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Dumpling Cafe
Chinese Restaurant$$$$
Chinatown - Leather District, Boston
The experts at Eater and Serious Eats recommend this place
"My favorite place for soup dumplings (mini juicy buns)."(34 Tips)
"question the thing to order is the mini juicy dumplings"(5 Tips)
"Mini juicy buns (these are the soup dumplings) - go for all..."(4 Tips)
"Gourmet Dumpling House but without the wait"(2 Tips)
85 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- good for a late night
- casual
- good for groups
- lively
- pork
- (15 more)
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James WongAugust 20, 2013The service was quick and helpful. Food was delightful and equally fast. You must try the "juicy buns," it's a Northern China fare, and worth treating your tastebuds to! :D #WONGapproved
Serious EatsMay 27, 2014Don't miss the soup dumplings, which feature thin skin that's just elastic enough to hold in the juicy, fatty pork meatball and its rush of hot broth.
Delicious soup dumplings! If you like spicy food, definitely try the Szechuan-style flounder (N15). You won't regret it. Rude and impatient service, but this is not unusual in a Chinatown restaurant.
JaclynJune 5, 2017Featured here is the pork dumplings with crabmeat. The nicest, yummiest xiaolongbao that I have tasted among the few ones I tried in Chinatown. Fish flounder lovers however could skip the dish here.
Enrico ManaloMarch 9, 2018My favorite place for soup dumplings (mini juicy buns). Great beef & longhorn peppers, also amazing in a bowl of noodles. Scallion pancake with beef is dope too. Whole fried fish is fantastic also.
- JamieJune 27, 2015Soup dumplings are just as good as, if not better than Gourmet Dumpling House but without the wait, and you won't get kicked out for staying 5 minutes after you've finished your food
Trevor HolmesJanuary 3, 2016You're going to spend a little amount of money for a lot of delicious food you can't finish. So, you take it home and eat it the next day and it's still tasty.
Vanessa GatlinFebruary 16, 2014(Best of Boston 2013-DIM SUM) Improper Bostonian says, "Two words: soup dumplings. The uninitiated should direct their immediate attention to the miniature buns, otherwise known as xiao long bao."
Anne NguyenJune 1, 2013Know what you want, be loud and assertive when you order, keep in mind the staff will try to up sell you more items. Eat your weight in the pork soup dumplings. You won't regret it.
Chefs FeedAugust 30, 2016"Best soup dumplings outside of Hong Kong. Great spot with a lot of interesting flavors." - Chef Jamie Bissonnette Read more
- Jesse BagelsMarch 27, 2016Mini juicy buns (these are the soup dumplings) - go for all pork AND crab!!! Also the trout is killer.
- Without question the thing to order is the mini juicy dumplings (xiao long bao) and the Sichuan Flounder in all is spicy, stewy goodness
Eric LNovember 17, 2013Excellent "Chinatown" Chinese food. Not authentic nor refined (but also not Panda Express) - just good ol' classic comfort dishes at affordable prices. Wash it down with Tsingtao.
Some of their food is the best (soup dumplings, crab rangoons, lo mein, BEEF WITH SPICY PEPPERS) and some of it kinda sucks (seafood lo mein)- Constantin WApril 29, 2019Nice juicy dumplings, good roast beef scallion pancake the double cooked pork was not hot at all!
The soup dumplings are soo good! The noodle soups were delicious. Can't wait to go back!
Wayne BennettDecember 2, 2017Dumplings, chicken with scallion, soup. All good. Traditional Chinatown communal eating available.
Jeremy KrantzAugust 19, 2015Get soup dumplings here, it's a must! They're known as Xian Long Bao and are amazing. Repeat.
Erica GeorgeApril 12, 2011The mini pork buns appetizer is actually soup dumplings, not bao-style buns. Everyone loved them anyway tho. Good food. Friend loved the pork/spinach/tofu dish.
Jesse LangeNovember 16, 2014The soup dumplings are the best in Boston. The beef with scallion is also pretty good.
A SSeptember 13, 2015The soup dumplings are good, but can be very doughy. The fish in the Sichuan style flounder is delicious but frankly the broth had no real flavor.
Terence ChanJuly 31, 2015Good soupy dumplings, salt and pepper calamari, beef with longhorn peppers 3.5/5
Matthew SheppardJune 10, 2014Dumpling Cafe > Gourmet Dumpling Cafe. We tried both and the Dumpling Cafe food is far nicer.
Great amazing food. Bad service. Ask for an extra drink to save yourself from waiting 20+ minutes on a drink refill.
Sabrina MOctober 12, 2013Try the Mini Juicy Dumplings with Pork and Crabmeat - Proper name, very Dee-lush!
Kristyn UlandayDecember 7, 2015Poem soup dumplings, scallion pancake and boba tea make a great late night dinner with friends.
NowVoyagerApril 30, 2013Delicious food, esp the pork & chive dumplings. But the service was dismal. Still worth going
Cesar RazuriJune 24, 2012Get the pork soup dumplings but also get a rice dish so it can catch the liquid goodness.
if u want authentic chinese food come here.. the watercress with garlic and sauteed fish are delicious!
Boston PhoenixApril 8, 2011Better google instructions for eating soup dumplings- they are delicious, but can be messy - and dangerous- if handled incorrectly. Scalding soup inside! Read more
B14. Crispy Chicken Strips Taiwan Style&C11. Mini Juicy Buns With Pork. <3
Sofia UzNovember 2, 2015Open until 2am! Come here for after party meal. Food is pretty good, service pretty rude, but hey. Its chinatown
AJ MarinoNovember 2, 2013Lo mein was amazing, ironically the dumplings were just okay. Open till 2 AM!
Tufts UniversityFebruary 15, 2012For Chinese food that’s a notch above, and a draw for the adventurous. Read the full review at: http://now.tufts.edu/articles/dish-dumpling-cafe
Examiner.comFebruary 17, 2011Take a trip to Taiwan without leaving Boston. Its the second venture of Chef-Owner Pete Wang of Taiwan Cafe and Chef Charlie Chow. Read more
Darren HeJune 17, 2011The mini steamed buns, aka xiao long bao, used to be good when they first opened. The cook who made them left though, and the xlb has become subpar.
290 Photos
Foursquare © 2024 Lovingly made in NYC, CHI, SEA & LA
Open until 2:00 AM (Show more)
- Mon–Sun
- 11:00 AM–2:00 AM
(617) 338-8858
Features
Reservations
No
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. American Express)
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Food & Drink
Menus
Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
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