Fast service, fresh dumplings and bao at Stanford Shopping Center. We liked the XLB sampler with 2 each of their 5 soup dumpling flavors. The BBQ pork bao were fluffy and yummy. We also enjoyed the chicken potstickers. Not as festive and fun as the SF locations, but a nice stop if you're at the mall. They have a pretty big patio too. read more

Dumpling Time - XLB soup dumpling sampler - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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This Dumpling Time is located in the less busy side of the Stanford Shopping Center. The restaurant is quite spacious. The staff weren't so active, though. Maybe I went on an off day. The pork XLB was somewhat decent. It's unfortunate that of the four pieces within an order, they were so inconsistent. Overall, the pork was flavorful but the amount of soup varied a lot piece by piece. I had a piece I'm which the soup was gushing out and I had another piece that had no soup. The thickness of the skin was fine but my other ear l was definitely over steamed. The red ginger was a good complement sauce though. Beijing noodle was interesting. I loved how it had a lot of cucumber and spring onion on the top. The noodles were chewy but pretty bland while the pork was salty. No matter how much I mixed and mixed my bowl, the flavors of the noodles and the pork remained two different entities. Not sure how else to really make the tastes come together within a spoonful bite. The chili oil condiment on their table is one of the least flavorful chili oil I've ever tried. And so, I have a very mixed feeling about Dumpling Time... read more

Dumpling Time - Beijing noodle - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

A good spot for happy hour. Friendly staff and moderately paced service. The drink and bites were freshly made, good flavor, and all reasonably priced during happy hour. Nice atmosphere and located on the outside of the center. read more

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We recently visited this spot for the first time, and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The restaurant is spacious, clean, and bright, making it an ideal choice for big family gatherings where you don't want to feel cramped. They also have a generous outdoor patio with plenty of seats. Our waiter was exceptionally helpful, taking time to answer our questions about the menu. We decided to try some signature dumpling dishes and some newly added dishes such as the steam fish, popcorn chicken and shrimp rice noodle rolls. Food was delicious, we'll be back to see what else they add to the menu! read more

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I felt a bit underwhelmed going a few days after their grand opening. We ordered the Beijing noodles, shrimp toast, wood ear mushrooms salad, and bao trio. Shrimp toast was not bad, kind of original, but more of the dough instead of shrimp. The noodles were okay, definitely not the true Beijing Za Jiang Mian. The wood ears were worse than most other places, sauce was on the thick side and missing the vinegar taste. The sweet baos were confusing. We couldn't figure out which was which, although we knew the green one had to be green tea but the filling wasn't green tea. We had to tear open all of them to see what was inside. I know they belong to a big successful group and the restaurant is beautifully decorated, it needs to strengthen their menu and food quality as well as better training for the wait staff. read more

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The Stanford restaurant curse lives on with this one. I'm not sure how long this will stay open even though it's fairly new, it's very very mid. We got 3 items: Wagyu Xlb: too crunchy, overwhelming mushroom flavor, found 3 tendons/chewy pieces that were inedible. Unacceptable for the most expensive dumpling on the menu Tom yum Xlb: these were okay. Wouldn't order again Chilli pork dumings: too much garnish, disappointing flavor. Restaurant is oversized with an empty feel, service was weird. Weird vibes over all. Probably won't return unfortunately. read more

Everything was so good and service was great. I highly recommend the pho xlb. Overall, wonderful experience and area.

My colleagues and I came to Dumpling Time shortly after they opened at Stanford Shopping Center for a team lunch. Our budget was $15/person, so we ended up ordering a bunch of items to share among the 6 of us. Altogether, we got the cabbage salad, wagyu XLB, pork Xi'an dumplings, scallion noodles, potato gyoza, and garlic string beans. I've been to Dumpling Time before a few years ago, but at a different location. My first time there was memorable - minus the piece of plastic I found in a seaweed salad my partner and I shared during our meal. Nevertheless, I expected the food in this location to taste similar. I'm glad to say the food was as delicious as I remembered it to be. But maybe my tastebuds have changed, because while everything tasted good, nothing stood out as a particular favorite. I will say, I did like all the dumplings we ordered, as well as the string beans. The dumplings had that nice QQ texture I prefer. read more

Rocky was our server and he greeted my coworker and I as soon as we came walking in to the restaurant. He was attentive and was very personable with us. The food was delicious and we definitely enjoyed the food. My coworker and I had a long day at work and he let us know that we didn't have to rush out after closing. He let us finish our conversation and waited til we were finished. We will definitely be coming back! read more

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I've been to three or four Dumpling Time locations around the Bay Area over the past few years. The service has consistently been friendly and attentive, but unfortunately the food has become more disappointing with each visit. One of my biggest issues is the value. Many of the dishes are appetizer-sized, yet they're priced like full entrées. The BBQ pork buns were especially disappointing. At around $12, the quality was honestly worse than the frozen ones from Costco. The filling lacked flavor, and the buns didn't taste fresh. The beef noodle soup had reasonably tender beef, but it was far too salty. Even more disappointing was the tiny amount of beef for the price. The noodles also seemed like the wrong style for the dish and were severely overcooked, leaving them soft and lifeless. The chicken fried rice was probably the biggest letdown. It was incredibly salty, and the rice was mushy instead of having the distinct, slightly chewy texture that good fried rice should have. It tasted as though freshly cooked rice was used rather than day-old rice. The xiao long bao had plenty of soup, but the pork filling itself was surprisingly dry and chewy. A fattier pork mixture would make a huge difference in both texture and flavor. I genuinely want Dumpling Time to succeed because the staff has always provided great service. But the kitchen needs to improve its execution and consistency. One final thought: I understand DEI initiatives are important to many Bay Area businesses, but in a restaurant, the kitchen has to be staffed and trained first and foremost for culinary excellence. Whatever your hiring philosophy may be, customers are paying for great food. If the current team lacks the experience, invest in proper training or bring in chefs with stronger expertise. Right now, the food simply doesn't justify the prices. read more

Great food and great service! Everything came out very fast. Friendly staff! Very clean

Food was pretty good, service was okay, decor was nice. My issue is with the 6% living wage surcharge. Even worse, it doesn't go to staff per the website: "* A 6% living wage will be added to your bill. Note that this is not for services provided and is not paid directly to service staff." We won't be going back solely because of the 6% surcharge. read more

My family and I have eaten here many times. The restaurant is always clean, the staffs are friendly, and the prices are quite reasonable. I highly recommend trying the dishes on the new menu, especially the steamed fish -- the fish is fresh and the sauce is rich and flavorful. read more

Dumpling Time - New menu - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I was blown away by the food & customer service. I went in today around 1pm, wish I had gotten their names. A bit pricy but for a reason. Very clean, aesthetic interior, really delicious food and amazing staff. One of our dishes was taking long so they gave us a free entree and also let us sit at any table of our choice and checked in on us multiple times. I highly recommend, will be coming back. IG: Smackinfood (this was not a collab, my honest review). read more

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The dumpling flight was a must-try for us. Loved the idea of the different flavors, although the OG one was still the favorite. The pho one was interesting! We also got green beans, marinated cucumbers and pot stickers. The pot stickers were just alright. Felt like overall, the dough on the dumplings and pot stickers lacked Q, but they were flavorful. Service was attentive and we were on the patio. read more

Dumpling Time - Dumpling sampler - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Food was good and so was the service. The service was fast as well, would recommend to anyone in the area

Have been waiting to try Dumpling Time at Santana Row, but glad there was a new-ish location at Stanford Mall. We ordered the pork XLB, string beans, chili pork dumplings, bbq pork bao, and sesame balls. Everything was great and this was a great portion for the two of us. The pork XLB were our favorite - the soup was great and the dough wasn't too tough (at some dim sum places, the dough is too thick). The staff was hustling and working fast with the amount of tables they had. I will likely return again. read more

Chicken bao- 4/5 - tasty but on the sweeter side Chicken shu mai - 3.5/5 - very filling and decent flavors Veg spring roll- 5/5 - delicious read more

Dumpling Time - Chicken bao - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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We have tried all the Dumpling Time locations and have been disappointed with the non-SF stores. However, we stopped by the Palo Alto one today and was pleasantly surprised. The service was great, food came out pretty quickly and was tasty. We ordered the lobster siu mai, Tom Yum XLB, Shrimp fried rice, seafood Gyoza, and mango pudding. We would order all of them again, especially the mango pudding! read more

Dumpling Time - Tomyum XLB, lobster siu mai - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Went to Dumpling Time with a large group and was impressed by how smooth everything went. They offer a set menu for big parties, which made ordering easy and ensured we got to try a variety of dishes. The food was excellent across the board. The shrimp dumplings were incredibly fresh with a touch of natural sweetness, and the spicy cucumber was easily the best I've had--perfectly balanced with heat, crunch, and flavor read more

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I know it's still early but there's not that many people eating here just yet. It's always empty whenever me and my co workers walk by. Me and my team came a few weeks ago and had a full spread of different items. Our favorites were the XLB and chili dumplings. My wife and I went to the Santana Row location a few times and always had a decent time. The quality of the dishes here at this location is good but once again, the portions are too small and easy to put away which is why I'm always leaving Dumpling Time a bit hungry after. Dumpling Time is still worth coming to! read more

Amazing food and service. Rocky was so accommodating for our large party on Mothers Day. 10/10 recommend!

Lovely place, lots of seating indoors and out. Good for the dog. I only tried the Potstickers in Chile Garlic broth. It is excellent, very plump dumplings with lots of pork. Can't wait to come back! Highly recommended! read more

Dumpling Time - Delicious dumplings in chili broth - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Delicious food and very vegetarian friendly. And friendly service! Well worth the visit.

Food was bland and not worth the $130 for 2 people (no drinks). I remember the food being a lot better at the original Dumpling Time in SF but it's been a few years since I last dined there. IMO microwaved or steamed frozen dumplings from Asian market, Costco or Trader Joe's are tastier than Dumpling Time. read more

Fell short of expectations. There was a lot of hype around this place, especially given its locations in SF. However, I felt like everything was overpriced and overrated. read more

what has happened to dumpling time? The one in the city (original) and the Chase center are still pretty solid, but all the others are so...random? I used to go to the one in San ramon occassionally and it was good, but not the City level. The Palo Alto one? No thanks. While the service and people were nice and efficient, the food was...not any dumpling time I've ever been to. The XLB and the seafood gyoza were good, but everything else would be a pass. We ordered the jellyfish salad, which the hostess had to tell us its super spicy and salty. Which if you have to clarify, probably means its different than everywhere else...Seafood Gyoza pretty good. XLB good. Pork and chive gyoza...eh. Shrimp toast...eh. Beijing noodles - blaaaaah. Even with the limited options/places to eat at Stanford Mall, I would choose somewhere else. read more

Service was nice but the quantity was very small since it was expensive, 4.50 for a can of soda. There were only 4 dumplings at 12.00 where as other dumpling places usually you get 6 or 8 PCs. We had the beef noodles which was not very tasty n again the portion was small, definitely for only one person. The flavors for the dumplings were a bit different but not enough taste. Unfortunately I don't need to go back. read more

The service and food were great! The food tasted fresh. The flavors were good. It tasted homemade and clean. Our dishes came out fast. read more

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Came here for the first time after hearing good things about it and it did not disappoint! I had their lobster dumplings, lamb dumplings, seaweed salad and cucumber salad and they were all delicious. Their green tea was loose leaf which was nice knowing it was pure. They were a bit busy and a little understaffed so the service was slow but the flavor of the food made up for it. I will coming back to try more dishes. read more

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My party of 8 ate here for Mother's Day and really enjoyed our lunch. With large party ordering family style, we got to try a variety of things. Everything was delicious, but the beef pho xlb had to be my favorite. I also appreciated how the servers really took care of us. Great service has become a rarity especially in the busy Bay Area so it was a very nice surprise. I hope to come back soon! read more

Came in expecting a lot given the hype, but Dumpling Time at Stanford Mall was... pretty meh. The wagyu XLB was over-steamed, so the skin had no chew and basically fell apart on contact. All the soup leaked out immediately, which kind of defeats the whole point of a soup dumpling. The original XLB had the same problem. Potstickers didn't redeem things. The regular ones were flat and boring, and the "innovative" versions tasted unbalanced--interesting names, forgettable flavors. The beef noodle soup was another miss. The beef was noticeably tough and didn't taste like it had been braised long enough. For a comfort dish, it felt rushed. What really threw me was how many raving reviews there are compared to the actual food. Service was fine, but it didn't feel like anyone here really understands Chinese flavors or technique. Honestly, at this level, you're better off going to P.F. Chang's--at least the service is more polished and the decor is better. Not bad, just very skippable. read more

Been wanting to try Dumpling time for awhile , and happy to see they opened a location in Palo Alto @ the Stanford mall shopping center....parking is way easier. Got there right when they opened so it was not busy at all(on a weekday). We ordered the fried rice,shrimp toast, sweet and spicy wings, siu mai and the chili crisp dumplings . Everything came out pretty quickly and everything tasted really good, all the general flavors we expected but nonetheless still tasty. Was tempted to order way more but it was already a lot for me and my son . Service was excellent, will def be back. read more

Dumpling Time - Shrimp toast - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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The Wagyu XLB and the lobster shiu mai are excellent dishes to get. The location at the Stanford Mall doesn't have big tables inside but the outdoor seating is the way to go at this location. read more

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My office got a large take out order, which was ready pretty quick, packed and ready to go when we got there. We had one mishap with our mango pudding spilling out of container, but rest made it to office. We got a little of everything. Some of the favorites were the beef noodle soup, the trio dessert buns, the steamed pork buns, pork and shrimp shu mai, green beans, and the spicy chicken dumpling. We tried 3 of the xlb's but I think they are just not good as takeaway. I'll definitely need to go and do a dine in. The crispy mapo tofu was a bit too spicy for us all but a I'm sure if you like spicy, you'll love it. Even the cucumbers had a kick with all the chili's in it but not unbearable. The outside seating looks nice, especially on a nice day, the inside nice, but smaller than I expected. We all said we'd definitely have them again!! read more

Dumpling Time - Outside - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Subpar food and service. Questionable 6% mandatory charge with 20% min tip for lunch for party of 5. Definitely not recommended. Much better to go to Palo Alto downtown for Chinese food. read more

This is probably the worst dumpling place I have ever been to. We ordered woodears mushrooms and it was drenched in garlic chili oil, all I could taste is chili seeds on my teeth. Then we got wagyu XLB 8 pieces. Came in like a black scary dish, i guess sheff forgot the gold flakes, that would probably be a little more festive. Oh, yeah, that came with some more of the chili oil. Not sure how you lift the dumplings and dip in to the oil, which I never tried, since dumplings were falling apart. We also got pho XLB dumplings 8 pieces with side plate of pho condiments, absolutely tasteless and falling apart. Pork and shrimp siu mai was just ok, not the prettiest. Oolong tea was the best. Sorry, but this place does not belong to Stanford mall. read more

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Everything we tried was delicious, from the bao to the soup dumplings, we enjoyed it all. Who knew fried rice could be this good? Perfectly done. The service, presentation, and staff were all excellent. I actually forgot to take photos, but everything looked and tasted amazing. Highly recommend, and I'll definitely be coming back! read more

The food was so good. They have great options. I went with one of my best friends for a little dinner date and had such a nice time. We went pretty late so there weren't many other people but the staff were very nice and took take care of us. We were promptly addressed when we came into the restaurant and seated immediately. Everything I had here was definitely something I had gotten for the first time, even if it was just dumplings and noodles, the choices were very unique, but they were definitely worth a try. They're absolutely delicious and this is somewhere I would definitely go back. read more

Dumpling Time - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Soup dumplings are my favorite food, so I'm quite picky about them, but this place was amazing and had so many different options. Definitely coming back. read more