give a good tip for good service. This left a bad taste in my mouth. read more

Disappointed this time around. While the soup dumplings were tasty (3.5-4 stars) the garlic green beans were too tough to eat. Half of the beans were too stringy (old) and since this dish a typically untrimmed - made it basically inedible. Appreciate that the manager acknowledged my feedback (yes, will let the team know about the produce quality). However, even after seeing that I only had a few bites and left the plate uneaten (and not packing to go) - he offered nothing towards the total bill. And, not even a small gesture - like have a snack/dessert on us. Today, food 2.5 (sad green beans) Ambiance 4.5 I still tipped out of courtesy. Won't be ordering the green beans here if I decide to come back. Nice ambiance, lovely outdoor vibe today with the wind... and polite service. So overall 3 stars. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Looks better than it tasted. Too stringy and old. - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was so disappointed by my experience here. I had heard good things about them in the past, but my own personal experience had me feeling not happy. The staff was VERY prompt and eager to take our order once we were seated. I almost felt rushed and an inconvenience. Since it was the first time we wanted to look over the menu thoroughly to figure out what we wanted. I was surprised that their menu was very limited. When our dishes came out, I was super shocked at the size! For the price we paid, the food was definitely overpriced! We got an order of the pork XLB, tofu squares, seafood gyoza and green beans, sesame balls, and a trio of sweet baos. Our bill was close to 80 dollars! I can cross them off it my list but I likely won't return. read more

LOVED THIS PLACE. There wasn't a lot of food options for dumplings as I am use to the dim sum type of options but still delicious. Our waitress Marz was AMAZING. Me and my boyfriend are the type to ask what they recommended because they see it all the time and probably tasted it. I recommend the Cucumber Fresno Chili salad as it has a good kick with being refreshing. Cute date setting and very casual. A lot of the food is ginger forward however so if you aren't into that I wouldn't recommend coming here. I'm not that into it but it was tolerable but still delicious. We finished it off with their desert baos which were Green Tea, Egg Custard and Red Bean read more

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We tried Dumpling Time as an eat-in restaurant one evening a few weeks ago. This business is located on Fourth Street, a busy shopping area during the day that closes its shutters in the evening. The closing time of 8PM does not suggest that DT is a romantic date restaurant. In the evening, DT instead seems to be populated by local families with small children, and perhaps some shoppers who have come in with late-afternoon purchases. Two of us ordered four dishes (and no alcohol), thinking that we'd end up with leftovers. In fact, our server warned us that we had probably over-ordered. Three of the dishes (vegetable dumplings, shrimp har gow, sesame kale salad) were in the $10-11 range, while the fourth dish -- shrimp garlic noodles -- clocked in at $21. When the four dishes came to the table, we couldn't figure out why one of them was twice the price of each of the other three; they certainly seemed comparable to us. Each of the four items was at the A-OK level, or slightly better. We especially liked the kale salad and the veggie dumplings. We surprised ourselves by finishing everything on the table without feeling especially stuffed. We were charged an extra 4% for "living wage" when the check was presented to us. This sneaky surcharge may remain legal (according to the latest CA legislation news), but it's most unpleasant. I'd prefer to see the full price of each dish up front on the printed menu. We thought that this restaurant is worth trying again, but we'll get takeout if we do decide on a next time for Dumpling Time. read more

It's always time for dumplings in my book! That's why I was so happy I got to check out Dumpling Time here in Berkeley. Dumpling Time is a well-known dumpling chain throughout the Bay Area. Though their OG location in the city is still on my list, it's good to see that they expanded to the East Bay. Just like myself, my family and friends love dumplings. For dinner, my family decided to take my friend and me out here! We arrived in the evening at a small, bold, and bright red restaurant. There wasn't a wait and upon entering we were greeted and given the option to sit either inside or outside. We chose to sit inside but they left their door open so it got chilly. We were served by numerous young workers who seemed like they were a little disoriented and disorganized. Though the restaurant is still new it seems like they're juggling things and working out their kinks. For example, it took a while for us to flag the waiters down, our food orders weren't properly executed, and they seemed to be overwhelmed with take-out and dine-in orders. We were even told by one of the servers to halt orders as the kitchen was backed up with take-out orders which they seem to prioritize. Looking at dumpling menus, I always have my go-to's but love trying new things. Since there were four of us we chose to share it family style. Their menu is displayed on their QR code and you order with any of the staff. Some of the food we got were the Wood Ear Mushroom Salad, Har Gow, Maine Lobster Siu Mai, Seafood Gyoza, Wagyu Beef Gyoza, XLB, and Tom Yum Goong. Unfortunately, the restaurant was out of the majority of pork and chicken items which resulted in my family not being able to get it. My friend and I agreed that our favorite of the dishes was the Seafood Gyoza. The bottom was crisp and the wrapper was delicious and delicate. Inside was packed with jumbo shrimp and crab and had some kick to it from the chili butter. The Lobster Siu Mai was good and slightly sweet from the lobster but not memorable and definitely not worth the price. Considering the high prices for the dim sum and the quality you get, I didn't find it to be worth it. The wrappers of some dumplings were falling apart and the sizes of the dumplings were a little small. The one nice thing is that they pack it with the desired filling which leaves each bite savory and juicy! Located on the corner of Fourth Street and Delaware, Dumpling Time is hard to miss with its bright red exterior. You can find all sorts of dumplings, noodles, and rice dishes here--some more memorable than others. Parking is street and metered only. The restaurant is casual, on the smaller end, and has cute signs plastered around. Service was lacking and we thought that the food didn't live up to the hype or price. If you choose to dine here, I recommend taking it to go. If I were to dine at this chain again it would only be at their original location and to try items I hadn't had. read more

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I explained to my friend what I thought the star level represented. He believed I should have given a place five stars when I had only given it four. I clarified that 4 is the ideal rating for a location I've only visited once. An excellent complement is three, and three indicates that I might come back. Dumpling Time made a great first impression, and I will likely go again. Despite being rather pricey for dumplings, all the dishes had great flavors. I consider DT a boutique dumpling restaurant because of the non-traditional dishes and quaint locations. After eating at numerous dim sum restaurants domestically and internationally, sometimes it just comes down to pricing. BB read more

I have heard about Dumpling Time from multiple friends but never got to try it for myself. I finally came across one of their locations and stopped by to grab lunch with 2 other friends. There was a short wait, as expected on a Sunday afternoon. We had ordered their Chili Pork Dumplings, Maine Lobster Siu Mai, Garlicky Green Beans, Pork XLB, and Beijing Noodles. The most unique dish is probably their maine lobster siu mai, but I personally prefer a classic siu mai. My favorite dish was their garickly green beans - I don't usually love green beans but they did this dish really well! I definitely have had better XLB from other spots. I think a lot of their food is more Americanized and I personally love the classic dim-sum dishes you get. Their prices are A LOT higher than a normal place. The quality is there for all the dishes. If you want a more elevated Asian restaurant, this is definitely one of the places you should try. read more

The ambience, location and decor of the Berkeley site is fabulous. It's the food, the flavor and the value that was lacking. We ordered chicken, fried rice, lamb, dumplings, and chicken gyoza. The lamb dumplings were horrible. I could not get past one bite the chicken Gyoza was also so disappointing. I ate one of them and could not bring myself to eat the rest. Even the chicken fried rice couldn't be saved with packets of soy sauce and hot sauce. I would never absolutely never order food from here again. read more

Considering how many excellent places there are serving this style of food, Dumpling Time in Berkeley suffers from sub-par food and higher pricing. I can't see myself going back. XLB had good filling and soup, but the skin was stuck to the metal cup on every dumpling so that taking them out destroyed them. Every other place has solved this, why not DT? Lamp Xi'an dumpings were just bad. Overwhelming coriander seasoning with no other flavor - even the taste of lamb was masked. Additionally, the filling was overworked and ended up dense and unappealing. The skin was thick and tough. Overall just a poorly constructed and prepared dumpling. Cucumber salad was actually delicious and fresh except far too salty. A small but significant miss. Lots of garlic and an oil that was not cloying. Small tweak and we're good there. Dumpling Hours in WC is great, as is Wild Ginger in Alameda. There are so many more places that are competent at a decent price there's no explaining Dumpling Time. read more

Nom nom nom! Lots of hype built around this place and fortunately - the hype was met!! We stopped by around 2pm on a Saturday and had about a 15 minute wait. We got soup dumplings, green beans and pot stickers. All around delicious. I could probably eat 3 servings of the green beans - they are super addicting!! read more