Bobby D.
Yelp
Our in-laws invited us out for dinner to celebrate my BIL and nephew's birthday and since family comes first always, of course we were going to be there. They told us we were eating at Luscious Dumplings, which I was excited about because I saw an Instagram snippet about this restaurant being Michelin rated. For our first time eating here, I can see why it received a Michelin award because the entree I grubbed on was deliciously satisfying and our server Emilia provided noteworthy customer service.
Luscious Dumplings is located in the eastern end of Chula Vista specifically on Eastlake Parkway. The restaurant can be found within a busy outdoor shopping center called Village Walk at Eastlake. The anchor stores at this shopping center are TJ Maxx, Trader Joe's, Five Below, Sprouts, and CVS. Luscious Dumplings is next to Bag of Beans, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Donut Bar, and Cotija's Taco Shop. Luscious Dumplings was really busy for the Labor Day weekend and unfortunately, it's not a spacious restaurant. There was a group that took up most of the tables, there were ledge top seating with barstools, and thankfully our party had outdoor umbrella covered round tables, which they had a good amount of outdoor seating. The decor inside consisted of framed pics of the restaurant's namesake: dumplings. Big ups to our friendly and hard working server Emilia, who was attentive and ensured we were taken care of with her positive personality.
Luscious Dumplings has been recognized with a Michelin award called the Michelin Bib Gourmand, which is given to restaurants that offer good food at reasonable prices. The Bib Gourmand recognizes establishments that serve familiar, comforting dishes made well, with a focus on quality, value, consistency, and affordability. After chowing down on their food, I can attest that Luscious Dumplings is so deserving of this Michelin award. I ordered the Angus Stewed Beef Over Rice, which comes with tender cuts of premium Angus beef served over white rice, half of an egg, and complemented with fresh bok choy and greens. The Angus beef was so tender, tasty, and the rice and all of the components made that bowl so filling. I also ordered the Popcorn Chicken With Sauce, which comes with crispy, golden-brown bite-sized chicken pieces, seasoned to perfection bursting with juicy flavor in every bite and served with a mayo-type sauce. I wish the popcorn chicken was crunchier and it was too soft to my liking. Make sure to order their Cucumber Salad, which comes with refreshing cucumber slices tossed in a tangy-sweet and slightly spicy chili oil dressing. Taking bites of the cucumber salad balanced the richness of my Angus beef bowl. I ate some of the dumplings my family ordered, but I thought the star of my entire meal was the Angus beef bowl.
Thank you to our family for inviting us to celebrate my BIL and nephew and thanks to them for allowing me to enjoy an award winning restaurant and delectable meal. Luscious Dumplings needs to be experienced for their affordable and memorable food and quality customer service.