Romuel Dave C.
Yelp
For those wondering what side to park at UTC, it took over ADYA Indian food, Next to Pete's Coffee and Ray's Pizza. So Park on the Trader Joe's side.
I really wanted to like this place. There hasn't been a good dumpling spot in Irvine, to my knowledge (dim sum excluded), and DTF is both expensive, and hard to get into at peak times. (Also, it's not in Irvine)
Me and a friend came here for lunch after going through Yelp's "Hot and New," and it was modern and clean inside. Window to the kitchen like dumpling spots are known for.
Few choices, and I prefer it that way. Doing a few things great is better than doing a lot of things mediocre. We were able to try everything but the Vegan Dumplings and the Rice options.
Longanisa: I like the Filipino inspiration. It's longanisa in there. Add the vinegar based hot sauce on the side, and the breakfast flavor is complete. Decent, but unfortunately the topping of pork belly is flavorless. It doesn't belong on these dumplings. (And if it's the same pork belly thats on the fries? It needs major, major seasoning and flavor). There's a 1* review down here that said "sweet, and salty, terrible." He obviously doesn't know what longanisa is. That's like saying pizza is too cheesy.
Mac and Cheese: Honestly my favorite. But it's not really a dumpling. It's a fried mac and cheese ball you can get at like, Lazy Dog, or BJ's.
Vintage: It's good. Though because they used ground turkey instead of pork, it was a little to dry, for my taste, to be a dumpling filling. I see where they were going with this, but just not my preference. It was cooked perfectly on the outside though. Enough chew, good crisp on flat side.
Fried Chicken: Think Japanese Karaage. Again, good, but far from a dumpling, and my least favorite.
Bulgogi Fries: In my opinion, the only thing I would order again if I came here. Criss Cut Fries were crispy and well seasoned, beef was flavorful (a little dry) and the mayo sauce/aioli was good.
Lychee Lemonade: Very sweet, but refreshing. Would probably benefit from more Larger lychee pieces instead of the ground up pieces at the bottom of the cup.
Blueberry Tea: So I love the taste. Not too sweet (like at all) with a hint of blueberry. But maybe it's just me, but I don't like the skins of blueberries. So all the skin was just at the bottom... my first sip was just gritty with a lot of solids. If they filtered this, I think It would be better.
All in all, I probably wouldn't return. Unfortunately, Mad Dumplings is not a spot I can add to my list of places to frequent, but it may be your cup of tea. I think it's at least a try, and you may like it. The Student combo deal is worth a shot.