On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Tue-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Loading...
after eating here for a quite long time, i decided to give this place a five star. why? because it literally deserves it.
you literally can't get enough of this even though you come here everyday. almost all of the food tastes good. there is nothing in this restaurant that tastes bad (above average is probably the untastiest food in here)
today, i discovered another great tasting menu, the scallion beef.
yes it might sound so simple and ordinary, but they didnt make it ordinary. don't believe me? try it yourself.
tell the waiter to give you just half of the rice and put the beef on the top of the rice so every single drip of oil that came from the wok won't be wasted. and i shit you not, YOU WILL LIKE IT.
what's funny about this restaurant is that there are only 2 old ladies who work here, one is nice and the other is sorta rude. but weirdly enough, being a chinese born indonesian, looking at the rude old lady really makes me miss my great great grandma that came fresh off the board from china mainland. i'm not joking
only 2 considerations that i have with this restaurant, it's quite pricey compared to the size, and the xiao long bao's quality is inconsistent. out of 10 xiao long bao that arrived, probably 3-4 of them doesn't has the liquid inside anymore.
oh well, nothing's perfect anyway.
but so far, this is probably the most delicious home made chinese restaurant in san diego
Being an Indonesian born Chinese, dumpling plays a big role in my cuisine life. It's the healthiest… Read more »
How can you miss Dumpling Inn? Its hard not to notice the line of pushy patrons snaking around the shopping center, with their stomachs growling and their eyes wide opened with hunger, while visions of steaming xiao long baos dances in their heads.
I've been here six times in the last 12 days, and quiet frankly, I-can't-get-enough! During my many returns, I've brought along my best food buddies to help critique this place and we've all agreed, as far as good Chinese food goes in SD, this is the best.
If this is your first visit to Dumpling Inn, I strongly suggest trying the xiao long bao (wonton soup in reverse). Personally, I can't get enough of their xiao long bao, crammed with juicy, succulent, mouth-salivating pork and plenty of delicious broth. Their other offerings, such as the spicy honey shrimp, beef noodles, and kung pao sea bass is an absolute must try also. But the star of the menu, hands down, is the xiao long bao!
Nibble, slurp, and chomp. Various schools of thought on xiao long bao eating exist. I used to be a side nipper, but the other day as I was showing Isi and Clarice (dumpling virgins) the how-to, I resorted to being a top biter, to give them a better look at the delicious innards.
Warning: Consider this a simple FYI, but one golden rule abides: Be careful when you bite into a xiao long bao--they are really hot and will permanently scald the roof of your mouth. Eating one whole after biting through the wrapper is not recommended for soup xiao long bao virgins. Consider yourself warned.
In conclusion this is what I've discovered after dinning here:
Dumpling Inn, one of the few oriental places in sunny San Diego that thankfully doesn't taste like mexican food: 4.0 stars
Xiao long baos that tastes like a party in your mouth and everyone is invited: 4.0 stars
Service is typical of a Chinese restaurant: 3.0 stars
Shanghai cuisine that is so good that if Mother Theresa were to eat here she'd say "Effn good sh*t" : Priceless
I've been here about 4 times now. It's one of those Asian restaurants you expect to like b/c 1) you, yourself are Asian; 2) yelpers rave about this place; 3) there's always a line out the door; and 4) who the heck doesn't like Dumplings?
But sadly, it just doesn't hit the spot. I've tried all their dumplings but for me, nothing has stood out. I think the same quality of dumplings can be found at Jasmine or Emerald (on a good dim sum day when things are made fresh).
Last night took a friend there for a late night dinner. It was about 715p or so and I called beforehand to make sure they were still open. They close at 830p on Sun I believe. It was about a 18 min wait to get a table (thankfully it was a table for 2 and we didn't have to share a 'lazy susan' big-a** table w/ strangers like I've had to do before).
We ordered:
- pork pan fried dumplings: the skin is nice and thick, and it's pan fried really nicely. But I personally don't like the skin this thick. And the pork filling was just average
- 3 item special spicy noodle soup (or something like that): it had squid, chicken, shrimp and veggies. My friend thought this was the best dish of the night and thought it was crazy spicy. I've had this dish before but i thought the broth tasted bland
- garlic shrimp: This is what my friend ordered. The shrimp was nice and big but it was covered in this really thick egg type batter. It tasted like an egg omelette actually when you bit into it. The bok choy that came served underneath it was really fantastic thou.
The bill was about $37 after tax and tip (and a soda and 2 teas).
Service was great. Really quick to order and to bring out food. Water was refilled when asked and not asked. So I don't have any complaints there.
I don't think I'd come back here specifically for any one dish. And I've tried quite a bit of stuff. I think it's worth another shot to try a new dish. Maybe the seabass is worth a try.
And careful w/ the parking - alot of the parking spaces are designated for other tenants and rumor has it that they DO tow!
RUBBISH!!!
after sitting down, the menus and chopsticks were thrown at us by this rude server. Yes she threw them in front of us, I wanted to get up and leave but my gf reminded me that the yelpers rated this place very highly. Well she was wrong. The dumplings are average at best, I'm pretty sure I can make better with given recipe.
2 guys came in, and the server asked one family to share the table with them since there were a lot more people on the waiting list. Not a good sign.
When our orders came, there was an old "Caucasian" lady walked in and waited for her to go order. She just sat down at our table without asking us. My eyes were about to pop out of their sockets at this point but the foods were already out, so what the hell.
Our table was facing the mirrors and my gf pointed out that the old lady stole some ceramic spoons and what not when the servers weren't looking and slipped them in her bag.
Just a little story from a terrible experience. I don't think I've ever given 1 star but this place is a joke. How the hell does it attract that many people?
the best dumpling in town!
I love their beef curry dumpling. that's what I'll order all the time. the xia long bao, of course, is the best around San Diego. I also tried their kung pao sea bass. The food was delicious. The restaurant is a bit small but I never need to wait in line since I always go there around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Good deal & good food! go get your dumplings now!
Dumplings, xiao long bao, and beef stew noodles!
I love the dumplings here. You get 10 dumplings for about $7.00. You can choose from pork and chive (my favorite), to fish and chive to regular pork. They boil them to perfection and never overcooked.
The potstickers are crispy on the bottom and soft on the top. They don't overfry them or use too much oil.
The beef stew with noodles. YUM! This really taste like how my mommy makes it. The beef is so tender a lady without teeth could chew it. The broth is delicious. It has a good pungent smell to it. I think they used Star of Anise.
It's a small restaurant so be prepared to wait sometimes about 30 minutes. I would give it 5 stars..but there is no coupon to this place hahaha.
This is pretty much as good as it gets for Chinese food in San Diego. The potstickers are as best as I can remember for any place that had "dumpling" in its name. A lot of the dishes you order range from average to decent, but really when you come here, you have to order potstickers. I tried the Szechuan beef, which was a little too sweet, but was okay with rice. The pork and bean curd was better, and complemented rice very well also. They do charge for rice by the bowl, I think it's a little over a dollar per bowl.
And as for the other stuff, the service is kinda rough, the place is very small, and the parking lot is nothing short of awful if you come around lunch or dinnertime, but I'm willing to sacrifice those things to come to Dumpling Inn as there aren't very many decent Chinese places in SD.
Steamed pork buns. Yum.
The Orange Chicken is good too, not like other Chinese chain places that we know of. The sauce isn't heavy and the chicken isn't thickly breaded, just perfect.
Great dumplings & beef noodle soup!
It is one of the places in San Diego that serve authentic Taiwanese food.
I would give a 5-star review if the dumplings were a little bit cheaper. The service was okay, but it could be better.
Overall a good restaurant!
Pretty much my favorite Chinese food restaurant in San Diego. Granted, I haven't been to many.. most are Americanized anyway.. but Dumpling Inn really is the best. I love coming here and I would probably come here once a week if I was guaranteed no wait and if I had the money :)
I've been here a few times and every time has been a good visit. Like everyone says, the xiao long bao is the best. My boyfriend couldn't get enough of them.. I kindly let him have 7 of them while I ate 3 lol. We ordered the beef shank (?) noodle soup, xiao long bao, sea bass with black bean sauce, and baby bok choy. What? I was hungry.. don't judge me. Everything came out at separate times but I didn't mind. I loved all the dishes! I'm drooling now just thinking about them..
Yes the service leaves a little something to be desired. They're not rude but they're not giving out free back massages. That's ok though.. I expected it.. Chinese people can be pushy and blunt, deal with it. If you're in the mood for good Chinese food that's not some kind of americanized chain, go to Dumpling Inn!! If there's a wait, suck it up.. it's worth it!! (or order to-go)
I was just here last week, when the weather in SD was starting to get super cold. It's a small place, so we had to wait to get a table. When we stepped in, the place was nice & warm. It felt like winter already haha
There was a good selection of food & everything that was brought to other ppl's tables all looked so good. Tables next to us were recommending almost everything on the menu. My 2 friends and I ordered the soup dumplings or xiao long bao, honey glazed shrimp, & beef w scallions. All 3 dishes were sooo good! I haven't eaten good Chinese food like that in such a long time. Trust me on this. The dumplings were soupy on the inside and hot. The shrimp reminded me of walnut shrimp that they normally serve at other Chinese restaurants, except this one was one of the best ones i've ever had. The beef & scallions were really good too! We were all really happy with our meal. :)
Our meal came out to 33 dollars for 3 ppl. It was worth every penny!
After almost 300 reviews, I doubt I can tell you anything that you haven't already heard. Just remember that you absolutely must order the xiao long bao and the pork and chive dumplings. Mix some soy sauce and sesame oil together on your plate and dip those babies! And while this place is famous for its dumplings, don't you dare forget about their amazing noodle dishes.
Authentic Northern Chinese cuisine.
All of dumplings are home-made and delicious.
My personal favorite is the Xia Long Poa which are "mini steamed pork buns."
Usually, I like to eat them with a mixture of vinegar, sesame seed oil and chili paste.
Caution, there are extremely hot when they bring them to you.
Beware, it takes twenty minutes for the cooks to prepare them.
The rest of food is pretty standard.
Notables:
Black Pepper Steak
Chicken Chow Mein
Cashew Chicken
This is place is a cozy hole in the wall type of place owned and operated by actual Chinese people, which means the service is not like at the Ritz Carlton. They take a while to get request and you might need to ask twice and that's how it is.
Despite the service, the food is amazing.
It is definitely a bi-weekly place to eat.
Dumpling Inn serves authentic Chinese meals and excellent dumplings & xiao long bao, but it is just a pity that their service is so hasty (equally authentic - I rarely got great service eating at hole-in-the-wall eateries in Asia). From the previous visits there, I have enjoyed their xiao long bao (super juicy & super hot!), pork & chive dumplings (better than Ling Lings), deep fried beef curry dumplings (so-so but tasty), and jelly fish (tastes almost as good as my mom's cooking).
If you plan on going, please plan ahead and go there early. Customers will line up just to eat there especially around dinner time. Parking is ample if you go around 5pm but it can fill up quickly. Minimum amount for card is $10. Expect to come out with your stomachs filled but don't expect 5-star service--the waitresses are impatient.
ok, so this is the 2nd time i've been here. my first experience was not a good one. i ordered the xiao long bao, stuck one of them suckers in my mouth, and wondered wth everyone was raving about. when i told my roommates that i no longer trusted their taste, they told me i had eaten it all wrong -- there's a technique, yes, a certain way to do it.
came here a 2nd time with my roommates, i told them, "make me a believer!" between 4 small girls, we ordered 3 orders of xiao long bao ($6.95 for 10), and an order of honey glazed shrimp ($12.95). the shrimp came out first, and it was REALLY TASTY. plump, juicy, slightly crispy, sweet, but not overly sweet shrimp, complimented by a bit of broccoli and a bed of cabbage.
while waiting for the xiao long bao, my roommates instructed me to make a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili (optional) in my bowl. then the dumplings came out. here's how you do it:
1) carefully pick up a dumpling and put it on your soup spoon (you have to ask for them), being sure not to poke/squish the dumpling.
2) take a small bite into the dumpling and slurp out all the soup. SO GOOD!!!! sometimes you come across some dumplings with no soup because they've been popped or something..that sucks :(
3) dip your dumpling in your soy sauce/vinegar/chili mixture, and eat!
they successfully made me a believer. the service was decent, the lady was nice and prompt bringing out things we requested. some warm, soup-y, xiao long bao sounds good right about now.....
Wow! Color me impressed.
Xiao Long Bao! It's amazing. Best ones I've had outside of Taiwan. You can always tell when you bite in and some delicious soup comes pouring out. The wait can be kinda long since the store is so small. You might have an easier time with a larger party. They have a couple of large tables and the rest are for 2-4 people. The restroom is located in the kitchen (really wierd). The dumplings and pot stickers are pretty good. We also got the shrimp in lobster sauce. I was expecting something else but this was very flavorful and delicious. I wish there was a place like this in the bay area.
If you only order one thing here though, make sure to get the xiao long bao!
Yes, there is finally a great dumpling restaurant in town. We have searched for months for the perfect dumplings and our mission has been completed.
We always order the xiao long bao, their special - honey glazed shrimp, and their beef noodle soup! Beef noodle soup is very spicy! It is a tiny restaurant so either come early or don't come when hungry because by the time you sit down, you will be starving!
Parking lot is very easy to find unless you go on a Saturday!
Kung Pao Bomb!
Finally! Some Chinese food worth eating!
No beer gets this place 4 stars... the staff is unfriendly and impatient, but order the Kung Pao Seabass or Seafood and try a few others to share! Don't forget to eat the dumplings.... some of the best i've ever had!
I will be back to this hidden little strip mall gem!
Better than most of the garbage that passes for Chinese food around here, but doesn't deserve all the praise I hear about it.
There will most likely be a wait for a table.
XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO, XIAO LONG BAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It'll be awhile before I eat another dumpling as I gorged myself sick last night. I jealously watched the table across as they brought in & popped open a 12-pack of Kirin's from the Korean market next door. Mostly because it is nearly impossible to get a beverage of any kind (after your tea is gone).
Don't bother asking the angry lady with the short hair for anything, she will stab your ass with a chopstick!!
The prettier the Chinese restaurant, the uglier the food. The little place is on the opposite end of the food spectrum from PF Chang's. The outside is old and the strip mall has a deserted feel to it. The inside is cramped and full of all sorts of people.
But the Xiao Long Bao makes it all worth it. First impressions and decorating are never relevant when dealing with chinese food!
The service was really awesome and on par with the food. The hubby and I also shared a gigantic bowl of the hot n sour soup and an order of the fish n chive dumplings. Yumm
Did I mention the bill for two people eating dinner came to $23? Not too shabby.
Dumpling Inn serves up some seriously delicious food. It's a great place to come in for a majorly satisfying yet not budget breaking lunch or dinner. I typically come in for lunch as this place serves up some decent lunch specials.
My favorite dishes involve the sea bass -- the kung pao sea bass or the sea bass with black bean sauce. Either way the sea bass is cooked nice and tender, and breaks off into soft morsels in your mouth. Plus, it's not super heavy so you leave satisfied without being unpleasantly stuffed. Also quite good are the shredded pork with plum sauce, and the kung pao chicken.
The dumplings here are pretty good, but my favorite side dish (and sometimes main dish) is the steamed pork buns. Sometimes it's hit or miss on whether they are excellent or just pretty good, but I'm usually quite satisfied.
The place is relatively small and there can be a wait during peak lunch and dinner hour, but those are the breaks for this gem. Service isn't spectacular, but it does the trick -- you order and pay.
We came with some friends last week.
Everyone else ate until they burst. We only had dumplings and potstickers.
I don't like steamed food (other than steamed veggies), so I was probably the wrong person to bring along.
3 stars because everyone loved it.
Awesome soup dumplings, awesome three ingredient soup, awesome black bean sea bass and honey shrimp. You have to wait forever to get a table, but its always worth it. And the waitresses can be cranky, but if you're nice they'll be really nice to you.
First off, the place is tiny, don't go right at peak hours and expect to get fed, your non-planning ass will have to wait in line.
The food is very good - I am especially fond of the lamb and scallions, which was an absolute treat. The 3 ingredient pan-fried noodles were also excellent, although the squid was rubbery and nearly inedible - the rest of the ingredients more than made up for it.
Service is, as many reviewers have noted, rather brusque - but very efficient.
I think I've been going to Dumpling Inn for about 8-9 years. Have they really been open that long? The service is fast and like most good Chinese restaurants, a bit curt. If you're looking for bad Chinese food with a smile, go to Panda Express instead. Parking is usually hard to find, so I often park on one of the side streets off Convoy and walk to the place.
Favorite dishes are the pot stickers, steamed pork dumplings, and the pork with dry bean curd. The garlic baked sea bass is also very good. I can't remember what they're called, but they also have a noodle dish that I get with shrimp - ask for the homemade wide noodles (delicious and somewhat unique). The only dish I don't like here are the soups, too bland for my tastes.
The dumplings here are good enough to tide me over until I'm able to get up to LA for Din Tai Fung (which is in a completely different league).
My only complaint is that the place closes too early.
After 4 weeks in China, I spent weeks roaming the streets of San Diego trying to find a dumpling, a noodle - even a speck of hot chili paste - that came close to the culinary magic I had there. Just when I had given up hope, I got found Dumpling Inn.
How do you spell happy? X I A O L O N G B A O. Xiao Long Bao are dumplings with this ingenious mixture inside that liquifies as you steam the buns, giving you chinese buns filled with soupy goodness. Seriously universe, whoever invented this should be patron saint of yummy.
Dumpling Inn is quintessential definition of whole in the wall. It's nestled in a strip mall and has probably a grand total of 4 tables. But I say eat with strangers, they probably ordered something tasty and maybe you can steal it. The Pan Fried Noodles are particularly good, as is the Spicy Niu Rou Mien soup. Closest place to Chinese you can get in America's Finest, so eat em up yum.
Based solely on the fact that good xiao long bao is hard to get in the US, I'm going to give Dumpling Inn 4 stars.
A friend and I were meeting in Clairemont Mesa and had no idea where to eat. My boyfriend helped yelp something and Dumpling Inn came up, so we figured we'd give it a try.
Chomp:
- Steamed Pork Buns/Xiao Long Bao 10pc. ($6.95)
- Pork Potstickers/Xian Rou Guo Tie 8pc. ($6.95)
- Pork with Bean Curd/Xiang Gan Rou Si ($9.95 Dinner)
We had to get an order of the Xiao Long Bao because most the reviews had nothing but good things to say about it. I must say, they were pretty tasty. There were juicy and fresh. The skin was just the right thickness and the meat was seasoned well. The potstickers were also great. The skin was the perfect crispness. The pork with bean curd was pretty good too. A little oily, but still pretty good. The pork was really tender and it wasn't too salty.
Service wasn't bad. Food came quick. Overall, pretty tasty.
given that most chinese places are super rude, let's just say that i love this place! its definitely going on one of my top faves...
total hole in the wall, but total comfort food.
it's called DUMPLING INN so i felt that their speciality were dumplings, and i must say the other entrees were fairly delish as well.
why go to panda express when you have dumpling inn? seriously. no pun intended.
wow, where do i begin? every single time i come here (yes, ive been here almost over 5x) there has been a long wait, approx 20mins max, but the food has been consistent each time.
kungpao chicken seems so ordinary, but it was quite an experience. their honey glazed shrimp. their chow mein (the whole works), the xiao long bao (man, i love when those mini suckers pop in your mouth and that watery sensation not only steams up your whole brain, but the experience!)
i love this place, had the owners been nicer.
i swear, the owners are SO rude! was it because we were asian that she had the "right" to put the bucket of dirty old dishes and set up tea cups and plates on OUR table. had my friend not said something and/or give her the nastay stink eye, she would probably have done it til the sun set.
The food here is great if you're a meat lover, especially pork. I prefer vegetarian meals as much as possible and I must say this restaurant is not for vegetarians. The service is very harsh. They could make a heck of a lot more money if they served guests quickly and turned the tables over. I prefer Jasmine for their dim sum on Sunday afternoons.
Not very memorable, but I'd be willing to give it another go.
So I go here with my coworkers. We read the reviews and all of us were looking forward to it. We park in the parking lot in a plaza that looks very very... very run down. We find a parking no problem though. We walk up to the line outside thinking, alright this is a good sign. Someone tells us we have to write our name on this little pad hanging on the wall right by the door on the inside of the restaurant. If they didn't tell us, who knows how long we would have had to wait.
So they finally call us to go in after about 10 minutes. Not too bad of a wait I guess for some food that is supposed to be amazing. They are nice enough. Not mean but not going out of their way to be really polite.
I sit down already knowing what I will order. Xiao long bao and pot stickers. I figure I can't go wrong with what they are known for. So I order, my coworkers order what they want, and we wait.
So the pot stickers come first rather quickly. Problem was we didn't even get our drinks yet. All we wanted was water. Anyway, we ask for the waters again and I dig into the pot stickers. The outside is a nice golden brown more crispy than soft texture. They look quite picture perfect if not a little bit smaller than I would have hoped for. The problem really lies in the overall flavor. Like I said, texture is great, but there is nothing but a muted meat flavor and a slight saltiness. With the sauce, it is even more salty with an added tinge of vinegar. This is unfortunate. The best flavor comes the oil that gave the outside its crispiness. I am let down, disappointed, and now worried. Please let the xiao long bao blow my tongue away.
So the xiao long bao and my coworker's food comes. Still no water. We ask again and finally get it. Thanks God. I am cautiously excited. I take a dumpling and put the whole thing in my mouth. I bite down. *Sigh* the same muted slightly salty flavor. It tastes more like steam than anything else. The problem with these dumplings is that they don't even have the texture of a pot sticker to save it from a total waste of space. I am 100% serious about this too. I do not see how people are raving over the flavor of the juice that lives inside these dumplings. It doesn't taste like anything at all. Just slight salt. Am I missing something? Were these made wrong? I don't think so.
Dumpling Inn has a problem. The meat of their dumplings are beings heated up way too much. The flavor is being steamed away. It is quite a sight. I have no doubt that it could be excellent. It doesn't seem like too hard of a task. Perhaps the chef was having an off day. Perhaps my palette demands more than others. Perhaps it just isn't that good.
While I did not enjoy my meal, I will say that it was edible and not offensive. Even though it took too long to get our drinks, the service was not as rude as everyone had warned against. My coworkers did not like their food either. Both of them commented that their food was too sweet. Kung Pow Chicken and something else. Who knows.
All I know is that I will not be back. Not good enough!
this place is just really great. it's kind of sad though that this is only one of a handful of restaurants that are this good in san diego. we need more places like dumpling inn.
i love the little pork dumplings. their noodle soups are also good. i especially like that the various broths are always tasty.
go here and eat!
There are over 200 reviews for this place, so I will get down to some of less notable mentions about this place.
The owners speak both Cantonese and Mandarin. So does the cook in the back. I always get worried when the waitress is speaking Spanish to the guys in the kitchen.
The food is very authentic, just like you would get in Shanghai, Taipei, or Hong Kong--except without the chicken cages in the back alley. But even in the most crowded cities in the world, they have always offered more space than dining here.
The place is extremely small which means they are packing people closer together on smaller tables. That means no "ala carte" dining which is the premise for Chinese meals. It is easy to review your neighbors' meals as you are practically bumping elbows. In short, do not dine here if you are claustrophobic.
I would recommend the entree's with a colleague, no more than three plus yourself. More than two people means an insanely long wait however. And there are always people waiting outside peaking at you while you eat, reminding you to HURRY YOUR ASS UP. That could make a first time diner very self conscious.
Parking is also very limited. This place is also not bike friendly (parking on sidewalk)--atleast I wouldn't dare park my Ninja there. Ok, so this place is a pain! But what decent Chinese food place in San Diego isn't full? It's just like Emerald or 99.
The pricing is very reasonable. But the taste is what makes you forget about the struggles for parking and the close quarters.
I went here for the second time and was pumped. The Kung Pao chicken was not good. Not good at all. I was soo disappointed.
The Steamed Small Pork Buns (Xia Long Pao ... but I think it's supposed to be spelled Bao?) were still tasty, though.
This was the best Chinese food I've had in a very long time!!
I was on a high for an hour after…
Read more »
You'd never know this place was amazing if someone didn't tell you. It's in the corner of a little strip mall, but they've got some of the best word of mouth in San Diego for a reason. The food is stellar. There's always a waiting line because the venue is small but it's worth exercising your patience for. The portions are hefty and there's an authentic, home-cooked feel to everything that makes it to the table. Hint: Try the sea bass with black bean sauce. It's black out good.
The place is literally a hole in the wall.
There are probably no more than eight tables in the entire restaurant but they make up for it with lightning fast service, getting people in and out as soon as possible to get the next customers seated. They're super efficient. My friend and I came here and they were going to close in about fifteen minutes - but there was still a crowd waiting outside, so what the waitress did was give us all menus and took all of our orders while we waited so when we were seated, we waited no more than five minutes for our food to come out piping hot.
I have to warn my fellow Yelper's - the food here is HOT - and I mean temperature hot, like the kind of hot that will wage a ruthless genocide against all your taste buds. SO BE CAREFUL! Food is best when you can taste it and taste buds take three weeks to grow back - PATIENCE IS KEY, my young grasshoppers.
I learned this the hard way. I was super hungry and so was my friend so when the first dumplings came out, we dug right in and lost all our taste buds in one bite.
We were able to try:
1. Fried Curry Dumping - This reminded me more of the stuff you'd find accompanying take-out Thai food... it's forgettable. Some dumplings were harder than others, and by hard, I mean a break your teeth kind of hard. The filling had neither a distinct curry or beef flavor.. it just tasted like fried salt. Definitely not a favorite.
2. Pork and Chives Dumpling - The dumpling was really thick... and the middle wasn't very juicy. I thought the pastry overpowered the filling because there was so much of it.
3. Xiao Long Bao (Pork Buns) - This was my favorite of the three dishes I got to try. It was extremely juicy - but very hot! The trick is to gently maneuver these suckers into your mouth without puncturing the pouch which contains the succulent juice. So what you do is you place the dumpling next to your mouth and suck on it like you're giving someone a hickey and a mouthful of wonderful juice will come rushing into your mouth. It's much more rewarding than a hickey - plus the leftover dumpling is pretty good. It's not as thick as the pork and chives dumpling so you can actually taste the filling, which isn't bad. I have to say, the best part of this dish was the juice.
For $20, my friend and I got around 30 dumplings. Not bad - the service was super speedy, only downside is it's crowded and some dishes are pretty meh.
Love Dumpling Inn! I have been a fan ever since I moved to San Diego. But the restaurant is small and always busy so I prefer taking out. Also, menu is limited so sometimes I go to China Max to get different Chinese food.
Juicy dumpling (xiao long bao?) is a must try and just about every dish I tried was good and fresh. Just to name a few: pan fried noodle, beef with scallion, dried tofu with pork, fish fillet thing... yum!
I've gotten takeout three times and eaten in three times here as well. My last visit here was a couple of days ago for a family dinner. As usual, everything was good. The standbys are Salt and Pepper Fish, Cashew Chicken, Beef with Scallions, Orange Chicken, crispy noodles and pork pot stickers. Another favorite is the string bread. During the latest visit, I tried their chive dumplings and I'm a fan of these now too. I haven't been disappointed with anything from Dumpling Inn yet.
We went back again after our yearly trip to the SDCC, this time on a Thursday night. Parking lot was pretty empty, so I'm like hop out to see if they're open. And yep, they were open. "hurry hurry and geta parking space so we can get a seat". Lucky for us, it wasn't that crowded and we got a seat right away. We ordered the same, crispy combo noodles, deluxe noodle soup, and xiao lung bao. Still so delicious. My daughter ate like she never ate before! You know it's good, if my daughter will eat it. We definitely will visit again , but will try to order something different next time.
Waitress was alittle bit more friendly. I still recommend bringing your own napkins though, especially if you have a little one.
We were craving some noodles after eating so much junk food from the comic-con. Yelpers you did us… Read more »
Neighborhood: Kearny Mesa
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Kearny Mesa
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Clairemont
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Clairemont
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Kearny Mesa
Category: Chinese
Places I make a point to go to when I'm visiting…
Eat in San Diego. Drink in San Diego. Play in San…
the place i run away to when i need to escape from…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
places to go once you're not trying to impress…
Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian, Italian,…
Some of my favorite veg-friendly dining…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
