I usually come here with friends and eat family style, which is fitting since the food has a very home-cooked quality. While there are some dishes that are always wonderful, others are hit or miss and may leave something to be desired. One dish shines above all others as a MUST-ORDER every time I'm here: Shui Zhu Yu (水煮鱼). It translates to something like Sichuan-style boiled fish filet (?).. This dish comes out in a little pot and remains heated by a flame throughout your meal. Tender pieces of white fish with cabbage in a spicy broth. Love. It's an absolute staple of Sichuan cuisine and you have to try it at least once! This is a dish that I've ordered at several Chinatown restaurants in search of my favorite version, and so far, Dumpling Cafe is in the lead. Once we were eating this dish so deliciously that the family next to us wanted to know the reason for our expressions of pure content. I sold them on it instantly and there were absolutely zero regrets to be had on their part. Honorable mention: Three cups chicken (sān bēi jī/三杯雞): a bit salty, but that's what rice is for.. Taiwan braised eggplant read more

Dumpling Cafe - Sichuan style fish! The best, if you can handle some spicy. - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Ummmm...I wiped the inside of my cup (out of habit) and my napkin came out completely brown from dirt or left over tea and other things... The XLBs were still good though. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Some of the dirt I wiped out of the tea cup... :( - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Honestly all these bad ratings made me not want to visit this restaurant. It turned out to be very good. Soup dumpling does lean on the thicker side for the skin, but it was delicious if it was eaten at the restaurant. To the people who ordered pancake oyster that complained about spinach sitting on a layer of oil, you guys need to cook sometime. It was not oil on the bottom but the water / juice that comes out from spinach when you cook it. overall, decent food and the service was good. Definitely have some space for improvement. What I thought was good: XLB Taiwanese 炒面 (chao mian) Pan fried dumplings Mediocre: Oyster pancake Egg drop soup Scallion pancake P.S two American guys next to us was telling us the food we ordered were bad. Ended up letting them try some and they ordered it themselves. DONT TRUST THE REVIEWS. GET OUT HERE AND TRY IT read more

Dumpling Cafe - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Nothing fancy but darn delicious food. We went as a group of four and were able to sample a bit of everything: scallion pancakes (both with and without beef), roast duck pan fried buns, flounder hot pot, beef with longhorn pepper, and beef flat noodle stir fry. Everything was very tasty. The scallion pancake rolled with beef had a tad too much hoisin sauce and was thus too sweet for our tastes. The beef flat noodle was excellent--great wok aroma and noodles were cooked well without being too greasy. Bonus: apparently they are open until 4 AM. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Food was bland. The dumplings were slimy. The only items that were ordered that we actually enjoyed was the egg fried rice and the crab Rangoon. A complete waste of money. After eating some of the food, I witnessed the lady pick up green beans from the floor and toss them back into the pile on the table. Had I seen that before hand we would've walked out before ordering. read more

After trying out nearby Gourmet Dumpling House, I realized how much more amazing Dumpling Cafe is. Still hands down the best Xiao Long Bao ever (a little on the pricier side but so worth it). We also got the wonton again and the twin lobsters. $19.99 for very fresh lobster cooked with ginger and scallion. Yum yum yum. The shrimp with tofu was also quite delicious. The table next to us ordered this fish dish that looked amazing. We were going to go back the next day to try that but then decided to go somewhere else. Sigh, next time. The service was quite good and my dad also said that they had one of the cleanest bathrooms he had ever seen at a Chinese restaurant (though maybe he was slightly biased having just come back from China). Either way, I highly recommend this place! :) read more

Came here to try to XLBs. Disappointed. After one or two, they actually taste kind of gross. The dumpling shell is thick and sticky. Not delicate like I prefer my XLBs to be. If you've had great XLB from Asia or din tai fung you know what I mean. The pork inside was questionable. Not very soupy. Not even sure if it was cooked through either. 2 stars at best. Probably only really gets a 1 in my opinion. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Xiao long bao. Mini juicy pork buns on the menu. - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

One of the newest Chinese restaurants in Boston's Chinatown, I decided to come here for dinner with my brother after hearing a lot of rumors about this restaurant being better than Gourmet Dumpling House. It's been a while since I had Xiao Long Bao (little basket bun in Mandarin Chinese), since I had it in Shanghai and Hong Kong about a month ago. I ordered the Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, which is the Mini Steamed buns with pork. The dish has six pieces. The Xiao Long Bao were decently good, not as good as the versions I had in Shanghai or Hong Kong, but were still tasty. The pork inside was fairly meaty, nice and juicy. The sauce was also decently good, brought back some really quick flashbacks of Shanghai but it could not replace the tastiness of the Xiao Long Bao I had in Shanghai or in Hong Kong. I also decided to get the Tai Shi Kong Rou, which is the Taiwanese style Pork Belly, another non-Cantonese dish that I really liked eating when I was in Shanghai and one of the closest things I can find to Dongpo Pork when I was in Hangzhou. I really liked eating this dish, the pork was really tasty and flavorful despite the somewhat rich sauciness. The vegetables were freshly cooked. Combining the pork with the vegetables and rice, made it a really hearty and tasty dinner. Service was fairly effective. The Tai Shi Kong Rou came in less than 15 minutes. The Xiao Long Bao came a little bit later. Since this restaurant is new, the bathrooms are pretty clean for a Chinese restaurant. This is probably the second Chinese restaurant in Boston's Chinatown I found a bathroom that clean. Another great advantage is that this place is open until 2 AM, so it's a pretty good choice after a night out in the city and if you are craving for some non-Cantonese Chinese food. Overall, if I want to bring back a little bit of the good food memories of eating in Eastern China while in Boston, this is a pretty good choice. Is it better than Gourmet Dumpling House? Maybe, in terms of their pork quality. But will their dishes ever been on par with Shanghai's or even Hong Kong's dishes? Probably not. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Tai Shi Kong Rou - Taiwanese Style Pork Belly - $10 - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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*This is a first-impressions review* SERVICE: No different than it is in most Chinese restaurants around SF. Waiter will come to your table, ask you what you want, take the order, then wait around for you to finish eating before giving you the check. There is no small talk nor any welcome through the front door. Just know not to expect much in this regard. ATMOSPHERE: DIRTY. Kidding. It's not filthy but it's like any other Chinese restaurant. Got the fish tank towards the back of the restaurant with fish ready to be served on a plate. Red carpet. Papers with Chinese characters on them, mounted on the wall to show you their specials. Gives you that authentic Chinese energy. FOOD: Here is why I'm giving this place 3 stars. Between me and my mom, we ordered two different type of dumplings, and a bowl of pork soup noodles to split. The meat for the pork dumpling was chewy, borderline rubbery. They looked more like potstickers. The chicken dumplings, however, were very juicy, plump, and flavorful. The bowl of noodles was my favorite. Taiwanese style broth with pork and vegetables. Not too salty and it warmed our souls! Each one of our dishes were roughly $8 and it got the job done. There is a whole menu of other items that are not as reasonably priced so I would just take caution before going crazy. Eat what you can first--you can always order more afterward. As a starving grad student, I look forward to many late night meals here! read more

Dumpling Cafe - Pork and vegetable soup noodles. Taiwan style! - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What do you do your first night in Boston? Eat Taiwanese Dumplings! Rolled off the Orange Line and jumped into Chinatown...Dumpling Cafe was the first place we hit up. We compared menus between here and next door Penang and decided to come here instead. Two orders of soup dumplings, Yang Chow Fried Rice and Chicken Chow Fun later, we were satisfied...all for about 25 bucks too. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The restaurant was close to my hotel. Good dumplings and good miso soup but the waitress was really unfriendly. read more

Dumpling Cafe - F4. Miso Soup with Tofu and Veggies - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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You have to pass up multiple better options before getting here. The dumpling menu that is it's namesake is about 4 items long. But there's everything else under the [rising] sun in the menu. I think one bite of the dumplings fulfilled my salt intake for the day, to the point it masked the flavor. The food wasn't bad. Setting us right next to the fish and the busting bins didn't help. read more

Overall the food is pretty good, but their juicy buns and crab rangoons are spectacular. The service is always helpful. The restaurant is convenient and not crowded in between or under anything. The ambience is average but clean read more

This rating is primarily because of the customer service. Food was ok. I had vegetable fried rice( served with egg in it, which makes me wonder why I wasn't told about it) with vegetable dumplings. Honestly the 2 star I gave is because of the food because the customer service was bad to not give any. Im a big fan of spicy food and primarily Chinese because of the various oils and sauces. I was patient at the entrance way which acts as the waiting area as I waited for a single spot to be seated. After nearly 30 mins when I got to sit I politely asked the waitress who came to take my order what items I can get as a vegetarian ( I explained I don't eat chichen, fish or any meat). She didn't tell me anything but instead gave me a look on borderline disgust and iimpatience. I chose my own stuff. Food was prompt, so was the tea that they provide and it was good. But I was not served any oils/sauces with it except just one spicy dip for the dumplings. I asked for a spicier chili sauce and met with an impatient harumph and a small cup of that as well. Dinner finished, I wrapped up the bill with a tip. They don't accept credit card below $20 and as a student who doesn't frequently carry cash that was a surprise. As I got up to move the waitress actually stopped me and asked me for $1 more by motioning with her hands and a grumpy voice. I awkwardly noticed that she was asking for more tip as I should be tipping $21 instead of $20 apparently. I gave the money to her only to be met by a group of waitress along with the one who I gave the tip to smirking at me and openly laughing. I won't go here again particularly because no one wants to feel like they are being laughed at! I understand that they are hard working people and I respect that otherwise i wouldn't even have tipped any one on the basis of how I was served food in the first place. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Vegetable rice with vegetable dumpling - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food is great. Customer service is still awful. Will I go back? Unfortunately yes because they do make the best soup dumplings. We pointed out to the manager that we found 2 ant like bugs in our wonton noodle soup. He quickly removed the plate and told us that the vegetables were probably not rinsed thorough enough. That was it. He was scared that will make a commotion and other customers will find out. Geez read more

The food is okay but the service is terrible. The waitress that served me and my family was extremely rude and kept rolling eyes whenever we asked for anything. I felt really humiliated given that I took my family there who were in town for the first time. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone ever, rather invest your time and money somewhere else. Extremely disappointing! read more

This place has only been open for 2 days only. I give it 2.5 stars only based on this initial experience. For a Tuesday night, it was quite busy, but I think it had more to do with it being a new place. The general layout of the place is overcrowded and not the greatest layout for a restaurant of this size. It might do them better to just lose a table or two for more comfort not just for the guests, but also for servers. The food: The scallion pancake was undercooked, not doughy, just undercooked...don't be fooled by the char marks on the outside. I ordered the Taiwan style Wonton Noodle Soup, which was mediocre. I'm not sure if its what the Taiwan-style is supposed to taste like, but the soup was very bland. Adding a bit of vinegar salvaged it a bit but not much. Not a fan of this dish, as the wontons were ok-sized, but it came with flat rice noodles, not the usual yellow egg noodles. That might just be the Taiwan-style, but I'm not a fan of flat rice noodles when it comes to Wonton Noodle soup. My boyfriend ordered the Minced Pork with Black Bean Sauce over Shanghai noodles. It was a decent dish, but had too much beans and tofu for his taste (was not indicated on menu it would have such) and the pork seemed almost nonexistent in the dish. As for service, I can't say that it was a great experience, but it wasn't bad either. The food came rather quickly. There were no condiments of any sort at the tables, so you have to ask for them (like soy sauce, vinegar, etc). As I stated earlier that the layout was bad, we got seated at the table right next to the door. It did not help when there's a table next to us, then the 2-person table behind us. At one point, I got annoyed because during mid-bite of my food, I had to get up so that a waiter could get past me to the table next to us. I don't mind moving to make room, but at least wait until I don't have food in my mouth! Thankfully it was our waiter. The rest of the waitstaff as well as the hostess were extremely nice and seemed on their toes. Overall, it was a decent experience, but I'll give it a month or two before I attempt to try them again, maybe it will be a better experience. read more

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Fast service even when ordering streaming hot dumplings. Lots of seating and swimming fish to choose from. Everything we got was wonderful Ma Pa Tofu Spinach with garlic Taiwanese fried dumplings Pork and leek steamed dumplings Papaya Bubble drink read more

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Burnt my youngest almost instantly, I didn't care, the food was too good, I got the Taiwanese wonton soup and the pan fried rice with beef. I was warned that the noodles were crunchy. They were and it was possibly the best part of the meal. This is perhaps the best Asian food I've ever had read more

Second trip in one week. It was very late and. Lose to our hotel, so I dropped by again. My egg drop soup was good. There was no additional condiments provided like white rice or the curly things I am used in CA. The service was below par. There was a large party, and I don't know if the staff was agitated because was very busy, but they were rude. Yelling at each other and made for an unpleasant dining experience. Oops, I forgot to mention, hot tea was complimentary, but only one pot. read more

Not as extensive as I would think on the dumplings, but still a diverse menu. As a party of 4 we got the veggie dumplings, chicken dumplings, basil beef, miso soup, scallion pancake, and of course, rice. The beef was the best part, so tender and well-seasoned, with the chili peppers making my friend cry and shovel rice into her mouth. I enjoyed my chicken dumplings, and the onion pancake was crispy but not too oily. Service and layout are your standard Chinese restaurant style. Menu is diverse and includes Americanized Chinese like fried rice, as well as more traditional Chinese dishes like intestines, clay pot, and bitter melon. I really liked this place. read more

I was only in Boston for a couple of days so I picked my meals pretty carefully. After much Yelping I decided the Dumpling Cafe was what I was looking for and thankfully it was. One of the best Asian meals I've had anywhere. I'd never had but had been wanting to try proper soup dumplings for sometime. They don't exist where I'm from (Toledo, OH) and I couldn't wait. I got an order of the pork meatball soup dumplings (forgive me, not the exact name as listed on the menu). They came out fresh steamed in bamboo basket, similar to what edamame is often served in, and were a delight. The dumpling skin was soft and chewy, thin and perfectly textured and inside was filled with a delightful savory pork broth and and a perfectly tender, soaking wet meatball in the middle. I'll admit, I'm still not sure the proper way to eat the things, I made quite a mess, but they were delicious and super filling. For my meal I went with the pork and mustard greens noodle soup and that for me by far was the run away hit of the meal. The broth was subtle, light, but flavorful and not overly salty. The noddles were firm but tender, not overcooked, and the pork so lightly seasoned but lean, not fatty, and unbelievably bright when paired with the simple fresh crispness of the mustard greens. I'm a huge fan of Asain noodle soups and this is one of the best and most authentic I've had anywhere. The decor was for me exactly what I was looking for, clean but not fancy and had the feel you were in a real place. Service was decent and friendly enough, we had hot tea poured within moments of sitting down and our food came quick. They were even pretty good about accommodating my questions about shell fish in broths and whatnot, as I've recently developed a shellfish allergy, which can be a real pain at Asian restaurants. My friends ordered the fried soft shell crab dish and the vegetable dumplings and raved about them, though we didn't trade bites. If I go back to Boston, this China Town staple is a sure repeat stop. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Pork and mustard greens noodle soup. Doesn't look like much but it's a winner! - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Damn you Dumpling Cafe. Listen, I just wanted to come here and order mini juicy buns. I was perfectly happy with this standby. I was doing great with this song and dance. But then something happened. I gave up meat for Lent. This meant no soup dumplings despite the fact that I had out of town coworkers in who wanted XLB. So we ordered up a storm. Peapods in garlic and the ginger with garlic lobster were winners that night. I have no idea how much it cost (thanks, job) but there was so much food that we couldn't even finish it. Eating lobster with chopsticks wasn't easy for me, so I just went in with my hands. It was delicious and super messy. Pro tip: not only do they take credit cards, but they take Amex! Score! The other night we rolled in around 11:55pm on a Saturday. It was still Lent but damn those soup dumplings. At 12:02am I ate one. It was the first time I had broken it on a Sunday (which you are technically allowed to do) and it was TOTALLY WORTH IT. Other than that we had more vegetables with garlic and some spicy fish dish. Apparently it isn't the same spicy fish dish Sarah had the first time, but it was delicious. I guess I'll just have to go back and try that one too. Damn bird. Damn Dumpling Cafe. Damn delicious. read more

Made the crucial mistake and Confused this place with the Gourmet Dumpling Cafe...Gross just gross!!! Salt and pepper chicken was sour and tangy, the beef teriyaki texture was too soft and the smallest bits of beef on a skewer...the vegetable lo mien was ok and all I ate. All else went in the trash!! read more

We wanted to go to the Gourmet Dumpling House, but it was hot, and the long was LONG. We took a walk and found Dumpling Cafe. It was cleaner and nicer inside than GDH, but.......... Started with pork and leek dumplings (steamed) so good and fresh. Tea and water was brought out. Never refilled. We got a spicy chicken dish, and a noodle dish, both were good and solid. But the service was borderline rude. The woman that brought the food did not even look at me or responded to me. No eye contact, no come back to say how are things, and no WATER. Sorry but no excuse. There are so many other 3 star or worse restaurants in China Town that have better service that this. Food 4 stars. Atmasphere: 3 Service: 1 read more

When I'm drunk, I think of this heavenly oasis in the middle of the night. Absolutely delicious when flat-out drunk, although to be fair, I've been here when I was "fairly" sober at the end of the night, and the food was STILL amazing. As all the other, numerous reviews have said, you MUST get their xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Any will do - go with crab, pork, hell, just go crazy and order two of each. For beginners not understanding the craze of soup buns - they are basically bigger dumplings with delicious broth inside. You bite off the top, drink the soup (careful, it's scorching hot!) and then add some black vinegar and ginger and munch away to your heart's delight. Absolutely amazing! As a side note, their flat noodles w/ beef is also very good! A nice complement to the soupy buns, so it's worth a try. And a side side note - don't expect great service. The service staff have limited english and care only about bringing you food, getting your money, and clearing your table all within 5 minutes if they could. Which, in most cases, isn't bad, but don't expect any memorable drunk conversations with the staff. At the very least, there's plenty of other drunk patrons that can fill up that void if need be (these conversations make great stories, trust me). read more

Great dumplings!!! It's not much of an experience here, well what can you expect when it's in Chinatown? The servers are really quick in taking your order and bringing out the food. Things to get: Pork and leek soup dumplings Pork buns (not like modern pork buns between a fluffy bun but in a twisted top dumpling) Both for only $14! Hard to find deals like this in Boston. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Pork and leek soup dumplings & pork buns! - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I am not sure what the hype is all about. I was here once for lunch and once for dinner. The lunch specials are great and probably more worth it than dinner. The food is ok, nothing too spectacular. The green onion pancake is not crispy enough and the sauté string beans is too oily and not cooked well. The only dish I would recommend there is probably the fried flounder with ginger and green scallions. The service wasn't that great and since we went on a Sunday night for dinner, we felt like we were rushed all the time. They automatically add 18% gratuity to your bill. Tip: everyone in your party has to be there before they will seat you. read more

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The restaurant was typical of an eatery in Chinatown. Tables and seating were cramped in the small area and guests are quickly seated with strangers to minimize wait. We were seated next to a couple that was obviously on a date. It was kinda weird at first to overhear their conversation and menu selections but I quickly got over it. To my surprise, the diners consisted mostly of western clientele ordering Chinese delicacies such as intestines and tripe. Kudos to them... I don't even eat that! We were served tea in a large clay pot in large cups. That was pretty handy because I hate having to refill the typical small cups. Although we placed orders for apps and dumplings to start, everything came out at once at "Chinatown" speed. Staff is always in a rush but gets you what you need if asked. I don't mind it so much because it means a shorter wait time for a table, food and for your bill. For starters, we got the steamed duck bun, mini pork bun and fried crispy chicken strips, Taiwanese style. It seemed like everyone else ordered the scallion pancakes but we opted not to. The duck bun was very flavorful and there was plenty of meat filling inside the warm bun. I liked that it was lightly grilled on the bottom for a nice crispy texture. I made the mistake of NOT letting the Mini Pork buns cool down and the piping juices exploded in my mouth. The large pieces were a bit bigger than "bite size" it was more like two bite size, if there's such a thing. The Taiwan style crispy chicken strips reminded me of fried catfish with a cornmeal batter. It was addictive. Although I saw fried red basil on the dish, I couldn't taste it on the chicken. For dinner, we went the family style route and split a few dishes. I wished I referred Yelp before our visit. I was overwhelmed with the extensive menu that had appetizers, grilled dishes, dumplings and buns, noodles, braised soup, beef/chicken/pork/seafood/vegetable specials, Chef;s specials and lots of other authentic Chinese food that I've never heard of but wanted to try. This menu was NOT for the faint of stomach, after all there were dishes that had blood pudding, pork intestine, pork blood, duck tongue and frogs, just to name a few. The salty fish chicken fried rice was very good and affordable at only $ 7.25. We wanted a side vegetable dish and was bummed to hear they ran out of pea pod stems. The waiter suggested Chinese broccoli so we went with that. It was good but I think the price was a bit steep at $ 11.35. The pork belly was reminiscent of Cambodian/Vietnamese 5 spiced braised pork belly stew made from thick soy sauce and sugar. The consistency was the same just that it didn't have the strong anise and black pepper seasonings. I was thrown off by the chicken with garlic sauce. I imagined a chicken breast stir fry in an oyster and garlic sauce. Instead there were strips of chicken, scallion, dried wood ear mushroom and bamboo. It was quite different and on the sweet side. Dinner was very good and I definitely want to be back to try the other 200+ menu offerings. I definitely want to try some of the casserole dishes as well as the hot pot items.Our bill total was $68.64 Crispy Chicken Strips Mini Pork Buns Chinese Broccoli Shredded chicken in garlic sauce Salted Fish Chicken Fried Rice Special Duck Bun Pork Belly Taiwanese Style 2 diet cokes It fed four of us and there were plenty of leftovers...until Next time! **NOTE I'd try to go between 11 AM-4PM next time when they offer a combination special. You can get 3 dishes for 21.95 and there are 59 choices to choose from. Great deal! For food pics http://www.mami-eggroll.com/2014/09/dumpling-cafe-in-bostons-chinatown.html read more

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Definitely above average Chinese... Big and interesting variety of soups, noodle dishes, seafood and others. We ordered juicy dumplings, kung pao chicken and mixed vegetables with tofu, all as lunch specials. I found the sauce to be more complex than the usual oyster sauce and garlic (vegetables/tofu) and simply delicious. Lunch portions weren't exactly large, so order the full dish, if you're sharing and wanting to taste a few things. More variety in the vegetable dish would be nice, although there were several to choose from. I'd suggest asking what vegetables are there, so you can order to your taste. Service was just okay, as in not particularly helpful, but then I wasn't there for a fine dining experience, just a delicious and authentic one. That I was pleasantly surprised and please with...I'll be back :) read more

The mini juicy buns are amazing. I like the pork and crabmeat and the plain pork buns. The juice pours out and can burn your chin if you are not careful. We went three days in a row after discovering it walking late night in Chinatown. The lunch specials are a good value. If you buy the appetizer combo. Choose three appetizers instead of getting fried rice. This will leave more room for dumplings. The braised short rib soup with spinach and noodles has a great sweet and salty taste to it. The wonton soup was ok. Get the short rib soup instead. It's flavor profile is worth the time. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Having only recently moved back to Boston, this was my first visit to what is apparently a one of the better restaurants in Chinatown according to those in the know. I first discovered Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings or "mini juicy buns" as Dumpling Cafe more evocatively calls them) at the legendary Din Tai Fung in Taipei, and it's pretty much been all downhill since as far as dumplings go. Maybe the Shanghainese invented soup dumplings, but the Taiwanese perfected them. But as for XLB in Boston, Dumpling Cafe's renditions are probably as good as it gets. However, the real reason to go to Dumpling Cafe appears to be the rest of the menu, which is some of the best Chinese (or more accurately, Taiwanese) cuisine I've enjoyed in Boston. Our Saturday Lunch group of Chowhounds enjoyed: 1) Roast Beef with Scallion Pancake ($7.75) ~Whether this is a specifically Taiwanese version of the ubuiquitous pancakes most Chinese restaurants serve, I couldn't say. But it would make a delicious lunch sandwich, with the crispy fried pancake wrapped around tender, thinly sliced beef, raw green onions and hoisin sauce. Not as standout as some of the other dishes, but well worth ordering again. 2) Twice Cooked Preserved Pork, house-made ($11.85) ~My favorite course, the tender slivers of pork belly are pickled in-house, and stir-fried with leeks. Not only delicious, it was actually a beautiful looking dish as well. 3) 3 Essence (aka, 3 Cup) Duck Tongue in Clay Pot ($18.85) ~3 Cup Chicken is classic Taiwanese, and something I love. But with duck tongues??? I will try almost anything once, but for some reason duck tongue is something that has always scared me. However, I had heard this was a must-try dish at DC, and I'm so glad I finally overcame my timidity...this was DELICIOUS! Admittedly, a little complicated, even annoying to eat, because there is a cartilaginous bone in the center of each tender little tongue. But I eventually worked out a trick for stripping the meat off using my tongue and teeth. Maybe I should make a YouTube video? Maybe not. But once you figure out the trick, they are no longer so annoying to eat, and actually quite addictive. 4) Braised Chicken Meat Balls ($11.45) ~A dish I would have never ordered if it didn't come recommended, this turned out to be another lovely dish. The meatballs are light and almost airy in texture, but with a nice slightly crispy sear on the outside. Framed with baby bok choy, this is also a beautiful dish. 5) Mini Juicy Buns with Pork ($7.75) ~An ancient example of molecular gastronomy (just try to guess how they get the soup inside!), as I mentioned these are decent enough examples, with fairly thin yet strong skins and a flavorful broth. Do read up on how to eat them, or you will end up with soup on your shirt or a burnt tongue, or both. Much better than the thick-skinned monstrosities that are served at what is otherwise the best Taiwanese restaurant in Boston, nearby Taiwan Cafe. 6) Taiwan Style Pan Fried Dumplings ($7.75) ~A Taiwanese acquaintence makes what are the best dumplings I've ever tasted, with the distinctive open ends allowing the meat stuffing to peak out. These are not in that league, but tasty, and the favorite dish of at least one of our number. Afterwards we went to nearby Xinh Xinh for an excellent avocado boba shake (a Taiwanese invention, although XX is Vietnamese). read more

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Food was good, but not amazing. My only gripe with this place was the service. Now don't get me wrong, I know that Asian restaurants are known for their quick efficiency so I'm not expecting 5 star service. But I had to wave down the waitress 5 times to get 2 cups of water, which is sort of ridiculous considering the place wasn't even packed when I went. Also most watery tea ever. Now for the food: Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) - easily best thing ordered. Very juicy and authentic. Taiwan Style Eggplant - aka with garlic, basil, and black bean sauce. Pretty good, but liked the one at Taiwan Cafe better as I think they overdid the sauce a bit and I could only taste sauce. Beef and Chicken with Basil - Good, but again not amazing. I don't know if it's because the eggplant was so saucy, but I thought this was a bit bland. Portion though was generous. I'll consider coming back and trying other dishes, but at least for this time, the only dish I found worth re-ordering was the xiao long bao. read more

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There was room to sit and people looked happy that were in there. I hate to make dining decisions, so when my extreme celiac 21yo son said "how about this one?" I said sure without thinking it through. Wait!!! A DUMPLING place for a CELIAC?? What a bad mother I am!! It turned out to be a FABULOUS restaurant for him. I was on the edge of freaking out and leaving, but they spoke the same GF language: steam his meal instead of soy sauce it to death (I LOVE soy sauce) and I got to have fabulous Taiwan fried wanton and great and I mean GREAT baby Bok choi! They had a couple of Asian beers to choose from. It felt authentically China town: frenetic, friendly and funky. I felt very the staff was fabulous and super attentive. Can't wait to go again. read more

My husband and I were visiting from Houston, TX and stumbled across this gem as a late night find. Being a couple who seek out new, GOOD food we were wary, but very pleasantly surprised! Based on the reviews here, I was not expecting much and was shocked to find that most were absolutely wrong! What we ate: Beef, Pork, Seafood, and Veggie dumplings (steamed) Pros: Very quickly seated (although it was about midnight). Open until 2am (most of Boston shuts down by 11/12 - which is terrible if you're looking for a night life!). The servers were VERY attentive. The BEEF and PORK dumplings were the best I have ever had. My husband (a "foody" would say they were easily some of the best he's had) Seasoned VERY well and the sesame soy sauce they pair them with is divine and really accents the dishes in an extraordinary way. Cons: It was difficult to find someone who spoke enough English to answer a few of our questions. We live in Houston and frequent the "China Town" here and are used to foreign languages/different ethnicity's, but it was difficult to order and ask about the menu. The only reason I did not give this restaurant a 5 star rating is because everyone has room for improvement, but I would mail order these dumplings if I could!! read more

Dumpling Cafe - YUM - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great food, comes out quick and always tastes great. Waitresses are very rude and inconsiderate. They always forget something that I ordered and don't seem to care. Last time I went I tried to flag down a waitress to get my coke but they shoved the check at me before I could even ask. Good food, crap service read more

I had a delicious meal here before heading to a show. Despite the fact that it was super crowded my party of three was seated quickly at a table with a couple. All of the seating is communal so I'm it tends not to take long to get a table. The restaurant is pretty small so if you're not into dining close quarters with strangers I would suggest takeout. My party shared an ordered an eggplant dish, soup dumplings, and fried pork dumplings. The eggplant was a bit salty but still very good. I loved both the dumplings but I think the soup were my favorite. The meal came with tea which is nice but it took a long time to get water after we asked. The food on the other hand came out very fast! I would definitely suggesting coming here for a takeout or a quick bit! read more

Dumpling Cafe - Soup dumplings - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ordered takeout soup dumplings and there was an insect underneath the dumplings. I called and they told me "soup dumplings are made with insects". Absolutely disgusting and I'm never going there again. read more

Dumpling Cafe - Roach - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I ordered seafood dumplings for pick up at lunch. It was convenient, hot food that was good without anything fancy or over the top. What was good: *easy to navigate - fast pick up *adequate amount of food What I would improve: *it'd be great if an order of dumplings (8 pieces) could be ordered half and half (4 of one type, 4 of another type) *a description of what's in the filling for some dumplings (eg seafood) - I'm not sure what's in it, but it's good so it's not a big issue read more

Dumpling Cafe - Seafood dumplings - looks to be filled by shrimp and maybe fish cake or paste, green onion - Taiwanese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Fun fact. On a recent busy night we were seated at a larger round table with people we did not know. By the end of yet another amazing meal (btw. convinced that Dumpling Cafe has the best soupy dumplings in Chinatown!), the boyfriend and I became acquainted with a mirror image couple of us! We shared food, travel stories, and ended up talking with these strangers for an additional hour or so even after we were done with our meal. Cheers to good food and good company! read more