This place is awesome! Great service, great ambiance! Definitely coming back here soon. Rockaway Japanese cuisine down the street! read more

Must Be Dumpling - Dim sum plate, cucumber salad, greens beans! - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

I was pleasantly surprised by how good this place was! I didn't think there was a lot of Asian food in Pacifica so I thought it would just be ok but it was tasty! I would come back. I generally liked everything we ate. Soup dumpling skin was a little thick but the inside was really filled and juicy! Green beans weren't bad but a little salty. But my friend and husband really liked this dish. I liked the Dan Dan noodles. They were simple and clean. You mix everything together and I thought the flavor was nice and not too strong! The pan fried buns were also good. Not as good as Dough Zone but still pretty tasty. Overall I was happy and would come back! read more

I was excited to find out that there was a place in Linda Mar that served dan dan noodles. Had to try it. I walked into this place and I swear it smells like a dumpster. What on earth? Tacky decor and wall decorations that are dusty. Cute table settings. Uncomfortable hard metal chairs. Well, I was getting takeout, so no big deal. I ordered the dan dan noodles and some egg rolls. I was told ten minutes. It was twenty. Ok, well maybe the food is really good. Let's start with the egg rolls. Ok, that is really good. Not too greasy. Nice crunch. Fresh vegetable taste. Score. Now the noodles. What is this? This is chowmein noodles with ground beef and onion and a bit of gravy. I think. No chopped peanuts. Tastes like cafeteria food. They provided a vinegar condiment which helped it out. But none of that mazing dan dan umami I was expecting. Sad to say, I won't be back. The search for dan dan paradise continues. read more

A really delicious meal at Must Be Dumpling! My friends and I were in Pacifica for a short trip and decided on Must Be Dumpling for dinner. Located in a small shopping my center, we were shown to a table and provided with menus. We were given menus and markers to select dishes. Two of my friends are vegetarian and they ordered veggie potstickers and dumplings. We ordered a scallion pancake and the green beans for the table. My other friend and I shared pork potstickers and dumplings and she ordered spicy wontons for herself. I do not handle spice and she let me know the wontons would be too spicy for me. Everything was delicious. I love scallion pancakes and theirs did not disappoint. All the dumplings and potstickers were delicious. The green beans really stood out. I'd love to be able to remake them at home. The server was friendly and attentive. Overall, a very nice meal at Must Be Dumpling. read more

My first time here was for lunch. I had Siu Mai, Har Gow and steamed Pork Buns. I thought that the Siu Mai and pork buns were exceptional and the Har Gow was good. Service was efficient and there was no one else in the restaurant when I went. I would like to try the Xiao Long Bow. read more

Must Be Dumpling - Dim Sum! - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

This place is great if you have lots of hungry kids who like dumplings. The food is nicely priced. The plastic glasswear won't shatter if inadvertently dropped. The life sized minion sets the funnn (with 3 Ns) vibe for the kids read more

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Ordered dim sum takeout from Must Be Dumpling. Two orders of shrimp har gow and two pork siu mais. While a bit smaller than ones you typical get a restaurants, these were still great. There was a generous amount of shrimp in the dumpling. Don't forget to ask for a side or two of their house-made chili oil. It was had the perfect balance of oil and spiciness. I even bought a jar! We also ordered two orders of their pickled cucumbers - these were excellent! They were crunchy and not soggy with just the right amount of sourness. Parking was easy to find at the Linda Mar Shopping Center. read more

Must Be Dumpling - Pickled cucumbers - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

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The service here is fantastic. From the minute we walked in, the one waiter made sure we got seated, brought out menus for the table, and made a couple more trips to bring out kid friendly utensils, bowls, stickers, and even toys to entertain my little ones. The water cups they use here are also these cute little whimsical mugs in different bright colors. On Thursdays, locals also get 10% off for dining in! You get some complimentary salted peanuts for the table to start. For our food, we ordered the spicy wontons, the pan fried soup dumplings, the pork and tofu in golden soup, beef noodle soup, green onion pancake, and some pork dumplings. They provide chili oil, soy sauce, and vinegar at the table for you. Everything tasted fine, but I thought the noodles used in the beef soup were a bit on the bland side - it didn't really soak up the flavor of the broth. The pan fried dumplings were my favorite dish - they also provide these giant whimsical soup spoons that you can use to eat these - there really wasn't any soup inside that spilled out when you bit into it, but the ratio to bread and meat was good and tasted nice with the vinegar and soy sauce drizzled on top. read more

I can't believe this place has a 4.4 rating. Must me the Only Asian Restaurant in a Small Town Syndrome. So bland I had to throw on a bunch of sriracha (and I don't particularly like spicy food) just to have a little flavor. The soup dumplings were also tasteless--Trader Joes' frozen version is better. Price was high for the portions and low quality of the food. Next time I'll just drive up to SF for Asian food. read more

Surprised to see a cute little dumpling spot in Pacifica. Food is decent, but there's quite a lot of better dumpling spots near SF if you want to go for dumplings. I would say I was most impressed by the soup, and it seems others enjoyed their non-dumpling dishes more. Nice place if you're in the area, but hard to compare to some other dumpling specialty stores read more

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We unexpectedly found Must Be Dumpling. We had gone hiking at Devil's Slide Trail. Everything was very tasty from the stir-fry green beans, Xiao long bao, pan fried dumplings , pork/shrimp/ chive dumplings and Dan Dan noodles. The service was efficient and the ambiance nice. Would definitely go again. read more

Must Be Dumpling - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

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So glad this restaurant came to Pacifica! We even buy their chili sauce for home. Reasonably priced, great customer service, and delicious food. Clean, cute decor, and perfect date night spot! read more

Must Be Dumpling - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

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02/08/2026 1400 First time here and we were seriously impressed. We ordered the dumpling soup and dan dan noodles, and both were . The dumplings were soft, juicy, and perfectly steamed. You can tell they're made fresh. Each bite had great flavor and texture, especially dipped in the sauce on the side. The dan dan noodles were rich, savory, and well-balanced. The minced meat sauce was flavorful, noodles had a nice chew, and the fresh cucumber and carrots added a good crunch. Not too salty, not too oily--just right. Portions were generous, presentation was nice, and everything tasted clean and comforting. Definitely a solid spot for comfort Chinese food. We'll 100% be back to try more items on the menu. Highly recommend if you love dumplings and noodles. read more

Must Be Dumpling - Dandan noodles - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

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Has the Xiao Long Bao, Spicy Wontons and Deep Fried Spring Rolls. All three were good. Happy to find this place. XLB had good meat to dumpling wrapper proportion. Wrapper was not too thick. Pork filling was tasty and well seasoned. Came with what tasted like a mix of soy sauce and vinegar. Didn't have a lot of soup in it but still enjoyed it. The Spicy Wontons were also yummy. The wontons were coated and sitting in chili oil and sprinkled with chili flakes. Chili flakes add some kick but not too spicy that you can still taste the dumplings. The egg rolls had vegetables. Didn't look like it had meat in it but were still very good too. The wrapper was golden brown and super crispy but not hard. Came with a sweet and sour sauce. They had a special dimsum set for $29.95 which included Ha Cao, Shu Mai, Spicy Wonton, BBQ Pork Bao and Deep Fried Spring Rolls. Cute decor. The table setting reminded me of playing tea party as a child with the colorful spoons and cups. Staff was nice. Food came out quickly. Reasonable prices ad good portions. read more

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Really solid restaurant doing excellent business (great for Pacifica where restaurants often come & go), very nice interior with warm, incandescent lighting and pleasing design -- and, fresh & tasty cuisine, my favorite of which is actually the shrimp dumpling soup, fantastic ... great soup stock (not overspiced so you can adjust the seasoning and spice level with the table condiments) and the dumplings are truly an airy bite of perfection. Still have to try a number of things but I will say that one item I was not keen on as much was the veggie pot stickers. The green-colored wrap was good and they gave it a nice sear; it was the filling that I didn't love, just not a flavor and consistency I was looking for. I asked them what was in the filling but the server and chef didn't know (they needed to check with the owner, who wasn't there). I did open one up and it's hard to tell what the mash is all made of but, surprisingly, one obvious ingredient is edamame, which I think is a great idea -- it's just whatever else they're using to tie it all together that didn't agree with me. But, to me, still, the place is definitely 5-star worthy. (I'll add to this review as I continue to try new things.) read more

We got the dim sum special set which consists of 4 pieces of ha cao, 4 siu mai, 8 pieces of spicy wonton, 3 bbq pork buns, and 3 egg rolls. The service was alright. They checked in a few times. They gave us peanuts and pickled cabbages for appetizers while waiting for the ordered meal. Food was alright. Enough to satisfy two people. Quality was enough to get by and cheap, but I wouldn't come back. Wished the spicy wonton had more sauce and flavor. read more

Must Be Dumpling - Peanuts & Pickled Cabbages - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

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I've been wanting to try Must Be Dumpling since I found out that a dumpling place opened up in Pacifica. I was running some errands in the Linda Mar Shopping Center recently so decided to pick-up some food to take home. The restaurant is cute and trendy. I love the way it is decorated. I ordered a bunch of items to try. Spicy deep fried chicken wings Dan dan noodle Beef noodle soup Pork shrimp and chives dumplings Green onion pancake Pan fried pot stickers Service was quick and my order was ready after about 15 minutes. After getting home, the first thing I noticed was that the portions were quite small compared to other similar restaurants. Nothing really stood out as far as flavor goes. Hubby enjoyed the wings and beef noodle soup. The pot stickers had a weird after taste, most likely a spice I am not familiar with. Overall, I wasn't impressed, but want to continue supporting local businesses. I look forward to trying Must Be Dumpling again, maybe for a dine-in experience, which will hopefully be better. read more

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You'd be hard pressed to find a better Asian spot in Pacifica than Must Be Dumpling. Located in the Linda Mar Shopping Center, across from Safeway and a few doors down from a Starbucks and Panda Express, Must Be Dumpling stands out among the crowd for its authenticity. You might be skeptical given Pacifica's reputation with food spots, but it'd be a mistake to judge a book by its cover with this spot. Must Be Dumpling is the real deal, offering affordable plates that are big on flavor and spice. I got the Ha Gao (a standard shrimp dumpling), the pork and shrimp dumplings, and the spicy wonton dumplings. Of the three, the spicy wonton dumplings were my favorite. The plate comes with 12-14 dumplings, and packs a bit of a kick in terms of taste. I wanted to get another one right after I finished it! The Ha Gao and pork and shrimp dumplings were also very good, the only downside is the Ha Gao is only a four piece plate - but it's also only $7 so it evens out. As soon as my group walked in the door we were greeted by a nice lady who was seating people, taking orders, and serving food all on her own. Despite having a few tables to wait on, she was fast, friendly, and timely at checking in. My group never felt ignored or forgotten about, and we added drinks and dishes to our order throughout the night. I can't say enough nice things about this place, I'm just going to go back as soon as possible! read more

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After discovering Must Be Dumpling via Yelp and eyeing them for months, we finally got to check them out on the night of Thursday, October 24, 2024. Venue: 4 stars. Located in Pacifica's Linda Mar Shopping Center, Must Be Dumpling occupies a small unit, likely with maximum occupancy of no more than 75 persons in the dining room. There were plenty of empty spots to park in the lot and we found a space for our car just a few steps away from the front entrance. We arrived shortly before 7:15 to a brightly lit and clean restaurant with only a few occupied tables. We were seated almost immediately. Food: 4 stars. Below are what our meal composed of for a party of five: Thai Iced Tea (2 orders at $4 each) - Yum. Deep Fried Spring Roll (2 orders at $5.95 each) - Golden brown with a nice crisp. Soup Dumpling/Xiao Long Bao (3 orders of 12 pcs. for $19.95) - Good Dan Dan Noodles with House Sesame Paste ($14.95) - Meh. I wasn't impressed by this bowl of noodles, but Z happily ate it all. Shrimp Wonton Soup ($12.95) - Simple and light, but hearty. The seaweed was a nice touch. Spicy Wonton with Chili Sauce ($15.95) - Ok. Not my favourite, but Z liked it. Pan Fried Meat Pot Sticker ($14.95) - Nice. Boiled Okra with Garlic Sauce ($13.95) - Excellent! The okra had a slight crisp and tasted super fresh. I would return here just for these vegetables. Yes, they were THAT good! Braised Eggplant ($14.95) - Very good. Brightly colourful and perfectly cooked. Deep Fried Sesame Balls ($5.95) - Not bad. Small sizes, though. Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream ($5.95) - Pretty presentation. V enjoyed this dessert very much. Service: 4 stars. On Thursdays, locals get a 10% discount. Make sure to bring proof of residency. Heads up - 20% gratuity is automatically added to checks for parties of 5 or more persons. They do indicate this on their menu, so the auto tip should not be a surprise. Our server was friendly, informative, and quick. A great first impression Must Be Dumpling left on the boys. We will definitely return. read more

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The potstickers! Yum! I'm not too sure how long this place has been here, but I believe it's relatively new. It's hidden in a small corner of the Linda Mar Shopping Center with a cute little dumpling right above it. We tried it for the 1st time and I was very satisfied. The food, ambiance, service, and price were all great! The waitress was very sweet and friendly and helped walk us through the ordering process where you make your selections on a mini dry/erase menu (super cute). We ordered the meat potstickers, spring rolls, green beans, shrimp&pork dumplings, wonton soup, and the Don Don noodles. Everything was amazing, especially the pan seared potstickers! We will definitely return! read more

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I picked this place at random on a recent work trip. I wish we had a place like this in my city. Really great service, reasonable price and the food is fantastic. I had the shrimp/chive/pork dumplings, har gow and shumai. They were all amazing. The spicy wontons were also great. I don't usually have noodles, but they were ordered for our table and were equally great. Dessert was sesame balls and three flavors of mochi ice-cream. Served with decorative style. It was so good that I brought my whole work team back there the next day. Everyone loved it! read more

Small restaurant located in the Linda Mar shopping center. Great selection of dumplings. We had the Xiao long bao, spicy wontons, dan dan noodles, pan fried pork potstickers, steamed pork bao, and the shrimp/pork/chive dumplings. Service was friendly and efficient. Glad to have found a high quality dumpling spot in Pacifica! read more

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Wow! What a surprise tucked away in Linda Mar! Derek (owner) was so welcoming and he makes their chili sauce it and it is so freaking amazing! I cannot wait to take a big group here. The portions were great, the flavors were on point, and all the dumplings we tried were perfectly steamed. Well curated menu that isn't overwhelming but has a little something for everyone. Inside is fresh and light. Benches are comfy. Will be back soon!! read more

So so yummy!! This little dinning area sure packs a big punch. Worth the wait if they're full, and prof it's good. Their menu has a lot of really amazing dishes. I loved the green beans and the bbq pork boa!! I doubt you could go wrong. I wanted to eat there again the next night. read more

We got a menu (mailed or dropped off to home) so we were curious to try especially it's local and always want to support local business. First visit and was happy to see they were busy but was able to get seated right away. They recently opened 4 months ago and appeared to be the old Starbucks suite? One server (Lingling) and was friendly and made sure we always had our water full. Food was delicious and menu had plenty of choices although a bit more exotic than your typical dim sum choices. We tried plenty and looking forward to come back and try other items in the menu. However, prices are a bit on the high side but nevertheless the food were delicious. Deep-Fried Crab Rangoon Shanghai Style Xiao Long Bao Tofu soup with ground pork (chicken Base) BOWL Homemade pork, shrimp and green chives dumpling Spicy Wonton Green Onion Pancake Garlic Okra read more

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The dumplings were chewier than my first two visits. It's like the ratios were off or it wasn't rolled thin enough. They still had great flavor but they weren't as light and easy to eat as my two previous visits. Service wise, I was never asked how my food was and he came by with the payment machine before I'd finished chewing my last dumpling. That was a surprise because it wasn't busy. I was one of 3 customers at the time. Prices have increased. I want to support local, but I will have to think about going back after this dumpling experience. read more

Must Be Dumpling - Pork and chive dumplings. - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

Everything was delicious, service was great and place was super cute! Would definitely go there again! read more

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My daughter is obsessed with this restaurant. We found it on yelp for dumplings and let's say we are NOT disappointed. The server is SUPER friendly and on top of it! He is the only one at the front of the house and is quick to greet, seat, clean up, and serve. The food is absolutely delicious! We ordered the deep fried Rangoon, beef shank noodle soup, spicy wonton, braised green beans (a must try for all), Homemade Pork And Green Chives Dumpling, and for a sweet treat the Steam Animal Bao (3 bunnies) with custard filling. We may have ordered too much but it all sounded and was absolutely delicious! Will be back many more times in the near future! read more

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I love this place so much. Everything is excellent! Here are my favorites: Eggplant Ha gow Pan fried soup dumplings Sesame balls Shrimp, pork, chives dumplings Beef noodle soup read more

Ordered delivery. Spicy wonton and chicken spinach dumplings, both tasted very good. Will recommend others to try.

Always my go to spot for soul dumplings. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is clean, calm, and so welcoming. The staff also is always so friendly and kind love coming here! read more

Food was so freaking good, ambiance was so pretty and cozy. The music is so nice and nostalgic. Servers are so sweet and kind!!! read more

Must Be Dumpling - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

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Free parking in mini mall allowed. No beach parking allowed signs. Mall looks deserted. KIMCO realty unable to rent space. Crispy sesame balls were excellent, freshly fried, crispy outside, soft inside with bean paste. Xiao lung bao soup dumpling was below average very doughy and not real juicy or soupy. Dim sum sampler had five items. Spicy wonton not my favorite. Shrimp dumpling was average, tasted okay. Bbq bao was Hong Kong style, very good, the way made in HK. Siu Mai pork dumpling very good, large chopped chunks of pork instead of ground pork. Veggie roll was excellent, hot crispy, freshly fried. Service was excellent, clear dishes, got another coke. 4 stars out of 5 read more

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I went for my first time with my wife and son and all three of us were so happy with our experience. I don't have the biggest background with dumplings so I wasn't too sure of what to order, although my son definitely has been fortunate to have quite a few experiences with his friend and their fam. We ordered the special which was a sampler with 5 types of apps/dumplings, the soup dumplings, the garlic green beans, and potstickers. Everything was delicious. Service was great (and quick). And the vibe was fun too for being in Linda Mar shopping center. We will be back :) read more

The Inside of the restaurant is small, about 12 tables. I was greeted and sat right away. I ordered the beef noodle soup and the pork and shrimp xiao long bao. The soup came out first & was nice and hot. The broth was very flavorful & I was happy about the amount of beef and vegetables inside. The dumplings took a little longer to cook, but when they came out they were fresh and hot. I couldn't taste much of the shrimp in the dumplings, but they were still tasty. read more

Must Be Dumpling - Beef noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

Warm atmosphere Great service Delicious food. A "Must" for dumplings We plan to come back often read more

Cute little spot. Great after doing some sightseeing or after the beach. Definitely order at least 3-4 orders if you're getting dumplings to share with everyone. Add a couple of side dishes to. This is an occasion where you want to have more than enough and to share with others. read more

Loved our new dumpling place in Pacifica! We tried soup dumplings, green beans, noodles, potstickers and pan fried dumplings. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. We'll be back for sure! We tried to get in weed they first opened and couldn't get a table but today at 5:15 pm we walked right in. read more

Must Be Dumpling? More like Must Be Awesome! Went with 3 besties from the office and we had a feast. Fave dumplings were the Pork and Green Chives. So good. Loved the Deep-Fried Crab Rangoons also but I always order those whenever I see them on a menu, so maybe I'm not totally objective. Pan-Fried Meat Pot Stickers were nice too, although I only had 1. Also liked the Wood and Silver Ear Mushrooms Salad, Pork and Shrimp dumplings and the Pork Xiao Long Bao. Braised Eggplant was a worthwhile dish too - the beautiful purple from the eggplant dressed up the table and the meal. Service was good too. Everyone was super nice. We left there happy - it Must Be [the] Dumpling[s]! Great place. read more

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Stopped in here for a quick to go order and the ambiance and service are impeccable. The place, yes I know is new, is so clean and very inviting. I love the family style bench tables that you can elect to sit and eat at. We love XLB's and I had never been here but my niece had. We got a quick order of pork xlb and green onion pancakes. Each dumpling had the sought after liquid in their filling, which if you know, you know, and were perfectly cooked. I was a little shocked at the price but for a beautiful location, a place that is local, and for the service it's no big deal. Thanks for bringing dumplings to Pacifica! I'll be back, clearly my niece has been back already! read more

Must Be Dumpling - Pork xlb and green onion pancakes- to go! - Chinese Near Me - Pacifica, California

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