This review is for their food truck. Mad dumplings absolutely crushed it at our company event for around 150 people. The service was insanely fast with less than a 5 minute wait from ordering to food in hand, even with a crowd. I overheard multiple people saying "Wow, my order is ready?!" Which says everything. The staff was friendly, efficient and clearly knew how to keep things moving without sacrificing quality. And the food? Incredible with hefty portions. I heard multiple people praising the dumplings. Delicious dumplings, lightening fast service and genuinely nice people running the truck. Fen was the coordinator who was also overseeing the event, was quick to answer all our catering inquiries and made wonderful suggestions. Mad Dumplings was a huge hit and I'd happily book them again for another event. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Food truck set up - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm a firm believer that it's always a good time to have dumplings. Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner. So I was really excited to try Mad Dumplings at the University Center. Tiny, clean, colorful space with just counter seating, but lots of tables outside. The cashier was very sweet and answered all my questions. Got the combo meal with any rice, dumpling, and side dish for under $15. It was a really good deal (big portion). The Chinese sausage fried rice was 5/5, but the rest of the food was just okay. Definitely not Din Tai Fung, but decent for fast food. read more

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Why oh why haven't I been here before?? Oh yeah- maybe parking during lunch hour - BUT ... sooo worth it My colleague and I opted to both get a combo and an add on to get to try multiple items. Ok. My first bite was the OL dumplings - delicious and juicy with the first bite. I couldn't wait to dive into more. And - damn - the fried chicken dumplings. Can I sweat here? Holy "@&$($&@& BAM!! Wet-licious! Fan tas tic!! I couldn't believe the flavor in my mouth. Then Thai chili wontons - not too spicy. Just right and soft and flavorful. Rice with huge perfectly cooked shrimp! And the bulgogi burrito - I had no idea what I was in store for - seriously- flavor and texture and juicy and lightly fried to perfection. I cannot wait to bring more people here. And try different things. But more fried chicken dumplings. The guy at the counter, and I regret I didn't get his name, was super helpful about choosing items and getting everything right!! read more

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The OG dumplings (boiled) and chicken fried rice were very tasty. They came piping hot. Food is solid and presented simple. I would come back again for a quick meal. They have catering service. read more

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I LOVE this place. As a student the student meal always comes in handy when I'm hungry and need an affordable meal. The ambience of the restaurant is very nice and welcoming. PSA: On thursdays they have 33% off everything, making it even more affordable. If you're a UCI student or just in the area, Mad Dumplings is such a great place to stop by. :) read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Student Meal (Braised Pork Belly White Rice & The OG Dumplings) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

My wife and I stopped here for dinner and ordered the OG boiled dumplings (ground pork and chives) and chicken fried rice (which included eggs, peas, green onions, carrots and sesame seeds). Even though we dined in, we were served the dishes in to-go packaging. The food was very good --- the dumplings were well-prepared and the fried rice hit the spot --- and the portion size for the price was good value. Plus, the chili sauce at the table was tasty. The service from the woman at the counter was fast and efficient. The ambiance wasn't much: it looked like a once-stylish space that hadn't been maintained very well. The chairs were noticeably worn out. Still, for a fair-priced and quick meal, it's a solid choice. read more

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Le dip was closed so we ended up getting some dumplings from here. You get a ton of food for the price- I can imagine college kids loving the good price point. I got the famous longanisa dumplings (steamed) and the fried chicken dumplings. The longanisa were really good, a touch too sweet but the spicy dipping vinegar helped. The fried chicken dumplings were very unique- breaded like fried chicken but still had the flavor of a wonton. We also got the tofu green onion pancake roll up which was good but a little too greasy- I don't think the mayo was needed inside of it tbh. Service was good but there was only one guy working the front and seemed like he was in the back as well. We also ordered fries and it came with a ton of fries which was nice. read more

I like the food here my kids and I came here for a quick snack and got the Bulgogi fries! It was delicious and friendly staff ! The ambiance is great there are some tables outside and very friendly! I recommend it as they also have been featured at the food network! read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Bulgogi Bulgogi Over Fries - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

Interior has a cool mural on the ceiling! Cashiers are friendly and service is fast. The portions are great especially for the student meal. I felt that the fried rice was way too salty, but the dumplings are quite good. I recommend if you need a quick meal at the UTC! read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Student Meal - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

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We came over here after the Elite event at Tenori a week ago. Their dumplings appealed to my hubs and when we asked the cashier for recommendation, he mentioned their most popular is the Fried chicken. While the filling was pretty good, the wrapper/shell was thick and rubbery. If they were to perfect the latter, I am confident more clients will come back and enjoy these dumplings even more! read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - The Fried Chicken Dumplings (6 Pieces) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

Really enjoyed my experience here. My sister and I shared the longanisa and we each got a beef roll!! The staff member was really friendly and helpful, and the food was soooooo good! read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - beef bulgogi roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

Don't get the pork belly rice bowl; it's a complete disappointment. The Chinese sausage fried rice is undercooked and crunchy. Overpriced for what they offer. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Chinese Sausage Fried Rice..mid, nothing to write home about. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

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Ordered the original OG dumplings, longanisa dumplings and chinese sausage fried rice to go & this place did not disappoint! My kids loved the chinese sausage fried rice and devoured the OG dumplings! The longanisa ones were too much flavor for the kids to handle but I enjoyed them read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

Mad dumplings used to be amazing! Every Thursday they have 33% off dumplings, and I think 20% off some rice dishes on Fridays or maybe Mondays. Regardless, they always had good deals and even had a student meal where you could get a rice dish and half order of dumplings for like $8 or $12. I say it used to be amazing because they removed their mac and cheese dumplings off the menu :( That was my favorite dumpling flavor, my second favorite would be the original. Ever since they removed it, i haven't ordered from them as much. The value of food when you order during their deal days is unbeatable! It's a pretty small place at UTC but they have outdoor tables for seating. Pls bring back the mac dumplings read more

I ordered takeout and the food was pretty good. The two for one deal or DoorDash would've been great except they forgot an order of one of the dumplings. Was in between 3 or 4 stars but I liked the way this restaurant catered to students and the food I received was good so I would recommend. read more

Was in the area and decided to give Mad Dumplings a try. The menu looked promising! We decided to go with the family meal - I believe it comes with your choice of 5 items. So got the OG dumplings, the fried chicken dumplings, longanisa dumplings, bulgogi rice bowl and the Chinese Sausage Fried Rice We selected to have the OG & Longanisa ones pan fried, but they did not have the nice crisp I was hoping for. They barely had any browning. The bulgogi rice bowl wasn't very good. The bulgogi was on the tough side and was not very flavorful. The Chinese sausage fried rice had good flavor if you had a piece of the sausage in your scoop, otherwise it was bland. It's not like how grandma used to make it. The employee brought out 2 dishes that did not belong to us and left it on our table and walking away - so we waited til he came back out to let him know they did not belong to us. The menu looks great on paper, but the execution was a let down. The food was ok, it wasn't bad by any means. But, there are better dumpling places in OC. read more

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Unless you like your pork RAW, and eating PLASTIC, I would not recommend this place to anyone. I ordered a 10pc OG fried dumpling to-go, waited 10-15 minutes, and when I opened the container I saw a blue PLASTIC SHARD right on the dumplings. The lady at the front offered for it to be remade. Another 10-15 minutes later, I opened the container and they FORGOT a dumpling. 13.95 (with tax) for 10 dumplings is about $1.40 each when rounded up, so I asked for my one. Another 10-15 minutes later, my 1 dumpling (just 1) came out. Once I FINALLY got my food and bit into the dumpling, and the inside was SLIMEY. Keep in mind, pork should be cooked thoroughly, it should NOT BE SLIMEY. When I confronted them one last time, and the lady at the front offered me a full refund and brought out the chef to look. He said sorry, but did not look very apologetic and slipped back into the kitchen. There is no excuse for this clear health-code violation. I also spent 45 minutes of my time just waiting for them to cook my food right, and in the end they failed. If you took so long to make my food, why is MY FOOD RAW? read more

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Mad Dumplings is a spot that offers unique options of dumplings and also rice dishes. I always pass by this place when I walk around UTC but never got to officially try until last Thursday, which I came around 12pm with a friend and the store was pretty empty but did have more people as we were eating. Out of the four dumpling options, I opted for the longanisa because other than the fried chicken dumpling, the other ones have chives in them, which I was hesitant to get since I don't really like chives. My friend wanted to get the chili oil wontons, but apparently the staff member told us that they didn't have wontons at the moment and he was not sure when they would get it. My friend was excited to try the wontons so she was a bit disappointed, but she ended up getting the fried chicken dumplings. Most people I see get takeout, but there is also some bar seating for those who want to eat in person like I did with my friend. The longanisa came in 10 pieces, while the fried chicken was the kind that had 6 pieces instead but came in larger pieces than the longanisa, but both were filling enough for me and my friend. The longanisa was pretty good, though I was initially surprised by how the pork sausage had a hint of sweetness and maybe spice, making it both savory and sweet. It tasted better as I ate more. It came with a spicy sauce that was pretty good too, but I mostly ate the dumplings by itself since it was already flavorful. I was also initially hesitant when seeing there were jalapenos since you usually don't see jalapenos in dumplings, but thankfully it was just put on the top and I could just take it out myself. I tried a piece of the fried chicken dumpling from my friend and it was good too, it had a nice crunch to it and the chicken itself was soft. We would describe it to be more like fried chicken but in a dumpling shape. My friend said she enjoyed it with the sauce but she also liked it even without the sauce. Overall, I would recommend it if you're craving dumplings from the plaza and it's a good casual place to eat with friends. It's a place where I would come every now and then, so if I get to try again, I would like to give their other dumplings a chance. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - fried chicken dumplings (left), longanisa dumplings (right) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

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Surprisingly tasty variation on Japanese, Korean and Chinese delicacies, at very reasonable prices! Offerings include fried rice, dumpling fusions and items such as Bulgogi Tots! As a like lunch before heading home, selected the Dumpling Set for $12.95 which consisted of four FriedChicken and Cheese Dumplings and four Traditional Pork Dumplings. Paired with a cold refreshing Jasmine Tea with Lychee. Very delicious and not too oily I am a fan! read more

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dumplings are really good, the fried chicken dumpling is my favorite, however I tried the fried rice and was really unimpressed. The rice was really mushy like they made it with fresh rice rather than cold day old rice. Bulgogi beef pancake roll was also really good! read more

The longanisa dumplings were good, but the portion was much smaller than I expected considering the price. While my order came with 10 dumplings, they were very small and a good amount of space in the container was filled by the sauce containers and jalapeños. The dumpling options are definitely inventive, but I was a bit disappointed by the portion size. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - longanisa dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

Came to Mad Dumplings with some friends. We had Bulgogi, a Lychee Lemonade, and Dumplings. The food was tasty and a good portion size. I was happy to see real Lychees in the drink. A+! The server was very patient, helpful, and friendly as we asked questions about the menu and stuck around to eat inside. Loved the artwork on the ceilings and the wallpaper design. It's a cool place to try out. I'll come back again and try a new dish next time. read more

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So far, I'm liking this place. We went on a Saturday night and it was peaceful and quiet. You enter the restaurant, order from a kiosk, grab a number, and take a seat. Self seating with everything you may need on your side of the table. If you don't like interacting with people, this place is great, haha. We got "the Hottie" to share and I was not expecting them to be huge. On top of the size, it was very stuffed as well, which is great. I understand the price of them - at first I wondered why it was kind of pricey, but I think it's worth it now that I've seen and tried them. If you did have a question or need something, they do have a call/service button by the kiosk. Will be back to try the other dumplings. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - The Hottie / Hot Fried Chicken Dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

I had some of these dumplings at an event, and it was amazing. I really enjoyed my chicken one as it's really stuffed with juicy chicken! And the crispiness on the outside is amazing! The service here is amazing. The guy that was serving was very nice and sweet. Since it was at an event, it was nice to know that I can go support or two other locations! Will definitely try again, and introduce these to my friends. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

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Stopped by for lunch after our bike ride and loved filling up on these dumplings. Tried the veggie fried rice, the vintage dumplings, original, vegan and the Thai dumplings. All so delicious. Cool vibe inside the restaurant with unusual ceiling art that caught my eye. The shop has won awards from the food network which I can understand because YUM!! I will say I wasn't thrilled with the fact that there was no staff around to answer questions or provide recommendations for our first order. Everything was done on a self serve screen and someone only came out of the back to hand me my order. read more

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I heard about their food truck before, so wanted to try Mad Dumplings now that they opened a location in University Town Center near UCI. They are close to Trader Joe's. It wasn't difficult to find parking on a Saturday at 12pm; I drove slowly and watched for anyone backing out of their spot. You order and pay up front, then take your number and find a seat. The employee was super nice. She offered to bring food out to customers sitting in the patio area directly outside of the restaurant. Otherwise, they have limited bar seating inside. According to the employee, the electronic menu was wrong about some dumplings having the option of boiled or pan fried. Unless the flavor calls for deep fried, all dumplings are pan fried only. Everyone in our group got the 8 piece dumplings for $12.95. You get to pick a max of 2 flavors, 4 pieces each. Each dumpling is enormous! They are twice the size of regular dumplings and generously stuffed. The skins are thick and chewy, yet crispy on the bottom. I don't get the reviews saying they have no flavor. Sure they aren't overly salted, but I also didn't need my soy dipping sauce. DUMPLINGS ORDERED - The Beyond (Beyond vegan meat, mushroom, chives, cabbage, cilantro). This dumpling was the only one not filled to the brim. I get that vegan meat is pricy, but I was expecting more volume in vegetables. Still, the flavor was good. I tasted the mushrooms and they managed to give Beyond meat an umami flavor similar to Impossible meat. - The Longanisa (pork sausage). Juicy and sweet sausage filling. It was oily like chorizo, but an acceptable amount of oil. The dumpling tasted good with the sliced jalapeño. - The Fried Chicken (white meat chicken, pepperjack cheese, breaded with cornflakes). It reminded me more of chicken nuggets than fried chicken. The dumpling was saucier than expected inside, which kept the chicken moist. I couldn't taste the pepperjack or cayenne, but I detected some sort of finely chopped herb. The flavor was mild, but you can pair the dumpling with jalapeños and cole slaw. - The Mac (housemade mac n cheese, breaded with panko). The inside was also saucy, so not too dry, and the noodles were al dente. The flavor was okay, but it needed more cheese. The sauce tasted more like dairy and pepper. read more

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I don't think you can go wrong with dumplings however, this place was great! Love the combination of foods you can order and the portions are decent. Ordered the combo fried rice which was flavorful, the onion pancake which was super delicious.... Crispy exterior with a mochi consistency in the inside!! Yum yum!! Had the Thai chili wontons which were also good and washed it a down with lychee limeade which was also great!!! Love that all these items all in one place which complement together! Glad we decided to eat here after struggling where to eat in the center read more

Don't let the other reviews fool you..this place is not good. Gross, made my stomach hurt, this was my first time here.... Ordered the value combo meal with rice and bulgogi meat. My bulgogi meat was cold, my rice was hard not cooked all the way through and was not hot. My food was Luke warm when I received it, the only thing that was hot was the HOTTIE dumplings. We waited over 15 mins for our food and our food didn't come out fresh. We also had to wait in line for a minute to order on the kiosk, and on the kiosk you can't customize and say no sauce etc. I will not come here again, my stomach still bubbling. Only good thing is the fried chicken but it's nothing special read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Combo value meal with bulgogi and hottie dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

The dumplings actually feel/taste undercooked, and they might be. The chili oil is missing a crunch and overall, the filling is missing sodium/flavor. I had high hopes because of the reviews but it's tough to give them more than 3 stars for me. No line or people waiting and it took almost 20 minutes to get our order. Not the best experience. Very little indoor seating and outside seating is in a wind tunnel so it gets pretty chilly after 6pm. read more

These dumplings are mad. Stuffed with chicken and cheese and rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried like lil chicken nuggets? Sign me right up! The infatuation with the concepts of the special dumplings was a bit better in my brain than in reality in my mouth. While still good, the base dumplings didn't really come close to my more preferred dumpling/dim-sum houses. read more

Food: We tried the pork belly and dumplings combo as well as the bulgogi and dumplings combo. Both were good, but the portion size felt small for the price. We might explore other menu items next time. Service: Excellent! A friendly staff member assisted us with ordering using the kiosk, and the food arrived faster than expected. Ambiance: The small mom-and-pop establishment has bar stools and tables mounted against the wall and front window, making it a convenient spot for college students to grab a quick bite. read more

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This is a delicious dumpling place with very creative takes on the normal dumpling! I split a large order of the Fried Chicken and the Longanisa dumplings with two friends. Both flavor choices were very good, but my favorite was the Longanisa! I would highly recommend others visit, and I will definitely return when I am in the area again in the future. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - The Fried Chicken and the Longanisa - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

The pork belly rice bowl is so good! I'd come back for it. Saw they also have some great happy hour deals from 2-5pm We had the vintage dumplings, also tasty, a little pricey but would get again. I really like the dumpling wrapper texture! I'd skip the bulgogi, maybe we had a bad batch or just not my jam. There were very few larger pieces of meat, mostly crispy little crumb like pieces (similar to when you're finish up a bag of beef jerky). Flavor wise, was also on the saltier side read more

Terrible food, terrible prices. If you want an unsatisfying meal for above $10, this is the place to go. I discovered it a couple years ago and have watched it slowly roll downhill until literally any other option is an improvement. Avoid at all costs. The braised pork belly is barely even pork belly, and the wontons are somehow worse than what you can buy frozen at Ranch 99 for half the price. read more

A BRICK & MORTAR joint has arrived for the Mad dumplings food truck! It's been a while since we've had their dumplings and we came at the right time since they have a rotating dumpling flavor (HOT CHICKEN right now) ---hot chicken dumpling: our new favorite!! Perfect crisp crust, slight heat with the melting cheese, moist chicken, yummmmm (if you prefer no spice get the regular fried chicken dumpling) ---Mac n cheese: love dipping this one in the sauce that goes with the longanisa, goes well with the creaminess (just order multiple flavors so you can mix and match) ---vegan dumpling: cauliflower filling, cauliflower is so versatile! ---vintage & loganisa dumplings: the classics, can't go wrong with these Will have to come back to try the dessert dumplings! read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Mac n cheese, longanisa, vintage, vegan, fried chicken + hot chicken dumplings with pork belly fried rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

I used to get this all the time from their truck in at the Great Park farmer's market, but this is my first time in their brick and mortar store. The food is very different from how I remember- the dumplings are smaller and not as fried, but the flavor is the same. The bulgogi rice was also decent, and I like the texture of it. The elote, however, was horrible. If you're a fan of Korean corn cheese, this might be to your tastes, but it was just gross. Took one bite and tossed it. Upside is that service was friendly and fast, and the tables/counter are all clean with plenty of condiments. I guess it's been a while since my last visit to the truck, but so much has changed that it feels like a completely different place with similar recipes. Not sure if I'll stop by again unless I'm craving the specific flavor of the specialty dumplings. read more

Mad Dumplings - Irvine - Combo meal w/ Longanista, bulgogi rice, and elote - Asian Fusion Near Me - Irvine, California

Food 4/5 Dumplings a little bit bigger than what we're used to. The sauces were good, not as strong as we're used to either. But the meats were good. You order on a kiosk and then have your food dropped off to you. Like a self service restaurant where you put your trash and trays away when leaving. read more

Mad Dumplings!!!! I tried their Mac dumplings way back when they started their food truck in 2016-to see they've opened their brick and mortar location in the University center at UCI? Absolutely thrilled! Service was quick and easy--the cashier was so nice and explained the options in their menu. Fillings are Thiccc, they do not skimp on the fillings here. Vintage, longanisa, and fried chicken dumplings were SO tasty. Cooked to perfection! Overall, if youre craving dumplings, this is the spot for you! Cannot beat that $8 combo. The bulgogi rice bowl was so good and the sauce complimented the beef. Blueberry iced tea was slightly sweet, which I think is great--it didnt overpower the food. Some people may like more sugar in it but I think its fine! Thanks for a yummy lunch! read more

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For those wondering what side to park at UTC, it took over ADYA Indian food, Next to Pete's Coffee and Ray's Pizza. So Park on the Trader Joe's side. I really wanted to like this place. There hasn't been a good dumpling spot in Irvine, to my knowledge (dim sum excluded), and DTF is both expensive, and hard to get into at peak times. (Also, it's not in Irvine) Me and a friend came here for lunch after going through Yelp's "Hot and New," and it was modern and clean inside. Window to the kitchen like dumpling spots are known for. Few choices, and I prefer it that way. Doing a few things great is better than doing a lot of things mediocre. We were able to try everything but the Vegan Dumplings and the Rice options. Longanisa: I like the Filipino inspiration. It's longanisa in there. Add the vinegar based hot sauce on the side, and the breakfast flavor is complete. Decent, but unfortunately the topping of pork belly is flavorless. It doesn't belong on these dumplings. (And if it's the same pork belly thats on the fries? It needs major, major seasoning and flavor). There's a 1* review down here that said "sweet, and salty, terrible." He obviously doesn't know what longanisa is. That's like saying pizza is too cheesy. Mac and Cheese: Honestly my favorite. But it's not really a dumpling. It's a fried mac and cheese ball you can get at like, Lazy Dog, or BJ's. Vintage: It's good. Though because they used ground turkey instead of pork, it was a little to dry, for my taste, to be a dumpling filling. I see where they were going with this, but just not my preference. It was cooked perfectly on the outside though. Enough chew, good crisp on flat side. Fried Chicken: Think Japanese Karaage. Again, good, but far from a dumpling, and my least favorite. Bulgogi Fries: In my opinion, the only thing I would order again if I came here. Criss Cut Fries were crispy and well seasoned, beef was flavorful (a little dry) and the mayo sauce/aioli was good. Lychee Lemonade: Very sweet, but refreshing. Would probably benefit from more Larger lychee pieces instead of the ground up pieces at the bottom of the cup. Blueberry Tea: So I love the taste. Not too sweet (like at all) with a hint of blueberry. But maybe it's just me, but I don't like the skins of blueberries. So all the skin was just at the bottom... my first sip was just gritty with a lot of solids. If they filtered this, I think It would be better. All in all, I probably wouldn't return. Unfortunately, Mad Dumplings is not a spot I can add to my list of places to frequent, but it may be your cup of tea. I think it's at least a try, and you may like it. The Student combo deal is worth a shot. read more

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New and novel idea, but looks better than it tastes. When it first came out everyone was raving about these but seriously, what was the hype about? For what I got I'd rather go get their real dish counterparts. It'd probably cost less than what I paid for these. I'll be sticking with dim sum places thanks. read more