food: these dumplings were actually very good and flavorful service: to go ambiance: small interior, outside seating read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Pork & Dill Dumplings, Lamb & Carrot Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

So happy that I had found this spot! Decided to stop by here after being in the area. Dumplings are never a bad idea. My friend and I walked in and was greeted right away & staff was really nice and friendly. It was kind of close to closing time so it was just us in there, but there were a couple people that came in to pick up their orders. Love that there are different protein options of dumplings! It was kind of hard to just pick a few, but we did. We got the lamb and cilantro, crystal shrimp dumpling (har gow), and zhong dumplings. Everything tasted fresh! We also loved how the wrapper of the dumpling was not thick like most other spots. Will definitely have to stop by here again to try the other items on the menu if in the area. read more

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Went here after work one day and got several things, all of which were tasty. The pork dumplings were delicious, char siu bun was incredible both in taste and how fluffy the bun was. Also got the pork flatbread, which is basically a little mini sandwich, and the fried dough which hit the spot. Overall the food was great and the prices were fair. read more

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Had some pretty great dumplings in Evanston. It may be one of the most bare bones casual places you can eat around here. Lao Tian Dumpling House is mostly a place for takeout. One can see why after going inside. They have quite a variety in spite of the lack of space. Coming in here it was pretty surprising how small it is. It's quite clearly meant to be mostly takeout orders, because there's not room for groups or even a few people. There's a counter with a few seats next to the condiments and utensils, and there's only like one table. Also has a touch screen to order. There's nothing fancy about this place it seems. It's about $3 for the iced plum juice. This was better than expected with it not being too sticky and sweet. It's about $12 for dumplings. We got the Zucchini And Wood Ear Mushroom. Comes in a classic wooden basket. These are great for a light lunch. Great place to try some casual Asian. It's also got a few tables outside. There's crap tons of dumplings and even a few okay for vegans and vegetarians. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Iced Plum Juice And The Zucchini And Wood Ear Mushroom Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Came here at the recommendation of my dining companion who had gotten food from here on multiple occasions during her stint here on the north shore. Very good comfort food and worth a visit. We were hesitant to go in when we arrived, as it was almost closing time and my companion had a previous negative experience here with annoyed workers the last time she arrived late. We asked the woman at the counter whether it would be okay to order, and she happily invited us to do so. That evening we dined on: Cucumber salad with garlic - fresh, crisp, and satisfyingly garlicky and vinegary. It served as a nice palate cleanser between bites of dumpling. Zhong's dumplings - pork dumplings in a chili pepper sauce. I loved the doughiness of the wrapper, and the filling was generous and tasty. Tasted especially good when dipped in black vinegar. Pork, chive, and shrimp dumplings - delicious, with an entire medium-sized shrimp in each dumpling. There was a just a little problem with execution, as the dumplings were steamed on a piece of parchment paper, and unfortunately they stuck to it. When taking them out of the steamer basket, the wrappers tore and the liquid leaked out. If they had been prepared on cabbage leaves this probably wouldn't have been an issue. This is more a of takeout place, as there was only a counter with a few stools and a single table to sit at. The table was free so we ate in, but it was a bit awkward because of the proximity to the door and the ordering kiosk. The table was also very sticky and it was unpleasant to touch. Still, it was nice to enjoy our food fresh off the steamer rather than having a lukewarm meal back at the hotel. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Pork Pork Shrimp and Chives Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Limited seating, more takeout vibe. I ordered the Xiao long bao which were pretty small so not as soupy as I'd like. It was tasty but flavor was pretty one dimensional. I enjoyed it nevertheless. Some tend to have that porky smell but this did not, felt fresh with a gingery vinegar sauce on the side. I wished there was actual ginger to pair with but they had a chili oil that was phenomenal. The wrapping was the perfect thickness, and I prefer a chewier bite but not doughy. Overall a very good dumpling spot, and I love that they make everything to order. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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If you're craving Chinese food and not willing to go to Chinatown or order take out, then this would be your last option. The food is mid, the flavors weren't really standing out for me. Everything was kind of bland. My fiancé and I shared the scallion pancakes, the lamb and carrot dumplings, and the pork and cabbage dumplings. We got steamed, which was nice because you got a little soup in the dumplings when you bit into it. The skin was a bit too thin for my taste, not really chewy. The seating areas come with vinegar, chili oil and soy sauce for you to make a dipping sauce. The restaurant it self is really tight. It seats about 8 people in total so if you come when there's other parties, you'll have to wait a bit after placing your order. Overall, I would come here if I'm really craving Chinese food. The prices aren't bad, but the food is just lacking in flavor a bit. Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings is definitely better for the Chicago area. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Visit 1: Small place but great dumplings. Stretch your dollar with steamed or boiled. We tried their pork ahrimp chive steamed, lamb cilantro panfried, and their xiao long bao. Their shepherds purse buns were on the smallish side but fresh in terms of greens inside. ($8 for 2). The wood ear salad was a good start at $7. Some items will come out in plastic containers (salad and xiao long bao). Hot tea and room temp water available self-serve. Visit 2: Seaweed salad comes in a plastic container too. Zhong's dumplings are priced extra but come seasoned in a Szechuan-like (?) spicy sauce. Next to try the Szechuan wontons that are priced lower than dumplings. The pork flatbread (shao bing) was good at $6 - pork is moist and tender like pulled pork - bread soft too with a grilled exterior. Boiled dumplings as expected are like xiao long bao in a way but cost less and larger - they are juicy inside (don't let it go to waste). 2nd Friday night visit - gets busy, but lots of to go orders rather than sit down...no line waiting to sit, and be ready to share the counter or round table with neighbors. read more

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Little space with big food flavors!! My wife & I have made frequent trips here for their dumplings, chicken egg rolls & wonton soup. I'm whispering because I don't want LTD to get busier than how it was today! I love it so much I'm going to consult my Google translate so I can tell them in Laotian!! To be fair, 4/5 as we have been given the wrong food on occasion. read more

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Lao Tian is fantastic! Really delicious homemade dumplings you can taste how fresh! My favorites are the pork and corn, pork shrimp and chive? chicken and mushroom, zhong and the xiao long bao. Also good is the wood ear salad and spicy shredded cabbage. Service is very friendly. It is a very tiny dining area with a few seats at counter and just one round table. If you have more than 4 people you will want to take out. There is parking. read more

I wanted to try something different and found out this place was close by my work. It's very small inside but they did have outside seating as well. I tried their pork, shrimp and chive dumplings. You got a choice if you wanted it steamed or fried and I went for the former. I made sure to order in advance and the estimate was 15 mins. I thought the dumplings were pretty decent and they didn't skimp on the filling. The dumpling skin was a little thick, but I didn't really think it took away from the overall taste. Next, I went for the soup dumpling. This, I liked better! A little more expensive and smaller in size but this tasted so good! It's best to eat it as soon as possible so you get that delicious, warm broth and savory filling combo. I know there're some bad reviews due to order delays but the person who always hands over my to go order seemed really sincere and nice. He always had something nice to say and I always got my order in time. If you like dumplings, do give this place a chance! read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Pork, Shrimp and Chive Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

We used to love this place and came weekly to carry out the dumplings. The woman at the front was incredibly rude this last time. She would only give us chili oil for the dumpling orders but said she wouldn't give chili oil for our large soup orders, even though we use it to add spice. We spent $80 on dumplings and soup and she was safeguarding a tablespoon of chili oil! We won't be back. read more

This place impressed me. My mother who I am visiting while I am doing some gigs in Chicago and around the Midwest, said she just found this place and they deliver and take credit card so it is easy for her. My Momma couldn't wait to order for herself and I They were prompt, and easy to deal with on the phone. Mostly everything is 'DUMPLINGS' you can order a side of 'Kim Chee' being that my primary residence and secondary recording studio is in Hawaii, I was so ready to trash talk their Lim Chee and anything else. Their Kim Chee was above respectable, This Hawaiian resident stands corrected. It is a super healthy option and order steamed. You can order fozen dumlpings as well. they mail out dumplings everyday all day now to all my orbital Lovers and 100's others read more

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My daughter has been asking to try soup dumplings and I saw this place had it. I ordered the soup dumplings and lamb & coriander dumplings for delivery. I was expecting more soup in the dumplings. It seemed like both dumplings were prepared the same aside from the filling. The dough was a bit chewy. I think if eaten fresh it could have been better. read more

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Ordered to carryout and the order was ready at the promised time. Pork and cabbage steamed dumpling was my favorite, followed by zucchini and mushroom fried dumpling. Vinegar + chili crisp add the perfect accents to the rich doughy dumplings. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Excellent dumplings. Always hot and tasty. Minimal seating. This is a takeout kinda spot.

As someone who LOVES trying places, this is a must if you love dumplings and authentic food. Visiting from Alabama and would highly recommend getting NG your dumpling (and kimchi) fix here. read more

I really hoped this place would hit the spot since a lot of great dumpling places are in the city. The dumpling wrapper is too thick and it definitely over shadows the fillings. I did get all three dumplings steamed but since the wrapper is thick their dumplings are probably best getting it fried only. All the dumplings are $12.99 for 12 small dumplings. The fillings were okay. You can get your dumplings either steamed, boiled or fried. I finally threw them into the air fryer since the wrapper was too thick to enjoy steamed. read more

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Such a clean restaurant. There's only two tables inside but they have outside seating. The ladies were making the dumplings fresh, you could see into the kitchen. We got #38, #31, and #26. Took about 15 minutes to cook/pan sear them, I took them to go. My two yr old loved them. I'll need to ask if they have a Szechuan spicy sauce bc that's the only thing it was missing. The lady in the front said the check is from Beijing and specialized in pecking duck... we're going to order one for our anniversary next week. I'm sure it's great. read more

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This is a takeaway place but the owner was kind to clear a spot for us to sit and enjoy our selections of dumplings. It appears to be a local favorite as it started to be crowded for puck up orders. read more

Pro: delicious, fresh, made to order dumplings Con: as other reviews have said here and on other websites, be prepared for a long wait, order way ahead, and you won't be disappointed in the food. The food: The cucumber salad was crisp chunks with a light sesame dressing - very nice. All 4 dumplings were delicious. The lamb and carrot and the pork, shrimp and leek were our 2 favorites. The pork and sour cabbage were also good, just a little strong for some. I enjoyed the chicken and cabbage dumplings also - not quite as flavorful. So I would definitely endure the process at least one more time to try other options that sounded tasty. The dumplings are not super large so I would say 1 box of 15 per person with a few leftover. Most are $12.99 with a couple options costing more. The ordering process: We placed an online order on a Sunday evening at 5:10pm. The ordering website said 50 minute wait. Got the confirmation text back that said ready at 6:10pm. Ok , so an hour. Got a call from them at 5:45 telling me it would now be at 7pm and if that was ok. I said no, please cancel my order and refund the charge. They said they couldn't as I used their ordering website and not calling them. I was put on hold and then asked if it was ok if they had them ready in half an hour at 6:20pm. I said great. Then got a call at 6:05 telling me the order was ready for pickup. Phew! They had 2 people making the dumplings in back so hopefully they can hire more help to speed up the process or reduce the amount of orders they take. It is a very small space inside with seating for a few people, so definitely more of a takeout place. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Typical order of 15 dumplings - steamed option - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I am so glad we finally have a great handmade dumpling restaurant in Evanston! We ordered their pork and cabbage dumplings and their zucchini and mushroom dumplings. Both were fantastic. My wife's favorite were the pork dumplings, but mine were the zucchini mushroom dumplings. If you love mushrooms, you have to try them. My wife is from Northern China, and she completely approves. The picture is for one order of dumplings. They obviously made the dumpling wrappers by hand, and there is a great balance between filling and wrapper. We ordered pickup, and it was ready and hot for us when we arrived. Saw some reviews that had some issues with timing, but maybe those issues are gone because it was absolutely easy, fast, and pleasant picking up. The host at the front was very courteous and helpful. If you want soy sauce, ask for it because they come with black vinegar and chili oil. The place looks clean and modern. From the counter, you can seem them hard at work making the dumplings as orders come in (they do not make them ahead of time, so they are super fresh). There is one table and a counter along their windows, two ladies were enjoying when I was there, but it does appear to be mainly a pickup restaurant. We would highly recommend this place and are looking forward to trying their other many dumpling varieties and their fried meat skewers, a specialty of Northern Chinese food. Yum! read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - One order of pork and cabbage dumplings. They are handmade and so good! - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I'm writing this to share a factual update for anyone coming here expecting handmade dumplings. During our visit, we personally saw the dumplings being taken out of sealed plastic bags, the kind you'd buy frozen at a supermarket. This raised concerns, so we asked the server whether the dumplings were still made in-house. The server said the manager wasn't present, so we asked them to call the manager. After speaking with the manager by phone, he confirmed that the dumplings are no longer handmade. To his credit, he acknowledged this and issued us a full refund. That said, this is no longer a dumpling house in the traditional sense. The food being served is reheated frozen dumplings, while the business name and past reputation suggest otherwise. If you're looking for freshly made dumplings, this is unfortunately no longer the place. I appreciate the refund and the manager's honesty once asked, but I think customers deserve transparency upfront. read more

the place is rly small. maybe 7-8 seats total. the price was around $100 total for everything we got but it was really good considering we got 5 orders of dumplings (12 pieces each) and an appetiser and 2 ice teas. the food was fresh and hot and the lamb and cilantro dumplings specifically (pan fried) were to DIE for. they were so good. read more

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Amazing dumplings. You can't go wrong with anything you order here. It's small so don't plan to sit inside. I highly recommend.

Chicken and mushroom dumplings were good and decent size! Service was good and friendly staff. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Chicken & Mushroom Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Our lunch experience at Lao Tian Dumpling House was quite disappointing. Despite being seated for over 30 minutes, our main dishes (two orders of dumplings) were not served. When we inquired about the delay, we were informed that one of the orders had not even started cooking yet. We asked for an estimated waiting time, as people who arrived after us and ordered around the same time, also in person, had already received their take-out orders and left. We were initially told it would be an additional 5 minutes. However, after starting a timer, we were informed 2 minutes later that it would still be another 10 minutes as one of our orders had not yet started cooking. At this point, we decided to cancel our order and requested a refund for the items that had not been served after a 40+ minute wait. Additionally, we noticed a lot of miscommunication and inefficiency. The kitchen staff, speaking a language we understood, seemed disorganized. The table next to us also experienced long wait times and received the wrong food. They accepted the wrong order just to avoid another forever wait time to get things fixed. One older lady server in particular had an extremely bad attitude. She brought a cold dish to our table, repeatedly referring to it as "B1" without providing the dish name. Despite ordering everything by their full names at the counter, she continued to ask us in a way that was confusing and unhelpful. Overall, the service was poor, and the staff's attitude left much to be desired. Can't say much about the dumpings since we never had a chance trying them, but the cold dishes are very average, probably you can get better ones from local Asian supermarkets. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Let's keep this short. The place is tiny but there is seating outside. Not the fastest food to make. So expect to wait 15+ mins for a single order. You can see them making the dumplings in house. So, that's good. The dumplings I had were shrimp and egg. The presentation was fine but the flavors are there! I thought it was good. I'll go back. read more

AVOID THIS PLACE I placed an order for pickup at this place at 11:45 online. I immediately got a text that it would be ready at 12:09. No problem! I work close so I decided to walk over and arrived at 12:05. There was a line so I didn't get to the register til about 12:10. The lady behind the desk asked for my order number. I read the number off the confirmation email and she said "that is not a good number" Huh? I showed her the confirmation email with the number and she quickly went and got one of the cooks. He claims that he never got my order, but mine would be ready in 10 minutes. 20 minutes are now going by and I am giving the "stare". Finally, it comes out at 12:35. You got that right, it came out about 25 minutes late. This is an order, mind you, they knew about since 11:45. Meanwhile there are at least 20 people that come in and either order (and have to wait for 1 hour) or turned around and left. I kind of wished that I would have left. These are dumplings. How long does it take to make these? I think part of the reason was because the chefs were giving a tour and chatting up 2 older Asian couples in plain clothes. These two couples were also touching and making some of the food! Evanston has a pretty strict health code so this was likely a violation. I saw STACKS of receipts behind the woman in the front, meaning that they were getting more and more backed up with online orders. The woman in the front also didn't speak English well which is ok, but for the issues that she had to deal with, they needed somebody else up there with her. She had to run and get one of the cooks every single time. As for the dumplings, I got 17 in my pack which seemed like alot for what I paid. As for the taste, it was ok, but not great. There was nothing wrong with them, but they lacked flavor. I went with Pork and Scallion pan fried. I was expecting something like a potsticker. They were sort of like that, but without some of the extra flavor. Again, not great, but not terrible. I ate everything. Thats why they got a 2. They were edible. Either way, this place is NOT worth the slow as molasses service. The potential health code violation, lack of communication, and their web ordering makes this by far the worst restaurant in Evanston. I probably won't go there again for the lack of service and food options. Maybe I will throw the dice and get some for Chinese New Year next February (if this place is still in business) read more

Finally go to try this place: cute tiny place with nice offerings and friendly service. Can't wait to come back and try more. No photo .... I ate everything too fast it was so good. A plate of dumplings is just right when you have a craving! read more

Clean, feel- good meal. Awesome crew. Consistent quality and flavor. I will keep enjoying these dumplings. read more

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It's a small space with very few seats, but if you can snag one, I recommend eating these dumplings there asap. They were piping hot, juicy, and freshly made (there was a woman in the back making them fresh to order). We tried the beef and onion, chicken and mushroom, and pork and shrimp with leek and had them all pan-fried -- they were all very tasty -- 2 people, 0 leftovers. Can't wait to try more of their menu soon. read more

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I have been visiting Lao Tian Dumpling House since they opened. The restaurant is mainly takeout, but they do have chairs at a counter and one round table. When standing at the register, you can see several employees making the dumplings. The flavors are AWESOME, as well as the dumpling dough!! My only wish is that they would have combination orders. Now, the minimum order is 12 dumplings. I wish you could order 12, but have two different flavors. Try this place, you won't be disappointed!!! The shrimp and pork, the lamb coriander dumplings and the soup dumplings are DELISH!!! read more

This place is small for big parties, but if you want grab and go here is the perfect spot. Fresh made dumplings, and they are delicious!

This place is a new favorite for us. Their dumplings are great (have only tried them steamed so far) and we really enjoyed the scallion pancake and cucumber salad. Service was slower the first time we went (around the time they first opened) but seems to be picking up now. read more

Quite frankly, I lived in Evanston for 5 years and this is the best dumplings I've had in the area. Lamb dumpling is insanely good. Not a lot of sitting area, but kind owner and respectable cooking times. It can get busy, so order ahead for takeout. read more

Lao Tian Dumpling House - Beef dumplings, lamb dumplings, shrimp dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Delicious dumplings. Ordered delivery multiple times. Soup dumplings don't travel but I'm sure are good there. Steamed pork dumplings, veggie dumplings / bai, scallion pancake, hot sour soup, pretty much everything is good. My wife is a vegetarian and there are good options for her as well. read more

We came across this place while searching for new food venues nearby. First, don't pay attention to the 15 min pick up time listed initially when you are about to do an online order. The actual pick up time will be displayed after check out and in your email confirmation. They should note that on the page. Ours stated 30 mins on a Wednesday evening and was ready in 25. The dumplings were good. Not awesome, but good and reasonably priced for 10-12 dumplings/per order. We ordered 5 dumpling variations: 5. Tofu and wood ear mushroom - Somewhat bland and left a chalky taste in the mouth. The tofu was ground up, over powering the wood ear mushroom. Not recommended. 4. Beef and onions - Decent flavor but nothing memorable. 3. Xiao Long Bao - Soupy dumplings were savory. Eat while it is hot to appreciate the broth. 2. Egg and chives - These were great if you like chives, and we like chives. 1. Lamb and Coriander - Our favorite. The coriander highlighted the lamb making it fresh with a subtle herby essence. The wrapping is a little thick but it should be noted that these are Laotian style dumplings, not Chinese dumplings so appreciate the diversity of ethnic cuisine. The fillings are good except anything tofu based. If they seasoned the tofu with soy sauce and sesame oil it might be better. Or don't ground the tofu. Definitely give this place a try it if you like dumplings. read more

Good food. Good service. Good presentation. Good variety in menu options. Nice people. Would go there again.

These are BARELY fried dumplings from Lao Tian Dumpling House, a new restaurant in evanston. Service is slow, like REALLY slow. Standard order time given is 15 minutes. Ordered at 6:25, finally got our order at 7:13, that's 48 minutes! 15 dumplings to an order which is generous but they are all one kind. No mixing or combo. Would it hurt to let a new customer try multiple dumplings in a combo, say 5 of three different types? And honestly 15 is too many! I only ate 7 of them. Smaller serving and charge less. Dumplings are served either steamed/boiled/pan fried. But beware, if pan fried there is an additional $2 charge! I asked about that and she said it is a charge on the NEW menu coming. I said well charge me what the current menu says! THAT didn't happen! And for fried dumplings, they seem barely fried! Looked just like my sisters steamed dumplings. $6 for a cucumber salad side which was little more than a smashed cucumber. Very little seasoning or taste other than cucumber. They have 25 different dumplings. Might be too many too soon! Smaller menu to get things rolling, maybe a daily special. But for efficiency, I'd go smaller! Won't be coming back here any time soon! read more