I came here for lunch a few weeks ago after a follow-up appointment nearby. This Steam Boys location is close to Trash Panda Stadium but it's easy to miss; it's set back from the road, the signage is kind of small and it blends into the shopping center. Parking was also challenging; I wound up just taking a spot at Slim Chickens and walking over. A sign on the door warned me the door was very heavy and they weren't lying; it took some effort to open it.
The inside is open and modern. It looked clean but for a few tables that needed to be cleared.
Service was a mixed bag. A younger man stood by the counter and looked at me when I walked in. I stood for a moment, confused as to whether I sat down or ordered at the counter; I didn't see a menu anywhere though there were lots of advertisements for specials on different days and at different times. I eventually made eye contact with the employee and asked if I should sit down, to which he nodded and then brought me a menu over.
I saw they were running a lunch special for an order of dumplings and an order of bao, so I took myself to the counter to order. The quiet young man I encountered earlier was at the register. He seemed confused when I placed my order and called for help from another employee who was on break eating lunch. This other employee, a young male with blond hair, was helpful and friendly and did a good job trying to guide the new employee through the process of my order. The new employee was super shy, almost to the point of comedy; at one point he asked, "should I do steamed or pan fried dumplings?" to the other employee and the other guy said, "you should ask her." And the newbie just looked at me like he was terrified. Poor guy lol. I provided my answer, paid, and sat down to wait.
My food came out pretty fast, was hot, and seemed fresh. I got spicy pan fried chicken dumplings and a seared beef bao. I thought the food was pretty good. The chicken dumplings were slightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I was glad I ordered it spicy because the chili oil really added flavor that I think it might've been missing otherwise. The beef bao had a good bit more flavor and the sauce that came with it was slightly spicy and also very flavorful. I agree with others that it's basically a meatball inside a dough ball; I wish it would've stuck to the dough a bit better, and I wish there'd been a tiny bit more meat. Still, it was a filling meal that easily could've been split between two people (I couldn't finish it all) and I thought a decent price (though the non lunch specials are indeed a bit pricy).
Overall, I enjoyed my experience here and would be interested in visiting again. I'd like to try their boba next time. read more