They changed their name from Pan Fried Dumplings to Special Noodle. I've been to two of their other locations: Pleasanton and Fremont. Although they redecorated the Newark location, it's still lacking compared to the other two. My visit this time wasn't as great as my previous visits. I came with my boyfriend on a Friday evening (7/7:30ish). They weren't particularly packed. Their seating is interestingly split: 2/3 of the seating on one half of the restaurant and the other 1/3 on the other side of the restaurant against the wall (there's a bit of a distance between the 2/3 and 1/3). When we went in, everyone was seated in the 2/3 space but there were still open booths/tables. For some reason, the waiter seated us alone on the 1/3 side. A few people came in after us and he continued to seat them on our side. What made me feel a little weird was that for every other party that was sat on our side, an older waitress would say to them (in Mandarin) "No don't sit there! The wind blows to this side whenever the door is opened. It'll be cold there!" And moved them to the side where others were seated. I speak fluent Mandarin although I don't look like it and my boyfriend looks very obviously not Asian so I did feel some sort of way that all the other patrons were offered "warmer" seats. Indeed, every time the door opened, a gust of wind would blow straight towards our seat. The food this time was just okay. The dishes definitely cooled down quick because of the wind constantly blowing in our direction. The pan fried dumpling looked a bit sad this time, I didn't even touch it. Everything else was just good. I did notice that although the price of the snowflake dumpling stayed the same, it went from 12 dumplings to 8. In total we spent about $80 including tax and tip. I used to rave about this location all the time. After this visit, I prefer the Fremont location more. read more

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A solid 3.5 star chinese restaurant. I have mixed feeling as I had high expectations based on other reviews but find some of their entrees mediocre. TLDR. - would return on certain items. Let's start with the ones that I truly enjoyed and would recommend: 1. Pan fried pork buns- one of the best I have tried in the surrounding areas. It's juicy and paired perfectly with the appropriate thickness of dough and seasonings. Also perfectly pan fried. 2. Veggie delight pan fried dumplings - another delicious chef made entree which is perfectly pan fried. It surprised me that there was an extra $3 for opting in for veggies vs. their standard meat dumplings. Makes me wonder what kind of meat they served. Now on to the mediocre ones. 1. Chive and egg emapandas were cold and for $8-9 for 3 small pieces, I had better. Definitely didn't taste the love in this dish. 2. Veggie pan fried dumplings - would not recommend. Tasted stored bought and steamed vs. pan fried. The dough was dry and thick. I couldn't comment on the noodle soup because I didn't have any. read more

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Bomb bomb bomb Great service food was very good Come here with a few people so you can order lots of dishes to try I could only eat the spicy beef noodle soup and their signature fried bao dumplings amd I didn't want to let any go to waste so ate them all lol Pictures don't do them justice and I'll be back to try out more dishes and this time bring a posse to do some culinary sampling read more

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Came here on a Summer afternoon, after passing by this place multiple times but never tried...until now! We were seated promptly and the waiter was courteous and explained the menu for us. The prices are reasonable and dumpling sizes are very generous. Their XLBs had plenty of broth inside so that when you bit a piece and poured out the broth, it filled almost the entire spoon. The flower dumplings are picture-ready and also had a little broth in each. The chive dumplings were huge and filled to edge with chive and shrimp filling. The fried rice was seasoned just right and not overpowering in flavor, serving more as a side dish to let the dumplings take the center spotlight. Overall, I felt like I was at a symphony recital. The opening act was that fried rice, which crescendoed and peaked with the main act of the afternoon which were the dumplings. Would recommend coming to try and for sure I will be back! read more

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I loved how quick the service was here - I ordered through a QR code and my dishes came out in 5 minutes! I ordered the spicy pork dan dan noodles, the pork pan fried dumplings, and the pork and picked cabbage potstickers. The noodles was super flavorful and has a good amount of numbing spice if you're into that. The texture of the dumplings was perfect - super elastic with a crispy bottom. The filling also had a great flavor! The pan fried dumplings was kinda disappointing. I think there was too much dough and it was too thick. The soup inside was scorching hot and there wasn't enough meat inside. Out of the three, my favorite was the dumplings and I would definitely order it again! read more

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This is now one of my favorite go-to places for dumplings! Especially the pan-fried dumplings! They are so crispy on the bottom, and juicy! Pretty much mostly everything on the menu is good! I really like all their dumplings and their noodles are delicious. Also, get their sweet and sour chicken as well! I always recommend this place to my friends, and they like it as well! 10/10 recommend! read more

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If a restaurant names itself after a dish, I would hope that the dish is really delicious. And in this restaurant called Pan Fried Dumplings, their signature dish definitely lived up to the expectation. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. These pan fried dumplings will change your life. I mean it. It is the amazing baby of two proud parents: pan fried buns and xiao long bao. It has a fluffy bun texture encased luscious meat filling. The bottom is fried nicely and it will melt in your mouth. Then to top it all off, each dumpling has rich meaty broth inside, reminiscent of the juices in a xiao long bao. Are you hungry yet? Good, go ahead and order it. If you want to order some other dishes to make a whole meal out of your trip (which you definitely should), the beef noodle soup was amazing, with a good amount of beef and a soup that was flavored nicely. The beef wrap was also good- it had 8 large pieces, but I do wish the scallion pancake was more crispy in the middle. To sum it up, please visit here and order the pan fried buns. You really need to try them for yourself to experience the cornucopia of flavor and texture. read more

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We came to this place when it was called Pan Fried Noodles and loved it. Its now called Special Noodle but its just as good as before. We kinda over ordered but every dish was delicious. My fav was the Beef Stone Pot noodle soup. We got it with a little sichuan pepper. Super tasty and the little kick was perfect for a cold winter afternoon. The spicy red oil wontons were fantastic. Tender skins and meaty center smothered in spicy sauce. We waddled out after lunch with our bag of leftovers. They even gave us some dessert. As Arnold would say, "I'll be back" read more

Special Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

This is my first time here and I will be back again! We ordered the Pork XLB, Chili Wonton, Pan Fried Bun and Combo Chow Fun which was all superb! I'm very picky with my XLB & they def have one of the best XLB, very soupy! Good portion with their Chili Wonton as well. We also got their cucumber salad and sesame balls. Cucumber salad was very refreshing to eat in between all the foods we ordered. Overall, everything was so good! Service was excellent & loved how friendly our server Susan! The restaurant itself is very bright & clean. Would def come back & try their other dishes!! read more

Special Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

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Must order - Soup Pan Fried Pork Buns. 5/5 Woodear Mushroom Salad and Ground Three Delight are tasty, too. Excellent service and authentic ambiance as well. Highly recommend read more

Delicious food and quick service! You can actually see the cold making the food and then being sent directly to your table. Easy to order system by using your phone and the staff brings you the bill once you notify them. Highly recommend! read more

2 stars for food. It's decent food, but only choose take out. Eating there is a DISASTER! We went to Pan Fried Dumplings based on a recommendation. It was pretty empty, surprisingly, when we arrived at 7:30pm. Prime time and a ghost town. There were at least 4 employees behind the counter area who didn't say anything, expecting we were picking up orders I assume. When we asked where to sit, they just pointed. Ok... Someone came over with water and tea cups...an odd combination. Turns out you need to pay for tea, but they give you free water. But you have to drink it out of tea cups. Ok... No menus, scan the QR code for menu and then order online. Questions about items? No one bothers to come over. Want to know what's popular or recommended? Maybe read a review. Ok... The employees love to clean! While there was only one other table of customers, instead of looking after the guests cleaning was going on all around. With what smelled like amonia floor cleaner. Ok... When I went to the restroom I noticed the back door wide open to let the breeze in. 2 mins later at my table I could smell smoke. With a good guess of what was going on, I went to the back door to find the employee smoking outside the door with the smoke blowing in to the dining room. Ok... The food came out in stages, apparently the "pan friend dumplings" take 15 mins, but of course no one tells you that so you are left wondering and waiting. Ok... They do have one dish for vegetarians. It's tomato and egg with noodles. A typical homestyle chinese dish. Unfortunately, it is very poor quality. While they are busy making fresh dumplings, they just use basic spaghetti for their noodle dish. How sad. The dish had a canned tomato flavor and was overly sweet. Yes in Shanghai they do add sugar to this dish to sweeten it, but this restaurant doesn't claim to be Shanghainese. Ok... All while the employess, after cleaning would stand around and chit chat about a lot of things not restaurant related. They spoke in mandarin and we understood them. Not that they cared, trust me, they had no care for the customers. Ok... Tha Pan Fried dumplings were decent. Get take out. Or like me, don't bother. read more

Pretty good dumplings and things to be had here. We ordered online through their website and they were very prompt with the order. I liked the soupy pan fried buns. These were my favorite dish. There's quite a bit of liquid in them so beware! The broth inside was very good though. The xiao long bao were also tasty and quite soupy. The chicken buns were huge and also incredibly spicy. They must put a lot of chilies inside the bun. The chili sauce would just make it extra spicy. I thought it was okay, maybe a hair too spicy for my liking. The snow flake pan fried dumplings were also yummy. I liked the crusty web they fried on the dumplings. They went well with the dumpling sauces. Red oil wontons were also decent although I've had more flavorful ones elsewhere. Overall very solid and I'd eat at this place again! read more

Come and try the taste of this shop is very good Each dish is delicious and exquisite My companions and I loved it delicious food good service good restaurant read more

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Unique and delicious, we ate there 2 days in a row. The soup is very flavorful. Dumpling is also good. read more

Food: boiled dumplings were pretty tasty. You can see the dumpling lady behind the window prepping it after you order is in which is nice. Shanghai dumplings were a little too sweet for me so I wouldn't go back again for. 21.99 for a plate of salt and pepper pork was a bit much but it's worth it. Flavors there and it's a decent amount enough to have left overs. Pan fried dumplings got the nice fried bottom piece but as soon as I bit into it there was this mix of uncooked batter and soup meat.. not good. Service: it was only 3 tables going on and this guy was running like he was rushing to get to the microwave before it hits zero. Refilled our water and was quick to get things out. I also seen how he was so in sync with the other tables and helping the other guy out without him asking. Ambiance: I sat there questioning whether or not it's still pan fried dumplings even though it's name changed. Everything looked the same as before when it was pan fried dumplings. Good lighting though. Overall: would not get Shanghai and pan fried dumplings. Will come back to try other things. read more

We arrived on a weekday near lunch time and it was fairly empty. We got seated right away. We scanned the code on the table and placed our order. The food arrived within 10 minutes and was piping hot. Everything was delicious! Highly recommend the xiao long bao and pan fried baos. The spicy beef noodle was good, but spicier than I had anticipated. The spicy wontons were not as good as some other places and I wouldn't order it again. Overall, service was quick and attentive. Parking was easy since place is located in a plaza. Food was delicious and there was no wait. While I may come back if I was in the area, the total bill came out to higher than what I would pay if I was eating in San Mateo, so the cost of each dish was a bit high for me. I also didn't know that the tax rate is 10.75% here or maybe I just didn't notice before. read more

Special Noodle - Clockwise: Xiao long bao, spicy wontons, pan fried baos, spicy beef noodle. - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

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We ordered the pan-fried dumplings, XLB, snowflake dumplings with eight veggies for me, lamb with green onion for my mom, and pork with veggies and noodles. This was all ordered online with a pickup time selected for 11:30 am. We arrived a few early just to check-in. The setup is nice since they have a table set up in front of the door where you can check-in for your online orders or place your order on the iPad and pay right there. There was a little confusion as we were told five minutes, the told it was ready, then told to wait again. Pan-fried dumplings: My mom and sister enjoyed these. Not as great as LA, but still enjoyable. XLB: So glad I ordered two of these! They both loved this dish with pork! Eight veggie snowflake dumpling: This was all mine since I'm veg and I'm SO glad they had this option! I did feel like it was a little overpriced ($14.99 for 12 dumplings) but overall, loved the flavor of the dumplings. They packed it with 1/4 of the lid cut off and the bag open to help it retain its crispness. I was only slightly disappointed that it was also slightly burnt. Lamb with green onion: My mom enjoyed this dish as well! She saved her leftovers for the next day and ate them with extra noodles made at home. Pork with veggies and noodles: My sister's SO ate all of this, without sharing, so I'm assuming it was good especially considering how his initial choice was "no pork" but chose a pork dish and how his plate was clean of this but he left his dumplings with only a bite taken from each on his plate. I love how there was sanitizer, everything was blocked off, and how delicious the food was overall according to everyone! I would definitely return if we crave dumplings again! read more

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I've been on the search for sheng jian baos in the Bay Area for a long time & have been disappointed over & over. Usually there's not enough soup, not crispy enough, OR the bao is too thick. The name of this restaurant did NOT let me down because their pan-fried soup dumplings are probably the best I've ever had. Plenty of soup & it's really crispy! The bao also wasn't too thick (although thicker where it was closed up but no issue because that's where they made it super crispy). Would definitely dine in. I can't imagine they'll hold up as take out or delivery. Spicy beef noodle soup has a good peppercorn kick so beware. Definitely felt the spiciness at the throat. Enjoyed this very much as well. Would NOT hesitate to come back here if I'm in the area. read more

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Oh my gosh, you haven't LIVED until you try the soupy pan fried dumplings! The flavor and texture were amazing, And they give you plenty, and you will be full afterwards! We also tried the xiao long bao. So good. The sauces they give for everything are yummy, too! And you can't go wrong with some green onion pancake on the side. I can't wait to come back!!! read more

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This place is clean. Servers are attentive. Food arrives 3 minutes after we placed order. Everything we ordered was delicious and in the right temperature. Portions were big. We will definitely come again. read more

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We keep coming back for more! The numbing pepper stone pot soups are fantastic, so warming and delicious without being too spicy. The fried fish came out hot and well seasoned and the vegetables in the chow fun tasted fresh and crunchy. Kids enjoyed the soup dumplings. Sweet mochi cake was yummy. Small complaint: the tea comes out too hot! Makes the cup untouchable till dinner's half done. read more

Love the variety of dishes. Even my aunt who only loves authentic Chinese food thought it was delicious! The Dan Dan noodles, pan fried soup dumplings and steamed egg were amazing. There aren't many sweet or dessert dishes. read more

Dreaming about the day I can go back already...actually planning a visit for this weekend already even though this place is 40 minutes away. But seriously, this spot has the best beef rolls I've found anywhere in the bay. The wrapper is just so flakey, yet so delicious, and the meat is perfectly flavored, and the vegetables are a perfect balance of crunch and refreshed to this delicious goodness. Oh man, I'm drooling at the thought of her. And those crispy soup dumplings- oh man. There are a few spots in sf that are comparable, but I love the proportion of breading to soup to meat at this spot. Their crispy dumplings are also filled...FILLED with soup. It's a perfect crispy soup dumpling. I also tried the noodles and cucumbers, but would probably skip those the next time I come back. I would rather try more of their dumpling/bao options for sure. read more

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When you walk in, you instantly feel like you're walking into a kareoke bar cause of the red booths and disco walls haha. I've never had pan fried dumplings before so this was exciting to try - and did not disappoint let me tell ya that!!! We enjoyed everything we ordered - pan fried dumpling 5/5 - soup dumpling 5/5 - beef wrap 4/5 - eggplant veggies 4/5 (just wish it wasn't too oily) - spicy wonton 4/5 Will be back for more to try other items on the menu. read more

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I love dumplings and this place doesn't really have the best dumplings in my opinion. I order fried rice with shrimp and it was very average. The place is very clean and not really crowded. It's a very cute place. I'd give their pork dumpling a thumbs up over the rest. read more

Delicious pan fried dumplings as the name implies. I had six to myself though and it was quite filling. The soup was sweet and savory, and the crispy bottom was fantastic when you were ready to eat it. I loved the process and service as well. Quick without sacrificing quality. read more

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The pork soup dumplings here are so good! They are good sized and have a lot of soup in them. I also recommend the spicy wontons! read more

Special Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

Was so excited to come here because of all the reviews I read. Long story short, it was quite disappointing. The food didn't come out hot, some dishes were overly salted or overly sweet, vegetables tasted old and likely were wilted before they were cooked, and service was poor. We ordered quite a lot of items off the menu since we were excited, but don't be fooled by the sparkly decor. Service wise: The waiters were young and likely lack experience. We had to consistently wave them down and they never followed up with our table. Also didn't respect how they hide a fat 20% fee for "large parties". Our party was only a table of 6, and nowhere in the restaurant nor their digital menu did they ever tell us that the 20% fee would be added. Seems like very shady business practices. Additionally, the 10.75% tip, is added ON TOP of the 20% fee. So they're trying to charge me 10.75% on top of the 20% fee that was never disclosed to us. I wonder how many customers they've tricked into paying this. They have poor business practices. read more

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Warm service and superb dumplings . The location is a bid farewell to from what we live, it was the Mother's Day lunch, luckily they have a large space with a few big round tables, it's a nice restaurant to entertain read more

Everything was just ok. You scan a QR code and order directly from your phone. They put a ticket on your table with the order and bring out the food. The beef noodle soup had good flavor, but machine/packaged noodles. The pan fried dumplings were good, but the xlb was just ok for me. We also got a veg dish and some wontons. All pretty par for the course. read more

Love this place! I've been here twice and only had to wait about 10-15 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. I love their ordering system. You order via QR code on your table and it makes it so convenient and fast. The orders are sent to the kitchen and your food magically appears within a few minutes! I highly recommend: - Pan fried soupy dumplings: You have to order what the place is named after. Don't rush to eat these, they stay piping hot for a good minute! - XLB: So big and juicy, just how I like it. The best XLBs ever - Red oil wontons: At first the name threw me off because I don't really like oily foods, but these are so freakin' good. Comes with baby bok choy, so good! - Chicken fried rice: I wasn't expecting to like this dish (I'm more of a noods person), but this was actually really delish! - Green beans: A classic and staple veggie dish for me read more

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One of my go to dumpling places if I'm craving some dumplings/ noodles. The interior of the restaurant is pretty spacious and clean and the service is attentive no matter how busy they get. I've tried many things from the menu but the top three things that I always order are the beef wrap, old Peking minced pork noodle, and the spicy red oil wonton. I've tried the XLB from here but it's not that good because it doesn't come out hot enough. Also, the pork Dan Dan noodles were too oily and wayyy too numbing to me. The pan fried dumplings/ potstickers are just too oily as well. Overall, the food is super good and comforting! Definitely recommend! :-) read more

Special Noodle - Left: beef wrap Right: Old Peking Minced Pork Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

I was craving some dumplings and decided to use Yelp to find a good spot. I came across Pan Fried Dumplings and saw good reviews. It's a 30 minute drive from my home but decided to try them. Side note I called and asked if you needed a reservation because it stated that you needed one on the Yelp page. But they said it's first come first served. I took along my son and my cousin. It was around 12 when we got there and it was already full but we expected that especially on a Sunday. But the customers were very mindful that there were others waiting to eat so everyone was eating and leaving soon after so the line was moving. We waited for 15 minutes so it wasn't to bad. You scan the menu QR code and you choose what you want then it gets sent to the kitchen. The server was very friendly and helped us figuring out how to order. I ordered the soupy pan fried pork buns, pork chow main and the steamed shrimp soup dumplings to share with my son. My cousin ordered the snow flake pan fried dumplings and onion pancakes. All the orders came out in under 15 minutes. The portions are big, definitely for sharing. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. I honestly couldn't even pick a favorite. I was so happy to have found this place. I highly recommend checking it out. I can't wait to go back and try different items. Everything on their menu looks amazing. read more

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Authentic taste && Friendly staff! 锅包肉：crispy, crunchy, packed with a substantial punch of sweet sour juice and meat. Noodles come in 3 variations: thick, thin, and vermicelli. Each has its own specialness Strongly recommended read more

Special Noodle - 锅包肉 && 招牌牛肉麪 And yellow color themed plates Beyond the looks, the core is the food all taste great - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

My first time here and Im a customer for life now, as they serve delicious food. Service is excellent too, Susan is the best, very friendly and beautiful. Thank you!!! read more

Special Noodle - Spicy beef rice noodle soup: YUMMMMM! - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

Love the pan fried dumpling , must try ! Wish I have more room to try the noodle dish! read more

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Amazing lunch. It is so good so I even forget to take pics. Highly recommended. The portion is way bigger actually read more

Special Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California

XLB was super juicy and delicious. Their 酸菜粉was really authentic. Highly recommended!

It is a good place to have dinner with friends and classmates. They provide chef specials like tofu skins which tastes really like what made in China mainland. The service is also nice. read more

Special Noodle - Farmers stir-fry pork Sweet garlic pork Green pepper tofu skin Boiled dumplings Etc - Chinese Near Me - Newark, California