Zen Dumpling

We visited Zen on a Friday night around 7pm. There was about a 45 minute wait to be seated, but once inside our server Kim quickly greeted us and took our drink order. We over ordered due to not being able to decide on a manageable amount of items. I would recommend ordering a few plates each as the food came out quickly. And you can always order more if you want. We had the Spicy Cucumber Salad, Sweet and Sour Baby Ribs, Stir Fried Green Beans, Beef Pancake Roll, Zen Chili Wontons, Braised Pork Belly Bun, Truffle Pork Soup Dumplings, Pan Fried Bao Bites and Beef and Broccoli. All of those were great, but the Pork Belly Bao Buns ans Green Beans were amazing. Highly recommended if you are in the area (or not, we drove 45 minutes!)

First experience here and having dumplings. Everything was made fresh to order you can tell by the textures and flavor. I enjoyed everything but what I definitely would come back for is the egg rolls and Dan Dan noodles. The dumplings have so many options and fun to eat. Nice clean and inviting on the inside customer service was attentive and professional. It can get very busy so I would advise to go early to experience and not feel rushed.

My wife has been wanting to visit here for a long time and we were blown away. Every item we had was incredible. They have the menu where you can mark what you want, but Neon, our waiter, recommended to scan the QR code for the menu so we can also have a visual if you never experienced a place like this before. We got a cucumber salad from their tapas section and the sampler of dumplings, which is one of each of the soup dumplings, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. High quality everything. Definitely will be back

This is the best place. Amazing ambiance, Authentic food, good quality and clean. There's a lot of variety on the menu. Neon was our server, he was nice and polite. But the young receptionist was not impressed. Shanghai dumpling were super good, all there foods were yummy and fresh. I love all the flavors. The foods came out quickly. I highly enjoyed the following dishes: Hot and sour soup Stir fried Green bean Soup dumpling w.pork Soup dumpling w.Shrimp & pork Stir fried pork noodle Sweet & sour baby rib Scallion pancake Taste : 10/10 Value : 8/10 Ambiance: 10/10 I'd come here again to try some other item on the menu menu.

I visited Zen Dumpling last night... everything our table shared was fantastic! From the spring rolls to the soup dumplings and stir fry dishes... the food was fresh and flavorful and served beautifully. Everyone that I know who has visited Zen loves it. Chloe waited on us last night and she was fantastic - thank you, Chloe, for your recommendations and outstanding service! This little gem is tucked away in the quick service restauant row in the Waterford Lakes Shopping Center... it is well worth a trip!

We waited about 40 minutes to be seated. When we got seated we were greeted by our server Alex, who went above and beyond! He was very attentive and ensured our first time went well! Food was amazing and arrived in a timely manner. Highly recommended if you you’re on the fence on going! Our favorite was the green beans. I think I could eat 10 servings of it!!!!

Excellent dumplings and buns. The restaurant is small and it's pretty much guaranteed that there will be a wait to get a table. A table for two took us an hour to be seated. But I liked the queue system. Service was fast and friendly. Food came out quick and was delicious. It's no Din Tai Fung but it's as close as we'll get until they open a location here, and it's great.

Zen Dumpling in Orlando was my daughter’s pick , this spot is a solid choice for a casual, flavor-packed meal. We ordered a few items to share, and each dish had its moment. The standout for me was the Dan Dan noodles—savory, rich, and absolutely delicious. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her soup (always a good sign), and I went for the veggie dumplings, which were light, flavorful, and nicely steamed. The only item that didn’t fully hit for me was the scallion pancake, which was a bit too starchy for my taste. The service was great, and we left with full bellies and satisfied taste buds. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the menu offers a nice variety of classic dumpling house staples.

Angelo was great- thank you!! I loved the food; yum!!!!!!!!!!!! Great atmosphere!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First time here and had an amazing experience. Our server, Angelo, was very attentive and created a warm atmosphere for us. Food was fantastic I would definitely come here again.

This was my first time eating at Zen Dumpling. The food was fantastic, and Chloe was an excellent server! We got a variety of items to share, including green beans, soup dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, bao balls, scallion pancakes, and Mongolian beef. Not a bad item in the bunch!

Desperate for Asian food we were so surprised to find this gem offering yummy Asian dishes. Lotsa free parking as it's located in an outdoor mall. The interior is bright and welcoming. Order through the QR code or menu. Service is very good and staff are so friendly. The Xiao Long Bao ( soup dumpling) is like the staple and one of the most delicious cherished items on a menu. If on a menu it is a must order. This dumpling did not disappoint. The steamed basket came out with fresh dumplings. The first bite filled with soup and meat sooo good that you need to savor each taste and bite. The noodle dish with fresh cucumber, meat and cilantro was enjoyable to the taste. The scallion pancake fried to perfection and each layered bite did not need words to taste. Green beans with XO sauce slightly spicy with just a little kick...yummy! Everything was so good! Oh and brown sugar bubble tea...just order it. If ever back in area we will return!

We tried this place for my brother's birthday and had a blast! The food was really good. I can't wait to go back again. The atmosphere was nice, we dined in and there were many other patrons there. Our server was kind enough to explain the dumpling options and we tried the dumpling sampler, rice, pan fried dumplings, mongolian beef, edamame, the spicy cucumber salad and the braised beef noodle soup.

First experience here and having dumplings. Everything was made fresh to order you can tell by the textures and flavor. I enjoyed everything but what I definitely would come back for is the egg rolls and Dan Dan noodles. The dumplings have so many options and fun to eat. Nice clean and inviting on the inside customer service was attentive and professional. It can get very busy so I would advise to go early to experience and not feel rushed.

3 friends stopped in around 1230 pm for lunch. The restaurant was busy but we got seated in a few minutes. The food and our server was fabulous. The sauted green beans were cooked with garlic and sesame oil . Delicious Really enjoyed the Mongolian beef with steamed rice. Soup dumplings were great. Speaking of dumplings there's a window in the restaurant and on the kitchen side of the glass you can see the dumplings being made.

Very pretty and clean restaurant. Service was on point. Neon was very attentive. Food was hot and tasty. No complaints about anything but no big deal either. I would go back but not making a special trip.

Okay, this might just be my new favorite spot on the east side of Orlando! I've been wanting to try Zen Dumpling for quite some time now, but I don't find myself in the Waterford area too often. I met a friend for lunch the other day and I was blown away by the food & service! First off, I'm so glad Orlando has gained more options for soup dumplings. Just a few years ago, you couldn't find them anywhere. We tried the truffle pork soup dumplings here and they are by far the best ones I've ever had! We also ordered the spicy cucumber salad, zen chili wontons, and the pan fried bao bites. Everything was phenomenal and I would order this exact meal all over again. It was also the perfect amount of food for 2 people. The cucumbers were so crisp & refreshing with a good kick. I was super impressed by the bao bites which my friend recommended. I was surprised to find that they also have a juicy broth inside - yum! These are a MUST. I already can't wait to go back again. I also heard they're opening an Altamonte Springs location soon - yay!

This was a delicious meal. I tried a few items from the menu and really enjoyed the vegetable fried rice and the beef soup dumplings. One thing I appreciated about the bao at this location was the filling to breading ratio. Many times I feel there is too much bread, but that was not the case here. The hot and sour soup was flavorful with a subtle kick that tickled the throat. The cucumber salad was just alright. I have had it at similar restaurants and liked it more elsewhere since the cucumbers here were not as crisp as I would have preferred. I arrived around 7 pm on a Sunday evening and waited about twenty minutes for a table for two. Since the restaurant is located in a plaza, we walked around until we received a text that our table was ready. The service was friendly, and once the food started coming out it was served quickly and close together. I really enjoyed this meal and would recommend Zen Dumpling to anyone interested in trying it.

Florida! This was our first stop to eat when we visit Florida. Zen Dumplings was very delicious. We ordered so much food it was amazing. The staff was super friendly and helpful. If you want dumplings this is the place to go to.

We frequently went to Joe's Shanghai in Flushing every time we visited family in NY (and even after thanksgiving dinner). It was always about the soup dumplings. There has been a void in Orlando until recently. Since our trips to NY we have also given up eating pork and beef so whatever was here was off limits. When I saw Zen had them with just chicken we had to try. The first time we went they were out of the chicken dumplings, but this time we were lucky. They came out steaming hot end with plenty of soup in the dumpling. I think the only thing we bemoan is that at Joes it was only $4.50 for 8. Prices at Zen are 3x higher and you only get 6. That being said, they were very tasty and filling what we really liked and would definitely order again where the steamed veggie dumplings. And next time we'll try the plain steamed chicken and mushroom dumplings. Service was very efficient. Everything's extremely freshly made and it's fun to watch them make it through the big window.

I saw this place on social and since it was a rainy day I had to give them a try. They did not disappoint. Started with the cucumber salad and it was great. Then the food started to roll out. The San Dan noodles amazing the bao bites delicious I just loved trying everything. I would pass on the crab dumpling the beef pan fried and the shrimp dumplings next time. shout out the server who helped teach us how to eat soup dumplings, I will definitely be returning.

Friends brought us here and I'm so glad they did! Our server was fantastic and I loved the food here. I really enjoyed the following dishes: - Zen Chili Wontons - Soup Dumplings - Broccoli & Onion with Chicken Everything came out hot and fresh. I loved all the flavors. We had soju with our food. We had a really good dinner experience here.

I got off a long flight one day, and the only thing I wanted in the world was a soup dumpling. Zen Dumpling recently opened and was getting a lot of hype, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. We ordered takeout online, and jetted to the store. The store inside was really nice. A nice, maybe Zen, vibe was everywhere, and there was a window looking into the dumpling makers make their dumplings. It was like watching an artist paint the Mona Lisa. Masterful. We get the food back home and get to work. We ordered a few dumplings and some bao, variously fried or steamed. I think there was a beef pancake roll in there, too. And the main event was the Signature XLB Sampler of soup dumplings. Everything was really good! They were all of a proper size, properly fluffy, stuffed with a proper amount of stuffing, which was properly seasoned, the fried ones were properly crisp, and the beef pancake was just a lot of fun, and had a really nice sauce. As for the main event, I love samplers. The world needs more samplers. Especially of dumplings. There were six varieties of soup dumplings on the menu, we got one of each, and I loved it. Believe it or not, I think my favorite was the beef. Something about it was just so nice and flavorful. Probably just how fatty beef is. But anywhere. I was surprised at how good of a price this place was for the quality we got. I'm sure that I'll be back many times before the end of all things.

Pros: Ordered takeout after a ride home from the airport, and it went so fluidly. You can tell that these guys do these many times a day, ever day. Ambiance was very cool. A nice, cozy little dumpling house with a window into where they're making the dumplings. Very cool! The food itself was awesome. Very standardized and quality soup dumplings. And they had a flight of them! That's my jam. They had a few other great menu items. Crispy gyoza, cute little baos, plenty of nice stuff. Cons: No cons at all, really. I loved it. Tips: Just come here, and order the whole menu. That's the tip.

Good steamed, pan fried dumplings and baos. I enjoyed the pan fried pork dumplings the most. They were flavorful. When you take a bite you can taste the flavors and broth spewing out. I was slightly disappointed that my steamed dumplings didn't come in the steamed case but I think that's only select dumplings or just baos. I highly recommend you ask your server if you're coming to get the steamed case. The dumplings can get filling so I would recommend sharing with someone and you can order a few different ones to try . The service good and quick.

Taste: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 If you like dumplings, you have to try this place. The soup dumplings were amazing, every bite packed with flavor. It's also cool to watch them make the dumplings fresh right in front of you. We tried some other dishes too, and they were really good, but the clear winner was definitely the soup dumplings. The ambiance is modern and comfortable, and our server was friendly and attentive. Just a heads up, this place can get pretty busy, so you might have to wait a bit, but it's definitely worth it.

I love this place!! Definitely one of my new go-to spots for dinner in the Orlando area. Be warned: you will have to wait! I came with a party of 4 on a Saturday night and checked in at 6:30 and waited 65 minutes. They unfortunately do not take reservations. Waterford lakes is a nice place to have to wait though, I just did a little shopping around and sat outside while we waited as the weather was nice. As soon as we were sat though it was an amazing experience. Our server was very quick and attentive and the food all came out fast as well. We started with some peach soju and wine as drinks and both were pretty yummy. All our food came out sporadically as courses and we were all sharing the dishes. The spicy cucumber were okay, not bad but nothing special. The pork dumplings were AMAZING, definitely my favorite. The beef dumplings were not as good in my opinion. The bao buns were also very good, but I do prefer dumplings more. The karage was also one of my favorite dishes! Seasoned very well. The only thing I could "complain" about here is the lack of reservation system and not a huge dessert menu. The only dessert is ice cream and I can't eat that. Overall, AMAZING dinner spot and I will definitely be back. I hope they expand to the St. Pete/Tampa area soon.

This place was amazing! Everything we ordered was excellent and very flavorful. I think anything from this menu would be a hit and I can't say that about many places. The staff were super nice and accommodating. The hostess saw we had a baby and made sure we had a big booth for the car seat. Our waiter was very kind and always checked on us. There were plenty of seating but if it's busy I can see there being a long wait. The wait for this food would be worth it however, since everything was great! I will be coming back!

Zen Dumpling is my new favorite dumpling spot! We tried a lot of delicious food, which left us satisfied but it was so good I need to try more!The soup dumplings were made to perfection. I love how they leave ginger for you from the start, and allow you to create your own sauce with vinegar, soy sauce and/or chili sauce already set at the table. The menu style was a really cool experience and our waiter was very helpful, funny and gave us the perfect recommendations. They also have the sweetest lychee soju that we got to share with the table (21+). The restaurant itself is super cute and definitely lives up to the "Zen" part of its name. Although the Truffle Pork Soup Dumplings were my favorite, I can't wait to come back and try more food and their boba teas! 5 stars all the way across!!

Tried out this dumpling spot recently and really enjoyed it. Very flavorful, definitely not your average dumplings. You can tell they put some real thought into the fillings and sauces. Everything we ordered was delicious, especially the soup dumplings. The atmosphere was really nice too, relaxed but still felt kind of special, like the kind of place you'd bring friends or a date. It's a little on the pricey side for dumplings, but not outrageous. You're paying for quality and creativity, and honestly, I'd go back.

This place is clean, has great service, and you can even see the staff cooking! There's a lot of variety on the menu. There is something for almost everybody. That being said... It's also quite pricey. Like all of it is pricey. You're looking at nearly $10 bucks for everything here that may consist of around 12 bites max per plate. At the very least you'll taste things that are hard to find and it's worth checking out.

The closest i've had to Din Tai Fung in Orlando! I heard that this spot can have a long wait, so we came for lunch and there was no line. The inside is very cozy and zen. The service was great, and our food came out quickly. We started with the Spicy Cucumber Salad, which was tasty and refreshing. It was the perfect start to the meal. Next time I really want to try to Stir Fried Green Beans. We ordered the Steamed Vegetable Dumplings, the Vegetable Stir Fried Noodles, and the Chicken Soup Dumplings. All three were delicious, and the noodles were a standout favorite for both of us. I love that you can watch them make the dumplings in the back. I do with they had dessert dumplings, but maybe they will add them in the future. The prices are a little high, but everything we tried was great quality. I will be back!

I have been seeing this place all over TikTok! My friend and I had to check it out so we went for dinner. There's a long wait time, we waited about an hour and thirty minutes. Thankfully it's in a plaza with lots of stores so you can walk around while you wait. The restaurant is a bit small but it is cute and you can see the workers cooking. The staff here were very friendly and the food came out quickly. We got the Spicy Cucumber Salad to start and it was so yummy! The sauce was great. We got the Edamame and it was just standard. The Stir Fried Green Beans were amazing! They still had a bit of a crunch to them and the seasoning was addicting. The Chicken Soup Dumplings were good but I was expecting more flavor wise. The General Tsos chicken was pretty good but I would say it wasn't as crispy as I would like. I would come here again to try some other items on their menu. This is the perfect place to come if you want to try a little bit of everything.

This place was bomb! Food is served "tapas" style, all small bites. So many great flavors, literally nothing we didn't love! There were 4 of us and we got tons of great things to share... the crab and pork soup dumplings and the Shanghai dumplings were fan fav's! The restaurant is small but the service is great... cute vibe inside too! Long waits on the weekends but honestly worth it. The hype is real! Sorry no pics, totally forgot...

For years, I've been a big fan of Din Tai Fung and always hoped they'd open a location in Orlando. Well, they haven't but this place did, and thank you for that! I happened to be in the area the other night and stumbled across this gem. Wow, was I grateful. There were 24 tables ahead of us when we arrived, so the wait seemed long, but it moved surprisingly fast we were seated within 40 minutes. So please, don't let the wait time scare you off. It's absolutely worth it. Once inside, everything was clean and the staff was friendly and attentive. The food was phenomenal. We ordered the fried rice, Mongolian beef, scallion pancake, and the truffle soup dumplings every single dish was amazing. Flavorful and perfectly cooked. I'll definitely be coming back. One small suggestion, if anyone from the restaurant is reading this: how about some dessert dumplings? Maybe something like chocolate-filled ones? Just a thought!

Zen Dumpling is located in a large shopping plaza. There is plenty of parking all around. The restaurant is nice and clean with a modern decor. I thought it's pretty neat you can see the cooks preparing through a large glass window. We were seated right away. Our server, Ernest, was very attentive and polite. We started with a Taro Milk Tea with Boba and a Matcha Latte. Both were good. We ordered several items to share. There is one order sheet for the whole table. You are also able to use the QR code to see pictures of the menu. We tried the Cucumber Salad, Zen Chili Dumplings, Signature XLB Sampler, Shanghai Dumplings, Signature Bao Steam, Shrimp Fried Rice, General Tso's Chicken. I would like to go back and try other items.

Solid place for soup dumplings in the Waterford Lakes area. Had gone to the Jacksonville location a week or two earlier and was glad to see quality, service, and ambiance be just as good as the original location. Food was solid quality. Soup dumplings had just the right skin thickness and had plenty of soup inside. The scallion pancakes were nice and crispy and had good amounts of scallions throughout. The mini-dumplings were good as well. Nice crispy bottoms and tender skins. Keep up the good work :)

Ever since the opening in the Waterford center my family and I have been in Love with Zen. Amazing ambiance and service from the servers (especially Neon) to the food we have not been able to go a week without visiting or ordering from Zen. All their dumplings are delicious as well as all meats, noodles, rice we have tried it All and still cannot decide on the One favorite. Guess we'll have to keep doing our weekly family runs.

I was pleasantly surprised with my visit here! I actually haven't had many soup dumplings so it's difficult to compare, but the ones we tried were delicious-- classic pork and truffle. We also tried the beef and broccoli which could've been less sweet but I still liked it. Only thing I don't recommend is the shrimp dumplings. Overall everything came out quickly and it's fun to order with a group to try different things! For 3 people we spent around $30 each.

We came here today and OMG!!! This is amazing, really good food, the place was very clean and pretty. And lastly the service was great and very friendly. The dumplings, the Mongolian beef and the ham fried rice

The xiao long bao sampler tasted the sane except for the truffle. I found it tricky how to take a bite and eat the soup without it spilling which was not the case in other restaurants. Maybe the soup spoon needed to be bigger or dumplings smaller. Service was good and ambiance had a modern minimalist/clean asian look. My friend's beef noodle soup looked good though so I may give this restaurant another try. Located near/on side of the theater.

I had a lovely experience at Zen Dumpling! I'd totally agree with other reviews and would say this is this the closest thing to Din Tai Fung we'll get in Orlando. Our wait time was about 30-40 minutes for a group of 5. My favorite items on the menu were the mini bao bites, wontons, truffle pork xlb, green beans, and the beef scallion pancake. If you're going in a smaller group, the sample xlb is a perfect dish to try all or their signature dumplings. But if you want to try more dishes, I'd recommend going with a big group.

Yum!! I'm so glad this place opened up in Waterford! The soup dumplings were great! The skin was thin and it had plenty of soup inside. I also like the mini fried buns too! You can see them making it in their big window. We had tentative person taking care of us. The inside is pretty cozy and not huge. I think you should expect a wait if you come during busy dinner time but it wasn't too bad for early birds. I

Service was good and timely. I enjoyed the simple yet clever decor. The Dan Dan noodles were satisfyingly spicy and creamy. The chili wontons were good as well. All the dumplings were nicely steamed, had a good filling to wrap ratio, and were also very juicy. However, the beef dumplings and pan fried baos were lacking in flavor and just tasted bland. I wanted a more beefy flavor in the dumpling and the bao just fell flat.

Zen Dumpling in Waterford Lakes is a great soup dumpling place to try! Service: it is a small locale, so keep in mind you might have to wait a bit. To order food, you write a number next to the item you want and they bring the amount you write. Servers are friendly and have good recommendations. Service: 5/5. Food: I have been twice and I cannot stop thinking about the Sweet and Sour Baby Rib Tapa. They were fall off the bone and a great item to share with the table! If you dont know what you want I recomend the soup dumpling sampler! This allows you to try 1 of each and choose a favorite for the next time you come. My absolute favorites are the truffle soup dumpling and pork. Food: 5/5. Overall it is a great place to go and have good food. My only negative would be the price vs food ratio. You will have to spend a lot to be full. With that said I am looking forward to my next visit and try more menu items.

Found this place on facebook reels. Had to come by!! Server Gracie was great, and the ordering process was easy. Wait time was 1 hour but we just walked around the shops until we were called. It was busy in the restaurant but we were served quickly. Food was yummy--description in pictures of what we got. The plaza itself is extremely busy. We will be back!

Delicious food; so fresh and quick. Great service. Chloe was amazing! Comfortable atmosphere.

Came in on a Tuesday around 3:20pm. I was greeted and seated promptly. They give you a paper and pen menu to order. If you would like to see what the item looks like there is a QR code on the table with the menu. Also, I was seated in a booth with great lighting! Girl, you must KNOW me spiritually! I came in for a quick bite, I only wanted the Soup Dumpling w/ Crabmeat & Pork. I added a Thai Tea because I CAN'T NOT if it's on the menu. The soup was very flavorful in the dumpling. I like that the dumpling was strong and not super sticky. It only broke when I bit into it. The design and restaurant itself is neat and clean. It's not noisy as far as music. It's pretty calm unless there are patrons talking loud. One guy was in there spilling his guts to whoever he was with. He even threw in a curse word or two. Didn't ruin my experience though. I see myself coming here for my dumpling fix.

This place ins insanely good and that is the problem. It is so good that it is impossible to get a table without having to wait 40+ minutes. But when you do, you will be treated to some of the best dumplings in Central FL. You could see them being freshly made and they were steaming hot when brought to the table. The steamed Bao were excellent too. The service was great and they do not rush you which is really nice. The inside is nicely decoorated and the noise level was not too loud, even with every table filled. We loved this plae and will be back.

Gracie made my experience five stars! We came to the restaurant about 3 o'clock thinking that there was not going to be a wait and there sure was! The lady at the front which I am, assuming was the manager or potentially the owner, she was not friendly at all, but she told me it would be a little over an hour because we had a lot of people. I said no problem, I entered my name in the kiosk and left. I was expecting an hour and a half and went shopping in the area. I got a text message for 37 minutes later that the table was ready! I had to put everything in Y hand on hold, because the check out was long! We went back to the restaurant and they seated us. The restaurant is super small so it's definitely not good for strollers, let alone a double which is what I had. I would leave the stroller in the car if you can. Anyhow, we sat in a corner booth/table, and Grace quickly greeted us. She gave wonderful suggestions and we got two orders of the chicken soup dumplings, which were phenomenal! We got general tso chicken, shrimp, fried rice, vegetable lo mein, Thai tea, and brown sugar tea. Everything was fresh and excellent! My sister even ordered some food to go for her son and husband! It was a wonderful experience because of Grace and the food was so flavorful! Those soup dumplings were exquisite and hot i temperature!!! Yikes! I love that you can watch them as they make it and you can see how meticulous they are with each one. They even wear face shields, so that they are protected. The restrooms were not in the best shape, but hoping it was just because they got busy. Anyhow, I will definitely be back! Note to self: Give yourself some time, in case there is a wait. They do not take reservations. They will do very well in this area!

Delicious food. Attentive waitstaff. Super clean. Pork Soup dumplings were a favorite.

Alex was very kind, friendly and attentive. The owner, Sandy is also amazing! Food was amazing! My favorite - Zen Chili Wontons

3.5-4.0 range lunch review! No reservations and a consistent long wait? Why not connect with Resy or Open table and set it up? Well , after reading many other Yelp reviews and noticing the wait, I played the over and under game with my date and we were both right, it was estimated at an hour! It didn't look overly busy but seeing the limited space, I understood and we decided to head to Cooper's Hawk to try a wine tasting and pit a reservation from them against Zen as they were both an hour wait ! After a delicious wine tasting, we Zen reached out and we headed back there where lots of tables were available and we were seated at one. The server was prompt and very helpful. We had scanned the menu beforehand so dove right into spring rolls and ribs appetizers. The crunchy spring rolls were well done and above scale and the rib pieces had good flavor but it's chunks of ribs pieces which can be traditional but not for me. To drink, I went with both hot and iced green tea. They offered to add any fruit flavoring into the iced green tea but I went with just green. The hot green kettle had whole tea leave pieces which produced a much better flavor than the iced. Mains we ordered the shrimp fried rice and black truffle dumplings. These two dishes were average. The dumplings are made with truffle oil and while good, we're just not overly impressive. The shrimp fried rice had corn in it with minimal egg and shrimp. If you find yourself on the island known as Waterford Lakes Town Center and are craving Asian cuisine, then Zen is a decent restaurant to quench that feeling otherwise finish the shopping and head to one of the many others on Colonial Ave that have been doing this cuisine type much longer (and often, not always, with better variety). Otherwise just head to Cooper's Hawk nearby and do the wine tasting!

We came around 5:30ish on Friday and we put ourselves on the wait-list via the kiosk. We were seated 20 minutes later. The dishes were very overpriced with small portions for the price. The dan-dan noodles were small and did not include protein and not much noodles. The soup dumplings were decent. The baos and dumplings were yummy, but nothing special. Beef rolls did not have much beef and were mid temp when they arrived at the table. The service was great and the server checked up on us several times. He was helpful when we had questions about the menu. The place was well decorated. We would probably return for the soup dumplings and the bao bites, but not sure about the other offerings.

New to the Waterford Lakes shopping center! We finally have a proper Xaio Long Bao spot! They have a pretty good size menu, with a small selection of vegetarian options. I wish they had a Shrimp option without the pork for the bao though, that would be perfect! The server was very polite and patient with helping my guest and I order and find suitable vegetarian options. The modern bamboo look of the shop was very nice! Very comfortable and modern! We got the Edamame (always a crowd favorite), Dan Dan noodles and the vegetable dumplings. The noodles still had a kick with chili flakes, despite asking for non spicy. Still had a really good flavor though! The vegetable dumplings were decent, but we're very broccoli. Heavy, which I did not enjoy. My guest love them, however.

I loved it! It was as good as Din Tai Fung one of the biggest soup dumpling places known world wide. I had just came back from south east Asia when I came and I'd say I was impressed that we may have finally got a decent soup, dumpling restaurant in Central Florida!!!.

If you're looking for legit handmade dumplings, Zen Dumpling is where it's at. From the moment you walk in, the staff is friendly and the vibe is warm and inviting. We ordered the pork soup dumplings -- and WOW. So flavorful and juicy with that perfect dough-to-filling ratio. The spicy wontons had just the right amount of heat, and the pan-fried dumplings were golden, crispy, and satisfying. Even the cucumber salad was fresh and balanced. Zen Dumpling is the kind of place you keep coming back to. Great service, amazing food, and consistent quality. Highly recommend to any dumpling lover or anyone who appreciates thoughtfully made food.