Geanna T.

Dumpling Day is a relatively new Chinese restaurant that opened in Pacific East Mall. They offer a big variety of Chinese food which is great because they offer dishes you rarely see at other places. However, their food is okay; not bad at all, but not something I'd come back for. We ordered their Juicy Pan Fried Pork Buns and California Beef Noodle Soup. Their Juicy Pan Fried Pork Buns had the signature crispy bottom but were not that juicy liked how they're named. The California Beef Noodle Soup was not bad, but the soup was not hot (maybe warm at best). The tea we had also tasted a bit of dish soap (maybe from the cups?). One thing I loved was how nice the server (looks to be the owner) was! She was very welcoming and answered any questions we had. Dumpling Day seems to have potential, especially with the amount of dumplings they offer and how you can buy them to cook at home, and they seem to have an owner who cares. However, there are some things that could be fixed to make it better.

Viki N.

I've been curious about this restaurant for a while as I pass by it every time I go to 99 Ranch. A lot of mixed reviews here, but the photos displayed outside the restaurant always looked great, so I had to see what was up. We came here on a Saturday around 1pm, and it was busy enough where tables spilled outside of the small restaurant space and out into the mall area. We started off at a very tiny table outside, with two of us sitting on the same side of the bench, and not offered a chair. Definitely not much room, there was heavy foot traffic from the mall, and always had random people passing very closely to our table. I guess being outside also made it easier for the staff to forget about us since it took a while before someone even came to take our orders. We were uncomfortable there for sure and immediately asked to switch to a table inside the restaurant as soon as one opened up. We ordered Pig Ear with Spicy Sauce ($12.95), (10) Pan Fried Pork and Napa Cabbage Dumplings ($12.99), and (8) Pork XLB ($13.99). Unfortunately, each dish took quite long to come too, with the XLB only at the very end. From a first impression, the Pig Ear came in a pretty big and loaded dish! It didn't taste too spicy though. I did quite enjoy the Pan Fried Dumplings, although they were on the smaller side. When the XLB finally arrived, we saw they were individually placed in single use metal holders. I personally find that to cheapen the overall presentation, and when lifting the dumpling out, you can see how it retains the jagged shape of the trays. However, they still tasted wonderfully fresh with hot soup inside. To summarize, the food was overall quite decent, and I'd rate it 4/5. However, for the prices they're charging, they're on par with the nicer dumpling restaurants around Bay Area with far better hospitality. I'd be much more willing to tolerate eating outside on a bench if they were fast food prices, but nope. Overall experience would only be 3/5 when factoring in cost and quality of service.

Allison H.

I was craving xiao long bao so I decided to try this place out with my family. There was no line so we were seated immediately. We ordered the Pork Xiao Long Bao, Juicy Pan Fried Pork Bun, Hot and Sour Beef Noodle Soup, and the Special Sauce with Beef and Shrimp Chow Mein. Everything was delicious! The xiao long bao held a lot of soup inside with good flavor. The pan fried pork bun was hot in temperature and very crispy on the bottom. I loved the sauce that went on chow mein. My favorite would be the hot and sour beef noodle soup! I really liked the noodle and the beef! I can't handle spicy foods but I loved the taste and spiciness of the soup. You can also buy frozen dumplings that they made from scratch! That's pretty cool! Definitely give this place a try if you're in the area!

Austin W.

My wife and I stopped by Dumpling Day at around 11:30 a.m. for lunch on a Sunday before doing some shopping at Ranch 99. When we walked through the door, nobody directed us towards a table or even approached us, so we seated ourselves at a table next to a couple who were already seated. The menu is extensive, to the point where it's a bit overwhelming: there's lots of Chinese, no pictures, a plethora of dumpling options, lots of cold appetizers, and even a frozen dumpling section. We settled on the spicy pig ear appetizer, chicken and corn dumpling, and a bowl of their sour fish soup with noodles. The spicy pig ear was brought out to our table minutes after we placed our order so it was no doubt ready to go from the fridge. That said, it was one of the best preparations we've had. The pig ear was crunchy, had just the right amount of spiciness to it, and was a good balance of meat and cartilage. The other two items we ordered were unfortunately not as good. We didn't like how overcooked the noodles were in the soup, and we felt like there could've been more fish in the soup. The few pieces of fish that were included were oddly crunchy in texture, and lacked flavor. As a few other reviewers have pointed out, I also felt like the dumplings here lacked flavor. The corn wasn't sweet and the ground chicken felt like it was missing the basics, like white pepper and salt. I didn't like that the dumplings weren't drained well and sat in a large pool of boiling water when it was brought over. The other thing that was lacking was tableware. There are paper wrapped, disposable wooden chopsticks -- which is not an issue, but the plastic spoons for soups were some of the lowest quality utensils I've encountered. If you're looking for delicious dumplings, I would venture elsewhere.

Tony W.

Pretty decent noodle spot that serves a variety of noodles from different parts of China. Large selection of boiled and pan fried dumplings Seating is indeed a bit tight so get comfortable being in close quarters during lunch rush. Food comes spicy, but definitely hits the spot when you're in the mood for some heat. You get to enjoy the heat twice, if you know what I mean. Service is quick, and you get a good view of what's going on in prep as its done in the dining room behind plexiglass A bit odd (I get the tight space issue) but their soy milk was in a hot cauldron, sitting in the floor?

Alex C.

We've come to Dumpling Day a handful of times now at this point and it has turned into our default when we're craving some dumplings or XLB after grocery shopping at Ranch 99 (I refuse to call it 99 Ranch). Although a fairly recent addition to Pacific East Mall, they seem to remain pretty busy every time we're passing by. Both dine-in and take-out options are available here, and they've done a pretty good job converting a very tiny retail footprint into one where they could fit several tables. Additionally over the months, they've managed to secure space outside of their establishment to add additional tables out front. And while we've never ordered it before, they seem a popular choice for bulk frozen dumpling orders to take home and cook yourself. Some of the dishes we've tried that we enjoyed: 1) Pork Xiao Long Bao - nice thin wraps with a decent amount of hot juices inside when bitten into. Comes with 8 pieces and are steamed. 2) Organic Leek w/ Pork & Shrimp Steamed Dumplings - a thicker skin than the XLB, but packed with a rich flavor profile in each bite. 12 pieces and come in both steamed and boiled options. Not recommended: California Beef Noodle Soup - instead of using fresh slices of beef, the bowl comes with thin pieces of dehydrated beef instead. Cooked with slices of tomatoes, this dish feels more like something a college student whipped up on a minimal budget. Service here is very friendly and efficient, and we look forward to continuing to make this spot one of our regular haunts.

Rosa C.

I'm always down for dumplings, any time of the day, any time of the week. This spot is tucked away inside the Ranch 99 plaza, which is starting to get rebuilt up to a more lively area. It's a little small on the inside but you get a great view of the ladies hand wrapping the dumplings. We ordered tofu skin and smoked intestines as starters, which were both super flavorful. I ordered the steamed fish dumplings, which took about 15 min to steam. It was the best fish dumplings I've had outside of Asia, hands down. The fish was super tender and bouncy, almost like the consistency of a fish ball. The dumpling was light and delicate, super addicting with their garlic soy sauce. My hubby ordered the pork potstickers which are just classic. They have frozen dumplings too, with a huge variety of fillings. I definitely took home a few bags.

Winston L.

Been wanting to check out the new restaurant in Pacific East Mall for a while now and got to try it today. Dumpling Day is a pretty small spot, but they're able to cram in around 10 tables between indoor and outdoor dining - just don't plan on bringing any large groups here. The food: Had three items we would definitely order again - Organic Leek with Shrimp & Pork Dumpling (Homemade Dumpling) - a little lost in translation, but these should be chive, shrimp and pork. These come out in a steamer basket and have pretty thin skin. Very tasty. If you're looking for the boiled, thicker skin kind - that is under the Frozen Homemade Dumpling section. Pork Xiao Long Bao - these are pretty good in terms of skin thinness, amount of soup, and flavor. Flavor is meaty and neutral (the one at Special Noodle is pretty sweet in comparison). A few of ours broke, but it wasn't a big deal since they're served in little metal liners that catch the soup. Fried Special Pastry with Organic Leek - you can kind of think of this as a large, flat potsticker with chive, vermicelli, and egg as a filling. I ate mine with spicy sauce, vinegar, and soy sauce and it was solid. Other dish we got - Tomato lamb noodle soup - never tried tomato and lamb before so we have it a shot. Would recommend going with the tried and true beef and tomato combo. It's meat and noodles - nothing special, but you could do worse than the bowl here. A solid spot for Northern Chinese food cravings. Takes some getting used to to navigate the menu, if you're only looking at the English. Something we want to try next time - their frozen to-go dumplings!

Cassandra H.

Both dishes I got were very delicious, flavorful and hearty. Lots of bok choy in the wonton soup which I really liked, and the pork buns were juicy and tasted made-to-order. Seating area is very tiny, but the service was good.

Selina L.

I thought the food here was good. But food tasted homemade, like there's no "umph" if you know what I mean. I liked the pan fried chive dumplings the most, they mistranslated as "Fried Special Pastry with Organic Leek" (it actually says pan fried chives dumplings in Chinese). The steamed dumplings were good, but nothing special. Service was good. They were super busy when we went on a weekend at lunch. Restaurant was clean. I didn't like that the utensils were all disposable even for dine in.

Patrick L.

Came here for lunch and service was very slow. The footprint of this shop is small but everything seemed to be geared as takeout. I was really excited to try this place as the pictures and presentation seem really good. However, I tried two of their pan fried dishes and they tasted underwhelming. Yes, it was salty/savory, but it didn't seem to have any particular flavor beyond that. The price point was pretty good, but there are many alternative options around.

Billy T.

Absolutely great experience here! It was pretty quiet on a Monday evening but that didn't take away from the atmosphere. The staff, especially the owner, were very friendly and welcoming. We got some great recommendations for dishes- including xiaolongbao, lamb dumplings, seaweed, and veggie dumplings. Everything was amazing. Would highly recommend anyone come here.

Michelle S.

Food was so mediocre for the wait. The inside is small and they have a few tables outside, but overall, not a lot of seating. The food was all pretty plain/uneventful. The pan fried dumplings came out a little too fast - it was probably pre made. The bottoms weren't crispy at all and they had no soup inside. The XLBs had yummy soup IF there was any inside. Many of them were popped or had no soup. Wouldn't recommend and wouldn't come back. HK Cafe next door is better...