Big scam don't come! Overpriced and poor service We ordered the scallion noodle (with chicken) and soup lamb dumplings. Scallion noodle has ~8 pieces of chicken, a fried egg, and some noodles (probably undercooked). The serving is so small that it doesn't justify the price. Soup dumpling has 6 pieces. Soup is a mixture of garlic pieces, sesame seeds and chill oil. The dumpling is just with a big meat ball inside. Not much complaint but doesn't justify the price with small serving. What's the worst? We also ordered marinated cucumber but it never arrived! Took us several minutes to get server's attention to grab the check. Won't come again. Ambience looks nice but that's probably where they spend most of their money on read more

Dumpling Time - Lamb dumplings with soup - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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I decided to come by tonight seeing as though I had tried the San Ramon location when they were still open and had liked the food and was craving dumplings. The restaurant was almost entirely empty when I came in an hour till close. One thing I had remembered about the San Ramon Location was the poor service, and this place was exactly the same. Although the food was good, the service was non existent. I was sat, 5 minutes goes by someone takes my order and no one ever comes back to ask me how my food is or anything. There's four ppl working the front of the house and I'm the only one in the restaurant. Not a single person came by to say anything to me. I wanted to order a soft drink, or perhaps more food. I decided not to and just finish my food. The final and last straw was when they began putting up chairs on tables in the restaurant while I was still eating ! It was still 30 minutes until close. I received better service at places that make you order at the counter ! This is laughable. I left wishing I went to support a local mom and pop instead tonight. This will be the last time I visit this restaurant chain ever. read more

The shrimp toast is stunning! Delicious and a must have. Nice spicy flavor and a twist in preparation. My friends ate too many!

Food was yummy. Their shredded cabbage salad is underrated but definitely give it a try! Cute and casual vibes!

Very delicious beef soup and steamed pork buns! Shoutout to our server Georgina! Very welcoming, she has such a good character! She told us to bring all of our friends and family and we'll definitely do that because the food is yummy, reasonable and Georgina is such a great server! She should run that business! She deserves a promotion! read more

Great food, service and atmosphere! The dumplings, seafood gyoza and noodles were excellent.

Amazing service and great veggie dumplings. Really enjoyed our quick stop over after shopping nearby!

The worst restaurant the food is so bad the noodles is cold and the beef is smelly not sure if we will get sick the server just charged us with out let us know the details there is a living wages Included but still asked for 20% tips if the food is ok no problem so regretted not recommending read more

Every dish was excellent! Service was attentive and informative. Ingredients fresh and tasty. Definitely would return if in the Palo Alto shopping center. Lovely outdoor seating. read more

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Very good food. We enjoyed a nice birthday here. Mango dessert was exceptionally good.

I was walking around Stanford Shopping Center and noticed the mall now had a branch of Dumpling Time. I filed it away in my head to try later and tonight we decided to eat there. We had the shrimp toast, the pork chili dumplings, the pork xiaolongbao, the string beans and the mango pudding. For me the shrimp toast was unique and worth trying at least once. I would not order the xiaolongbao again as it was pretty generic. The chili pork dumplings were tasty but the real star of the show was the mango pudding. It had real mango bits on top of the pudding and inside the pudding was a layer of mango bits at the bottom. Very delicious! read more

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It was our first time at Dumpling Time and everything was superb! We ordered a variety of dumplings and a beef noodle dish, and there was absolutely no disappointment. Everything was delicious! Service was quick for a Saturday night. We were seated almost immediately and served quickly as well. The staff constantly checked in on us and were all very friendly. The ambiance was nice and chill. Definitely more on the casual side and family friendly. We will definitely be back for more! :) read more

Dumpling Time - BBQ Pork Bao - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Rocky was such a kind man and went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of. The food came out and a timely manner so we were able to pace throughout the meal. Will definitely return!! Food was amazing. read more

Awesome place to bring friends! We had the gyoza (seafood) - loved the service the food the ambiance! read more

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Great experience at Dumpling Time! The dumplings were very tasty -- fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. Every bite was delicious. A special thank you to our wonderful waitress Song, whose recommendation of the cabbage salad was spot on -- refreshing, perfectly balanced, and an absolute must-try. Her warm, attentive, and genuinely personable service made such a difference and truly elevated the entire experience. When the service is this good, the food somehow tastes even better. Great food, excellent service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Dumpling Time is definitely a place I'll be coming back to! read more

The decor and the ambiance of this place was pretty nice, but the food taste was disappointing. The scallion noodles were $20 and the portion size was so small, not even enough for one person. None of the dishes tasted very authentic at all, and the assorted xiao long bao felt a bit gimmicky, with things like truffle and wagyu and kimchi. The siu mai was decent but nothing special. At the end of the meal, our bill was around $80 for 2 people and we didn't feel full at all. Overall we probably wouldn't come back here again, and would rather go elsewhere for more authentic dim sum / chinese food. read more

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

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Solid food from Dumpling Time. Broccolini is the best. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Decided to try this dumpling place out pre-shopping with my mom on a beautiful late morning. They had the perfect menu item for us (2 of each xlb) - we love to snack and eat multiple things and we were really satisfied with how different each one was. Rocky was great and was attentive and will definitely be back again! read more

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

It seems like Dumpling Time is new and has landed at Stanford Shopping Center. As exciting as we were, having a dimsum restaurant in the mall, this is a bit of a mixed bag. The one-line summary is above average, factory-style dimsum sold for ultra premium prices at a comfort restaurant decor. First of all, the name is approrpiate. Dimsum is your true Cantonese / Hong Kong area stuff. Dumpling points towards more mainlain China. This is NOT your true dimsum place. Yes, they may have some popular dimsum classics but it is not as deep in flavor. Their pork bbq bun or siu mai, and even xiaolong bao, all are above average but never really hits you with a wow. I'm not sure whether this is because it is not their focus or because they are mass producing these in a factory or factory-like kitchen in the back. Now being a dumpling shop (mainland China), there are some awesome and unique dumplings that you'd never see in a dimsunm shop. The chili-oil dumplings were quite good. And also a seaweed-wagyu pan fried potsticker was something I've never tasted in my life. And it was wonderful. So again, there are some bright side. Now, the service. Not sure whether they are steaming these after the order goes in but it is quite slow, despite not that many customers. Again, this felt weird and the food came out in random orders. Perhaps they have not yet figured out operations fully. But the final nail in the coffin is the price. For the amount of dimsum / dumpling we had, paying $200+ was insane. Literally insane. The food again is less authentic, less flavorful, rather quite commercial. So perhaps the price should match that. I would've given it 2 stars but rounded up to 3 because there is some hope on unique dishes. Most likely we won't return unless we are dying for dumplings at Stanford Shopping Center. I wish the restaurant the best. But most likely, they'll need to cut prices by 30~40% if they want to survive. read more

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The service was fast and workers were kind and accommodating. It was cold outside so we requested we move inside and they helped with such ease. Must tries are wagyu truffle and pan seared dumpling (seafood). Custard Bao was delish! read more

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Good dim sum at reasonable prices. Very casual in Stanford shopping center. Service is efficient. read more

Worst dumpling place ever. Several cold dishes were drenched in chili oil, not quite edible. The portions are so small, combing with the meh flavor, which doesn't justify the price at all. read more

Our first dining experience at the Dumpling Time chain. Didn't really know what to expect, so we kept our expectations low. First and foremost, staff is incredibly friendly. Knowledgeable about the menu and helped us order the most popular items from each category. Food could use some improvement. Most items were warm, not hot. - Beijing Noodles: noodles need to be cooked longer. Noodles are not supposed to be hard. - Beef noodle soup: online menu picture has slices of beef. We got crumbled/chopped up bits of beef. Had to use a spoon just to scoop it up. Noodles can be cooked longer as well. - Gyoza is more like big dumplings. When I think gyoza, I think Japanese style dumplings. Potato filling is different. Pork filling is OK. - Chicken wings (and gyoza) had strong oil taste. - Pork XLB: stuck to metal tin. Does not come across as fresh. XLB in metal tins usually have a carrot slice on the bottom, so it doesn't stick after steaming. Fresh XLB are usually on fabric or veggies in the steamer basket. - Pan fried Pork Buns: OK We ordered some other items. Portions were small for the price (expected, restaurant is at Stanford Shopping mall). One visit was enough for us. Maybe we'll give it another chance in 6 months. read more

Dumpling Time - (Where's the) Beef Noodle Soup - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Great dumplings spot!!!! Awesome food and cool ambience. Yo shout out to my boy Stuart. But anywayyyy uhmmm this is a pretty good restaurant yall. Everyone should come here if in the area. Great outdoor seating. read more

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

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Loved the 10pc combo XLB. Will be coming back for the Tom Yum, Pho, and Wagyu XLB. Mango pudding with little chunks of real mango was good and not too sweet with the condensed milk. read more

We seem to be in the middle of a dumpling boom with a new place seeming to open every other week. I added Dumpling Time to my list as it appeared to be popular elsewhere. While I appreciate that we were there the day before grand opening, but my issues well beyond working out the bugs with service and timing as one can expect. Everything seemed same ole menu items. Tried a bit of everything, but nothing really stood out as distinctive or as a stand out. Sitting out side, we rarely say a waiter. Ordered a bunch of items. Some came out promptly. Others never showed up. I had to keep reminding waitstaff to clear used plates off the table. Considering prices are similar to other dumpling joints, there was nothing in the experience compelling us to go back. read more

Great food. I love the mix Xiao Long Bao Great service. We we're sitted right away. Very friendly staff. read more

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Delish! Trying all the XLB flavors was so fun and we loved the fusion of Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, and more in the soup types. The desert (mango pudding) was a good share for a table as well read more

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

We found this place last time we went to my son's Dr.appointment in Stanford. It was so delicious we are back again. One of our favorite spots to eat. The place is clean, friendly and relaxing . Our waiter Rocky and Georgina were amazing.... Thank you!! 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

It's been years since we went to the sf location. The Stanford one of tucked away in the back near Blue Bottle. The setup is very modern looking, and they have outdoor seating. The inside tables are spaced out pretty far, which is nice, but it's also very loud since it's more industrial decor. They also had pretty loud Korean music playing both inside and outside. The interior was full at 1pm on a Saturday, but it was a nice day to be outside (note: not all the tables are shaded). - Marinated cucumbers: crisp, very garlicky, fairly spicy! - Seafood gyoza: nice crisp lattice on the bottom, good seafood flavor that's generous on the filling - Hot and sour soup style chili pork dumplings: the dumpling wrapper texture had a really good bite - Scallion noodles: with a runny egg, good for kids - Beijing noodles: texture was pretty for, with lots of ground pork Food came out pretty quickly, and the kids were very happy with the noodles. Once the lunch crowd cleared out, service was more attentive, as well. read more

Staff was very nice. Sadly, food was at best: underwhelming. Many of the flavors were bland, I've had much better elsewhere. I did like the pan seared bao, the bun/dough had a nice texture, but there were a couple random gristly/bone pieces I bit into....and the same gristle in the chicken gyoza. Yikes. The pork texture in several dishes was a bit hard and lumpy. I'm used to dumplings (especially XLB) having delicate texture. None of them did. Five spice overwhelming. There wasn't a single dish I would rush to return back and eat again. read more

Service was great no problem there but the food was lacking seasoning on every single dish. Food was also very oily. The ambiance was clean and nicely set up. read more

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

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First time trying this place after my daughter's swim class and it did not disappoint. Our server Song was so sweet. We ordered the veggie spring rolls which were a 10/10 as well as the Beijing noodles and chili pork dumplings. I definitely recommend this place! read more

Dumpling Time - Chili pork dumplings - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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My friend and I decided to try this place... thank god we did! Its all very tasty. Service is amazing as well. Our server Song was very welcoming and even helped us pick out a couple of things. read more

Dumpling Time - Beijing noodles, chili pork dumplings, and chicken gyoza - Dim Sum Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Food tastes good and is well presented. Service was good. I'd return to this restaurant read more

The Bao was my favorite, the cabbage salad was amazing. The marinated cucumber was great (and I don't love cucumbers!!!). Sum Mai was great as well. My friend is already planning to come back with her family. Worth the trip read more

Both food and services were great!! Taste is authentic, and price is fair. Puer tea was the best I've ever had!! Definitely will come again!! read more

Stanford location opened up recently and we thought we would give it a try. The food was delicious- dumplings and bao were awesome and paired perfectly with the cabbage salad and broccolini. Can't wait to try the other mentions next time. Don't forget the chocolate dumplings for dessert!!' read more

We've been waiting for this place to open for quite a long time, and were glad to see it's happened at last! We got the green beans, cabbage salad, potato dumplings, veggie dumplings, Beijing noodles, and the sampler dessert. The green beans were unfortunately quite tough and stringy, and upon seeing we weren't really eating them they took them back (and off the bill, kindly). The cabbage salad was a much better vegetable for us, and a better value. I'd have it with light dressing next time though. The potato dumplings were OK, but I wouldn't get them again. The veggie dumplings had pretty thick skin (not my favorite, but opinions differ) and were pretty tasty. Not super flavorful though, so definitely use the hot sauce and vinegar. The Beijing noodles were pretty good also. The noodles were not uniform in width, which makes it seem like the noodles are handmade. The portion was a little small though, considering the cost. The dessert baos were good. The sampler flavors are taro (with chunks of actual taro), green tea, and egg yolk. They were on the less-sweet side, which we appreciated. Overall it was pretty good, and the space is open and clean. There's a good amount of indoor and outdoor dining. Service was great, which would be expected with such a light crowd. In terms of value, it's not bad for the area. It's about $2/dumpling, so if you get a veg and half a dozen dumplings, it's maybe $22-25 before tax, tip, and their mandatory 5% health surcharge. But for what we paid ($80+ for a lunch for two), it seems like there are better options for us. It's nice to have dumplings at the mall though, and I'm sure we'll be back from time to time. read more

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