Came across this place while strolling around the area and decided to give it a try. We arrived right when they opened at 11 AM, and the place filled up pretty quickly! We ordered the spicy pork dry noodles, spicy wontons, pork XLB, and pan-fried pork dumplings. Everything was absolutely delicious, and you could really tell the ingredients and food were high quality. We enjoyed every dish we tried. Definitely worth a visit--highly recommend! read more

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We actually typed in the wrong Dumpling restaurant into the GPS and wound up at Dumpling Time. Decided to go with the flow and check it out. This area of Berkeley has a lot of activity, but parking is sometimes not the easiest. The food: Pork XLB - My favorite dish. An ok amount of broth. Flavor was really good though - very meaty and true to the meat (not a lot of spices or sugar). Lamb Dumplings - I don't know if I've ever had a lamb dumpling, but I liked the flavor of the dumpling. The dumpling was sitting in some green oil (assuming this was scallion + cilantro oil, but it was very mild). There are a ton of garnishes on here that just seem unnecessary though (radish, fennel, tomatoes, Chile pepper). Green Beans - The look and the texture was what I expected. Not seasoned enough for me. Beijing Noodles - Same issue with the Green Beans - not seasoned enough. A ton of scallions and in my opinion not enough ground meat and cucumber. The Dumpling Time menu is non-traditional, but we picked mostly traditional items. Oddly enough, there was Chinese on the sign outside, but none on the menu. If you're looking for interesting fillings that you wouldn't find at a normal restaurant, I think you have a good argument to try Dumpling Time. read more

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For the gluten eating world...I'm told this is good. For the non gluten eating world...me...I liked the food I ate but there weren't a lot of options. And they don't have gluten free soy sauce which in my opinion is a no brainer if you want to be inclusive. I give it 3 stars for limited selection but 4 for taste. My daughter would say 5. read more

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My little sister had a GC to use so stop by with them! It was quite busy but didn't have to wait too long ! Gorgeous weather for outdoor seating . The staff are always attentive and friendly even if they did accident spill water over me Some dishes are a hit and miss but their dumpling just don't taste as fresh and good as I remember ! I'm usually not a big shu mai person but it was piping hot and yummy while the har gow (as you can see how flat they were thinking maybe it's been steamed too long ) was my least fav! Their cucumber and seaweed salad was refreshing but the pan fried dumpling was the star of that lunch , perfection ly pan fried with a generous amount of seafood read more

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Dumpling Time has a great outdoor setup, which honestly ended up being the best part of the experience. I wish the food was what stood out, but it fell short. The braised beef noodle soup was the most flavorful dish, maybe even a little too strong at times. The pork buns were decent and probably my second favorite. We came for the xiao long bao, and they were underwhelming. They were small, a bit flat, and just okay tasting. They came in little aluminum cups inside the steamer. Maybe that what made them soggy? Service was also on the slow side. We had to flag someone down a few times, even just to get the check. Overall, not very impressive, especially for a place that seems like it should be better. read more

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Dumpling time is a fun addition to the seen on fourth Street in Berkeley. It sits right across from Petes in the middle of the main retail area. We went here on a Saturday afternoon to try the soup dumplings. They were pretty good, but nothing to write home about. The prices were high, and the service was definitely rushed. Parking is challenging on fourth Street on the weekends, so we ended up having to park about four blocks away. The ambience inside is clean and conventional. But I wouldn't say this is a great date spot. The noise level gets high and the seating is somewhat close together. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Dumpling time sits in the middle of fourth street - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

It gets quite busy on the weekends, so you might have a wait during prime time. HOWEVER, the wait doesn't matter for me because there are plenty of seating on 4th street and open benches for a great afternoon take out meal! Dumpling time is a bit pricey for what it is, maybe due to the trendiness. It's good, not great and should be cheaper imo. I really enjoy the Chili Pork Dumplings and the Lamb Dumplings. The lamb dumplings come with a green onion oil which has great flavor, but they also include a side of the chili sauce which I love adding to it as well. I stopped getting the XLB here because it's flimsy and always comes apart with the soup getting everywhere. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

What a fun, quick dumpling spot! Dumpling Time is a small, convenient spot serving dumplings, noodle soups, and bao buns in a quaint setting. Parking is pretty easy to find with spots and lots around there. With both an inside and outside there's some flexibility in seating options and we chose to sit outside with our dog, which was a huge plus. Service was good but we did have to flag them down twice for things. For food we got some beef noodle soup, pork soup dumplings, and bbq pork bao. All were good and surprisingly filling considering the portion sizes. The beef noodle soup in particular was nice to slurp down on a lukewarm afternoon and had a nice deep flavor to the broth. The soup dumplings were also standouts being tasty and with a nice texture to the dumpling itself. This is a good spot to come out with friends to or just have a casual meal. Everyone liked their food and we were more than satisfied after we finished up. read more

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Love this place! Specifically come here whenever in town. The cucumber salad is my fave! Parking is a pain, but venue is cute. Friendly staff. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

If I could give this place negative stars for how unsanitary it is, I absolutely would. This used to be my favorite dim sum place, but after what happened with my DoorDash order, I don't think I'll ever order from here again. While eating my shumai, I noticed something black inside one of the pieces. When I looked closer, I was horrified to find that it was a fly embedded in the food. This is a serious food safety hazard and completely unacceptable. I'm incredibly disappointed because I genuinely enjoyed this restaurant, but this experience has completely changed my opinion. I'm just grateful I noticed it before I ate it. I hope the restaurant undergoes a thorough health inspection and takes food safety much more seriously. No customer should have to experience something like this. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is for the second time I came here. I was able to seat myself for solo dinner in the late afternoon so I decided to sit outside facing the street and read a book. It was a very sunny day and I had a hankering for the shrimp toast and a soup dumpling of some sort. Today, the shrimp was tasty, but not as tasty as it was last time and I felt like there was more fried batter than shrimp. So if I had to describe the shrimp toast that I had today, it was literally fried dough with shrimp, swimming in mayo. Didn't feel good about that, and I ended up eating all of the shrimp, but taking little bites of the fried bread. Last time I came here, it was toasted not fried. And if they changed anything, they definitely doused the bread in some sort of batter because that's what it tasted like. It tasted like fried batter. I also ordered the pork with red vinegar soup dumpling, and that was OK. It wasn't as flavorful, and there was no pop of red vinegar. I had to dip it, but that was it. My food was uneventful, and the best part of my dinner was being out in the sun, enjoying my solitude. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - My view - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I would have to say the pork gyoza was the best I have ever eaten, outside of the ones I make, and that includes Japan. Really delicious and perfectly executed. BUT, $2.40/gyoza is ridiculously pricy as well as $4/bao. Pork is inexpensive so really can't justify the cost. Especially because gyoza are really easy and fun to make at home and your cost would be $0.40/pork gyoza. The fancy presentation is just cornstarch and water. You could make a Maine lobster or Kobe beef gyoza at home for about $2.50/gyoza but I wouldn't. Asian dumplings aren't expensive haute cuisine prepared by classically trained chefs. They are affordable comfort food for every day people. On the upside, the service is good and it's dog friendly. I won't be eating here again. read more

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I got a delivery of the special flavored soup dumplings - kimchi jigae, pho, and tom yum - and they were all pretty good. The skin was thin but held together and each bite had a small burst of flavor and texture. I'd get them again and try other things. read more

Some vegan options clearly labeled Not chosen: Seaweed salad $9 Marinated cucumbers $10 Fried rice $15 Green beans $14 Broccolini $10 Snap peas $10 Potato gyoza $10 tasty curry flavored potato filling, quantity 5 cooked together in connected pattern Eggplant Bao $10 creamy eggplant filling, nothing too flavorful. Quantity 3 streamed. Option to fry. Nice outdoor seating Friendly service but forgot condiments for first serving for other party. Dog friendly read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Eggplant Bao streamed - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The restaurant was quite busy on a weekend so we decided to take food to go since it was nice outside. 4th Street has a lot of benches and tables so it was a perfect day for a meal outside. Overall I thought the prices were a bit too high. The lamb dumplings were juicy but beware if you're not used to lamb's gaminess I would say avoid the lamb. The chilip ork dumplings were very sauce and had a good kick. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Lamb dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've dined here twice and the first experience along with the food were better the first time. I've tried a variety of items including Green Beans, Xiao Long Bao, Fried Rice, Scallion Noodles, Chicken Gyoza, Pork Gyoza, and Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings. The Green Beans, Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings and Fries Rice are my favorites so far.The prices are a bit steep for the portion sizes. The service is quick and friendly, however there was a slight hiccup on my second visit when our waitresses shift ended and we were abandoned for at least 30 minutes. This restaurant does have indoor and outdoor seating, and the outdoor seating is perfect when the sun is shining. read more

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Surprisingly quick, even though the location can get very busy at times. I came in when in need of a quick bite before work in the area, and was able to have a full, freshly cooked meal in under 30 minutes. Dumpling Time has super cute branding, and the location truly is a world unto itself. You can see chefs preparing meals behind glass, and they have good music and music videos that play. The staff is attentive and quick, so know what you want. Not as upscale a spot to dine, but cute and casual. Think, friends for lunch on a weekend shopping trip, not so much impress your first date vibes. Effective, simple and easy. read more

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Dined here a few times and came back recently because I was craving some pan-fried dumplings, but this visit didn't meet my expectations. We waited about 15 minutes after putting our names on the waitlist, and no one greeted or seated us even though the waitress saw us. Another party even had to flag down a waitress, which was surprising since there were only a 3 tables occupied but 2 servers on the floor. We were eventually seated, though. As for the food, the seared bao wasn't fully pan-fried and tasted pretty plain. The wagyu XLB seemed freshly made, but the flavor could definitely be improved. My favorites ended up being the string beans and the sweet and spicy wings, which aren't even their main focus. The wings were crispy on the outside and still juicy inside, definitely the highlight of the meal. The restaurant is located at a nice area but the food needed to be worked on. read more

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Came on a busy afternoon and there was a small wait of 5 min. I got: (7/10) Lamb dumpling w/ hot and sour soup: The dumplings were not bad and so was the "soup". My biggest issue was that it wasn't actually soup it was just sauce with how little they gave. The picture I have is all the soup they gave. Service was fine and standard for a fast casual chain. Restaurant was loud, they also kept the doors open to the outside. I just don't think it was worth how much I paid for one item (around $25 including tax and tip). read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Lamb Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Cute little restaurant. Service was good. The food was hit or miss. Best thing on the menu is Veggie Spring Rolls. I really liked the noodles too. I'd eat it again. read more

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Dumpling time is all the time when they are nicely prepared as they are at Dumpling Time - Berkeley! With five locations and growing Dumpling Time is just one of many restaurants that specializes in everything dumpling, not just their specialized Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings, but they consider steamed Baos, gyozas or potstickers as they are also referred to, siu mai, and xi'an dumplings all under their specialized dumpling umbrella. And why not? When you have a window where your staff members are creating your wide variety of dumplings hourly then clearly you know what you are doing. Hailing from the Omakase Restaurant Group, Dumpling Time's expansion from one location in San Francisco's Design District to multiple locations around the Bay Area from Santana Row to the Chase Center in San Francisco, Dumpling Time is succeeding where so many others have yet to succeed in launching additional locations. And with their bright red exterior and neon logo prominently featured inside, succeeding in many locations was always part of the plan. I've been to Dumpling Time's two locations in San Francisco and have never walked away with a bad meal or hungry which is two bonuses in my book, so when this location opened up back in early 2022 in Berkeley's tony Fourth Street shopping district, I made it my mission get here even for lunch to see if anything was different from their other locations. Upon finally getting the chance recently and after almost three years in business, nothing is too different than their other locations as when a group of three of us arrived at 1 p.m. on a weekend afternoon for lunch the place was not busy and a table was readily available for us to sit at. The menu at Dumpling Time - Berkeley is separated into categories including sections representing Cold and Hot Appetizers; their signature dumplings separated into categories including Xi'an Dumplings, Baos, Xiao Long Baos, Gyozas, and Siu Mai; Noodles & Rice; Wok Seared; Sweet; and their Beverage menu. Of course, we came for their signature Xiao Long Baos and we prefer their pork filling option which is made of pork belly and red vinegar. We also ordered their Scallion Noodles which is made with scallion oil and served with a fried egg served slightly medium topped with scallions and their Beef Noodle Soup which is made with tender beef and broth and served with bok choy and scallions. All three dishes would be served almost in tandem with the Scallion Noodles being served first and we really liked being able to mix in the egg and scallions with the noodles that we already covered in sauce. I do wish the egg was cooked a little over easy as the yolk breaking over everything would have been a nice compliment to the meal. And then we tried their Xiao Long Baos, which unlike what many restaurants are doing now, Dumpling Time still serves them in foil wrappers which then stick to the elastic paper wrappers of the baos. Still, these delicious dumplings prove why they are my favorite, with scrumptious broth oozing out of every bite that you have to eat in them in one bite or else. The Beef Noodle Soup was as remarkable a soup dish as I would have liked as some of the accompanying vegetables had a more bitter taste. I do believe some of the cooking techniques at Dumpling Time could be enhanced by learning from smaller restaurant groups such as the one that currently runs Dumpling Hours throughout the East Bay as they have lines throughout the day after eating their food you can see and taste why, as the demand for Dumpling Time has clearly decreased over time. Our bill was $61.94, which was before gratuity was added in but with a six percent living wage tacked onto your bill, of which you are instantly adding your gratuity in, if you aren't examining your bill correctly. I am glad that Dumpling Tim opened a location in the Berkeley area as locals and members of the University campus can now enjoy their wide variety of dumplings without crossing the bridge. Here's to their continued growth and success! read more

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Not the best. Very disappointing. I really wanted to love it but without the sauces the dumplings where horrible - felt like they had water inside and the flavor was all gone. For the price, it was horrible. But then I found it is a chain and figured my fault for expecting much. read more

My cousin and I came here for lunch on a Friday. We were seated immediately since there were few people. We got our menus and water soon after. We ordered green beans, shrimp toast, lobster shui mai, and spicy chicken wings. The food came quickly. The green beans were fresh and nicely seasoned. The shrimp toast was interesting. It was a long deep fried Asian donut with shrimp embedded in. It came with a pleasant sauce. A bit bland to my taste. The lobster shui mai did not taste of lobster. The spicy chicken wings were very nicely fried and coated with a spicy sauce. The service was okay. The server threw the receipt at me. The other wait staff were fine, however. It was fairly expensive for what we ordered. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Shrimp Toast - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Wow this place is impressive. Myself and my gf had the sampler, har gow, noodles & Fried egg, edamame, fried rice and omg everything was so fresh and the staff was attentive to say I was impressed is an understatement. The restaurant had a fairly small dining area enough for maybe 40 people. I could hear the chatter in the kitchen and the staff working well together to bring this dumpling house to life. I will. Definitely be coming back here with family and friends. Some recommendations I have are: - Har Gow shrimp dumpling - the everything sampler & the fried rice Ill update this review as I try more things from this Great gem in the Berkeley area read more

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The cucumber salad and scallion noodles are my favorite. The food is always fresh and served hot. We go out of our way to come here.

Delicious, always great service. Their Xian pork/garlic dumplings are perfect. I love this place! Prices are decent too read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Scallion noodles w/over easy egg. Delicious!! - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Parking: Sometimes difficult Price: On the pricier end Vibes: Clean, chill, laid-back Dumpling Time is simple and straight to the point--if you're craving dumplings, you won't be disappointed. I always come back for the Tom Yum dumplings and the shrimp pancake dish, both of which hit the spot every time. Located on 4th Street, this spot is always a fun visit. There are plenty of shops to check out before or after your meal, making it a great place to grab a bite and explore the area. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Menu - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Stopped by this location after some Sunday shopping out on 4th street. Highly recommend the gyoza (any filling)!! Love that crispy layer at the top and flavors were pretty good! The ambiance is comfortable but does get loud once busy. Service as also quick and friendly. HOWEVER, on my way back from the bathroom our server with the long braid began screaming loudly and cussing out at another server? Other people who were seated also noticed and after that our group was uncomfortable with her service and got the check to leave ASAP. So if you're interested in watching your server yell at the other, here's your spot. Otherwise just go to a diff loc bc they clearly got some issues here. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Dumpling Time has a lot of potential for veggie folks! I had the garlicky string beans which was absolutely delicious. I also had the veggie dumplings in a sweet and spicy broth. The broth was the star of the show since the dumplings lacked flavor. Service was okay. Once it got busy our server seemed a little all over the place. The ambiance was nice and quiet right before the rush came. Overall I'd give it another chance. Maybe at a different location. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Veggie Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I stopped by dumpling time during a weeknight for a quick dinner while running errands in the area. At that time, street parking was super easy to find. I ordered the Beijing noodles, pork gyoza, and jasmine tea which came out to be over $30. The noodles looked small but it was actually pretty fulfilling. I added some chili to add some more flavor to it. There was nothing special about the pork gyoza and I tried ignoring the coloration that was going on inside of it. There was a little bit of orange and blue going on on there. Maybe the veggies were going bad? I wish I got the servers name because they were super friendly and went above and beyond. Prices can get a little pricey but I'd come back to try other dishes. read more

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It's fine and the place is cute right on 4th Street with inside and outside seating. If you've never had Dumpling Time or you're a big dumpling connoisseur, it's suffices right on Fourth Street, but isn't a destination. It's quite expensive but I get it, it's trendy, it's Fourth Street, but I don't know if the food matches. I prefered the dumplings over the noodles or the shrimp toast. But even the dumplings were a bit muted in flavor. The fried apps like the egg rolls and sesame squares were fine, but nothing stood out. The menu was a bit more limited than I remembered, previously. Overall, a solid spot on Fourth Street for dim sum while out and about. It's trendy and prices follow suit with pricier options. The food was good and unique for the area, but you've probably had better. A-ok! read more

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My boyfriend and I were in the area and were so excited to try this place, but unfortunately, we left feeling grossed out and disappointed. As soon as we were seated, we noticed that our glasses looked dirty. My boyfriend asked the waitress if we could get new ones, and she rudely responded, "They're all like that. They're stack marks." To both of us, the glasses looked unclean, and instead of offering a replacement, she simply said that and walked away. A few minutes later, we ordered the chicken gyoza, pork dumplings, and pork BBQ bao. The food was alright, but while eating one of the pork dumplings, I found a piece of hair inside of it. We immediately lost our appetite. We asked to speak to the manager, who looked at it and said it looked like "lint" to her. The way she said it felt incredibly dismissive and made us feel as though she thought we were lying. It was a long strand that was gray with a dark root - it definitely did not look like lint. The dumplings were removed from our bill, but the entire experience was handled poorly. Between the dirty-looking glasses, the hair in the food, and the dismissive responses from both the waitress and manager, we definitely won't be back. The food was just alright, the service was horrible, and there was nothing special about this place. read more

This was just ok... Overall, everything was overpriced and lacked flavor. We ordered the edamame, and it was ridiculous for a small bowl to be 7.50, when you can buy a whole tray of edamame for $5 or less. The crisp on the pork gyoza was great, but it was quite bland inside. This might be particular, but it almost looked like the potsticker was crimped shut with a dumpling crimper/dumpling maker. And that's not what you're looking for when this is supposed to be a more "authentic" experience. Service was also alright. The staff was friendly, but forgot a drink we ordered, which we were later still charged for. Otherwise, wouldn't feel the need to come again. There are definitely other places that taste better for cheaper, with the same beautiful interior. read more

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Service was great. Sat outside in the pleasant sun and our waitress checked on us to see if we wanted the umbrella for shade, thoughtful! Food was fantastic. Loved the cucumbers which was sweet and spicy. The Sweet and Spicy wings were amazing. Has the sauce on the side and the wings were flavorful without it (I didn't need to use any sauce). I think it's brined as it was very juicy to the very last bite and was cooked perfectly! Siomai is always a hit! read more

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I feel bad writing this, but our visit here left me so perplexed I came to see if others had experienced what we experienced and I figured I'd chime in. Dumpling Time used to be one of our favorite spots. It's probably been a year since we've been there though, and it was so different, I thought it must be under new ownership. The menu changed quite a bit too. They no longer have Har Gow on the menu which was disappointing, and every dumping we ate had a bland flavor and mushy meat on the inside. The soup dumplings are all dyed different colors and one was black, which was very unappetizing. It's a bummer because we liked this place a lot, but our party of 3 agreed we won't be going back. read more

Excellent service and good dumplings for a lunchtime meet. We (2) shared 3 types and were full by the end. Yummy. read more

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Loved this spot and got to try a bunch of different dishes, including Beijing noodles, shrimp toast, and Tom Yum. The shrimp toast was our FAVORITE bite!! So grateful the server recommended we order this one because I still crave this dish! We sat outside in the patio and loved the vibe. It's in the fourth street shopping area so it's a cute area! read more

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It's been awhile since my last visit, partially due to so many places offering similar dishes. Since roaming around 4th Street, this is the place. We sat beside the room where the dumplings assembling would ordinarily be showcased but the effort while we were there were in the preparation of the dough to our disappointment. On this occasion, I had ordered the Beijing Noodles and Tom Yum soup dumplings. Although the noodle was meant to be shared, the portion was quite small. It's akin to Dan Dan noodles without the spicy kick, of course you can always add the condiment from the table. Despite the portion, it satisfied my hunger. The tom yum dumpling was chosen from the name uniqueness but I didn't find it was soupy enough to taste the tom yum. Service was attentive and friendly. If you are craving for soup dumplings, potstickers or pan dumplings look no further. read more

Dumpling Time - Berkeley - Tom Yum Soup Dumpling - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Delicious food, awesome service, perfect location. I love the whole ambiance of this restaurant

Overall mid Chinese food, with nice presentation but very muted flavors. Serviceable and not a terrible option on 4th Street, but not something to seek out if you're not already there doing a day of shopping. We were hungry on a Sunday at 1 and thought the menu at Dumpling Time looked appealing. We were added to a waitlist and waited about 20 minutes for an outdoor table (which really could have used more shade). We ordered the Tom Yum soup dumplings, BBQ pork bao, wagyu beef gyoza, and Beijing noodles. I'm used to pretty punchy, salty Beijing noodles (za jiang mian) but these were fairly plain. They were decent with copious amounts of chili oil and soy sauce. This was a theme with all of our dishes, needing lots of doctoring to be more flavorful. When looking at the menu again for my photo captions, I was surprised to be reminded of what ingredients were supposed to be present - I couldn't get any coconut milk, and the "chili butter sauce" added nothing but color. The tom yum soup dumplings sounded like a intriguing dish, but I couldn't taste any tom yum flavor. "Lemongrass pork soup dumplings" might have been more accurate. The wagyu beef gyoza and seared BBQ pork bao were also decent, but again, needed lots of oils and sauces to get the strong flavor we're used to with dim sum/Chinese food. There are definitely better options for Chinese food in Berkeley. read more

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