Mike L.
Yelp
Considering how I'd already been to their location in San Mateo, there are two ways to look at coming to this Dough Zone. On the one hand, it's pretty redundant since I've already tried a bunch of their dishes and could've tried something entirely new. On the other, it makes perfect sense since I already know the food is going to be good. Clearly, I fall in the latter camp. In fact, I even doubled down and came back a second time! What can I say - if the food is good, why wouldn't I want to enjoy more of it??
By comparison, this place doesn't feel quite as large as their sister location, but there's still a decent amount of seating inside (and a lot more parking nearby). The first time we came here, there was actually a few groups who walked in just before us and we still got seated pretty quickly. Perhaps more importantly, though, the menu looked exactly the same - a collection of small bites, dumplings, wontons, potstickers, noodle dishes (both dry and soupy), vegetarian dishes, and house specialties. Plus, knowing that the portions aren't huge (but priced proportionately), we ended up getting to try even more dishes!
-- PORK WITH SHRIMP POT STICKERS...$6.95
Ehh...this was just okay. While I like how they served this with a huge skirt (the crust), the filling was super heavy on chives. Not bad if you like it, but kind of a shame otherwise, as the filling actually tasted pretty decent.
-- PORK WONTON WITH CHILI SAUCE...$6.95
This was a little disappointing, but not because it was bad. Rather, it just wasn't as good as the one I had at their San Mateo spot. While I liked that it had a bit more chili sauce to it, the filling wasn't quite as flavorful (though still fairly plump).
-- PORK WITH CRAB MEAT XIAO LONG BAO...$8.95
We had this both times we were here, but I have to admit the first one we had was better, as the filled had a stronger crab taste to it. Still, that's not to say it was bad the second time - the skin had the perfect thickness, the filling was meaty, and there was just the right amount of soup inside.
-- SPICY BEEF SANDWICH...$6.95
I was really curious about this after seeing it mentioned in so many reviews, but fell flat for me. Although I really liked the bun (pillowy soft) and how well the beef was seasoned, the meat felt dry and gristly, like dry corned beef.
-- FRIED WONTON W/ CHILI SAUCE...$6.95
Where the boiled wonton and potsticker fell short, this succeeded. The skins were only lightly fried and not super oily but the filling is what really won me over - just as plump as the boiled one but tastier and juicier. Would def recommend.
-- NOODLE WITH MINCED PORK...$7.50
Took a chance on getting this over their Yi Bin or Dan Dan Noodles again and it was actually pretty good. I do wish there was a bit more of the minced pork and sauce, I liked the pickled long beans, as they added a nice tanginess to the dish.
-- BEEF STEW NOODLE SOUP...$9.95
Just as solid here as at the other Dough Zone. I still don't get why they don't cut the romaine, but I really like how tender they get the chunks of beef and that the broth is decently flavorful without being super oily/heavy, though it could be a little richer.
Much like with their other location, service here is pretty decent, albeit more efficient than overly friendly. The workers are all nice enough, but where the staff really shines is in how fast everything comes out. Not long after putting in our order both times we were here, our food started coming out within a matter of minutes. However, despite how swiftly everything moved, it never felt like the staff was trying to rush out so that they could turn the table over, which was much appreciated.
Given how they're a small chain (based out of Seattle), Dough Zone definitely feels a bit more commercial than mom-and-pop. However, that's not to take anything away from them - it's just that they're closer to the likes of Din Tai Fung than your small, neighborhood shop. And while I do think that the food is great here, DTF is still a bit better and have a slightly more interesting array of dishes to offer. However, when you factor in how there generally isn't a line here, Dough Zone is definitely a viable alternative for something that's both tasty and far more convenient!