Wow, I was really excited to try this place and it still exceeded my expectations. Fish dumplings are the best I've ever had (even beat my grandma's... don't tell her), scallion pancakes were also killer. My friends ordered the roast duck noodle soup and chive/pork dumplings, they both enjoyed their food as well. Really excellent. Highly recommend. Prices are also very reasonable. read more

Chen's Dumpling House is a terrific addition to the State Street dining scene. While I experienced some service bumps during my visit during their first week in operation, I was impressed by their effort to deliver a favorable experience. The menu featured five dumpling options, a noodle soup, a pair of noodle dishes, an omelets and scallion pancakes. My steamed pork dumplings came in a wonderfully soft wrapper and were generously portioned. The flavor of the pork filling was not as dominant as I would have hoped, but I still enjoyed the dish immensely. When ordering, the cheerful person at the counter informed me that each dish is made to order, so I should expect by food in 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes, someone from the kitchen came to my table to inform me that they were re-doing my order because they were not pleased with how it turned out. I was very impressed with the communication about the status of my order. When my food arrived, it came with no utensils or napkins, which required me to hunt those items down. During subsequent visits, the quality and speed of the service has improved markedly. The new owners put a lot of effort into breathing new life into the old Osaka space. I especially enjoyed the view of State Street from the second-floor dining space. read more

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Sunday early afternoon and it was quite busy. There are no wait staff so we just placed our orsers at the counter and went upstairs to get a table. Menu was provided in both English and Chinese and they have noodles, dumplings, steamed bus and scallions pancakes. Most of their stuff are homemade but I couldn't tell if some of the buns (taro buns, for example) were store bought. There were also a few side dishes for you to choose from. The upstairs dining area was decorated nicely with some wall size Chinese paintings. It was spacious and bright. However, a pile of dirty dishes in bins on the cart by the entrance wasn't a pleasent scene to see. Maybe they need to hire more helping hands to keep the dishes clean and out of the way. Food was decent, especially their dumplings. I had a bowl of "seafood noodle" with only a few shrimp and some fishcakes inside. That was a bit disappointing. But if you are fancy with some authentic dumplings, give this place a try. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Seafood noodle. Maybe should have called it shrimp and fishcake noodle? - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The chive omelettes? The scallion pancakes? The Beijing-style noodles with rich and savory soybean paste? The tender and perfectly steamed 小笼包 (xiaolongbao) with pork and shrimp and chives? All are soooooooo good and freshly made here, and the upstairs dining area is the perfect place to enjoy any or all of the above named dishes. (COVID has changed all that, though, and Chen's is perfectly set up for carry out orders as well. So feel free to call ahead.) Reasonable prices. Don't expect friendly, effusive service, though -- this is a no frills dining experience in which the restaurateurs themselves (always on site) just want you to fucking pay, fucking eat, and then fucking leave. ;) (No, really -- this place is all about the food and not the silly hats and stupid birthday songs and extra whipped cream on top, if you get my drift.) Just shut up and EAT. read more

you will never. EVER. taste food this bad from a restaurant. weaved around boxes to get to the bathroom and service was terrible. oh also ambiance was horrific read more

A home run, broth was so rich vegetables were so fresh and the flavor profile was amazing, tofu was a touch cold... but I fricken scarfed it down and it was incredible!! read more

I was really excited by the reviews and proximity of this spot to our hotel, especially after a night of drinking and my stomach asking for something homey. My expectations were rather high which might have amplified the disappointment I felt with our order. We ordered the tomato and egg noodle, shrimp dumpling, pork and chives dumpling, and crabmeat buns. The noodles were saucier than I had expected and the eggs were salty (or maybe the sauce was too salty which made the eggs seem even saltier?). Have you ever had a dish that was salty yet flavorless? That's kind of how I felt about the noodles. Of the dumplings, the best were the pork and chives. Not bad but nothing to write home about although admittedly perhaps we've been spoiled by our S.F. food outings and are now being a bit snobbish. The shrimp dumplings were fine but just a bit fishy like when seafood isn't quite so fresh anymore but still edible. I normally love fishy things too (yes I know it's weird) but will need to blame it the hangover for killing my palate. The crabmeat buns were probably the most disappointing item. These are soup dumplings that should be filled with broth aka meat juice inside and held together by a delicate dumpling wrapper. Unfortunately, the wrapper on these were incredibly thick and doughy which ruined the dish. It's like having a ravioli that eats like a glob of bland pasta that overtakes the goodness of the filling. I'd still come back if someone wanted to swing by. But on my own, I'd probably give the other Asian spots a try first. read more

By the time we arrived there, they only allowed takeaway, as they were closing for the night. We got the vegetarian dumplings and the house made vegetable noodles. Not the best I've had and definitely not worth the rave reviews that peppered this site. Maybe the meat dumplings are phenomenal, but the vegetarian dumplings are very underwhelming. read more

Get the dumplings. It doesn't matter which kind or what flavor. They are all amazing.

I am not really sure what the hype is with this restaurant. I felt the steamed dumplings were overcooked and the items were separating each time I would try to pick up the dumpling with my chopsticks. They offer you quite a bit of food for the price that you are paying for, but I think the items can definitely be improved. For example, chilled cucumbers needs to be marinated overnight in order to allow the dish to have flavor and the dumplings needs to be served in a regular container without any additional paper at the bottom. When dumplings stick to the paper, it also breaks off the skin. The cashier and cooks were nice, which is definitely a plus. read more

I was impressed with the authenticity of this place. I feel like it gets busy around dinner time with delivery/take-out orders and dine-in orders. It took quite a bit of time before I was actually able to give my order. You order at the register and seat yourselves. There is additional seating in the back of the restaurant so don't panic if the door seems full! I ordered Xiao Long Bao. The disappointing part was that I got the wrong order. Well, I am pretty sure the server said it was Xiao Long Bao when she brought it to the table, but nah, it was a steamed pork bun. It was still good, but not what I was expecting. Scallion pancakes were pretty decent too, though there could have been more scallions. The dumplings seem homemade. The wrap of the dumpling is thicker, so that's how I am assuming they're homemade. The pork and chive one has way too much chive for my liking. The pork and bok choy is a better combination in my opinion. They give ample sauce with everything and also have vinegar and other sauces out for you to make your own if that floats your boat. There's either a $5 or $10 minimum on cards. I can't remember! read more

Went here for dinner, good staff and relatively fast to get the food for a Friday night on state street. Food was just alright, not anything too special but not terrible. If you want something cheap and quick it's a good place to go. Seating is limited, and the building does have stairs to get to them if it concerns you. The vibe isn't particularly special it's just a place where college students go to grab a bite and study with quiet. read more

We tried Chen's Dumpling House for a late lunch today. It's not fancy. There were a lot of supplies laying around in various places. You order at the counter, then they bring it to you dish by dish. There are only four tables on the main floor but there is additional seating upstairs. There's a few sauces on the table but they also have a station with cilantro and scallions and various sauces you can mix yourself. We ordered Bok Choy & Pork Dumplings, Shrimp Rice Dumplings, and Chinese BBQ Pork Buns. The Pork Dumplings are about two bites each. I really liked these. The dumplings had good texture and were slightly chewy. I had a hard time picking them up with my chopsticks but there were a lot of them and they were filling. This felt like a good value. The shrimp dumplings on the other hand were bite-size and easy to pick up using chopsticks. They were good, but I'm not sure if it was the rice dumpling or the shrimp filling but something about them did not appeal to me as much as the pork dumplings. The Pork Buns were my favorite. Sweet, slightly chewy bun, savory pork with not too much BBQ sauce. These really hit the spot. I'll definitely be back to Chen's to try more of their offerings. read more

Mushroom and chicken dumplings were excellent. Very fast service and an overall great value.

Enjoyable experience, delicious dumplings, and disappointing decor... Visited Chen's twice now. If you come here for anything.... get the dumplings. Featured here are the Steamed Pork Dumplings - XiaoLongBao. I've ordered the Housemade Udon Noodles with brisket both times because it is so darn tasty. The broth has some heat to it and the brisket is extra tender, sometimes a little too fatty for my taste. We also ordered the Minced Noodles featured on the left, which reminded me of chicken noodles soup with small bites of pork and tofu. Nothing too special. The restaurant itself is relatively small with a shortage of tables and seating. Fear not, there is more seating upstairs; however, the atmosphere is bland with florescent lighting, bare walls with nicks from removed booth seating of the past. The dining areas could use an update and some heat for the chilly upstairs. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Saw this place opened up and figured we'd stop by; our experience can be summarized as no frills, solidly okay food at a decent price point. It seemed promising that the whole first floor was filled with other patrons. You go up to the counter and order, seating yourself after. We ordered: scallions pancakes, Xiao long bao, and beef tendon soup. We sat ourselves upstairs; the water and condiments are all self serve on an island near the stairs, including chili and cilantro. Food came out fast and none of it wowed us. Scallion pancakes were hot and flaky, can't really go wrong with those. The Xiao long bao weren't exactly what we were expecting; usually these were soup dumplings but these were kind of chewy, meat filled bao. The beef tendon soup was mostly noodles with some large chunks of tomato... Strange. None of it was particularly memorable, but if you're looking to share some quick, relatively cheap food with friends, this wouldn't be a bad choice. read more

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My roommates were ordering food from Chen's, so I decided to grab a snack as well and asked for a couple of the veggie bao - they make them vegan if you ask, but I believe they normally come with egg. When they arrived, I was pretty surprised that what I thought would be a little snack to try Chen's was actually a pretty big meal - the bao are huge! They are beautiful and handmade and were very fresh. They were also delicious and had a little more variety to the filling than some other places in town. I can't speak to anything else on the menu - yet - but my roommates swear by this place, and if the bao is any indication, it will be filling and tasty and nourishing. read more

Went here for lunch and had the steamed pork buns and xiao long bao. The pork buns were tasty and very hot. We also ordered the scallion pancake which was probably the best thing we ordered. As other people have mentioned, the xaio long bao is not like I was used to. It was more of a pork dumpling. Everyone was very nice at the restaurant and it was good for a first trip. read more

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I really like the dumplings at Chen's, however, I had a bad experience recently in which I placed a pick up order and was given the wrong dumplings. I am a vegetarian and ordered the veggie dumplings. The receipt I was given even listed the veggie dumplings. When I got home and bit into the first dumpling it was filled with meat. Not only do I not eat meat but my order was wrong. I proceeded to call to get it worked out and for a half hour it did not ring and would go straight to the voicemail saying that the mailbox was full and that I could not leave a message. Although their food is good the service in this particular experience was extremely poor. UPDATE: They never answered their phones, so I went back to get the order sorted out. The man at the counter was extremely rude and told us that next time we come we better bring "his" food back. I had taken a picture for reference but figured it would be unsanitary to bring back a bitten into dumpling. Not sure if they were planning on reselling the dumpings I bit into? Once he finally gave me the original order I asked for, he physically shoed me out the door and said "go". Used to like the food but will never be going back and advising others to do that same. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Great food but DO NOT ORDER PICKUP. I stood waiting for a half hour while everyone who ordered in front of us were served first.

Legit Chinese food. Don't order the American stuff get the real Chinese food. Ask the owner what you should get if you don't know. Great place to order a few dishes and get family style. read more

The beef soup was $10 and included a generous portion of what looked like plenty of high-quality ingredients. Everything was prepared fresh and tasted authentic and delicious. I got the red bean paste bao buns. They didn't blow me away, but they were solid, and I stole a sip of the beef broth and was a big fan of the flavors. The service really stole the show. The woman behind the register helped me puzzle through the menu to avoid mushrooms, which I'll admit eliminated half of the options. When I was waiting for my buns, she even offered an extra bowl and ladle, without my requesting it, so I could sample some of my husband's soup. Everyone there was friendly and charming. Shoved between the many chain restaurants on State Street, I think this cute little place deserves a visit. read more

This is a no frills, no fuss place. You enter, decide what you'd like, order and either sit downstairs if there's room or upstairs if the downstairs is full and someone will bring your food. Takeout is done well too. I really like the fact you can choose to have your dumplings steamed or fried. The pan fried buns are my favorite!! You can just tell that the food is fresh and homemade. No store bought wrappers here. Since moving away from Madison, my husband and I often find ourselves missing this place. read more

Vegans will LOVE it! The online menu doesn't show that you can get VEGAN dumplings, bun and pancake! Yippee!!! Everything was fantastic. Super delicious. We will be back every time we travel to Madison. If you are here, I highly recommend it! read more

Some of the best Chinese dumplings I've had. Very authentic and well-prepared. I was recommended to come here from some friends that are local to the area. Was in Madison Wisconsin for a business trip recently. I would definitely go back if I am ever in town again. read more

I get my haircut and this place caught my eye. Definitely has a very hole in the Wall vibe which I actually like when it comes to Chinese places. You know the failing of the health inspection type off feel, though this place is perfectly hygienic. Though the vibe is on point, unfortunately the food could really use some more work. My steamed dumplings were water logged and my noodles in minced meat were incredibly bland. There are some redeeming qualities though. The food is college level cheap (less than what regular people would consider cheap) and the portions are huge. Also the staff buses the plates and no tip is expected. As an interesting aside, the owners are also the same owners of World Buffet. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chive and pork dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This was so good! I really liked the noodles. They were really chewy and the place was reasonably priced. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Hand pulled noodles and dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Everything was cooked to perfection. The dumplings were fresh and the soup was to die for. What a great place and excellent service to boot!

I was wrong. the problem I had with Chen's has been resolved to the satisfaction of all. please disregard my prior post. excellent food and good customer service. read more

Reliable place for authentic Chinese dumplings. Pork and chives is my favorite. Reminds me very much of the traditional type of dumplings my mom makes. The scallion pancakes are thin and crispy- definitely worth trying if you haven't had them! read more

Fantastic dumplings!! Can't wait to go back and eat through the entire menu!! Scallion pancakes with beef were great as well. Pork and chive dumplings were sooo juicy and flavorful I crave them all the time. Definitely recommend this spot. read more

Small hole in the wall place but great for dumplings. Not your ideal place for large group hangings but could surely a good spot for groups for 4. I got the Bol Choy-Pork Dumplings - 10 pieces for 9 bucks in the heart of the Capitol Square, not bad at all. The dumplings came out hot and freshly steamed. I gulped them down in minutes! One great dinner - lots of other good items on the menu. Would visit again to try more. read more

I love dumplings and get very picky about them. This place exceeded my expectations. I got dumplings which had such an amazing flavor to the broth and the dumplings were perfect too. Also, I got the pork dumplings, which came with a very testy sauce. The dumplings were very flavorful and very good size. I would absolutely come back again to try more items on the menu. read more

Chen's Dumpling House - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Not much to look at but Chen's churns out some of the best dumplings in Madison. All of their dumplings are great but we warned that they come many to an order so order wisely (for example, the pork and chive come 10 per order). While the main floor dining room can be cramped, walk upstairs and grab a table. Definitely a must stop when trying to satisfy your dumpling cravings. read more

Really craves dumplinggs and thIs came up in Yelp. Atmosphere is nothing to crow about but the food www great as was the hot green tea. Prices acceptable for State St. Their signature dUmplIngs and sides are great! Popular eat campus spot and well worth it! read more

Super cute place and seems to be family run. When I'm craving some noodle soup, this is usually the place that I come to. I have tried their dumplings which were not great. Their soup dumplings weren't what I was expecting, a little on the heavier and doughier side. I enjoyed their black bean noodles as well. Overall, this is a decent place for a quick bite to eat. I'd stray away from the dumplings and go more towards the soup dishes! read more

I wasn't expecting an authentic Chinese spot in Madison, but I stumbled upon here and saw the menu, and knew it was pretty legit Chinese food. I got the Sichuan noodles that stated you won't see it anywhere else, and it was unique. It wasn't that great though that I would get it again, carb heavy with not a lot of meat or veggies, I'm sure that's probably how it was eaten in the province it was from. Their other food is probably authentic as well. read more

I thought the noodles were great, broth was a little bland, considering I asked for spicy. Dumplings were great, I recommend the shrimp and the pork and chive. read more

Yummy dumplings. I got veggie... I'm defiantly coming back. Sat on the second floor had a nice view of state street. read more

Wasn't expecting THIS GOOD vegetarian dumplings!!!! They had all the right flavors of tofu,chive and mushroom in a cloud-like soft dumpling skin. Loved the cilantro,chive and chili chutney you can make your own. Definitely coming again soooon read more