Ugly Dumpling - Edison, NJ

Carina was such a great server! She was friendly and helpful. The food here is always consistently amazing! We regularly make a point to eat here whenever we are in the area. Highly recommend!

Everything was great and delicious. Got seated right away. Carina was very attentive and had a wonderful personality. And the food was so tasty. Thank you for everything! We will be back soon!

This place is so great for vegans like me! My non-vegan friend also loved their vegan options. They had lots of dim sum options and their noodles were so fresh and bouncy. We also loved the scallion pancakes and the pineapple mango buns. Everything was delightful and the price wasn’t bad either. Definitely coming back!

Just okay. Big, modern, high ceilings, and glass windows let you watch the chefs at work. Food comes out as it’s ready. We started with: Edamame- Salt placement was more "dump it all in one spot and pray." Some beans were salty enough to make your tongue file a restraining order while others tasted like they barely knew what salt was. Scallion Pancake- Greasy like a Slip n Slide, flat (no layers), and skimpy scallions, though the dipping sauce- Chef's kiss. For the Xiao Long Bao (XLB), they came out really pretty and we tried a bunch, but the Pork & Crab stood out. They looked fine but the taste- mid at best with thick skin and skimpy bland broth. Service was friendly and great but dropped off once it got busy, so we skipped dessert. NOTES/TIPS: **Wheelchair-accessible. Easy parking in a massive plaza lot. **A few steps away from: SunMerry Bakery (Taiwanese-American treats) and Miss Flower Hotpot (good broth vibes)

Great vegan/ vegetarian options! Flavorful. Quick, kind service-all food fresh and hot. Bubble tea delicious!! Soup dumplings and all soups wonderful. Highly suggest vegan wonton soup, pork chop, pork soup dumplings, and vegetable stir fry noodles.Will absolutely come again. All of our family has been here and loved it. Our server Flora was awesome!!!

Today I finally got a chance to hit up Ugly Dumpling. I've ordered take out and delivery from here on several occasions but today was my first time dining in. I will say I enjoyed the experience overall, from the service to the ambiance. The food was pretty good too, a lot of winners like the shrimp fried rice and orange chicken. The wontons I got were kinda mid but still palatable. I did like the fried chicken dumplings also, although the spring rolls didn't really move me. Nonetheless it was a good experience and I'm glad I finally made it in. I'll definitely return to dance around the menu more next time and will suggest this spot to others.

Our dinner was 10/10. We are traveling and stumbled across Ugly Dumpling and couldn’t have been happier with our dinner. Our server Christopher R. was phenomenal! If we are ever in the area we will 100% come back and ask for him. Thank you!

First time eating lunch at this place last Sunday. Our waiter was Christopher and he was friendly, easy on his smile, helpful. He was great. We got scallions pancake, pork shrimp shumai, chicken stir fry noodle, beef stir fry noodle, shrimp fried rice and chicken wonton soup. All the food come out so quickly like we don’t have to wait long to be serve on the table and all food taste good and freshly made. This place is spacious and love the modern style.

Finally got to try this place! And there was nothing Ugly about it! This is a standalone restaurant located near the 99 Ranch in Edison. I was greeted by a very friendly host, and our waitress was very nice and helpful. The space is open, bright and clean. I ordered: - Cucumber Salad: 10/10; refreshing and flavorful (try adding some vinegar that they supply at the table) - Spicy Pork & Shrimp Wontons: 7/10; the skin was nice and light, but the filling gets lost a bit. The spicy sauce that they were swimming in was delightful (I dipped my braised beef in there). - Chicken Soup Dumplings: 4/10; the presentation was pretty (they were wrapped in red/pink color dough), but the taste just wasn't there. - Braised Beef Noodle Soup: 10/10; my absolute favorite - the broth was very flavorful, the noodles were done just right, and the beef was nice and tender. - Spinach with Garlic: 10/10; gotta have some greens with my meal; good amount of minced garlic I would definitely come again!

I recently came here with my family and here's our take away: it's set up like a family restaurant (especially because of the location in the plaza) however, there didn't appear to be a kids menu being offered. That automatically made me think families are going to have to order from the menu and make modifications or hope there will be something a child would want. Next, the menu needs to either have more descriptions of the dish or place a photo near the listed dishes (we are Asian and some things were not what we assumed it would look like). While they offer high chairs and plastic cups for juice, they are completely ready for kids. Our infant's car seat barely fit into the booth and they couldn't sit us at a 6 top due to not having the high chair/car seat holder. We liked the food 3/5; it seemed to be commercialized and a bit less authentic than we had hoped.

This took over what use to be Quaker Steak and Lube. I think the look of the place - very cute branding and nice decor. The restaurant is large and has plenty of seating. I like that we can watch the workers make the dumpling through the glass. It's a very cool experience. The service and food were both fine. We got several of the soup dumpling flavors. They have them wrapped in different colors so you know what you're eating. It is not my favorite dumpling spot in the area but it has a good amount of variety and I think it would be suitable for someone who is new to soup dumplings and wants to try different kinds. Suitable for large parties as well due to the sizing. Recommend going at least once.

There was nothing ugly about our dumpling dinner! Our party of six which included two children, was hungry after spending a few hours in Playland and ordered: 3 Fried Chicken Dumplings $21 1 Edamame $6 2 Chicken Soup Dumplings XLB $20 3 Chicken Wonton Soup $27 1 Vegan Wonton Soup $8 1 Chicken Stir-fried Noodles $11 2 Matcha Red Bean $10 1 Fruit Yoguty Drink $6.50 4 Iced Sweet Cream Boba $28 Total with Tip: $171 The dumplings are made in-house, so they are fresh and tasty. It looked like they were making them to order (see pics) as one or more chefs were hand making them while we dined. I thought my Wonton Soup was excellent, the wontons were delicious. In fact, I liked almost everything I sampled, with the exception of the Chicken Stir-fried Noodles. My co-diners seemed to agree, as there was almost nothing left over to take home! The service was excellent throughout our dinner, even though it got progressively busier by the time we finished. I love dumplings and would be delighted to return to Ugly Dumpling for some beautiful dumplings!

Came back to Ugly Dumpling, this time with my husband and our son. My son just discovered dumplings and is obsessed! He got a kick out of the name and kept asking why they were being so mean to their dumplings. We ordered a bunch of food to share. Woke chicken stir fry noodles which were a big hit with my son. My favorite- sesame noodles, peanutty and spicy yum yum. My son also like those. Green beans which I ate mostly, and they were so delicious- salty, garlicky and the perfect texture between soft and crunchy. Beef with shishito peppers on rice which I think I got last time but with noodles. This time the beef was much more flavorful! In fact, my husband had been talking about going back and getting it ever since. Last but not least, the chicken soup dumplings!! Once they were served to us my son declared that they were certainly not ugly and after one bite he also stated that they didn't taste ugly either! Our waitress also told us of a new beverage they had, strawberry rose milk tea- it was delicious, like a lightweight strawberry milk with bobas. We ended the meal with the mochi sampler and that's the only thing that fell flat for me- a few of the mochis had a weird texture which made me think they might've been frostbitten or old. The fruity ones were delicious, but it seemed the green tea, vanilla and definitely the chocolate were just slightly "off". Also- total bummer they took off how to eat a soup dumpling from their menu! I was excited to show my son. Anyway, this is my son's new favorite restaurant and he even requested for a birthday party at Ugly Dumpling!

Very large and open area with a great amount of seating! We stopped here to grab a quick lunch and it did not disappoint. The staff were friendly and attentive. We got two orders of dumplings, an order of wings, and an order of crab rangoons. The dumplings were soft and flavorful, but the bottoms did break/wear away easily. A few were broken before being lifted - bummer! The ginger was lackluster. It tasted very watery, like they had been soaking in a water bath for some time. But! The wings were soooo so so so good. Crispy and juicy and meaty. The sauce!!!! Oh my goodness. We dipped the crab in the sauce - banger!!!!!! The rangoons were also deliciously creamy with a perfect wonton fry. Yum! Would come again

I came here after being recommended this place for soup dumplings. It was conveniently located in the same shopping center as 99 Ranch so why not. The place was huge and had a lot of seating. We ordered the soup dumpling sampler (5 assorted soup dumplings), the steamed BBQ pork baos, the beef and shishito peppers over rice, and the garlic string beans. Overall, the food was average and underwhelming. The famous soup dumplings had a thin skin but lacked flavor in the soup and filling. The BBQ pork baos did not have much flavor as well. The beef was okay not at all spicy as expected. The garlic string beans were a bit undercooked. Service was friendly and fast though. I probably would not come back, there's so many better restaurants in the area.

Just okay, we are dumplings lovers and were looking forward to trying ugly dumpling out as this place had been on list for quite a while. Great decor and ambience, the vibe of the place is nice. The food though was okay nothing spectacular. We tried a few different kinds of dumplings, apart from soup dumplings, the other dumplings were just average. We also tried the fried rice which were okay as well.

I've been eager to try this place ever since I saw it coming up on my Yelp page! Finally glad I was able to come and try it over the weekend to see what the hype was about. The ambiance is bright and spacious - very nicely decorated. Our server was great at explaining everything since it was our first visit. We ordered a ton of food and their portions were perfect to share between me and my partner. We started with the cucumber salad and garlic string beans and both were refreshing and light enough starters. I personally was more of a fan of the string beans since they had such a potent garlic flavor lol. Then we ordered soup dumplings, bao buns, and pork dumplings. The soup dumplings were definitely the star of the show - the broth was so flavorful. I was a little disappointed in the bao buns because it was much more bun than there was filling in them.

Just okay. Big, modern, high ceilings, and glass windows let you watch the chefs at work. Food comes out as it's ready. We started with: Edamame- Salt placement was more "dump it all in one spot and pray." Some beans were salty enough to make your tongue want to file a restraining order while others tasted like they barely knew what salt was. Scallion Pancake- Greasy like a Slip n Slide, flat (no layers), and skimpy scallions, though the dipping sauce- Chef's kiss. For the Xiao Long Bao (XLB), they came out really pretty and we tried a bunch, but the Pork & Crab stood out. They looked fine but the taste- mid at best with thick skin and skimpy bland broth. Service was friendly and great but dropped off once it got busy, so we skipped dessert. NOTES/TIPS: **Wheelchair-accessible. Easy parking in a massive plaza lot. **A few steps away from: SunMerry Bakery (Taiwanese-American treats) and Miss Flower Hotpot (good broth vibes)

Arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and was seated right away. They weren't as busy as I thought they'd be so the food came out really fast after placing our order. We ordered the pork and crab soup dumplings, pork bun, noodles with sesame sauce, pork chop fried rice, and green beans with garlic. All dishes were very good but just a tad bit on the salty side. A little less salt and everything would be perfect! The soup dumplings were delightfully soupy and definitely had both pork and crab flavor. Loved the pork chop, just the right amount of crisp but the fried rice that came with it was just a bit too wet for my liking. It was made with egg and scallions and had plenty of flavor but I prefer my fried rice to be on the drier side. Loved the noodles with sesame sauce though, minus a bit of salt. It was creamy and peanutty, just the way I like it. We also ordered 2 drinks, the black milk tea and the strawberry iced sweet creme. The black milk tea was made just right with 30% less sweetness but the strawberry iced sweet creme tasted very artificial. Wouldn't recommend that drink at all. Overall, great place for lunch or dinner. Plenty of seating, with tables and booths.

U.D. came to me as a recommendation. So I took my daughter and future Yelp food extraordinaire granddaughter with me for lunch. We ordered food we all wanted to try. Appetizers we ordered fried chicken dumplings and braised baby back ribs. Both were very good. The B.B.B.Ribs had great flavor. The dumplings my granddaughter killed 4 of the 6. . We ordered sweet and sour chicken, fried shrimp noodles, braised beef bowl, orange chicken, Schezwan pork dumplings. The pork dumplings had a nice kick to them. The flavor was mighty in the dumplings. The sweet and sour was nothing great, but good. The fried shrimp&noodles was really tasty. That I'd get again. The orange chicken was OK. It had a really strong flavor. Strong orangy taste. The menu is full of choices. We had no room for dessert. The staff was really friendly. The place has plenty seating, but I can see there being a waiting list on a Friday or Saturday after work. The atmosphere was low noise and family friendly. I'll definitely be back to try more on the menu.

Atmosphere: 5 I love the spacious and airy design of this restaurant. It's hip and laid back. I also like being able to see the chefs through the glass to watch the dumpling making process. Service: 5 At first the host was going to seat us near the door but when I mentioned that it was cold, he moved us over to the booth in the back. Our waitress was really cheerful and welcoming. I actually had her come by a few times and she didn't make us feel like we were annoying or anything. Flavors: 5 I like the variety of the soup dumplings flavors. Today we went for the truffle, Szechuan, and pork-shrimp-spinach flavors. Honestly, the pork-shrimp-spinach flavor is my favorite of the three. There's something to having a piece of shrimp in it that's so yummy! Soups are aplenty, but the dumpling skin is a bit thin and break easily. I've been having soup dumplings all my life so it's definitely not because of skill! The soup dumpling sizes are standard. The spinach though... hard times are showing since I'm sure I remember there being more when they first started. Still very tasty though! We have been coming by every so often so it's definitely a place we'd go back. Good food there, but a bit pricey for the amount you get.

I asked for a 24 karret gold la bububu and I got a la fufufufu.....................................................::...........I got poop as my appertiver

Ugly Dumpling 561 Route 1 South Edison, NJ 08817 Ugly Dumpling Sampler Chicken Stir-fried Noodles Located in the Wick Shopping Plaza is a casual style Chinese restaurant. The interior is very spacious and there is plenty of seating. As a bonus, there is a cooking station where you can witness the chefs first hand preparing the food. But I can't say I had the greatest experience today. On a positive note, the rainbow-like appearance of the appetizer looked very attractive. This sampler contained different types of protein such as pork, shrimp, and chicken. However, all five dumplings tasted identical. Aside from the color, I couldn't differentiate any of them. The appearance of this main course is spot on, But the taste was on the bland side and I am sorry to say that I've had better. While I acknowledge the stellar appearance of the dishes, the pleasant atmosphere, and the live cooking station, I regretfully report that there will not be a next time. #uglydumpling #edisonnj #dumplings #noodles #eats #foodreview #foodstagram #njfoodie #foodspots

Finally got to try ugly dumpling and it did not disappoint! They have a decent amount of choices to select for soup dumplings and a great selection of rice, noodles and appetizers. We ordered the dumpling sampler which lets you taste each of the soup dumplings- highly recommend. The soy garlic wings were my FAV along with the fried rice with pork. Service was great and fast. The waiter had a great speed of checking in on us but also giving us time to enjoy our meal. Will be coming back!

Chicken Soup Dumplings( Pink) are my fav ! The broth has such great flavor . The Garlic Soy Wings were amazing with a great crispy texture and soft in the inside . The flavor was so good. 10/10 The bok choy was good but I wished they would do it in a garlic soy sauce too . The Sticky Rice wasn't my fav but that's because it's not something I would normally order . I highly recommend this restaurant. They also have a spot where you can watch the dumplings being made which is cool and the restaurant just has a relax feeling and the decor is very elegant. The waiter could've been little more attentive but overall good . I would definitely return to try more on the menu .

As a soup dumpling lover, I was excited to try Ugly Dumpling after passing by this spot many times, however my visit left more to be desired. *AMBIANCE* I walked right in on a Friday evening and there was no wait. The interior is very welcoming, and they did a nice job with the bright, modern interior with tables and booths. *FOOD* I was actually very disappointed in the food and felt like it was not very authentic. Pork XLB ($9) - Comes with 6 pieces. This didn't really taste authentic and the ginger inside of the pork filling was too much. Felt like I was chewing big chunks of ginger, and it tasted unbalanced with the rest of the dumpling. Braised Beef Noodle Soup ($14) - The beef tendon was not tender. It was very tough to eat and overall, the flavor of the broth was mediocre. *SERVICE* Service was attentive and fast. I wanted to like this place, but the food quality just didn't meet the mark for me where I would return.

Food here is good and priced well. I really think they is a great place to come if you are not extremely hungry and want to share meals. The staff was very attentive and did not miss a beat. I ordered a few items to try them out and everything came out fresh and tasty. Chicken wontons w/ spicy sause were good enjoyable. The Salt & Pepper Chicken was very good as well The braised pork ribs positively surprised me with a sauce and flavor profile that was not overwhelming and taste good. I will come back to check out the other options and get a better feel for what this place can offer. solid choice and priced fair

The restaurant is really nice and very Instagrammable. You can watch the chef making dumplings, which adds to the experience. The host seated us, and shortly after, our waiter arrived. We ordered a mango boba tea, which was delicious! The waiter was very patient and kind as we wanted to try a few different dishes. We ordered the Ugly Dumpling sampler--some were really good, while others were just okay. The scallion pancake was a bit greasy but still decent. The shrimp stir-fry was quite good and ended up being my favorite dish. We also tried the braised beef soup, but it wasn't my favorite. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. The service was amazing, and it's a great place to take Instagram-worthy photos!

Love the ambience and Asian decor of this newer place. Very big space but definitely fills up. The items were hit or miss overall. Highlights: Pan fried pork buns were my favorite item. So much flavor and perfectly crispy yet fluffy -- a must order. Soup dumplings were an explosion of fun, but can get messy. Would recommend the sampler to find the flavor you like best (also colorful). Garlic green beans were large for sharing and very good. Do not get the noodles w/ beef. No flavor whatsoever and skimpy on meat (and chewy). The milk tea was also lackluster--more milk than tea. Very attentive waitstaff. Overall, would return but know what to get.

Today I finally got a chance to hit up Ugly Dumpling. I've ordered take out and delivery from here on several occasions but today was my first time dining in. I will say I enjoyed the experience overall, from the service to the ambiance. The food was pretty good too, a lot of winners like the shrimp fried rice and orange chicken. The wontons I got were kinda mid but still palatable. I did like the fried chicken dumplings also, although the spring rolls didn't really move me. Nonetheless it was a good experience and I'm glad I finally made it in. I'll definitely return to dance around the menu more next time and will suggest this spot to others.

My parents and I enjoyed Ugly Dumpling. We ordered vegan dumplings, vegan wonton soup, and green tea noodles with sesame sauce. I would actually rate this a 3.5 stars. We love the vegan options as most restaurants do not accommodate us well, and the dishes were relatively unique. Pleasantly surprised, we didn't spend too long at this restaurant because the food came out quickly and because the restaurant plays jumpy, loud music, we, in turn, also ate quickly. The restaurant was packed on a Sunday afternoon. All of the dishes pleased and satisfied us. However, I wouldn't particularly recommend this restaurant or go out of my way to eat here.

Anyone who knows what these dishes should taste like can tell they're cutting corners. There are better Chinese restaurants in the Edison area.

String Beans with Garlic Braised Beef Noodle Soup Pork and truffle soup dumplings Strings beans were good but quite salty. Braised beef noodle soup was decent. The pork and truffle dumplings did not have any truffle flavor. They don't keep the soup dumpling steamer lid on, so the dumplings get cold and hard pretty quickly. Came on a Sunday around 12:30PM and the restaurant wasn't busy. Beautiful interior design.

Good and fast, and inexpensive. Nice staff, clean and open environment. Greasy scallion pancake, but all else was pretty good.

After driving past a handful of times, Ugly Dumpling has always remained in the back of my mind as a place to try because of the catchy name & adorable exterior. I've had my fair share of soup dumplings, and am happy to have found a new place to get my fix in NJ! Ugly Dumpling is similar to many other Shanghai dumpling restaurants, serving noodles, dumplings, wontons & veggie options. While the entire time we were dining we were comparing to the other soup dumpling experiences we've had, my group was pleased with all of the dishes we got. Our group of 7 ordered -almost- the entire menu, and we were happy to have dishes arrive staggered throughout dinner, allowing us to be eating the entire time and not sitting waiting in hunger. We raved about the soy garlic wings for the entirety of the dinner. The glaze was perfectly seasoned, the wings were crispy and juicy with every bite. I honestly don't know how to put my love for these wings into proper words, but you must get these!! The pork and truffle soup dumplings were a surprise since the truffle flavor was quite prominent in ours, despite other reviews stating they couldn't taste any. When ordering items labeled as spicy (spicy noodles, spicy wontons) we felt as if there was no heat/kick to it at all, even when adding additional chili oil. We also found that since the dumplings were served in steamers without lids they got cold extremely quickly, causing them to stick to the parchment paper on the bottom a bit more than usual (and leading to a few dumpling casualties.) For dining out with such a large group our bill was fairly priced (& we all left happy and full!) Ugly Dumpling is a great spot if you're looking for quick service and quality food at an affordable price point!

I had high expectations going into this being that it came highly recommended by trustworthy foodies. I'm glad to say the food was as advertised. Starting with the ambiance, everything is dumpling themed! It's really cool and unique to this place. My party ordered the dumpling sampler, which is one of each flavor dumpling that this establishment offers. The general consensus was that the yellow dumpling was the favorite, with the black dumpling being the least favorite due to its overpowering truffle taste. The rice was okay, and the stir fried noodles had a great "stir fry" taste. Upon walking in, you can observe the chefs making the dumplings from scratch!! So cool! Would recommend.

Food quality definitely only mediocre. The spicy wonton was not tasty, pretty bland. It is definitely not spicy enough too. The dish came out not hot, barely warm. The braised baby back rib sauce was alright but also not hot enough. And the meat was a bit too dry and hard and not meaty. Now with their signature dumplings, you get to try 1 of each of their flavors: Pork, Pork and shrimp, Crab meat, Chicken, and Truffle. I personally think only the crab meat and truffle are worth eating. The dumplings skin are somewhat dry, not soft enough. Compare to other dumplings places I've been to, this one doesnt hit the list for me to return. And the workers behind the glass that make the dumplings are not even Chinese/Asian to make it authentic. But I do like their summer drink, Passion punch. Their service was great though.

We ordered food to go for 4 people and got 2 orders of the soup dumplings sample, chicken XLB, an order of just pork XLB, spicy wontons and scallion pancakes. When we got there on time, the food was immediately ready for pick up. The staff was really nice, welcoming and helpful. While we were there, we also got a milk tea which was prepared in 5 minutes and pretty cheap, only $5. The inside was beautiful and bright, very clean. We left to eat it and found it was okay. I wish there was more soup and found the skin to be a bit thick. The to go sauce bags and utensils were really great though. I actually enjoyed the spicy wontons the best. Scallion pancakes were a bit over fried. It was good but I've had better.

Thought this place had tremendous potential so stopped by on a trip through the area. We came in around 11:40am. This restaurant is huge, and bright and clean. The decor is dumpling related, cute. We were seated quickly and ordered pork soup dumplings, pork/crab soup dumplings, green beans, chicken fried rice, pan fried pork bun, and fried pork/shrimp dumplings. The pan fried pork buns came out in minutes, and they were delicious. The skin is slightly sweet and the savory meat is a great mix, the bottom pan fried just the right amount. Chicken fried rice was light and delicious. Soup dumplings were good, a little more ginger than I usually like. String beans were fantastic! Fried dumplings were deep fried which was surprising, and were more shrimp than pork. My son ordered these and didn't like them. You can't win them all. I admit I read and saw several reviews saying this place was like a hidden Din Tai Fung but IMO this is completely different. Ugly dumpling is its own place. Food came out really fast, and waiter was very nice. There was no one at the door when we first came in, but 2 hosts came after a few minutes. The one that seated us was nice and tried to make small talk, kind of rare these days. I would recommend this restaurant. It was not busy at all on Friday before noon.

first time I've ever had soup dumplings. Wish there was a little bit more inside, but they were absolutely delicious. Such a fun experience, service was great. We went there as soon as they opened. I feel like the menu could have been larger, but other than that, the service was great. It's very nice inside very clean.

This is a good spot if you're looking for a quick lunch or dinner to get traditional Chinese cuisine - but it is less home authentic and more of a chain. The servers were very friendly and welcoming. The food itself was okay. The best items were the salt and pepper popcorn chicken and shrimp fried rice. The only to service downside was that once the server places a food item in the kitchen starts cooking it and you cannot space out items. Over all a great spot for family and kids.

The food was amazingly fresh and delicious! We ordered a bunch of different dumplings and dishes to share. Our server I feel was new so not too familiar with certain dishes but provided good service. The ambiance was refreshing open and airy with a modern feel. Started our experience with scallion pancakes, Light crispy and amazing, a must. Then an assortment of soup dumplings delicious. The Steamed buns chicken and mushrooms were a little dry but delicious when added soy sauce. Bbq pork buns delicious! Last but not least stirred fry shrimp. Can't wait to go back to try other options!

We stopped in here after spoiling the crap out of my 11 year old birthday girl at PopLulu around the corner and searched for places to eat in Edison. It did NOT disappoint. The owner greeted us and sat us right away (the staff is super friendly). We were guided through the menu and ended up ordering pork soup dumplings, bao buns, wonton soup, spicy pork and shrimp wontons, noodles with beef and shishito peppers, and pork fried rice. My picky picky children ate EVERYTHING. We loved the flavors and the soy/vinegar combo on top. Everything came out fresh and hot. We will be back

They have taken the DTF concept and really ran with it. Great branding, and a nice straight forward menu. I love that I can get a sample tray to try the different XLB, or just order my favorite type. After tasting a few, I am a big fan of the spicy Sichuan. I would love to go back and try more items on the menu to get a better feel of the additional offerings.

I love this place! Our family has always been big fans of DTF but since there isnt one here on the east we saw that Ugly Dumpling was considered a dupe for DTF. The first thing that we notice is how nice it looks in the inside and how clean it is. As soon as we got seated our waiter attended to us. Saw the menu and well I was surprised how affordable everything on the menu was. We ordered our food and within 7 mins all our food arrived. Food was just like DTG and maybe a bit better. I loved the hot and sour soup, the sesame noodles and the bok choy. Everything we ordered was so good! We have been back for maybe 4 more times.

The Ugly Dumpling is a trendy, fun spot specializing in dumplings. The menu is largely dedicated to different types of dumplings but there are other dishes too. The menu is simple and keeps to the basic Shanghainese inspired dishes. The food actually tastes authentic to me but perhaps because the menu items are limited to ones that appeal to non-Asians, it may not appear as authentic. We ordered the pork soup dumplings, pan fried dumplings, scallion pancakes, beef noodle soup, shredded beef with shishito peppers and jasmine tea. The pork soup dumplings are very good. There's a good amount of soup and they come piping hot. The pan fried dumplings were so-so. It's not as crispy on the bottom as I like and the meat is drier than most other places. The scallion pancakes are good. The dipping sauce is not what I expected though. It's oyster sauce based which I would definitely not pair with the dumplings or scallion pancake. I used their vinegar on the table instead. The beef with shishito peppers is something new that I haven't seen before. The flavors are good and the pepper gives it good heat. The beef noodle soup had some of the most tender beef I've tried! The soup is lacking flavor but the beef makes up for it. The jasmine tea costs extra but it's very fragrant! Service was good and food came out really fast. With the trendy music and decor, I can see this place targeting Rutgers students. I'd love to see more menu items in the future!

This restaurant has a beautiful interior, and the staff are also helpful. You need to try the Kurobota Mala XLB. It has a unique taste for soup dumplings, The flavor of the Mala is not too strong, so you can still enjoy the flavor. Lastly, it is easy to find a parking spot here if you want to stop by.

So.... A+ for atmosphere- A for the Honey Garlic Wings, B+ for the fried rice and a solid Meh for soup dumplings. Chinese food was really good but a lower rating because they call themselves a dumpling house. Otherwise it's well worth the trip and I'd come back for sure to do an update!

Ugly Dumpling is one of our favorite local spots! The aesthetic is beautiful, with a window where you can watch dumplings being made, and the service is always pleasurable. Our top pick is the spicy chicken wontons (10/10), so flavorful and addictive. The pork soup dumplings are great, and if you like spice, go for the Szechuan-style dumplings. You can also try one of each dumpling, which is a fun option. The soy ginger wings are crispy and delicious. Some dishes were just okay; shumai (6/10), chicken dumplings (7/10), shrimp fried rice (7/10), and beef stir-fry noodles (5/10); but the beef noodles with shishito peppers were spicy and amazing. For drinks, the mango or passion fruit boba green tea is a must-try. And for dessert, we always go for the strawberry and green tea ice cream mochi, a perfect sweet ending. Highly recommend this spot for dumpling lovers!

We enjoyed our food. I think our server was Christopher, based on our receipt. He was so nice and attentive. We'll definitely be back here!

Very spacious restaurant with plenty of seating. A lot of people compare the menu to Din Tai Fung and I can definitely see the similarities. I thought that a couple of the menu items were lacking flavor but overall had a good experience here. The soy garlic wings were great!

I said I would return to give this place another try and I did. The ugly dumplings have a lot of soup now. We had the Szechuan Pork XLB and it was plump and juicy. I also highly recommend the following dishes: - Chicken Fried Rice (as good as DTF) - Spinach with Garlic (very fresh) - Noodles with Shredded Beef & Shishito Peppers (so good) I really like the configuration of the entire place now, it is aesthetically pleasing and less sparse. Service remains stellar with a friendly attentive staff. I look forward to returning to try their other dishes and dumplings.

Tough competition in the soup bun world here in edison. Solid Soup buns, but unfortunately there are so many other great mom and pop shops in a mile radius.

Initially was so excited when I heard a soup dumpling spot was opening up a while ago but ultimately left disappointed. Inside, the atmosphere was chic and inviting, and the waiters were helpful with recommending what to order. Of course, we had to try the soup dumplings and got the Ugly Dumpling Signature XLB (one of each flavor). Overall, the dumplings were small, only 5 for $11 with barely any soup. The XLB skin was also quite thick. Wasn't too happy with what was ordered, so didn't get to try anything else. If you're looking for good soup dumplings would recommend Wu's Shanghai in Jersey or go to NanXiang Xiao Long (any location) which is what I think it's trying to model itself after.

I've been on a dumpling kick lately so I was happy to find this place. Our wait was 25 mins which was fine because we went to walk around the TJMaxx in that same plaza while we waited. They text you when your table is ready. It's a pretty big space. The music was nice and not too loud. It really is a place where you can take someone and ensure that they are going to get something they like. I was surprised at how affordable each dish was which allowed us (2 people) to try a lot of them. The waiter was nice although I will say it would have been nice to have him check in a little more frequently but otherwise it was fine. The food came rather quickly and was clearly just made. Everything was delicious. We had the ribs, green beans, soup dumplings, spicy wontons and chicken fried rice. Everything was very good.

If you're looking for a fun night out with good food and something a little different than your typical restaurant, Ugly Dumpling is the place! Ugly Dumpling is a large, well lit big restaurant, right on Route 1 in Edison with lots of food choices for everyone, including delicious non- alcoholic drinks! We came in a Saturday night and had to wait a few minutes for a table. They take your mobile number and text you when your table is ready. Our server was Jun and he was super helpful and attentive. Now let's get into the food... the reason we are all here ! So we came for the ugly dumplings but learned this menu is quite diverse. First of all, when you check in with Yelp, there currently is a free Scallion Pancake appetizer, so thank you Yelp! It was very good, crispy and very tasty with the dipping sauce. We also ordered the Soy Garlic wings. They were small and very crispy and delish! We also ordered the Steamed Chicken and Mushroom buns. I have to say that they were the only items that were just OK. They looked and presented much better than they tasted. OK... we cannot forget ... the drinks. They really surprised me.. they're amazing ! I had the Black Iced Tea flavored with Lychee and with cold foam. OMG it is epic!! Don't miss the drinks and flavor it with your choice of fruity goodness. Don't miss the iced tea! It was so good. We also ordered the Shrimp Stir Fried Noodles. They were OK, the shrimps were small and most likely frozen, I'd probably skip that dish next time and try something else. Now... the Soup Dumplings, or Xiao Long Bao! They were excellent. There's even an area in the middle of the restaurant you can watch people making them, kinda cool. The restaurant is huge with lots of seating and a pretty fierce take out business as well. You can go in and order to go right from a touch pad, or you can do it online. My husband ordered the Ugly Dumpling Signature dish that has one of every flavor/color and he really enjoyed them. He liked the Black one with the Truffle the best. I ordered the chicken because I don't eat pork or red meat. The chicken was very good, pink color dumpling. Could have used just a little more soup in the soup dumplings! There are so many dishes to try. Jun kept the food moving and the service was fast. We had a nice booth in the back by the bar that was very private and quiet. We both really enjoyed our first time at Ugly Dumpling and we will definitely be back! It was a really great first experience. It's not a Michelin star restaurant, so don't come in here expecting the best food on the planet. It's a fun dining experience in a new, hip setting with a cool vibe.

Ugly Dumpling stands tall as a sentinel tower along the Great Wall of China on Route 1, Edison, NJ. Walking in it is easy to see the modern Asian design and decor. High ceilings, large windows, bamboo arches and oversized steamer covers suspended above shading customers from the bright LEDs. I was about the Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings), and also ordered Vegetable Soy Noodles to taste a broader sampling from their kitchen. Earlier in the week I attending a Yelp Elite Event at Nan Xiang Soup Dumpling Restaurant in King of Prussia, PA, and looked forward to the chance to compare this Shanghai delicacy. First, the noodle dish was very good, but only offered spinach, onion and celery (?), and needed four spoonfuls of table chili sauce to jazz up the flavor. Once doctored, I was quite happy with it. Second, the six XLB were smallish compared to Nan Xiang, but the broth within was steaming hot and tasty. It was interesting that the menu provided instructions on how to prepare each pod for delicious consumption. I do it a little differently - biting off the topknot to open the doughy bag, drop in a few strands of ginger, pour in enough vinegar to balance out the broth, perform mouth to mouth lips to lips, suck out the scalding soup/ginger/vinegar mix before swallowing the remaining dumpling whole. Gulp! Very nice. Yet, three of the XLB were stuck to the steamer paper, so despite my attempt to lift them carefully, they tore and spilled their contents into the steamer and the table beneath. Frustratingly disappointing. On the other hand, the Nan Xiangs were larger, thinner, more elastic and didn't tear. Taste was very similar, but clearly XN had the better quality product and were more fun to eat. I suspect UD has scouted NX in Flushing and is aware of the differences. It just needs to impress upon the kitchen the importance of more attention to detail. If they did they wouldn't call this house , "Ugly," any more. 3.5 STARS