Had a great experience at Ugly Dumpling. The garlic string beans were honestly amazing -- they were so good that we ended up ordering another one to go. We also had the pork and shrimp dumplings and the steamed BBQ pork buns, and both were really good as well. I also loved that this place is BYOB, so being able to bring my own wine made the meal even better. The people working there were very friendly, positive, and gave the place a really good vibe. Overall, great food, great service, and definitely a spot I'd come back to. Highly recommend. read more

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1/15 Stars: A Masterclass in Horrific Service and Complete Management Failure. If you enjoy being crammed into a space too small for human comfort, ignored by staff after an accident, and actively walked away from by management, then this is the place for you. For the rest of us? Avoid this absolute trainwreck of a restaurant at all costs. We arrived as a party of 7 and were crammed onto a tiny table. Despite an entire section of the restaurant sitting completely empty, staff flatly refused to move us to a larger table. Predictably, because we were packed like sardines, a glass was knocked over during appetizers. That is when the dining experience shifted from uncomfortable to utterly pathetic. As the drink flooded the table and pooled into a food plate, the servers literally just kept dropping new food into the mess. When we begged for it to be cleaned, a waitress dumped a handful of tissues on the table and walked away. When we asked her to use a tray to clear the wet items, she claimed she "didn't have a tray"--meanwhile, every other server in the room was walking past us carrying trays. Despite multiple pleas, the table was never properly wiped. We had to flag down other servers for napkins and physically move our own dirty dishes to a neighboring empty table ourselves. Thinking it couldn't get worse, we asked for the manager, "Ashley". It turns out the toxic attitude starts at the top. Ashley arrived with zero empathy. When the waitress boldly lied to our faces and denied her comments about the tray, Ashley didn't care. She disappeared for five minutes, returned solely to defend her incompetent staff, and when we asked if she was even willing to listen to our side, she literally walked away from us. To give a restaurant your hard-earned money only to be treated like an inconvenience is infuriating. Ashley and her staff lack the basic fundamentals of hospitality, cleanliness, and human decency. Do yourself a favor and spend your money somewhere that actually values its customers. read more

This restaurant is contemporary and quick for freshly Chinese steamed and fried food. While it does not have traditional dishes, it upholds the tasteful images in colorful food. I noticed the dough in dumplings and dim sum were thick and may have taken away some of the flavors. At least the fresh taste is consistent in every bite. The price is reasonable. Server were quick to deliver and keep tables cleaned and ready for many customers. The inside is also modern appearing with creative steam basket decor. I would come again for friends, yet I would wish to try for more flavor than dough. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Front entrance - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

Came in at night maybe an hour before closing. We got seated and were told that the kitchen closes in 30 minutes. We knew exactly what to order but they left us there for about 15 minutes until a waitress came. The chicken fried rice was salty. The chicken dumplings were ok. Don't think it's worth it going back. Also one menu that was given was super sticky at the bottom it had some kind of sauce spilled. I did bring it up to the waitress and she just said oh ok. read more

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I have been wanting to go to Ugly Dumpling, and I funny got my chance. The first thing I noticed was how bright and airy and clean it was inside. Table seating was spacious. The server was very friendly and the food was prepared quickly and served hot. I ordered the Szechuan pork soup dumplings. They were very good, but be careful because the soup inside can be very hot. Let them cool before you go all in. 5/5 The hot and sour soup was my least favorite. It didn't have any real flavor to me. I probably should have added some chili oil to it. 1/5 Spicy pork and shrimp wontons were also very good. I don't think you can ever go wrong with wontons. 5/5 Ugly Dumpling met my expectations. You definitely need to do a drive by. Til we eat again... read more

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Came here on a week day around 5:30 for early dinner and the host got us seated with menu in few minutes. No server stopped by our table asking us for drinks or taking our food order. All other tables nearby with customers seated after us were already waited. My husband flagged a staff and informed that we have waited for 10 minutes and not a single staff came to greet us or ask for our order. The staff said she doesn't know who was supposed to be our waiter but that she'll just take our orders. We placed few dishes: pork and crab soup dumplings, shrimp fried rice, noodles with peanut sauce, scallion pancakes, wonton soup. The food came out eventually one by one. I enjoyed the food. It was decent. My fav is the shrimp fried rice. For the soup dumplings, it's okay but I've had better at Tastee Moments in Edison. Overall, I can only give this place 3 stars and had to knock off a star for their lack of attentive service. Not a single staff came by to check up on us and see if we needed anything. We're a party of 3 and our table had only 2 sets of plate and utensils. We had to flag some staff walking pass our table for things and it's just bad service. The restaurant wasn't even busy. They had empty tables. We probably could have left the restaurant without paying and no one would noticed! Surprisingly, when we're done eating, in minutes, the same staff who pushed in our order came to our table with the bill. She was gone the entire time and of course now she's expecting a tip for poor service. read more

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I've dined in here before, but I was today years old when I learned that Ugly Dumpling is BYOB. What's better than dumplings and a cold beer? read more

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I've visited here a few times, but my most recent experience was pretty disappointing. It was a Friday night and they were somewhat busy. We were seated within a few minutes, but then waited about 20 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. Meanwhile, we watched several tables that were seated after us get their drinks before we did. At one point, I noticed a server training another server--which seemed like an odd time to be doing that given how busy they were. I was honestly close to getting up and leaving. Eventually, the same server who was training noticed my frustrated expression and asked if anyone had helped us. When we told her no, she said she would check who was assigned to our table. She later came back and said she would take care of us. Apparently, whoever was supposed to serve our table dropped the ball. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time I've experienced poor service here. In the past, the staff hasn't been very attentive either. Even if the food is decent, it's hard to justify coming back for consistently bad service. At that point, I'd rather go to a typical Chinese restaurant for the same experience--though honestly, they might even have better service. As for the food, we ordered shrimp fried rice, wontons, sesame noodles, pan-fried pancakes, and the soup crab dumplings. The shrimp fried rice was the best dish out of everything we tried. However, when you're already frustrated, it's hard to fully enjoy the meal. We were hungry, so we stayed and ate. Overall, the food was slightly decent, but the service was terrible. I don't necessarily think it was the individual server's fault--someone clearly failed to do their job. Dining out isn't just about the food; the service matters too. Unfortunately, Ugly Dumpling didn't meet those standards this time. I'm not sure if I'll make this a regular stop anymore--maybe only if I'm really craving dumplings. read more

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The food is okay for me. I don't recommend the boba. It didn't taste the green tea. The fried rice is with pork and they really taste good! The service is great and makes sure to check the customers if we have any concerns. The ambience is nice and simple. I love to see the dumpling and boba design. read more

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Found this place while on a road trip, stopping over for a night in Edison. Terrific meal -- not just the noodles and dumplings but also appreciated the fresh green vegetables. read more

Ugly Dumpling was a hit! The food here was very tasty and our waitress was extremely kind. We didn't know what to get but she guided us through and we made the right choices. The space was clean, very cool glass room where you can see the staff make dumplings by hand. Definitely family-friendly, you'll want to check this place out. Highly recommend their spicy noodles along with any kind of soup dumplings. They have other locations, but I must admit, Edison (this location) is the best. read more

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I'm really disappointed with my experience at Ugly Dumpling in the Edison location. We came in specifically because of a text promotion offering 20% off dine-in/pick-up with an expiration date of 4/19 and a valid code. After we dined,when we tried to use it, we were told the promotion "wasn't supposed to be sent yet"by the manager and the discount was not honored. There was no mention of any future start date in the message, so this was very misleading. The manager also disclosed they did not have the button to accommodate the offer. We chose to dine here based on that offer, and it should have been honored or at least handled better. Instead of just saying come next week. No wonder why it was so busy this weekend. This place usually is has good servers and good food but the way the manager handled this situation and false advertising gave a very poor impression. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Here's the coupon that was not honored but sent on 4/10/26 - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

Ugly Dumpling is a nice spot for soup dumplings. A bit more commercial than Shanghai on Rt 27. Offering lots of options including bubble tea, classic Chinese American dishes like orange chicken. It was a decent meal. The place was redone a few years ago but the tables and seats look very worn for a new restaurant. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Chicken wonton soup - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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In town on business and a friend suggested Ugly Dumpling. I've never had soup dumplings before but I was all in . The sampler was an excellent choice that provided several flavors. Highly enjoyed the good and the service. Our server was very friendly and informative about the menu . Beautiful decor and relaxing atmosphere. read more

Not worth it. Food is edible but they don't pay attention to what they're doing. I don't get what I ordered despite trying to correct it. Would not go again. read more

The place is pretty big and doesn't feel tight. They don't have a bar, but it's byob, so there's that. The food is pretty good. Typical Asian type of food then they have he dumplings which are pretty good and everyone raves about. Overall it's a great place to grab dinner or have a night out with a group. Make sure to bring your favorite beer or wine. read more

First time to try the ugly dumpling brand. Great impression! Pleasant service, spacious area, ample of spacing between tables, accepts credit/debit. They have a private area for events/occassion. High chair seen. Koala kare at restroom. Clean and smelling good restroom. Ample of parking space. See images for reference. read more

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Been wanting to visit for awhile. Reviews are accurate, overpriced/average tasting food. Definitely can find better options in the area. Our waiter was ok. We ordered a side of white rice and fried pork chop for our toddler. ALL of our dishes came out and we had to remind him of our toddlers order. He should have observed what was missing but I digress. Then after we were nearly all done, the pork chop finally came out. That was disappointing because if you have a toddler, you know how important it is their food either comes first or at the same time. Apparently something happened with the frier. Didn't even bother to make the situation right. Offer to comp the appetizer or even apologize for the inconvenience. Service is as mid as the food. Unlikely we'll return. Rather visit the pho restaurant in that shopping strip or the Korean wings-both have great food and service read more

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I recently came here with my family and here's our take away: it's set up like a family restaurant (especially because of the location in the plaza) however, there didn't appear to be a kids menu being offered. That automatically made me think families are going to have to order from the menu and make modifications or hope there will be something a child would want. Next, the menu needs to either have more descriptions of the dish or place a photo near the listed dishes (we are Asian and some things were not what we assumed it would look like). While they offer high chairs and plastic cups for juice, they are completely ready for kids. Our infant's car seat barely fit into the booth and they couldn't sit us at a 6 top due to not having the high chair/car seat holder. We liked the food 3/5; it seemed to be commercialized and a bit less authentic than we had hoped. read more

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Food was butt, I took a goth girl here and we left mid date. no Head.............. like liter no suck

Finally got to try this place! And there was nothing Ugly about it! This is a standalone restaurant located near the 99 Ranch in Edison. I was greeted by a very friendly host, and our waitress was very nice and helpful. The space is open, bright and clean. I ordered: - Cucumber Salad: 10/10; refreshing and flavorful (try adding some vinegar that they supply at the table) - Spicy Pork & Shrimp Wontons: 7/10; the skin was nice and light, but the filling gets lost a bit. The spicy sauce that they were swimming in was delightful (I dipped my braised beef in there). - Chicken Soup Dumplings: 4/10; the presentation was pretty (they were wrapped in red/pink color dough), but the taste just wasn't there. - Braised Beef Noodle Soup: 10/10; my absolute favorite - the broth was very flavorful, the noodles were done just right, and the beef was nice and tender. - Spinach with Garlic: 10/10; gotta have some greens with my meal; good amount of minced garlic I would definitely come again! read more

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Overall an average dining experience, with some notable pluses and minuses. On the positive side, were the soup dumplings, string beans and the fried rice with pork chops. These were all tasty and everyone in my family enjoyed them. Now the negatives. The braised beef noodle soup, despite the broth being tasty, the beef itself was very tough and hard to chew. Also the shumai was nothing like you would get at an authentic dim sum place. The wonton skins on the pork and shrimp shumai were so delicate and thin that they fell apart when picked up with chopsticks. They should be way more firm. We also weren't able to discern any shrimp or even shrimp flavor in the shumai. So a mixed bag, proceed with caution. read more

This took over what use to be Quaker Steak and Lube. I think the look of the place - very cute branding and nice decor. The restaurant is large and has plenty of seating. I like that we can watch the workers make the dumpling through the glass. It's a very cool experience. The service and food were both fine. We got several of the soup dumpling flavors. They have them wrapped in different colors so you know what you're eating. It is not my favorite dumpling spot in the area but it has a good amount of variety and I think it would be suitable for someone who is new to soup dumplings and wants to try different kinds. Suitable for large parties as well due to the sizing. Recommend going at least once. read more

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There was nothing ugly about our dumpling dinner! Our party of six which included two children, was hungry after spending a few hours in Playland and ordered: 3 Fried Chicken Dumplings $21 1 Edamame $6 2 Chicken Soup Dumplings XLB $20 3 Chicken Wonton Soup $27 1 Vegan Wonton Soup $8 1 Chicken Stir-fried Noodles $11 2 Matcha Red Bean $10 1 Fruit Yoguty Drink $6.50 4 Iced Sweet Cream Boba $28 Total with Tip: $171 The dumplings are made in-house, so they are fresh and tasty. It looked like they were making them to order (see pics) as one or more chefs were hand making them while we dined. I thought my Wonton Soup was excellent, the wontons were delicious. In fact, I liked almost everything I sampled, with the exception of the Chicken Stir-fried Noodles. My co-diners seemed to agree, as there was almost nothing left over to take home! The service was excellent throughout our dinner, even though it got progressively busier by the time we finished. I love dumplings and would be delighted to return to Ugly Dumpling for some beautiful dumplings! read more

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Came back to Ugly Dumpling, this time with my husband and our son. My son just discovered dumplings and is obsessed! He got a kick out of the name and kept asking why they were being so mean to their dumplings. We ordered a bunch of food to share. Woke chicken stir fry noodles which were a big hit with my son. My favorite- sesame noodles, peanutty and spicy yum yum. My son also like those. Green beans which I ate mostly, and they were so delicious- salty, garlicky and the perfect texture between soft and crunchy. Beef with shishito peppers on rice which I think I got last time but with noodles. This time the beef was much more flavorful! In fact, my husband had been talking about going back and getting it ever since. Last but not least, the chicken soup dumplings!! Once they were served to us my son declared that they were certainly not ugly and after one bite he also stated that they didn't taste ugly either! Our waitress also told us of a new beverage they had, strawberry rose milk tea- it was delicious, like a lightweight strawberry milk with bobas. We ended the meal with the mochi sampler and that's the only thing that fell flat for me- a few of the mochis had a weird texture which made me think they might've been frostbitten or old. The fruity ones were delicious, but it seemed the green tea, vanilla and definitely the chocolate were just slightly "off". Also- total bummer they took off how to eat a soup dumpling from their menu! I was excited to show my son. Anyway, this is my son's new favorite restaurant and he even requested for a birthday party at Ugly Dumpling! read more

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The dumplings were yummy and the pork fried rice has become a favorite. Also the Mongolian beef with white rice and the garlic string beans are both a 10/10! read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Pork Chop Fried Rice - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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Just okay, we are dumplings lovers and were looking forward to trying ugly dumpling out as this place had been on list for quite a while. Great decor and ambience, the vibe of the place is nice. The food though was okay nothing spectacular. We tried a few different kinds of dumplings, apart from soup dumplings, the other dumplings were just average. We also tried the fried rice which were okay as well. read more

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Very large and open area with a great amount of seating! We stopped here to grab a quick lunch and it did not disappoint. The staff were friendly and attentive. We got two orders of dumplings, an order of wings, and an order of crab rangoons. The dumplings were soft and flavorful, but the bottoms did break/wear away easily. A few were broken before being lifted - bummer! The ginger was lackluster. It tasted very watery, like they had been soaking in a water bath for some time. But! The wings were soooo so so so good. Crispy and juicy and meaty. The sauce!!!! Oh my goodness. We dipped the crab in the sauce - banger!!!!!! The rangoons were also deliciously creamy with a perfect wonton fry. Yum! Would come again read more

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Just okay. Big, modern, high ceilings, and glass windows let you watch the chefs at work. Food comes out as it's ready. We started with: Edamame- Salt placement was more "dump it all in one spot and pray." Some beans were salty enough to make your tongue want to file a restraining order while others tasted like they barely knew what salt was. Scallion Pancake- Greasy like a Slip n Slide, flat (no layers), and skimpy scallions, though the dipping sauce- Chef's kiss. For the Xiao Long Bao (XLB), they came out really pretty and we tried a bunch, but the Pork & Crab stood out. They looked fine but the taste- mid at best with thick skin and skimpy bland broth. Service was friendly and great but dropped off once it got busy, so we skipped dessert. NOTES/TIPS: **Wheelchair-accessible. Easy parking in a massive plaza lot. **A few steps away from: SunMerry Bakery (Taiwanese-American treats) and Miss Flower Hotpot (good broth vibes) read more

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I've been eager to try this place ever since I saw it coming up on my Yelp page! Finally glad I was able to come and try it over the weekend to see what the hype was about. The ambiance is bright and spacious - very nicely decorated. Our server was great at explaining everything since it was our first visit. We ordered a ton of food and their portions were perfect to share between me and my partner. We started with the cucumber salad and garlic string beans and both were refreshing and light enough starters. I personally was more of a fan of the string beans since they had such a potent garlic flavor lol. Then we ordered soup dumplings, bao buns, and pork dumplings. The soup dumplings were definitely the star of the show - the broth was so flavorful. I was a little disappointed in the bao buns because it was much more bun than there was filling in them. read more

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Met up here with friends. Located in a nice spot in Edison with plenty of shops. Got seated right away. Ordered several items. Good food and service. Did not feel rushed. Overall a good experience and worth a return. Recommended! read more

Arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and was seated right away. They weren't as busy as I thought they'd be so the food came out really fast after placing our order. We ordered the pork and crab soup dumplings, pork bun, noodles with sesame sauce, pork chop fried rice, and green beans with garlic. All dishes were very good but just a tad bit on the salty side. A little less salt and everything would be perfect! The soup dumplings were delightfully soupy and definitely had both pork and crab flavor. Loved the pork chop, just the right amount of crisp but the fried rice that came with it was just a bit too wet for my liking. It was made with egg and scallions and had plenty of flavor but I prefer my fried rice to be on the drier side. Loved the noodles with sesame sauce though, minus a bit of salt. It was creamy and peanutty, just the way I like it. We also ordered 2 drinks, the black milk tea and the strawberry iced sweet creme. The black milk tea was made just right with 30% less sweetness but the strawberry iced sweet creme tasted very artificial. Wouldn't recommend that drink at all. Overall, great place for lunch or dinner. Plenty of seating, with tables and booths. read more

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I'm not keen on soup dumplings, because the ones I've tried in the past just left me messy and unimpressed. Ugly Dumpling changed that. I loved every single one from their Ugly Dumpling sampler. My favorite was Pork & Truffle- gentle slurps allowed me to savour that tasty broth. Skin had such a nice texture. I was careful not to dismantle it for I was just a naturally clumsy eater, but they held on well. The Braised Beef Noodle Soup was equally amazing. And the Boba was not only an eye candy, it was decadent. I tried their Pumpkin Spice one which may be seasonal. Place was huge. Joslyn took care of us and gave excellent recommendations, so I highly recommend this place. read more

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Online, and all over my FYP the dishes seemingly look so tasty and it seems like there is a lot of variety to choose from, but unfortunately that was not the case. I was so excited to try Ugly Dumpling because it kept popping up on my social feeds, a place that seemed like it had a great variety of dumplings, noodle dishes, and fun cocktails. And to be fair, the interior is really nice. It is spacious, stylish, and super accommodating for large groups looking to hang out over funky cocktails. Unfortunately, the food, which is what my party came for, was incredibly disappointing. We were hoping for high quality dumplings, but the XLB skins were so tough that the tops felt thick and rubbery. I actually ended up biting the tops off and pushing them aside. The filling itself lacked flavor and had a gritty, broken texture that was honestly off putting -- we tried both the pork and the crab and pork. We tried other dishes the staff recommended, including two of their "best selling noodles" and the cucumbers, but everything felt like a waste of money. The noodles had the texture of overcooked instant ramen with no chew, tossed in either a basic chili oil or a sauce that tasted like straight peanut butter. None of the dishes had depth or flavor, and it all reminded me of a cheap rip off of Din Tai Fung, as if they copied all of their dishes without any of the quality. read more

As an Asian-American, a silently judge modern Asian-fusiony spots when the open up. But I was pleasantly surprised with our experience at Ugly Dumpling The dinner offers were priced really well given the growing Asian food scene in town. Their service was quick and attentive as well, as the waiter came by to help at the best times. Scallion pancakes are always the move to start, their pork carb and buns kept us warm and full all night. Ask for extra ginger for the soup btw! read more

Cute restaurant with a nice vibe but think you can find better food at lower prices elsewhere. Every now and then we let our kids decide on a restaurant which means tik tok decides. We got chicken soup dumplings and can't put my finger on why I didn't like them. Maybe chicken was not a good choice because it needs more flavor. The chicken broccoli was not bad, I would say at the Panda Express level. My husband's shredded beef with peppers made us wish for Panda though. Yikes...boiled beef on a huge mound of rice and the most expensive item. Noodles with spicy sauce was good but small portions. Service was fast and friendly. I think Ugly Dumplings might be a fun place with friends with some other food choices. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Chicken & Broccoli. Tender chicken with crunchy broccoli was pretty good - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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Ugly dumpling surprised me. They have really good dumplings here and I love the variety of flavors too. I also think it's cool that the different flavors have colored dumpling skins. The server was very nice and gave good recommendations. I will come back here as well. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Chicken Soup Dumpling (6) - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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he first time I went to this place, I enjoyed it. All the times following have been slow service and cold food. I personally do not recommend this place. My mother had also gone here recently with a large party and the service was terrible. The wait staff had a bad attitude and they even forgot to bring out one of party member's entree. The restaurant is nice and big and decor is cute, but I would not go there again. read more

Atmosphere: 5 I love the spacious and airy design of this restaurant. It's hip and laid back. I also like being able to see the chefs through the glass to watch the dumpling making process. Service: 5 At first the host was going to seat us near the door but when I mentioned that it was cold, he moved us over to the booth in the back. Our waitress was really cheerful and welcoming. I actually had her come by a few times and she didn't make us feel like we were annoying or anything. Flavors: 5 I like the variety of the soup dumplings flavors. Today we went for the truffle, Szechuan, and pork-shrimp-spinach flavors. Honestly, the pork-shrimp-spinach flavor is my favorite of the three. There's something to having a piece of shrimp in it that's so yummy! Soups are aplenty, but the dumpling skin is a bit thin and break easily. I've been having soup dumplings all my life so it's definitely not because of skill! The soup dumpling sizes are standard. The spinach though... hard times are showing since I'm sure I remember there being more when they first started. Still very tasty though! We have been coming by every so often so it's definitely a place we'd go back. Good food there, but a bit pricey for the amount you get. read more

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Ugly dumpling was a unique surprise for me. The food was great, and the service was wonderful. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and ambience of this restaurant. This establishment is clean and operates at peak performance during a lunch rush. I was amazed also by how affordable it was to feed a family of three here. This restaurant offers a great value for fresh and affordable meals. I definitely recommend this place for either lunch or dinner. Enjoy! read more

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