Cool spot, authentic ambiance, worth a visit. The place was too hot, the wait was long even though they had lots of open tables. I liked the fact that they had people behind glass making the noodles. The service wasn't fast and some of the staff looked like it was their first day there, lots of confusion during special requests like could I get an extra spoon. Some of the food was very tasty and some was very generic and not worth ordering. Mixed feelings about value and whether I should give them another try. I know they have a few location, this one felt under-loved. 2.5 stars with potential. Keep eating, keep drinking, keep living!!!!! read more

Ugly Dumpling is one of our favorite local spots! The aesthetic is beautiful, with a window where you can watch dumplings being made, and the service is always pleasurable. Our top pick is the spicy chicken wontons (10/10), so flavorful and addictive. The pork soup dumplings are great, and if you like spice, go for the Szechuan-style dumplings. You can also try one of each dumpling, which is a fun option. The soy ginger wings are crispy and delicious. Some dishes were just okay; shumai (6/10), chicken dumplings (7/10), shrimp fried rice (7/10), and beef stir-fry noodles (5/10); but the beef noodles with shishito peppers were spicy and amazing. For drinks, the mango or passion fruit boba green tea is a must-try. And for dessert, we always go for the strawberry and green tea ice cream mochi, a perfect sweet ending. Highly recommend this spot for dumpling lovers! read more

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As a soup dumpling lover, I was excited to try Ugly Dumpling after passing by this spot many times, however my visit left more to be desired. *AMBIANCE* I walked right in on a Friday evening and there was no wait. The interior is very welcoming, and they did a nice job with the bright, modern interior with tables and booths. *FOOD* I was actually very disappointed in the food and felt like it was not very authentic. Pork XLB ($9) - Comes with 6 pieces. This didn't really taste authentic and the ginger inside of the pork filling was too much. Felt like I was chewing big chunks of ginger, and it tasted unbalanced with the rest of the dumpling. Braised Beef Noodle Soup ($14) - The beef tendon was not tender. It was very tough to eat and overall, the flavor of the broth was mediocre. *SERVICE* Service was attentive and fast. I wanted to like this place, but the food quality just didn't meet the mark for me where I would return. read more

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Food here is good and priced well. I really think they is a great place to come if you are not extremely hungry and want to share meals. The staff was very attentive and did not miss a beat. I ordered a few items to try them out and everything came out fresh and tasty. Chicken wontons w/ spicy sause were good enjoyable. The Salt & Pepper Chicken was very good as well The braised pork ribs positively surprised me with a sauce and flavor profile that was not overwhelming and taste good. I will come back to check out the other options and get a better feel for what this place can offer. solid choice and priced fair read more

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The restaurant is really nice and very Instagrammable. You can watch the chef making dumplings, which adds to the experience. The host seated us, and shortly after, our waiter arrived. We ordered a mango boba tea, which was delicious! The waiter was very patient and kind as we wanted to try a few different dishes. We ordered the Ugly Dumpling sampler--some were really good, while others were just okay. The scallion pancake was a bit greasy but still decent. The shrimp stir-fry was quite good and ended up being my favorite dish. We also tried the braised beef soup, but it wasn't my favorite. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. The service was amazing, and it's a great place to take Instagram-worthy photos! read more

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Love the ambience and Asian decor of this newer place. Very big space but definitely fills up. The items were hit or miss overall. Highlights: Pan fried pork buns were my favorite item. So much flavor and perfectly crispy yet fluffy -- a must order. Soup dumplings were an explosion of fun, but can get messy. Would recommend the sampler to find the flavor you like best (also colorful). Garlic green beans were large for sharing and very good. Do not get the noodles w/ beef. No flavor whatsoever and skimpy on meat (and chewy). The milk tea was also lackluster--more milk than tea. Very attentive waitstaff. Overall, would return but know what to get. read more

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good afternoon first time at Ugly dumpling with my family on March 29/2026 we were greeted and seated right away. The place wasn't crowded. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The server came right away very attentive. He took all our drink orders, then we proceeded to put the appetizers and the food. We had a great experienced. The food was delicious. The service was great. Will definitely come back again. read more

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first time I've ever had soup dumplings. Wish there was a little bit more inside, but they were absolutely delicious. Such a fun experience, service was great. We went there as soon as they opened. I feel like the menu could have been larger, but other than that, the service was great. It's very nice inside very clean. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Chicken XLB (6) - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

The establishment at Hamden, CT had the worst service. Ordering online routinely took over 45 minutes - even though the text notification said it was ready after 15 minutes. Still had to wait for 20 more after getting there. Service is very spotty. One take out order was left out, I did not notice until I got home. Refund was impossible! read more

We were first time guest to the Edison NJ location this past Monday the 9th of March. We waited about 20 minutes to be sat No problem there. The server approached us and took our order We ordered two apps and two entrees. No problems yet About 15 minutes later someone ( not our server ) is walking around carrying a tray. He comes to our table with our two entrees and one app. I asked why are we getting out entrees before our apps? The person spoke No English. He placed the plates down walked away. A couple minutes later our other app came out. I'm looking for my server. I can't find him. Essentially we had to eat everything together. I ordered the Mongolian Beef. It was chewy, void of flavor, the rice was hard ( undercooked ) Again, no server to be found Close to 15 minutes later I see our server at another table I waited until he was done, waved to flag him down and he never acknowledged us. I said eventually he will come by to ask how things are? He passed us seven times. Not once did he stop or make eye contact. It was as if we were invisible. We were flabbergasted.. Not to make a scene we pushed on We ate the apps which were good. My entree, I had two bites and just left it. It was terrible My wife was upset because I couldn't eat. She barely touched her food which by the way was mushy ( noodles over cooked) After 40 minutes, we asked for a manager. No one came. Finally I got up and flagged down our server. I asked for our check. Angrily. He dropped it off. Never said a word Your bill is paid with a hand held machine that he drops off at the table. Again no manager came. We were so disgusted, we had to get out of there as quickly as possible This was absolutely the worst service / food wr have received in years. F..... for service .....we had none C minus ....for food....the apps were good only F... for management presence or resolution A....the host was pleasant and quoted us correctly I would NEVER return again. read more

String Beans with Garlic Braised Beef Noodle Soup Pork and truffle soup dumplings Strings beans were good but quite salty. Braised beef noodle soup was decent. The pork and truffle dumplings did not have any truffle flavor. They don't keep the soup dumpling steamer lid on, so the dumplings get cold and hard pretty quickly. Came on a Sunday around 12:30PM and the restaurant wasn't busy. Beautiful interior design. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Pork and Pork & Truffle XLB (6) - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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Today I finally got a chance to hit up Ugly Dumpling. I've ordered take out and delivery from here on several occasions but today was my first time dining in. I will say I enjoyed the experience overall, from the service to the ambiance. The food was pretty good too, a lot of winners like the shrimp fried rice and orange chicken. The wontons I got were kinda mid but still palatable. I did like the fried chicken dumplings also, although the spring rolls didn't really move me. Nonetheless it was a good experience and I'm glad I finally made it in. I'll definitely return to dance around the menu more next time and will suggest this spot to others. read more

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After driving past a handful of times, Ugly Dumpling has always remained in the back of my mind as a place to try because of the catchy name & adorable exterior. I've had my fair share of soup dumplings, and am happy to have found a new place to get my fix in NJ! Ugly Dumpling is similar to many other Shanghai dumpling restaurants, serving noodles, dumplings, wontons & veggie options. While the entire time we were dining we were comparing to the other soup dumpling experiences we've had, my group was pleased with all of the dishes we got. Our group of 7 ordered -almost- the entire menu, and we were happy to have dishes arrive staggered throughout dinner, allowing us to be eating the entire time and not sitting waiting in hunger. We raved about the soy garlic wings for the entirety of the dinner. The glaze was perfectly seasoned, the wings were crispy and juicy with every bite. I honestly don't know how to put my love for these wings into proper words, but you must get these!! The pork and truffle soup dumplings were a surprise since the truffle flavor was quite prominent in ours, despite other reviews stating they couldn't taste any. When ordering items labeled as spicy (spicy noodles, spicy wontons) we felt as if there was no heat/kick to it at all, even when adding additional chili oil. We also found that since the dumplings were served in steamers without lids they got cold extremely quickly, causing them to stick to the parchment paper on the bottom a bit more than usual (and leading to a few dumpling casualties.) For dining out with such a large group our bill was fairly priced (& we all left happy and full!) Ugly Dumpling is a great spot if you're looking for quick service and quality food at an affordable price point! read more

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Food quality definitely only mediocre. The spicy wonton was not tasty, pretty bland. It is definitely not spicy enough too. The dish came out not hot, barely warm. The braised baby back rib sauce was alright but also not hot enough. And the meat was a bit too dry and hard and not meaty. Now with their signature dumplings, you get to try 1 of each of their flavors: Pork, Pork and shrimp, Crab meat, Chicken, and Truffle. I personally think only the crab meat and truffle are worth eating. The dumplings skin are somewhat dry, not soft enough. Compare to other dumplings places I've been to, this one doesnt hit the list for me to return. And the workers behind the glass that make the dumplings are not even Chinese/Asian to make it authentic. But I do like their summer drink, Passion punch. Their service was great though. read more

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We ordered food to go for 4 people and got 2 orders of the soup dumplings sample, chicken XLB, an order of just pork XLB, spicy wontons and scallion pancakes. When we got there on time, the food was immediately ready for pick up. The staff was really nice, welcoming and helpful. While we were there, we also got a milk tea which was prepared in 5 minutes and pretty cheap, only $5. The inside was beautiful and bright, very clean. We left to eat it and found it was okay. I wish there was more soup and found the skin to be a bit thick. The to go sauce bags and utensils were really great though. I actually enjoyed the spicy wontons the best. Scallion pancakes were a bit over fried. It was good but I've had better. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

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U.D. came to me as a recommendation. So I took my daughter and future Yelp food extraordinaire granddaughter with me for lunch. We ordered food we all wanted to try. Appetizers we ordered fried chicken dumplings and braised baby back ribs. Both were very good. The B.B.B.Ribs had great flavor. The dumplings my granddaughter killed 4 of the 6. . We ordered sweet and sour chicken, fried shrimp noodles, braised beef bowl, orange chicken, Schezwan pork dumplings. The pork dumplings had a nice kick to them. The flavor was mighty in the dumplings. The sweet and sour was nothing great, but good. The fried shrimp&noodles was really tasty. That I'd get again. The orange chicken was OK. It had a really strong flavor. Strong orangy taste. The menu is full of choices. We had no room for dessert. The staff was really friendly. The place has plenty seating, but I can see there being a waiting list on a Friday or Saturday after work. The atmosphere was low noise and family friendly. I'll definitely be back to try more on the menu. read more

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Anyone who knows what these dishes should taste like can tell they're cutting corners. There are better Chinese restaurants in the Edison area. read more

Service is super fast. We had to wait about 20 mins to get seated but wait was worth it. A ton of veg options. Wonton and dumpling were great. Noodles could be a little better. Definitely will come here again. read more

I had high expectations going into this being that it came highly recommended by trustworthy foodies. I'm glad to say the food was as advertised. Starting with the ambiance, everything is dumpling themed! It's really cool and unique to this place. My party ordered the dumpling sampler, which is one of each flavor dumpling that this establishment offers. The general consensus was that the yellow dumpling was the favorite, with the black dumpling being the least favorite due to its overpowering truffle taste. The rice was okay, and the stir fried noodles had a great "stir fry" taste. Upon walking in, you can observe the chefs making the dumplings from scratch!! So cool! Would recommend. read more

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This is a good spot if you're looking for a quick lunch or dinner to get traditional Chinese cuisine - but it is less home authentic and more of a chain. The servers were very friendly and welcoming. The food itself was okay. The best items were the salt and pepper popcorn chicken and shrimp fried rice. The only to service downside was that once the server places a food item in the kitchen starts cooking it and you cannot space out items. Over all a great spot for family and kids. read more

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The food was amazingly fresh and delicious! We ordered a bunch of different dumplings and dishes to share. Our server I feel was new so not too familiar with certain dishes but provided good service. The ambiance was refreshing open and airy with a modern feel. Started our experience with scallion pancakes, Light crispy and amazing, a must. Then an assortment of soup dumplings delicious. The Steamed buns chicken and mushrooms were a little dry but delicious when added soy sauce. Bbq pork buns delicious! Last but not least stirred fry shrimp. Can't wait to go back to try other options! read more

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Just bad. Food comes out way too fast to be fresh. Pork buns tasted like the frozen microwave version. Dumplings not good either. Poor quality food. read more

Place is nice clean, i have no complain with server but not satisfy with the food. The meat that they use is not a good quality of meat. All the the meat has a lot of chewy part. From beef brisket, pork soup dumpling, salty chicken popcorn which is i dont understand why they serve dark meat instead of white meat. Its a good experience but im not gonna go back here. read more

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The Ugly Dumpling is a trendy, fun spot specializing in dumplings. The menu is largely dedicated to different types of dumplings but there are other dishes too. The menu is simple and keeps to the basic Shanghainese inspired dishes. The food actually tastes authentic to me but perhaps because the menu items are limited to ones that appeal to non-Asians, it may not appear as authentic. We ordered the pork soup dumplings, pan fried dumplings, scallion pancakes, beef noodle soup, shredded beef with shishito peppers and jasmine tea. The pork soup dumplings are very good. There's a good amount of soup and they come piping hot. The pan fried dumplings were so-so. It's not as crispy on the bottom as I like and the meat is drier than most other places. The scallion pancakes are good. The dipping sauce is not what I expected though. It's oyster sauce based which I would definitely not pair with the dumplings or scallion pancake. I used their vinegar on the table instead. The beef with shishito peppers is something new that I haven't seen before. The flavors are good and the pepper gives it good heat. The beef noodle soup had some of the most tender beef I've tried! The soup is lacking flavor but the beef makes up for it. The jasmine tea costs extra but it's very fragrant! Service was good and food came out really fast. With the trendy music and decor, I can see this place targeting Rutgers students. I'd love to see more menu items in the future! read more

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Bad food worse owners. Terrible environment, slow service, and they got my order wrong after waiting nearly an hour. Don't eat here.

This restaurant has a beautiful interior, and the staff are also helpful. You need to try the Kurobota Mala XLB. It has a unique taste for soup dumplings, The flavor of the Mala is not too strong, so you can still enjoy the flavor. Lastly, it is easy to find a parking spot here if you want to stop by. read more

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So.... A+ for atmosphere- A for the Honey Garlic Wings, B+ for the fried rice and a solid Meh for soup dumplings. Chinese food was really good but a lower rating because they call themselves a dumpling house. Otherwise it's well worth the trip and I'd come back for sure to do an update! read more

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I ordered take out from ugly dumpling and enjoyed the food. Hot n sour. 5/5. One of the best hot n sour soups I've had. It was rich in flavor and plenty of ingredients. Orange chicken. 4.5/5 it was very good. Flavorful and I enjoyed the taste. I liked the fact that it wasn't too saucy. Beef n shishito peppers. 5/5. The best item. Beef was Tasty n flavorful. Served with a cup of rice. Diced beef noodle. 3.5/5 I was expecting this to be the best item. But there was some after taste to the soup, which I didn't enjoy. The place was very spacious from inside and there was plenty of seating. My food was ready in timely manner and service was quick. read more

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The variety of food offered here is great but the prices are on the higher side. The portions are pretty good though. Got the scallion pancakes which were very greasy but good, the pork fried rice which was delicious. It was lacking a little bit of flavor though. I wish they had more options for dessert maybe like chocolate dumplings which a lot of other dumpling restaurants have. The wonton soup was very good. The service was also good. I would go here again. read more

I said I would return to give this place another try and I did. The ugly dumplings have a lot of soup now. We had the Szechuan Pork XLB and it was plump and juicy. I also highly recommend the following dishes: - Chicken Fried Rice (as good as DTF) - Spinach with Garlic (very fresh) - Noodles with Shredded Beef & Shishito Peppers (so good) I really like the configuration of the entire place now, it is aesthetically pleasing and less sparse. Service remains stellar with a friendly attentive staff. I look forward to returning to try their other dishes and dumplings. read more

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Initially was so excited when I heard a soup dumpling spot was opening up a while ago but ultimately left disappointed. Inside, the atmosphere was chic and inviting, and the waiters were helpful with recommending what to order. Of course, we had to try the soup dumplings and got the Ugly Dumpling Signature XLB (one of each flavor). Overall, the dumplings were small, only 5 for $11 with barely any soup. The XLB skin was also quite thick. Wasn't too happy with what was ordered, so didn't get to try anything else. If you're looking for good soup dumplings would recommend Wu's Shanghai in Jersey or go to NanXiang Xiao Long (any location) which is what I think it's trying to model itself after. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

Slow service even there is no customer lines up to come in. I even had to ask the person at the front (not my server) to get my check. I ordered shrimp stir fried noodle was it was not as good as the menu photo (lower right corner on the photo) implied. Basically, it felt like they cooked the noodle and then threw in all the ingredient after the shrimps were stir fried. Lots of soy sauce was added, which should not be in stir fried noodle. read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Shrimp Stir-fried Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey

I've been on a dumpling kick lately so I was happy to find this place. Our wait was 25 mins which was fine because we went to walk around the TJMaxx in that same plaza while we waited. They text you when your table is ready. It's a pretty big space. The music was nice and not too loud. It really is a place where you can take someone and ensure that they are going to get something they like. I was surprised at how affordable each dish was which allowed us (2 people) to try a lot of them. The waiter was nice although I will say it would have been nice to have him check in a little more frequently but otherwise it was fine. The food came rather quickly and was clearly just made. Everything was delicious. We had the ribs, green beans, soup dumplings, spicy wontons and chicken fried rice. Everything was very good. read more

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If you're looking for a fun night out with good food and something a little different than your typical restaurant, Ugly Dumpling is the place! Ugly Dumpling is a large, well lit big restaurant, right on Route 1 in Edison with lots of food choices for everyone, including delicious non- alcoholic drinks! We came in a Saturday night and had to wait a few minutes for a table. They take your mobile number and text you when your table is ready. Our server was Jun and he was super helpful and attentive. Now let's get into the food... the reason we are all here ! So we came for the ugly dumplings but learned this menu is quite diverse. First of all, when you check in with Yelp, there currently is a free Scallion Pancake appetizer, so thank you Yelp! It was very good, crispy and very tasty with the dipping sauce. We also ordered the Soy Garlic wings. They were small and very crispy and delish! We also ordered the Steamed Chicken and Mushroom buns. I have to say that they were the only items that were just OK. They looked and presented much better than they tasted. OK... we cannot forget ... the drinks. They really surprised me.. they're amazing ! I had the Black Iced Tea flavored with Lychee and with cold foam. OMG it is epic!! Don't miss the drinks and flavor it with your choice of fruity goodness. Don't miss the iced tea! It was so good. We also ordered the Shrimp Stir Fried Noodles. They were OK, the shrimps were small and most likely frozen, I'd probably skip that dish next time and try something else. Now... the Soup Dumplings, or Xiao Long Bao! They were excellent. There's even an area in the middle of the restaurant you can watch people making them, kinda cool. The restaurant is huge with lots of seating and a pretty fierce take out business as well. You can go in and order to go right from a touch pad, or you can do it online. My husband ordered the Ugly Dumpling Signature dish that has one of every flavor/color and he really enjoyed them. He liked the Black one with the Truffle the best. I ordered the chicken because I don't eat pork or red meat. The chicken was very good, pink color dumpling. Could have used just a little more soup in the soup dumplings! There are so many dishes to try. Jun kept the food moving and the service was fast. We had a nice booth in the back by the bar that was very private and quiet. We both really enjoyed our first time at Ugly Dumpling and we will definitely be back! It was a really great first experience. It's not a Michelin star restaurant, so don't come in here expecting the best food on the planet. It's a fun dining experience in a new, hip setting with a cool vibe. read more

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They have taken the DTF concept and really ran with it. Great branding, and a nice straight forward menu. I love that I can get a sample tray to try the different XLB, or just order my favorite type. After tasting a few, I am a big fan of the spicy Sichuan. I would love to go back and try more items on the menu to get a better feel of the additional offerings. read more

Ugly Dumpling stands tall as a sentinel tower along the Great Wall of China on Route 1, Edison, NJ. Walking in it is easy to see the modern Asian design and decor. High ceilings, large windows, bamboo arches and oversized steamer covers suspended above shading customers from the bright LEDs. I was about the Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings), and also ordered Vegetable Soy Noodles to taste a broader sampling from their kitchen. Earlier in the week I attending a Yelp Elite Event at Nan Xiang Soup Dumpling Restaurant in King of Prussia, PA, and looked forward to the chance to compare this Shanghai delicacy. First, the noodle dish was very good, but only offered spinach, onion and celery (?), and needed four spoonfuls of table chili sauce to jazz up the flavor. Once doctored, I was quite happy with it. Second, the six XLB were smallish compared to Nan Xiang, but the broth within was steaming hot and tasty. It was interesting that the menu provided instructions on how to prepare each pod for delicious consumption. I do it a little differently - biting off the topknot to open the doughy bag, drop in a few strands of ginger, pour in enough vinegar to balance out the broth, perform mouth to mouth lips to lips, suck out the scalding soup/ginger/vinegar mix before swallowing the remaining dumpling whole. Gulp! Very nice. Yet, three of the XLB were stuck to the steamer paper, so despite my attempt to lift them carefully, they tore and spilled their contents into the steamer and the table beneath. Frustratingly disappointing. On the other hand, the Nan Xiangs were larger, thinner, more elastic and didn't tear. Taste was very similar, but clearly XN had the better quality product and were more fun to eat. I suspect UD has scouted NX in Flushing and is aware of the differences. It just needs to impress upon the kitchen the importance of more attention to detail. If they did they wouldn't call this house , "Ugly," any more. 3.5 STARS read more

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Finally decided to have dinner here and boy did we enjoy every bit of it. The Soup Dumplings were delicious and my favorite were the pork, pork w/shrimp n spinach and the chicken dumplings. The Soy Garlic wings omg tasty and crispy. The fried rice dishes were both good and we ordered a side of the soy garlic sauce to drizzle on it which took it to the next level. The service was great and the food came out quick but everything was absolutely fresh. The restaurant itself was open, clean and inviting. I loved the way they had the bamboo steamers hanging from the ceiling. I will be revisiting very soon!!! read more

Tough competition in the soup bun world here in edison. Solid Soup buns, but unfortunately there are so many other great mom and pop shops in a mile radius. read more

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Service was great. We got the fried pork buns too, which was the best thing we ordered (ended up ordering a second one)! The string beans with garlic were very flavorful and still crunchy. The pork soup dumplings were flavorful and a cool experience to eat for the first time. The noodles with diced beef were our least favorite item. They lacked in flavor and spice despite the pepper that was described on the menu. Also nice ambiance and music was fun! Overall would recommend and would come back! read more

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Very spacious restaurant with plenty of seating. A lot of people compare the menu to Din Tai Fung and I can definitely see the similarities. I thought that a couple of the menu items were lacking flavor but overall had a good experience here. The soy garlic wings were great! read more

Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ - Chinese Near Me - Edison, New Jersey