People are very nice and the food is amazing! Would recommend the soup dumplings and beef noodles

Tonight was my first visit. The XLB dumping was on point. It was juicy, skin was thin enough yet does not break apart. Flavor was just right one it own without the need of vinegar sauce. This item one I would of give it a 4.5 stars. The -0.5 start was due to the lack of complementary ginger and vinegar provided. Normally, restaurants would provide vinegar with thinly sliced Ginger's in a little sauce dish. But this place didn't provide such. Rooms for improvement: beef wrap was disappointing. The wrap was not crispy. They didn't even cut thought the wraps. It was hard to break apart the pieces. I asked for no onion and no cilantro. Therefore, all I see was sliced of beef and lettuce. Lettuce was cut in big chunks instead of shredded. All I taste was hoisin sauce overpowering everything else. I didn't even know what the beef tasted like. Alice sauce pig ear was even more disgusting. It was very bland, not much of soy sauce flavor nor any sauce at all. I brought that up to the waiter's attention, he offered to exchange that for the spicy flavor pig ear instead. So we did. The Alice pig ears tasted spicy. That was it, I could taste any other flavors. It was exactly the same as the source sauce pig ear, just added chilly oil. Do not recommend these two items. They have a dumpling station where they make fresh dumplings in house. I would come back to try the XLB and other dumplings in the future since dumplings are their signature selling items. read more

See all

Amazing staff! Super friendly, welcoming, and clean environment. The food was great! Super affordable as well.

Food and service and ambiance are all great. Would recommend to all my close friends.

Very solid place for some really authentic and delicious Chinese cuisine. Some people will say that this place serves up Shanghainese fare, but I don't think so. Some people will say that this place serves up Taiwanese fare, but I also don't think so. I wouldn't actually classify Pan Fried Dumplings to serve any specific kind of food but general Chinese cuisine, and they do a darned good job at it too. Fun location, too. What looks like a converted KTV/Disco location in its past life, this building currently serves its purpose. Booths and tables strewn around the restaurant arching over the kitchen and a glass wall looking into the workers busily creating those delicious dumplings. There is also a back room for, perhaps dark business meetings, oh only one could imagine. Their menu is interactive (scan the QR code and order from the internet). But your payment is the traditional check on that plastic tray. The food comes out rather quickly. And the food that comes out, delicious. While I haven't tried the whole menu--it's quite extensive, I have tried the fan favorites, the XLB, the pan fried XLB (shenjian bao), the beef noodle soup, the beef wraps (very good), and a few other dishes that I cannot remember. Definitely a place to visit again to try other items off of their menu. read more

See all

Pan-fried Dumplings is our new go to place for soup dumplings in the area! We've been here multiple times and every time we have a blast! Not only is the food delicious, but the servers are so freaking sweet (especially to my son). Every time we go, we order: -Pork XLB is full of flavor and perfectly juicy. The wrapper is also so light and fresh, but don't fall apart. So good! -Pork buns are our favorite! My son will eat an entire bun by himself! That's how good they are! -Spicy Wontons are so yummy! Full of flavor and perfectly spicy, but not overwhelming. -Chicken Chow Fun is a must have! My son could probably eat this whole thing by himself. Packed full of chicken, veggies and sauce. Yum! -Snow Flake Pan Fried Dumplings are one of those delicious dishes that you try to make at home, but can never get right. This place makes them perfectly! Can't wait to be back here! It is always so chill and relaxing sitting in those booth seats. read more

See all

Over all was not bad, could be better Personally I like xiao long bao with thinner skin, however this is much thicker Fried rice was too hard and not so much flavor I like the egg plant mix with rice dish, However the spicy is not so good, perhaps the pepper it was used it's not so much of matching read more

See all

Extremely satisfying, get the pan fried pork soup dumpling for a unique taste. Will definitely come again soon! Service was good, same for ambience. read more

Yummy food and nice employees! Food came out fast and was hot. I've been here a few times and the food/service is always consistent

If you're in search of culinary bliss, look no further than Special Noodle. Nestled in the heart of Newark, CA, this hidden gem specializes in crafting the most delectable pan-fried dumplings and a variety of other mouthwatering delights. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with warm smiles and the tantalizing aroma of sizzling dumplings. The cozy ambiance sets the perfect stage for a culinary journey that will leave your taste buds dancing with delight. Special Noodle's menu boasts a variety of mouthwatering delights, including their signature beef wraps, delicate Xiao Long Bao (XLB), flavorful shiitake mushrooms with bok choy, and spicy red wontons. Each dumpling is a work of art, meticulously prepared with fresh, quality ingredients and bursting with flavor. Whether you prefer classic pork and chive or adventurous shrimp and leek, every bite is a symphony of savory goodness. What truly sets Special Noodle apart is their commitment to excellence in every aspect. From the impeccable service to the charming ambiance, dining here is an experience to savor and cherish. Whether you're a dumpling aficionado or a lover of Asian cuisine, Special Noodle is a must-visit destination for anyone who appreciates the finer things in life. Prepare to indulge your senses and embark on a culinary adventure like no other. read more

Special Noodle - Sesame Balls - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

We ordered a lot and got a our bellies fully of a wide variety of food: wonton, XLB, leek empanadas, soupy pan fried pork buns, chow fun, Woodear mushroom salad, and red oil pig ear, and eggplant with pork. Everything was pretty solid and work recommend everything but the leek empanadas and ironically the soupy pan fried pork buns. They were just nothing special and compared to all the other dishes. read more

See all

These pan-fried dumplings are soup-er. Wait, aren't XLBs the dumplings with soup in them? Yes, but sheng jian bao (pan-fried soup dumplings) also are filled with a delicious broth...but with a crispy bottom. At Pan Fried Dumplings, these are the star of the show. Their pan-fried soup dumplings are 5 stars for sure...it's some of the other menu items that didn't shine as bright. Their pan-fried soup dumplings come 6 per order. They're plump and pillowy. The tops are soft like a bun, while the bottoms are crisp and perfectly fried. I like to bite into the top to cool off some of the hot broth inside. Wow! Sometimes we just gotta get two orders of these. We've tried a bunch of other items on their menu (XLBs, snow flake pan fried dumplings, beef noodle soup), which were okay. The beef wrap was actually rather tasty. It's a big portion of sliced beef, lettuce, and hoisin sauce, wrapped in a pan-fried pancake. Check out more at my IG: rickymeetsworld read more

Special Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

Food was yummy and authentic, not too expensive for chinese food in 2025 but definitely not super budget. Service was great and would come again. read more

Very solid dumpling spot. It's usually never crowded and the service is very quick. You order through a QR code which I always find helpful cause you can see pictures of the menu items. What we ordered: Snowflake dumplings Spicy red oil wontons pork XLB Dan Dan noodles read more

See all

The food and service were both really good! The environment was peaceful too. One-hundred percent recommend.

I appreciated the complimentary soup. It was simple yet tasty and served piping hot. Ordered the Eggplant and String Bean Noodles for my entree and it was nicely presented. It came with half an egg and a piece of bean curd. After mixing the vegetables thoroughly with the noodles, I enjoyed my first bite. Sauce was yummy but not overwhelming. It was a tasty and simple entree that I enjoyed. Interior is somewhat modern with both table and booth seating. Wait staff are friendly. read more

Special Noodle - Eggplant and String Bean Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

Came here on Friday around 8pm for dinner. No wait and food came out rather quickly. You access menu from a QR code and order from there as well. We ordered pan fried dumpling, Xiao long bao (pork), spicy beef noodle soup, and marinated pork ribs. Pan fried dumpling 5/5: this is so good! The breading on the dumpling is pretty thin and I love the crunchy texture of it. There's a lot of soup in the dumpling as well. I believe the meat inside is pork as well. Add a little vinegar and it's delish! Xiao long bao 4/5: the skin is thin and a decent amount of soup, but I feel like the meat is lacking a little flavor. It's still good though! Spicy beef noodle soup 5/5: I don't know why but I wasn't expecting this to be good but it's really good. First off, the broth was flavorful, rich, and actually spicy! Rarely do I eat a spicy beef noodle and not need to add pepper. The noodles were different from traditional beef noodle soup, but I actually like it better. The noodle is almost like a thin fettuccine and absorbs a lot of the soup flavor, which was awesome! The beef was meaty and tender. There are also little bits of preserved veggies which was a treat. Highly recommend if you like spicy! Marinated pork ribs 2/5: all of the food can't be winners. The pork had no flavor. It tasted like boiled pork ribs tossed in a sauce at the very end. It was soft enough though, just not enough flavor. Had a great meal and enjoyed almost everything! read more

See all

Total Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Food: 2.5/5 Ambiance: 3.5/5 Service: 5/5 I will begin by saying -- This review is for vegetarian items on the menu only. And I really really wanted to like this place. We ordered Onion pancakes, egg rolls, leeks and egg empanadas, snowflake dumplings and pan fried veggie dumplings. We weren't expecting as many veggie options, but were pleasantly surprised. Our favorite was the Pan Fried Dumpling (obviously!). As for the rest of the food, although each filing had a different flavor, it was overall very bland. It's perhaps my South East Asian taste buds that were hoping for some more flavor. Everything was also veryyy oily! I mean, all we ordered was pan/ deep fried, so I did expect some grease, but it was way more than I'd expected. The service was excellent. The food came out fairly quickly and our server was very friendly and was able to answer all our questions regarding ingredients and if it what we were ordering was truly vegetarian. Can't say we will be coming back here. read more

See all

Been meaning to try this spot after reading such great reviews. Definitely had to try their soupy pan fried dumplings which were literally perfect. It had a crispy bottom, soft and pillowy top, and a super juicy interior. So so delicious and a must-try menu item. Their "yummy pork buns" were great too, especially the soft, fluffy outside of the bun. As for their wontons, (both the red oil ravioli and the wonton soup) they were not my favorite. The skin of the wontons were a bit soggy and there was nothing really special about them in general. The red oil ravioli was really salty and lacked spice. However the wonton soup had a nice broth. The sliced spicy beef shank was pretty tasty and so was the eggplant with pork. Overall, my main recommendations for their menu items are the Soupy pan fried pork dumplings and their yummy pork buns. The interior of the restaurant is super clean and has a great ambience. There were quite a few people already dining here when we arrived around 5 PM. The service is pretty good and there's a window where you can actually see the workers making dumplings! Shows me that they're fresh. I'd rate my overall experience here a 4.5 :) read more

See all

Definitely a top choice for dumplings. I've been on a dumpling addiction with this being my fifth dumpling spot in 2 weeks. Both their xlb and pan fried dumplings are amazing. The best pan fried dumplings that are actually crispy. The only place that comes close is Special Noodles in San Jose, And I'm actually confused if they're the same restaurant or not based on another review and them having very similar menus however very different noodle dishes. Their dumplings taste the same to me though, although the XLB skin here holds together a bit better even though it's perfectly thin. We ordered the beef wrap which was a generous serving, comes with two rolls. It was a bit cold though. We also got the dandan noodles which has the numbing spice, and then we got the minced pork noodles that were okay but expected them to be a bit better based on the reviews. The snowflake dumplings were okay, and so were the spicy wontons. Just got them to change things up a bit. The AC was off so it was super hot. Also inattentive service. We had a pile of dishes to be cleared and nobody came to get them and I ended up spilling noodles on myself because I was trying to dodge the tower of empty dishes. But dumplings are top notch here so eh. read more

See all

love this place ! Evertime i'm in the bay area i stop by to get my noodle on! So happy they opened a location in Austin Tx! service is great and workers are friendly ! read more

Special Noodle - Yum! - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

See all

Decent restaurant w/ good service, menu, and atmosphere. We come here for pan-fried soup dumplings because it is literally the best pan-fried soupy dumpling I had and it's literally the restaurant's name hehe hehe. I also ordered the Beef Pancake Roll, Minced Pork Noodle, Chili Wontons, XLB, and the pork & cabbage dumplings with the lace design where you can break them w/ a spoon. The Minced Pork Noodle, Chili Wontons, and the pork & cabbage dumplings were just okay, would not order again next time. I really enjoyed the XLB (hot and fresh), the beef pancake roll, and the pan-fried soupy dumpling and will come back for these items again next time. read more

See all

Awesome restaurant! The food was delicious, and the staff was super friendly. It was really clean, and I'll definitely be back!

The beef noodles and rice noodles are both excellent. I also ordered the pan-fried soup dumplings, which are best enjoyed hot. They're juicy, flavorful, and very satisfying. The restaurant has a great atmosphere--it truly feels like a neighborhood canteen you can always rely on. read more

I'm a SoCal transplant who is always looking for a great place to get decently authentic Chinese food. This is definitely a winner. First off, the decor looks nice and welcoming. There are nice booths along the walls (which have some kind of gold embossed wallpaper). You can watch the staff making dumplings in the back while you eat! There was some pop music playing lightly while we were eating. Second, the food was delicious, well-plated, and authentic! I'm a sucker for pretty presentation, so I loved that the special noodles come on top of a steamer basket! We had the soup pan fried dumplings, pork XLB, tomato egg mixed with rice noodle, pressure cooked pork ribs, green pepper tofu skin, and the sweet mochi osmanthus cake. Both of us loved everything - and we can be pretty picky about good Chinese food. I especially loved that the XLB were so soupy. The only caveat is that the price is higher than expected, but it comes with delicious food and great service. I'll definitely be back! read more

See all

My friends and I came here on a Saturday for lunch and it was not too crowded. We were seated right away and scanned the QR code menu to order on our phone. The menu had a good variety of food. We decided to order the minced pork noodle, chili wonton, beef pancake roll, pan fried soupy bao, xiao long bao, and the pan fried pork & cabbage dumplings. The star of the day were the pan fried soupy bao and the beef pancake roll. Be careful when you bite into the bao. It was squishy on top, crispy on the bottom, and the hot soup oozed out when I bited into it. The beef pancake roll here was not the best I've ever tried, but it was quite flavorful and tasty. Overall, I would definitely come back for more pan fried soupy bao. Also, their plates were so pretty which help me enjoy the food even more. read more

See all

Food: 8/10 Service: 9/10 Value: 7/10 Portion size: medium Wait time: no wait on Sunday at 5pm Came here to try the Dan Dan noodles and spicy beef noodle soup. I also wanted to try the beef rice small plate but it was on the pricey side ($13) so I passed on it. The noodle dishes were $15 each so I felt like it's better to just order an full entree at that point. The Dan Dan noodles were different than other places! It had a schezwan numbing spice! Very delicious. A little too spicy for me but it's good if you like spicy! The hubby loved it! The spicy beef noodle soup was delicious and also had a schezwan flavor but more of a medium spice level. The soup is more if an oil based soup so just be aware! The noodles for both dishes were very bouncy and fresh! They soaked up the yummy flavors too. I would definitely recommend this place and try more food. Also when you order, it's very covid friendly. Each table has their own QR code that you scan on your phone. Then you order on your phone and it gets sent to the kitchen! You can pay on your phone or you can pay at the end at the cash register! read more

See all

delicious food today! the customer service was pretty good and the ambience is very nice. read more

See all

First time here and the food here was amazing!! Ordered a bit of everything chow mien, dumplings, buns and meat. Nothing disappointed!!! The service was amazing as well. Will definitely be back. read more

TL-DR - not bad but not wow Tried a new place today Ordered Pan fried pork bao Red oil pig ear salad XLB Beef wrap XLB - these babies are not small, come in 6 and they're plumpy. Soup is very bold and porky but not enough ginger so it was pork funky (I don't know how to describe it in English lol) we had to ask for shredded ginger and I definitely added a lot to my XLB. The vinegar at the table is....not really vinegar, not sure if it was suppose to be dark or light but it's in between so I had to get a lot to get that tangy taste in my dumpling Beef wrap - not enough beef and not sure why they added so much lettuce. The scallion pancake could use more scallion flavor. It was crispy and flaky but it needed more flavor Pig ear - my least favorite dish. If you like the natural taste of pig ear, then this is for you but I like it when it's been marinated and you can taste both the seasoning and pig. We had to ask a lot of chili and vinegar, still didn't help Pan fried - warning - soup is extremely hot, I know this but also didn't realize how hot it was but my SO literally burnt his lip (blister). Soup is sweet but filling wasn't much Overall, everything was cooked well but just lacking flavoring or lacking something Won't be coming back read more

See all

Special Noodle in Newark never misses. The noodles are always on point, the flavors are solid, and the portions are good for the price. Food comes out quick, everything tastes fresh, and it's just an easy place to come when you want something satisfying without overthinking it. Definitely a go-to spot and I'll keep coming back. read more

锅包肉我的最爱，每次必须点上，听服务人员说，锅包肉都是现点现炸的，怪不得这么好吃，金黄酥脆，外焦里嫩，酸酸甜甜的，还有生煎包，也是我没次必点的，生煎包馅料没有其他餐厅的那么甜，非常适合我这个东北人，不喜欢那种甜味的生煎包，他们家还有很多东北菜，真是满足了我的东北胃，还会在次来吃的， read more

A real hidden gem. Everything we ordered tasted amazing, and the service was fast and friendly. Loved this place! The food was delicious and clearly made with care--fresh ingredients, great seasoning, and generous portions. Definitely coming back! read more

Summary: Stick to their dumplings Details: * Tasty SJBs, of the fried cup variety (where the crispy fried skin goes all the way up the sides, instead of just the bottom) * Disappointing non-dumpling fare (though our data points were a bit sparse, admittedly) * Poor mask etiquette, with at least half the staff not wearing masks or not fully wearing them (possibly because we came towards closing) Accessibility: We got food to go, but from the outside, the space looks pretty spacious with a variety of accessible tables. read more

Special Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

See all

Tri-city has many solid xiao long bao/soup dumpling spots, and Pan Fried Dumplings is one of them! *FOOD* - Pan fried dumplings: since this dish is the name of the restaurant, I assumed it must be good. And it was! Incredibly well flavored, perfect crunch with a good amount of meat. Would have preferred a bit more broth but would still recommend. - Xiao long bao: skin wasn't as thin as I'd like, but there was a lot of meat and broth. Flavor was good. Definitely order this! - Sweet and sour pork: tiny portion. For $18, we honestly expected more. It was very crunchy. Flavor wasn't bad but not something I'd order again. I would recommend getting beef roll instead of this if you want a third entree. *ORDERING/SERVICE/PARKING* - contactless order via phone - pay after - food came out super quickly and was steaming hot - Plenty of parking since it's a big plaza Overall, I had a good experience and would be down come back when I'm in the area. read more

See all

Came here on a Friday night with some friends. Got seated right away but moved to a different table since it was cold sitting at the table near the door. Ordered Snowflake panfried dumpling, which was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Also got Soupy pan fried pork buns, which was fluffy and chewy on one end and crispy on the other with a nice pork filling. The XLB actually had a lot of soup inside but one of the them had their skin pierced in the steaming process, which was disappointing. The Gan ban Green beans were terrible - not crispy at all and just tasted greasy. The old Peking minced pork noodles were also overly salted and not that good. I would stick to the dumpling-related dishes as those are yummy but the noodles and veggies were not. This is more of a 3.5 stars place but since the service was pretty quick and price was reasonable so rounded up to 4 stars. If you're craving dumplings, this place is worth a visit :) read more

See all

I really like this place. It was quick and good was great! I got the 锅包肉 and it was sweet. read more

Special Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

See all

If I were to eat here again I would only get the soupy pan fried dumplings To Go and nothing else. Those were head and shoulders above the other ones we ordered in taste (snow flake dumpling, xlb, red oil ravioli, and onion pancake) The other dumplings I ordered were just okay and the service was terrible when I went. When we first entered they directed us to sit at a super dirty table even though there were other open tables around so we got up ourselves to sit somewhere else. Then they told us the menu is online and to scan the QR code, but it seems to only redirect properly on android phones; I have an iphone 8 and I got an invalid request on mine--my bf has a google pixel 6 and was able to scan. A plus is that the food came out quickly once ordered which was nice. After we were done a server came to ask if we wanted the check and we said 'yes', then she just disappeared. After no sign of her for a while I look over and noticed her doing other things behind the wet bar--she had completely forgotten about us pretty much the second after we talked to her. When this happened the restaurant was not busy (around 3pm). We ended up having to flag another server down for our check. read more

See all

Second time coming here and it did not disappoint! The service was excellent, very attentive, and all smiles! You order from your phone using a QR code, which I find convenient since we are the type of people who look at the menu prior and we're able to order right when we sit! The cucumber salad is a must, a little spice but it's our favorite- even adding more of the chili sauce on top. We ordered pork soup dumplings this go around and was very happy we did! We also tried the pan seared soup buns, they were DELICIOUS but unfortunately so hot- temperature wise lol. But if you do go GET THE CUCUMBER SALAD!! Lol. read more

Special Noodle - Pork soup dumplings, sticky rice ribs, veggie egg rolls. - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

See all

My friend and I came here before NYE at night and we were seated right away. The way you order is by scanning the QR code. Our waiter set up our dishes and water and was very polite. I enjoyed everything that we had ordered (even got to take it home because we were too full). And they were fast in bringing out our order. I enjoyed the pan fried dumplings a lot and would recommend it to anyone who loves pan fried things. read more

Special Noodle - Dinner for 2 (more than enough) - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California