General Notes
Dumpling Time is a great option for dumplings and buns of all kinds. It's a bit on the pricier side (similar to Din Tai Fung), but the dishes are genearlly prepared with precision and well-worth it. The presentation of the dishes gives it more of an upscale vibe, which I really appreciate. I've been here many times, and occasionally the food is a bit of a miss, though.
Positives
> I like the structure of the menu. It's relatively simple, with an emphasis on the variety of dumplings and refreshing veggies/appetizers to balance out the meal.
Negatives
> I wish they offered individualized dipping sauces. For example, a communal vessel from which each person can dispense some into a small, 3-component plate/bowl. Sharing a single dipping sauce amongst several people is quite unwieldy.
Dishes Tasted
- ★★★☆ Crispy Sesame Tofu Squares -- delightful texture! super crispy on the outside, so soft on the inside (uses silken tofu). Flavor is really nice and the sweet chili sauce goes really well with the dish
- ★★★☆ Chili Pork Dumplings -- pork, cabbage, green onion, chili sauce. wrappers have a nice chewy texture, flavor is on point, chilis are just the right level.
- ★☆☆☆ Pork XLB -- Not a fan of putting the soup dumplings in aluminum tins, which makes it really difficult to consume effectively without spilling the soup and using an appropriate amount of vinegar/ginger. It's okay, but not much more than that.
- ★★★☆ Lamb Dumplings -- Chinese 5 spice, cabbage, garlic. The flavors are delightful; the wrappers are a bit hit/miss (I've tried this dish many times), and I'm not a big fan of the toppings, but otherwise a great dish.
- ★★★☆ Maine Lobster Shiu Mai -- Chives, butter, white truffle oil. Pretty good, except you can't really taste the lobster. You can definitely taste the white truffle oil, which really elevates the dish.
- ★★★☆ Pork Gyoza -- Pork, green onion, ginger, cilantro. Great, well-balanced flavor and cooked well.
- ★★★☆ Shrimp Toast -- Chinese donut, minced shrimp, spicy aioli. I was skeptical about the Chinese donut initially, but it gives it a nice chewy + crispy texture that goes well with the other elements. The flavor combination with the spicy aioli works really well. I wish there were more shrimp, but I can't say I'm too surprised.
- ★★★☆ Garlicky Green Beans -- Really well stir-fried with a wonderful texture. A relatively light flavor, a good contrast to the other dishes.