4. Restaurants

Dough Zone Dumpling House

15920 NE 8th St,Ste 3, Bellevue, WA, 98008
  • (425) 641-8000
  • Store is closed

Dough Zone Dumpling House Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Visit below restaurant in Bellevue for healthy meals suggestion.

Bellevue Grille ( 100 112th Ave NE )
Bellevue Grill ( 5500 140th Ave NE )

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Amol A.

    Awesome food, good service, reasonable price.. what else do you ask for ? Seating is a bit tricky.. it seems like they are set more for large groups (say 8 to 10) or single bar style seating for 5 or so. Seating for two might be tricky unless you find an empty booth. Not to worry.. I will be there once again..

    (5)

  • Jean S.

    Finally made my way to Dough Zone with the family - we have been craving XLB, so we were super excited. I reviewed many of the previous Yelp reviews on what to order and what to avoid, so we primarily stuck with the dumplings and avoided the noodles. We ordered: pork juicy buns (XLB), jian buns, pork potstickers, congee of the day (preserved egg), spicy beef pancake roll, pickled radish, sweet and sour cucumber and Jasmine tea. I really enjoyed trying the jian buns, and I found the dual consistency of being soft on top and crispy on the bottom to be interesting. However, I didn't enjoy the overabundance of the dough despite the juicy meat filling. Of course, that is my personal preference - not having tried jian buns before, I'm not sure if it is different in other restaurants. I know other reviewers complain about the skin on the XLB being too thick, but I didn't mind it at all. If anything, I liked that it helped prevent the skin from tearing as XLBs cool and stick to the paper in the steamer. The XLB buns were filled with a delicious and clean broth, and the meat filling was juicy. The pork potstickers were just ok to us - not crispy enough on the bottom (for the swooningly best version, head to Pings in the ID). The congee was fine, nothing too exciting, but we appreciated the low price and free refills. I particularly liked eating the pickled radish with the congee, which reminds me of a Korean ban chan that also seasons dried slices of radish. I wish I liked the sweet and sour cucumber more, but it had a nutty flavor that I wasn't expecting and didn't enjoy. The spiral cut of it was very cool upon presentation but proved to be a bit of a pain to eat. The spicy beef pancake was interesting, basically a subtly spicy sliced beef and cilantro wrapped up in a scallion-less pancake like a wrap. I really enjoyed the tea service, as they come around often to fill your table's teapot with hot water. Some people have complained about the service being unfriendly - I didn't find anyone there to be warm or friendly, but they were efficient and checked on us often.

    (4)

  • Greg L.

    Good food but service marred dining experience. Food was good but service was disorganized and poor...and we had to pay for the service... So been trying to try this place since they opened, however long wait times always discouraged me from going. Today finally was able to hit the sweet spot in between lunch crowds and got seated with a party of 5 (including myself) at a reasonable time. Food was fresh and was definitely cheaper than comparable places. My favorites were the juicy crab dumplings and juicy pork dumplings. Now whether or not there was a good amount of crab in the dumpling stuffing is unknown, however the broth was definitely different than what was in the pork one which added to the novelty and flavor. I would have given this place 4 stars if not for the service. (Why 4 and not 5? I simply was not wow-ed enough to warrant 5). After we placed our order we were initially pleased at the pace that the food was brought out, however after finishing the first few dishes we found out our server had missed one of our items (jian buns). We flagged one of the servers and asked for the jian buns to be placed along with a few more orders of steamed dumplings. This server we found out also put in the wrong item onto our order which we had to correct again. We waited a bit longer for the jian buns to be brought out but were then informed we would have to wait 40 minutes for them to be brought out. (This was after seeing the same dish being brought out to other tables, who ordered after us) We decided to wait since we were there as it was and yes the jian buns were good, but from initially ordering them to finally getting to eat them there was a substantial amount of time and frustration in getting the order correct. (And yes we communicated in both English and Chinese) The kicker that topped it all off was when we got the bill. There was a service fee already added to the bill...for a party of 5. No where did I see this on the menu or posted anywhere that a service fee would be added if your party exceeded a certain number. Of course I was going to tip but I have yet been to a restaurant that charges a mandatory service fee for a table of 5 people. I sure hope that the "service fee" goes predominantly to the hard workers who are hand making the dumplings instead of the servers who kept getting our order wrong and did not once stop to refill our empty glasses. Food - 4 stars Service - 2 stars Thus - 3 stars overall

    (3)

  • Zack R.

    For those saying this is as good as or better than DTF, I think you got the wrong place. It wasn't bad at all, I'd go there again, but 20min wait at 2pm on a Sunday, or most days and times, not really worth it. I'll update my review when I come back and try more dishes, but the Xiao long bao were moderately juicy, a bit thick for a wrapper, and a bit vinnegar-y for my taste. The tsong yo bing (green onion pancake) was flat out poor -- no thickness, no outside crisp to balance an inside doughiness, greasy taste, lots of green onion (good) but all flavorless (bad). Plenty of other places for tsong yo bing, and we'll see about the other dishes soon.

    (3)

  • Jane D.

    Disorganized staff. Long waits for food. Some menu items they just did not have. This place needs Restaurant Impossible.

    (1)

  • Helena C.

    Juicy pork dumplings are much better than DTF. Try shrimp and pork dumplings. Can't wait to go back there again.

    (5)

  • Tom C.

    Pretty good, kind of pricy XLB, but I guess they are trying to compete against DTF. Good quality.

    (4)

  • Annabel L.

    Extremely authentic Chinese cuisine. Tried a number of their appetizers like Jian Bing Guo Zi and beef roll, very well seasoned and rather feeling. The cold noodles is nice. If you are looking for something plain, mushroom noodles are just about right. The soy milk was in a bowl, very much Northern Chinese street style! The line was a bit long, and so was the wait time for the food. Other than that, no complaints at all!

    (4)

  • Becky D.

    Very fast ordering, wish it had picture menu but just use yelp pictures. Minimize wait by coming right when it opens at 11 am. The "buns" are actually xiao long bao not traditional steam buns. Great alternative to dtf. The congee menu changes daily, would be great if the had it everyday. Very authentic

    (4)

  • Hattie H.

    don't order takeout from dough zone. it took 35 minutes to receive my order and another man waiting for takeout had been there quite awhile too ! while I waited, the sit down customers received steamer after steamer of buns very quickly after they ordered so obviously takeout is last priority. can't really review the food as mine was cold by the time I got it home (less than 5 min drive). place was full so if food is received in a timely manner, probably good ? may never find out

    (3)

  • Man K.

    Dumpling and noodle taste are very authentic. The only improvement I can think of perhaps is to provide S/M/L qty to customer to choose. The amount of food that we ordered wasn't enough to fill us up. If you can provide the size option with different price range, it would help!

    (5)

  • Natalie C.

    Just went there for the first time. The "front of the house" server was super NOT friendly. I was not informed how long the wait is gonna be. We had to check 3 times. Ended up it was an hour way on a Thursday. I wish I was told in advanced. When our table was ready, he didn't call our names. We had to ask, yet again. Once we sat down, we had to ask another service to order food. And the food took FOREVER to come out. For what it is, it took too long. I mean it's just dumpling. And also, we had to ask for water and napkins. Having said that, food was very good. I think their quality was better than DTF. Except for their Juicy Pork Dumpling, which has no soup inside. The rest of the food were very flavorful. Especially, the leek and mince pork dumpling! And again, we had to ask for the check. Servers didn't seem to know what they are doing! Also, major minus! They need AC, how can a restaurant with lots of steamers have no AC??? I will probably try them again for take outs. Or maybe in winter time.

    (2)

  • Tai P.

    Came to this place a couple of days ago and it was super packed. Once we were seated. It seems like there was no set waiter/waitress for every table because we had different servers bring us food and take our orders and add on's. The Jian buns took way too long to arrive. The service was at most a 3 star since it was hard to communicate when they spoke broke english.And I don't want to be super harsh since they were friendly and the place was super busy. I can't remember which noodles with soup since we ordered more than one but it was super salty. The Jian buns when they came out were excellent as well as the juicy pork buns. Also they need A/C the place is blazing hot. Would i come back? Probably but I'll just stick to the buns, pot stickers and boiled dumplings.

    (4)

  • Yerrow G.

    My new favorite place to get pork dumplings. As good as or better than din tai fung without the long wait and crazy seating policy. Plus family owned not a franchise. Try the pork ears to taste great peasant food.

    (5)

  • K F.

    We have eaten here a couple of times now and our experience has been quite positive. We would say that DTF has slightly better quality, but this place is quite comparable. The Juicy Pork Dumplings (listed as Juicy Pork Buns on the menu) are quite delicious. We also have had the sweet and sour cucumber, steamed vegetable dumplings, wonton soup, spicy noodle soup, and Jian buns. All we're delicious. We did notice that occasionally people who were seated after us would get parts of their orders before us and during peak hours the wait can be up to an hour. Service is pretty good, almost on par with DTF. Overall this is a great alternative. Just pack your patience if you come during mealtime.

    (4)

  • Rose G.

    I'm so glad we finally have an excellent authentic northern Chinese dumpling restaurant on the east side. I'm from northern China where dumpling is a signature dish we have in any celebration from family reunion, birthday, Chinese new year and mid autumn festival. I can tell the dumpling here is authentic. I found my friends from Shanghai love the place too. I've been there 5 times now and I can tell that the portion is getting bigger. I guess the owner had read the yelp reviews? I'm been eating there 5 times since opening. I had to go to during late hours to avoid the long wait. Since it's opening the 2nd location soon, I'll definitely go more often.

    (5)

  • Sebastian F.

    There was a bit of a wait for this place, but I have to say that it was worth it. The steamed pork dumplings were like a little explosion of meaty flavor in every bite. I had a soft drink, which came in a can rather than a fountain, so no free refills. The prices were quite reasonable; two items on the menu were more than enough, and I'm not exactly a tiny dude. 4 well-earned stars.

    (4)

  • Jackson L.

    Large variety, good prices, and casual place to have brunch or lunch! We had a little bit of everything like the beef noodle soup, green onion pancake, potstickers, and steamed dumplings. Thumbs up.

    (4)

  • H. L. T.

    Heard a lot of good things about this place, but honestly, but kinda disappointed.

    (2)

  • Hua L.

    Steamed pork buns are comparable to Ding Tai Feng but dumplings are not as good. Long waiting lines, slow service and many items are already sold out even during peak hours. This place has small portions, which is not a bad thing since we can try more dishes. But we waited at least 10 minutes for every dish; it feels like the waiter brought out one more dish only after we finished one which made the dining experience not pleasant. We probably will visit again after they get everything sorted out neatly.

    (3)

  • Amy L.

    Great dumplings and fast service! I would come here over Din Tai Fung. Both are equally excellent but the prices are better here and the wait is shorter. Come during non-peak times and be seated immediately. There's more of a friendly ambience here too. DTF is loud, the lighting isn't very warm, and feels massive.

    (4)

  • N-P H.

    very busy spot, so go early. tasty juicy pork dumplings, green onion pancakes are good as well. it's hot as hell there in the summer time, since there's no AC. wouldn't quite say it's better than DTF, but does give them a run for their money.

    (4)

  • Diane V.

    Even with a wait this place did not disappoint us on a busy Sunday evening. Quick service, very pleasant. The juicy pork buns were my favorite.. We also had noodles with green onions, beef pancake, veggie potstickers, marinated cucumber, and pork dumplings. I'd love to see some decaffeinated beverages on the menu and something light and sweet for dessert like mango pudding. We will be back often. Lovely food!

    (5)

  • Jennifer S.

    It was very crowded, wait time 20 m. Don't think dim sum is my thing. Felt like each item was soggy and meat was grisly. Service was great.

    (3)

  • Ying X.

    the only dish i would recommend here is the juicy pork dumpling, or soup dumpling. it's farily good. others are too small portion for the price charged. The dumpling is as good as those in Ding Tai Fung

    (3)

  • Rae W.

    The XLB was good. But when we ordered other items we were told that half of them are not available and will not be available in the future. When the place first opened, the waiters were very polite. That's also degraded over time. The waiters pretty much brushed us off when we asked questions. Overall I prefer DTF

    (3)

  • Colorlessz ..

    good food with reasonable price. waiting line is a bit long i tried twice and was told all food sold out i can not be servered, but still very good experience once we get in. very tasty Chinese traditinal food.

    (5)

  • Xiaoxiong T.

    Food is ok, JianBao is great and the only reason I come here. The service is totally a mess, I wish I could give minus stars. 1, terribly long waiting for taking out, we saw people came in after us went out before us. 2, low responsive and unfriendly waiters, no updates on the food, keep ignoring us.

    (1)

  • Alice T.

    The first time my husband and I dined here was in June with friends. The wait was about 30 minutes. The food was mostly good especially the steamy and juicy Xiao long bao. The service was ok as they forgot to fulfill a few requests the first time around and were a bit slow. The second time my husband and I introduced our parents here during their week day lunch hour in early July. There was no wait for a party of 7 including a toddler. Once we put our order in the food began to appear at our table in a timely fashion however we were missing bowls, spoons, and minor detail items. We had to request a few items a few times. The restaurant wasn't that busy but they seemed shorted staffed or confused. They confused our order of xiao long bao with shrimp baos. At one time there were three staff members at our table looking at our list. Their jia jiang mian was not impressive; I thought the mian resembled cooked instant noodles. Towards the end of our meal, my husband said we didn't receive our last Xiao long bao order nor the last chicken dumpling order. I asked the staff to recalculate the difference. They did not give us grief and we assume because it has happened before. My husband commented "they need to be more efficient or hire more people".

    (3)

  • R I.

    Dumplings are not as good as din tai fung but still decent. Also price is very reasonable. But there was one dish (egg dish) unbelievably bad! ( taste like cardboard)

    (3)

  • Annie L.

    the dumplings are very small but it was good. there aren't many shanghai restaurants in seattle that i know of...only Din Tai Fung and this one. i think it tastes better than DTF and also cheaper!

    (3)

  • Grant M.

    I've been looking for a Xiao Long Bao restaurant in Seattle for some time. The ones I get at my favorite dim sum places are pretty bad because they're not Hong Kong style dumplings so that's not their thing. I was in Vancouver and ate at the Shanghai Xiao Long Bao Restaurant and was in love so the search was on. People rave about Din Tai Fung but I'm not prepared to stand in line for an hour and pay double in a sterile chain restaurant for my XLB. Today I tried Dough Zone Dumpling House and was very impressed. You'll need to ask for the Xiao Long Bao as they're not labeled that in English on the menu (they're under the bun menu). I had Juicy pork buns (Xiao Long Bao), Jian buns, shrimp and pork dumplings, wonton in szchuan sauce and the green onion pancake. The pancake was just OK, the rest was fabulous. All of the buns and dumplings were top notch and much better than you'd get in the ID at the usual haunts (Jade Garden and Harbor City). The wontons were interesting and the sauce spicy. I'd probably order them again. Prices were OK with 3 people eating for $30.

    (4)

  • Thuy D.

    3.5 stars review. One of the better dumpling place in the East side. If you're craving and don't feel like going to DTF then this is a good alternative. Their wonton is spicy sauce is not as flavorful as DTF and their soup dumpling is not as thin as DTF though. Was quite disappointed in their noodle soup, the broth was very bland as though the chef forgot to add salt or soysauce. Service was typical chinese place, have to flag them down to get water or tea or chopsticks. We were a party of 5 but they cramp us in a tiny table. By the time we left the restaurant got extremely left, we had to squeeze between a bunch of people to exit.

    (3)

  • Ashley T.

    Dumplings and dim sum seem to be a new trend, with Din Tai Fung now open in two locations in Washington. Upon trying Dough Zone, I actually preferred the more low-key, but surprisingly fine dishes in the discreet spot behind Crossroads Mall. Note that there dishes are small, which I actually prefer in order to try more items on the menu. My family and I ordered an array of noodles, congee, and traditional small dishes. They have a great cucumber appetizer, with one cucumber shaved into a slinky-like shape and pickled in a spicy and sour sauce. The congee option is also different every day, and it's the perfect light pairing with items like the pan-fried buns and beef pancake rolls. I found all of the buns and dumplings to have a great outer layer, almost like you can get it in Taiwan. Their noodles are homemade and the texture has the right amount of chewiness. All of the flavoring is more authentic and less greasy than Americanized Chinese restaurants, and it will definitely be a go-to whenever I visit home!

    (4)

  • Yumiko K.

    For my belated birthday lunch, my girlfriends and I went out for some dumplings at this restaurant. We got there right at the peak of lunch hour, so the restaurant was pretty crowded. There was a very small space near the cash register for everyone to huddle while waiting for a table. It was rather chaotic, and I am glad it was not a rainy or particularly hot day! Their lamb sauce noodles were unfortunately mediocre at best. Crab dumplings and shrimp & pork dumplings (an entire shrimp sticking out!!) were my favourite. Their green onion pancakes were thin and crispy, which I liked. I also enjoyed pan-fried leek dumplings (I love leeks!!) We also had items such as wontons, and they were comparable to DTF. It is true that Dough Zone's menu is not as extensive as DTF; however, I did enjoy most of what we ordered. The service was not too bad either. I'd probably go back and try other items on the menu!

    (4)

  • Amy W.

    My friends were really excited to try this place and I love dumplings, sure why not. Well, I guess I've been spoiled at other places. The dumplings here are beyond small. We thought for the price we were paying, they'd be bigger than a quarter. My hunger and not wanting to break thebank could not make me over look the quality of the food itself. What does it say when we went to a regular restaurant after because we were so hungry?

    (2)

  • Emily L.

    Came here with a group and did family style for pretty much everything. I like their menu assortment, it had a good mix of things. My friend is a vegetarian so it was nice to see some great vegetarian options for her that were sharable and equally as delicious! I like their xiao long bao. In fact, I first came to this place just for it. Everything is worth a try on their menu, the only downside is that portions are small for sharing and makes it difficult sometimes and you end up ordering a lot more food to share with everyone.

    (4)

  • Victoria H.

    Jianbing Guozi is fun to try. Juicy pork buns are good.

    (4)

  • Sandy L.

    Went back there for the XLB as I didn't get it last time. Well, they tasted very similar to DTF except being much hotter. I don't think they are `so special'. The other patron I talked to last time was right: the wrapper is way too thin. The boiled chicken dumpling is good and service is very ( or even too) attentive. Beware of their appetizers, some of them can be spicy although the menu just mentioned it is topped with sesame oil.

    (4)

  • Steve H.

    Am I being generous with five stars? Perhaps, but I have no guilt in balancing the unfair reviews here. We went there last night for the first time. We had great service...which surprised me based on all of the other reviews. I spilled tea on the table and they noticed, came over, and wiped up the table. They refilled my teapot while they were at it. Three people stopped by to see if we needed anything else and our food came quickly. If there were more tables, that would help, put plenty of seating if you are willing to sit at the counter. It's weird going in here because I used to come to the pupusaria that used to be here and some elements remain. The food is good! The noodles were a pass...nothing special here and the green onion pancakes were a little on the greasy side, but the dumplings, we tried 4 varieties (pork, beef, schezuan wonton, and shrimp and pork), were delicious! I am so glad I tried this place. No 2 hour madhouse like at Din Tai Fung. Got in quickly and loved this place! By the way, we ordered a pot of tea, the pancakes, the spicy noodles, and the listed dumplings and were out the door at $34 before tip. Not a bad night out.

    (5)

  • Vineeth M.

    Great place to grab dinner after climbing at Stone Garden next door! Crowded at lunch hour, but you can waltz in at 1pm. Most of what I've tried here has been scrumptious; the dumplings and buns are a obvious choice but don't miss out on the noodles!

    (5)

  • Matt D.

    Good dumplings and pot stickers. Spicy beef roll was good too. Beef noodle soup was so so. Prices are better than Din Tai Fung and the Overlake location is closer to home so we will be back. Service was not great with frantic Asian dudes rushing around and we had to ask for some things twice, but they did seem earnest. I think you need to be aggressive to get service here so don't be shy.

    (4)

  • lee k.

    They have the Great delicious Jian Bao. I can have two orders (5/ order) to fill my satisfaction of craving for such fine food. Love their doughs including the varieties of fresh noodles... And many other small plates.

    (5)

  • jenn t.

    MSG! MSG! MSG! Been here twice. Before visiting the first time, we called and asked if they use MSG in their food. They reassured us that they don't. We trusted them, showed up, and thought the food was not bad. The XLB dumplings stands out as pretty top notch even. Thing is, both hubby and I promptly got knocked out cold as soon as we got home. Really wanting to like them and thinking that they couldn't have just so flatly lied to us, we thought that it couldn't have been MSG coma and moved on (although we both had the headache too). Second time, the XLB was still good, great even, but somehow all their other dishes were just excessively oily. As soon as we got home, MSG headache and sleepiness hit us both once again. This time I took the time to read through other reviews and found numerous other reviewers mentioning MSG... I think many MSG resilient clients would rate this place a 3-4 star, but I just can't recommend a place that would so flat out lie. Yelp should let us flag unethical practices with negative stars.

    (1)

  • Jackie H.

    I heard from alot of people that this place was good, being a foodie, I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I went with my family for a table of 4. The place was small, busy, and packed. We waited for about 20 minutes before we got a booth seating The ambience was nice and clean. We ordered beef potstickers (they tasted like regular beef potstickers, nothing special), Jian buns (my personal favorite, as they were deliciously fluffy and the bottom of the buns were slightly fried to a nice golden brown color), Szchuan Sauce Noodle (Cold), and Mix Flavor Beef (which were very suprisingly delicious and flavorful). Service was okay, when we needed assistance they were always so busy running around that they didnt pay attention to us or to any other customers. When we asked for napkins or sauces they didnt do it right away either, we had to wait a bit just to enjoy our food, which sucked. This restaurant doesnt have much food selections compared to DTF. I would say give this place a try, its either a hit or miss. I've encountered better service from other dumpling places and the food was kinda greasy.

    (4)

  • Carl S.

    This place is garbage. I'm so mad that Seattle-lites and Bellevue-lites think this is proper northern chinese food. The only thing authentic about this place is the lackluster service, and the kitchen sanitation. The dumplings were laced with MSG and chicken bullion, the noodles were fresh, but terribly overcooked and starchy, and the condiments flat-lined. Cheap grade soy-sauce pepper with stale chili flakes. Looking forward to seeing more competition enter this market to set things right.

    (1)

  • Sunny Y.

    i have mixed feelings about this place therefore a 3 star rating. The food: I LOVE LOVE some of their dishes. The pig feet soup is soo yammy and 鲜（if you know what I mean :P) I also really really like their handmade dumplings. They really taste handmade and there is an element of comforting in them. I pretty much order these two things every time I go. The wait: It is ok and reasonable for small parties, but if you have more than 5 people, the wait can be a bit long. It is a pretty small place so bare that in mind when you have a large party. The reason why I gave it 3 stars is because some of my friend got food poisoning when we went there. I was really disappointed because there is actually flies flying in the restaurant. We still ate there because we loved the food, but when my friend got home, she started vomiting and having fevers. It was not a very pleasant experience for her. We will still will go there just because of the food, but I hope that never happen again. And I do hope they take food safety seriously.

    (3)

  • Annie Y.

    It's good here. There's no arguing about that. It just gets a bit controversial when you start comparing them to Din Tai Fung. I tried the XLB and wontons in Szechuan sauce and they were both good. Really good. Of course being Korean, I had to order the cucumbers for that banchan effect. Anyway, solid, good stuff here.

    (4)

  • Smith E.

    We might not have tried this because of the mixed reviews but I'm glad a friend recommended this place. We will definitely be back! The dumplings were comparable to the ones served at Din Tai Fung for half the price and a quarter of the wait time! It has a more laid back atmosphere which I sometimes prefer as well. Getting a waiter to seat us took a bit of time but our orders came very quickly.

    (5)

  • Stephanie D.

    First and Last time I'm going to this place! First they gave us water and the paper menu. So I asked if they have Hot tea instead of the iced water, so the server told me that they have Tea options at the back of the menu and that's the first time I went some Asian restaurant and had to pay for a cup of Tea! So I still ordered Green Tea. Oh and Guess What??? Green Tea wasn't available!!! (Seriously!) so whatever we ordered food first food they served is the Beef Pancake roll- as we trying to eat the roll My bf almost ate A PIECE OF HAIR!!!! (F*** NASTY!) so while I ordered congee I have never had a congee that taste as BLAND AS WHAT THEY HAVE! I DONT KNOW HOW PEOPLE COMPARES THIS PLACE TO DIN TAI FUNG! WILL NEVER COME BACK OR SUGGEST THIS PLACE!

    (1)

  • John L.

    The food was overall very tasty. We ordered pan fried pork buns, cucumber, scallion pancake, pan-fried pork dumplings, spicy wonton, jajiang meng, and Dan Dan noodles. We loved the pan fried pork buns the most. I agree with most reviewers that the portions here are small (similar to Ding Tai Fong). I would definitely come back here again. We spend about $75(tips included) for the 3 of us.

    (4)

  • Angela H.

    I came here with my mom for a weekday lunch after hearing this place is similar to DTF but less crowded. As it's also a relatively new restaurant, I wanted to give it a try! My mom and her friends love Dough Zone because of the variety of dough-based plates available and the small-plate ordering style. Customers are given a pen and a piece of paper with checkboxes next to names of the plates, which allows for quick ordering and eating. However, I thought the dishes were pretty mediocre in taste and texture. We ordered the jian bun, xiao long bao (soupy pork dumplings), spicy rice noodles, dan dan noodles, and pig ears. After hearing great reviews about the jian bun which is essentially a small bao zi (steamed dough on top) but with a fried, crispy bottom, I had high hopes for this dish. While the pork filling inside was flavorful and tender, the top part of the dough seemed over-steamed and was almost soggy. This caused the crispy, browned bottom to also not be as crisp as it could have been. While this affected the overall texture of the buns on my visit, I could see how on a better day this dish would be extremely satisfying. Both noodles were nice in texture with light but strongly savory sauce. The xiao long bao's were solid, but the outer peels were stiffer than those of DTF. Overall, 3.5 stars for the food, but 4 stars for the attentive service and small-plate ordering style. This method isn't new to Bellevue restaurants, but is still uncommon. This restaurant is a great addition to the area!

    (4)

  • Nanda L.

    We came here on a Sunday for lunch. The place wasn't that packed yet and we got seated right away. We ordered 3 different kind of dumplings and a spicy noodle dish. Portions were small on some items but expected since the lower cost. I would come back just because the soup dumplings were good. I would say it's comparable to DTF minus the wait. DTF isn't that good to begin with so I rather come here than waste time standing in line.

    (4)

  • Kirill Z.

    My first impression from this place was good, but upon going there second time, I don't think I can give it more than 3-star. On a busy day, it was loud to the point of being frustrating. People were talking non-stop and on top of that, the restaurant had music blasting above my head. The service is what you'd expect in an average Chinese joint. Although the hostess told me they don't use MSG, I am pretty sure she just lied through her teeth. I am quite sensitive to MSG and the dumplings knocked me out for two hours. Anyways, not hating this place, but not loving it either; it's just Okay. ... Actually, you know what, I've updated my review to give these guys a 1 star. If you have MSG in your food, fine, have it, and feed it to people who eat MSG. For the rest of us, we'll go somewhere else. Just don't lie to your customers!

    (1)

  • Yvonne C.

    this is a comparable alternative to Din Tai Fung, though in addition to seeing regular workers behind the counter, you also see a grandma running the joint. legit! - crab & pork XIAO LONG BAO varieties -- while tasty, it was hard for me to differentiate between the two, even after a second ordering of both; - the SCALLION PANCAKE was quite good, soft rather than crisp; - LAMB NOODLES weren't too spicy and came with ground lamb and sauce. our group of 5 each had a sampling of this, but definitely could've been a small order for one; - SPICY NOODLES were tossed with a dry spice mix (not saucy nor soupy noodles). the szechuan peppercorns were quite potent though not overbearing. this was definitely something unique that i've never had before - VEGETARIAN STEAMED DUMPLINGS were good but the MARINATED EGG and BEAN CURD should be skipped - the SHENG JIAN BAOs (pan fried pork buns) also weren't much to write home about - CONGEE is offered on a daily special basis; not all varieties are offered everyday. comes as a small bowl but free refills we were told that the beef and pancake rolls were a popular pick, but opted to skip it here as one of us had ordered it before and thought it was just 'meh'. there was a bit of a communication issue in trying to get some requests across, but nothing major. the large communal table in the middle provides more than enough space for a larger group.

    (3)

  • Norman L.

    Great dumpling place near crossroads mall. The prices are lower than din tai fung but the food is pretty comparable. The dumplings were juicy and good. If you have a craving for dumplings this is a good place to visit. I'd go again.

    (4)

  • lux l.

    Decent XLB, better than DTF. When they had first opened, food was flavorful, quick and friendly service. Although portions were small but atleast if it was good then I wouldn't mind paying for the price as good food doesn't come by easily around here. Went back a few more times, seems to not be as impressive as the first time or that the head cook went elsewhere. They've opened another location in Redmond.

    (2)

  • Su W.

    This place is wonderful. They have the best Xiao Long Bo in town. Clean and comfortable environment with a great service. It's a very rememberable had dinner here!

    (5)

  • Theresa L.

    First time ever here. First walked in thought how well it was lighted up and looked clean. Place was busy. I was offered a bar seat by the hostess which I declined and waited a short time for a table. We ordered shortly after seating and food came out promptly. Everything was hot and tasted good. We were a little annoyed by two minor mistakes where we didn't order noodles but came to our table and someone else paid for their meal and their change came to us even though it was for the table next to us. The staff seems a little disorganized. I liked this place better then Din Tai Fung. Can't wait to go back again:)

    (4)

  • Alison G.

    My parents have been talking this place up so trying it out only seemed appropriate. Apparently there are a lot of comparisons between this restaurant and DTF but I haven't been to either... so with that out of the way, I'll get started. We arrived on a weekday afternoon - about 40% of the restaurant was full. Ordered the jian buns, juicy pork dumplings, sesame oil cucumber, veggie dumplings, and house special noodles. Nobody is kidding when they mention how great the jian buns are. I had no idea what to expect except that they were something I wanted to try. Pan fried till crispy at the bottom, soft steamed bun texture upon the initial bite, and a juicy, flavorful explosion from the pork inside - oh man, it was love at first bite. The other food we ordered tasted delicious as well. I was hesitant about ordering noodles because nobody seemed to really include raving reviews about them but our order turned out quite enjoyable. Imagine a bowl of noodles topped with a light mushroom gravy, chunks of mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts, and cilantro on top. The staff was so nice and informative from the beginning to the end of our visit. Service was quick and efficient. So happy to have an affordable dumpling house here on the Eastside!

    (4)

  • Steven J.

    Here again. ..so good! The juicy pork buns are outstanding. ..be sure to use the small bowl for vinegar and ask for fresh chopped Ginger root to add in to make a simple sauce. Get a soup spoon, dip the bun into the vinegar Ginger sauce, slide it into the spoon and dump it in. ....it literally explodes with flavors. ...outstanding

    (4)

  • Lucy C.

    We wrote our name and number in our party upon arrival, waited about 20 minutes and received great service after we sat down. Each dish came out promptly and our water was consistently refilled. The juicy pork dumplings (buns on the menu) are almost as good as Din Tai Fung (and cheaper). The jian buns are delicious. The wontons in sechuan sauce are tiny tiny bites, but were good. Otherwise, the rest of the food that i had was okay. The beef stew ("staw" on the menu) was a bit salty and the green onion pancake was bland and dry. Knowing what i don't like, i will stick to the items that i did like the next time i visit, but i wouldn't wait too long to get a table here. That being said, i would never wait more than 30 minutes for Din Tai Fung either. The menu needs a little editing: buns should be dumplings, szchuan/sechuan, mushroom instead of mashuroom, etc. Not super important, but it's just something that i noticed they don't pay attention to. Also, the table next to us sat down and ordered after us, but i noticed they received dishes that we also ordered before us. Then one of the cooks in the back came out and said hi. Our food didn't take much longer to come out after, so I'm not complaining too much. This place has a few flaws, but great authentic food and decently priced. I will be visiting again soon, hopefully when it's not too busy.

    (4)

  • Angelina X.

    Excellent Chinese food, very authentic and yummy! We love to come here all the times. It is always crowded on the weekend so make sure you come early!

    (4)

  • Steve M.

    Really tasty and worth the wait. I'll call out three especially tasty things. The jianbing guozi, kind of a fried crepe, was very good! The juicy pork dumplings were terrific. Finally, the shrimp and pork dumplings were excellent (we ended up getting two orders of these and the jianbing.) It does take a while to get seated, but the food came out quickly (there are menus near the cash register that you can take; we just marked what we wanted before seating.)

    (4)

  • Hui S.

    Went in 11:30am on a Tuesday and this place is half full. If you love Din Tai Fung, you should love the food here. They know the trick to make juicy XiaoLongBaos. Vegetables I ordered look fresh and are not overcooked. Love this place and I know I'll go again soon.

    (4)

  • Tamisra J.

    Finally found a good place for dumplings. It is a small restaurant & the wait staff aren't the most efficient but the food more than makes up for it. Loved the juicy pork dumplings. My daughter who is not a big fan of dumplings finished off an entire order!!! I loved the noodles too. They were very flavorful. I would much rather visit Dough Zone than Din Tai Fung.

    (5)

  • Yi F.

    I really like the pork potsticker, juicy and soft. Crab meat bun is awesome, too. Almost all dishes are great. It is worth a try.

    (4)

  • Lisa N.

    Not a fan and probably won't go out of my way to return since I don't live on the Eastside, but the food was passable and I would come back if someone else wanted to try it and I happened to be around. The shenjianbao were unavailable when we visited so I was pretty disappointed, as they were what I was looking forward to the most. We ordered xiaolongbao which were small and the dumpling skins were on the dry side, but they were inexpensive so it wasn't a heartbreaker. The spicy wontons were incredibly disappointing, tasting literally like they came out of a frozen bag of dumplings and were boiled, not drained properly, then tossed into a bowl with some spicy sauce. The flavor was bland and they were definitely filled with extra water and the sauce was nothing like I was hoping for (it was definitely not like the DTF spicy wonton sauce). We also got some green onion dumplings, which were actually my favorite thing. They were wide and flat, kind of like a Chinese empanada, and pan-fried to add a nice crisp. The dan dan noodles were also fine, but not amazing. Portions are small, but sharable. The long wait for this food baffles me, but maybe I was ordering the wrong thing. People mostly rave about the shenjianbao, which was the only thing I wanted. If I'm in the area again I'll pop in and see if they're available, but I'm not going to make an effort to come back.

    (3)

  • Thomas L.

    Very small compare to Din Tai Fung (DTF) but the juicy dumplings are definitely on par if not better than DTF: there is more broth in them and are slightly cheaper than DTF! We tried a variety of other things including the spicy beef burgers, beer wrap, silk tofu in hot sauce. All were very good. Another plus compare to DTF, lines are nowhere near as long!

    (4)

  • Hingdi B.

    3.5 stars - They've got some amazing dishes, but you have to know what to order. Parking: lot/street - there's parking right past the restaurant in a lot Ambiance: Looks a bit like DTF with the plexiglass around the dumpling making station. It's small, but newish with Chinese paintings on the walls, etc. Service: Good, but they are SUPER busy! They've only been open a few months and they already had a huge waiting list around dinner. We got there at 5pm and still had to wait 30 min. I saw the sign-in wait list and about a 3rd of the people just left because of the wait. They don't accommodate large groups very well (we had 7). If you've got a small group and are willing to sit bar-style then there isn't a wait. Service was pretty good, they came by frequently to fill water. Food: The Good: 1. Jian Buns - Wow! There's a reason why every single table ordered this! The meat filling has tons of flavor, the outside is just the right texture - soft yet chewy and the bottom crispy. You must order this!!! 2. Pan fried dumplings (potstickers) - Okay, so this is the obligatory dish I get for my son, but I tried it and was blown away - The filling is possibly the best filling I have ever tasted in a dumpling and add the crispy wrapper - wow - I'm definitely getting this one again. 3. Boiled pork dumplings - good flavor in the meat and cooked just right. 4. Juicy pork dumplings (xiao long bao) Nice flavor and juicy, I didn't mind the skin being a little tough, but they really need to serve it with julianned ginger and sauce. I'd still get this again though. So-So: 1. Green Onion pancake - kids LOVE this! Was just so-so for me, very flaky which was nice, but I like more of a chewy crispy texture. 2. Sweet and sour cucumber - they have a nice twist to this dish (literally and figuratively :) ) The cucumber is cut in a long spiral and the flavor has some spicy oil to it - very nice. 3. Spicy Beef pancake roll - I liked this one, but not as much as the one at FE. It wasn't spicy but still had good flavor and the pancake is the same one as the green onion which is pretty good. The spicy things on here aren't spicy - I couldn't taste much difference between the spicy and non-spicy versions. Not so much: 1. Jianbing Guozi - Chinese crepe (dan bing) wrapped around Chinese doughnut (you tiao) - not crispy and didn't have any flavor to save the dish. 2. Mixed flavor beef - Very blah - not much going on here. Ordering it spicy didn't even help. 3. Beef Noodle soup - aka beef staw noodle soup - not much beef, over priced, but taste is okay. Get this dish elsewhere. Recommendation: All in all, not bad, we'll probably be back, but I'm not sure why people say it's a lot cheaper than DTF because when we left it was still a hefty bill.

    (3)

  • Juz C.

    I so love their Xiao long Pao. It's the cheaper version of Din Tai Fung. They may not have fried rice available still I could just eat their dumplings alone and I would be so full! It's so near our place and sometimes we can just watch movies right after eating here. But take note that sometimes lines are long so I suggest get some take outs instead.

    (5)

  • Andy Z.

    lunch food: ordered a variety of items. not quite like dim sum, but all the portions are small. i prefer it this way so i can try everything. we had 5 people and we ordered about 10 things are so. all the food was good. i liked the cucumber dish, even the presentation alone is cooler. i believe the soup base is the same or very similar for everything. we used it to dip and sauce up all the other foods. its flavorful and a bit spicy depending on what you have ordered. the noodles were decent, almost ramen like. the beef pancake roll is good. lots of meat and veggies. and of course the dumplings. if you really want to compare it to the local alternative, i say yea its comparable. its just as juicy and delicious. ***5/5 service: it was a long wait to get a table. seating for 5 took about 30 to 40 minutes and we were there around 11. service is kind of slow too since they were so busy. it was always a different server helping our table. sometimes its a girl and sometimes its a guy or another guy. it was hard to ask who to help us. food came out slow. i know we had 5 people. but as soon as something hits the table, the food is gone. so we had to sit there patiently item after item for food. ***3/5 ambiance: the place is kind of small for the amount of people its calling. there were people waiting outside and a small waiting area inside. i dont think they utilized the seating area very well. there was one group that took a table of 10 but only seated 6. they couldve freed up a table for another group. it was well lit and clean. theres a bar area somewhat like a sushi place. thats a first for me at a dim sum place. it works if youre not ordering a lot. ***3/5 value: i like the style of smaller items so i can try everything. and its best if your group is big enough. just a bite of each. the only bad part is when its too good and you dont want to share. for 5 people we left for under $50 before tip. totally worth it. cheaper than any other dim sum place. usually for 2 people i spend up to $25-30. i eat a lot. might be the fact that i actually have to wait for the food to come so my brain was able to tell me to stop eating less. ***4/5

    (4)

  • Meidan W.

    I had a very very very terrible experience at here! I got class around the restaurant,so I usually go there have lunch! I usually go there with my classmates. But the female waitress have soooooo bad service to us. My classmate order a vegetable fried dumpling, but after my classmate eat she notice it's not vegetable one. It's pork fried dumplings.And we thought they gives us wrong order because I ordered pork fried dumpling. After I tell the female waitress she give me the pork fried dumpling from my classmate that she just ate! I couldn't believe that ! It's soooooo gross! I doubt is there really clean? How can they do this ! Waitress didn't say sorry to us and just leave !!!!!!!!!!!! I just want everybody to notice this crazy waitress girl! She wear a glass .and ponytail style hair.Anyway I still give her tips!

    (1)

  • K B.

    Knockouff of Din Tai Fung. Food is a dollar cheaper in terms of the ones that are knocked off and they contain the exact same ingredients. The ones that are their own are horrible such as -- their appetizers. Customer service was okay, it was kind of gross watching them using their fingernails to scratch out the food that you got while you're eating. They messed up on our order on one of the items as well, they were not sorry.

    (2)

  • Eneri S.

    Ordered the Jian Bao, Xiao Long Bao, and porridge. The porridge was bland so we put what we thought was soy sauce in it. Who puts vinegar in a soy sauce bottle? The vinegar label was all faded. On the plus side, the porridge had free refills. Both dumplings had good flavor but we had to ask for the fresh ginger for dipping. Cheaper than Ding Tai Fung but the dumplings were smaller also. Service was efficient and we had no problem communicating in English.

    (3)

  • Michael Y.

    Well let's be totally honest people it is not Din Tai Fun (DTF) by a long shot. You can't even begin to compare the two. It is like comparing Ruth Chris steak house with Black Angus. The food is decent and it would be preferred over some other places. The variety is limited and the food, while it tastes pretty good, is not as fine or fresh. For example the tofu did not taste as fresh as it could have. The beef in the beef stew noodles were like cut up cubes instead of whole chunks of fresh and tender like you would get in the same dish at Din Tai Fung. There's no question that DTF is the gold standard. This place is a distant second. That being said the Xiao Long Bao was quite good.

    (3)

  • Huide Y.

    Foods are ok. Too many people. We were arranged at a seat on pass way with super wide table, my wife and I can hardly reach the food sine the table is stupid wide. And I keep hearing "excuse me"because the need pass to serve other customers. Terrible experience!not recommend.

    (1)

  • Howard L.

    No A/C, hot and humid. Sticky tables, and sticky boothes accompanied by baby fruit flies circling my food like condors in the desert. Dumplings? Yea, they's aighttttt. $8.50 for 10 McNugget sized morsels may be a little rich for my blood. Overall, everything I ate...hmmm, maybe sampled is a better description. Overall, everything I sampled is between 3-4 stars. Comparable to Down To Fung? Maybe a smidge below. Presentation, atmosphere, location, service, immigrant diversity, and lack of beer will place this estab. In the 2.5-3 star category. Especially the lack of beer! The temperature must have risen 7℉ walking through the front portal. It felt like I was in the tropics, except with ESL (English as Second Language) dumpling ninjas behind me. Since I already had my flippy floppies on, I just wanted an ice cold beer. Testosterone was running on fumes and I needed to refuel. DENIED. I am not a huge fan of DTF, but they went up a notch in my book after this experience. DTF has A/C, spotless dining room (most of the time), and a mascot. A MASCOT!! #PandaExpress Would I return? If there is happy hour, and outdoor seating that is not chained up by the teriyaki sensei next door. I can smell the tension, MSG rather.

    (3)

  • Vivian N.

    The wait is definitely shorter than DTF, but the food isn't as good. Its hard to get the waiters attention, and they took my food before I was even done, but he realized it and gave it back... all is good. This place is okay.

    (3)

  • Michael W.

    Great place to get soup dumplings for half the price of the dumplings at DTF. The other dishes are ok. Some of the rolls are a bit doughy and strange.

    (3)

  • Bruce C.

    It's ok. We liked the jian buns and the so-called juicy pork dumplings were not bad, but not stand-out. Green onion pancakes needed a bit more salt. Broccoli was presented nicely, but very bitter. Red bean dumpling for dessert needed to be sweeter. Dough in general slightly on the too fluffy side; I like it a bit firmer.

    (3)

  • Vince S.

    I wish I could give a 4.5, but I can't round down so I'll go with a 5. This place has great dumplings. I mean, freaking great. Order the juicy pork dumplings and I guarantee you won't regret it. The steamed beef dumplings tasted great too. Also, order the pan fried leek dumplings. It's like a leek pie sandwich and it's absolutely delicious. Super-green leeks and crispy-soft dumpling dough. Great finger food if you don't mind wiping your hands. My only problems with Dough Zone are the wonton soup and the napkins. The wonton soup was rather watery. The broth couldn't have been very old. That and the napkins are flimsy. If you're gonna give me delicious, juicy dumplings then give me a way to clean off my face! Seriously though, this place is great. Warm, but great. Go get you some dumplings. And a leek thing. Man, that leek thing...

    (5)

  • Jinny H.

    I liked it a lot. The cucumber side dish is really yummy! I wasn't a fan of the beef rolled pancake thing but the dumplings and wonton were delish.

    (4)

  • Yugg O.

    Not bad, but certainly not on par with Din Tai Fung. The xiao long bao was good and so was the larger pan fried pork buns. Everything else was mediocre or worse, including the congee and spicy noodles with minced pork. At least they didn't screw up the milk tea.

    (3)

  • Jen H.

    So glad we found this place! We are huge fans of the juicy pork dumplings from Din Tai Fung but lately have been discouraged to go there because of the ridiculous wait. Since they opened their new location at the U village the wait has gotten much worse in Bellevue. Looks like their most efficient staff was relocated to Seattle. The good news is that the juicy pork dumplings from Dough Zone are just as tasty and with zero wait (granted we went at 3pm on a Sunday but at Din Tai Fung the wait would have been 1 hour at the same time). The bad news is that you have to practically beg for the ginger if you like to make the sauce for your dumplings and the menu does not offer as many delicious sides like Din Tai Fung.

    (4)

  • Clayton J.

    I would love to give these guys 4, if not 5 stars, but for the following reasons, they didn't earn it. 1) Unorganized 2) Slow 3) Portion It's possible that more people were outside trying to get in than there was inside eating. They had a waiting list, but it was poorly managed. They They would call your name inside, then call your name outside, then dial your phone. If you were gone, they allowed you to come back. In a situation where the wait was already an hour, a full table would sit empty waiting for someone to return. Sorry, if you can't stay on the property, you don't want to eat there. The irony is they don't take reservations, but they will hold a table for your to return. This is also why I called them slow, they made poor use of time and space. They had plenty of staff, yet orders were not being taken quickly and we had to beg multiple times for water. Prices were fair, but in a couple cases the portion was slow. The Potstickers and Buns were fairly priced, but I personally had the Wonton Soup and I can tell you that I have paid less than half their price for the same portion. It's a big huge bowl, but inside of that huge bowl is a basin that only holds about 10oz of soup. I should have had 24oz of soup easy for that price. With that out of the way, I have to say that this was the most delicious dumpling you will find on the eastside and better than 99% of what you will find on the west side. Everyone that worked here was also friendly, but the lack of organization just made them look like a group of people trying to put out a fire with buckets even though there is a hose on the premises. Two things are going to make this place a mainstay is 1) A better plan on how to seat and serve customers. 2) They are going to need a bigger space. Anytime you got more people outside than inside you are doing your business a disservice. Again, great people and great food. They have all the promise in the world of being a 5 star business.

    (3)

  • Qiong S.

    XLB is one if the better ones. I'm from Shanghai where XLB is at every street corner as cheap eats, so I'm a XLB snob. Dough Zone's got the dough right, but the flavor is not as good as the one in DTF. The shrimp pork dumpling is damn good. The spicy Sichuan noodles is very good! Overall, I like it better than DTF! Service is not bad. Will go again to try the rest of the items on the menu.

    (4)

  • Alia Z.

    I found this place rather friendly, and they were willing to work with a large group last minute on a Saturday. The food is really great. I only wish they had beer and air conditioning.

    (4)

  • Jacob W.

    The pinnacle of XLB or juicy pork dumpling perfection is lots of hot, flavorful juice, tender filling, and a delicate wrapper that doesn't break. I'll have to say Dough Zone comes real close to perfection. At least closer than any other place in Seattle. It's better than DTF. There I said it. I have always thought DTF's XLB were just ok. The immense satisfaction of slurping a perfect XLB is delivered in spades at Dough Zone. Very very juicy, hot, and packed with flavor. Some may find it salty but salt is flavor!! The wrapper is delicate yet holds up and there was no leakage. The other food is OK and I will be back to try more dishes. I had a beef roll which lacked the traditional hoisin sauce but was good enough without it. The wonton soup was good as well. But nothing too special. Main star at this visit was definitely the XLB though!

    (4)

  • John S.

    Just stopped by today. After several years of searching this is first place in the Seattle area we have found shen jian bao! In English they are listed as jian buns - $8.50 for 5. Yeah!!! In terms of quality ours were very good but not quite in the same league as Yang's in Shanghai. They were a little soft - maybe ask for them extra crispy. And their pot stickers and beef pancakes are great.

    (4)

  • Jolie N.

    Food: tried juicy pork. Tastes delicious just like Din Tai Fung. We also tried other dishes, it's good but different. Price: cheaper than Din Tai Fung so I'm happy Atmosphere: friendly, attentive, and clean. Will definitely come back! I'm giving 5 stars because other dishes are not as comparable to Din Tai Fung.

    (4)

  • shirley l.

    Got food poisoning. But I don't know from which dish :( But they're getting a 3 star rating because service was on point (water was always filled), kitchen was cranking out food in a timely manner and there were a few dishes i would risk maybe getting food poisoning for - you know, only cause I don't know which dish did it in for me.. Likes: boiled beef dumplings, juicy pork dumplings, Jian buns and cucumbers (suggestion for the restaurant: slice the cucumbers for me please! Not fun to have to do it myself) Prices are also pretty fair, especially compared to DTF. Dislike: lamb sauce noodles-tasted only chili flavor, nothing else, super disappointing. And the beef sandwich thing was just ok-I'd eat it if nothing else was around and I was hungry but I wouldn't spend money on it again. Also didn't like that there was only one choice for congee a day =\ Also - no AC kinda sucks. This means they leave the door open and while you eat, you have to fend off giant flys. Doesn't make the eating experience fun.

    (3)

  • Irving Z.

    The food was tasty and seemed healthier than most Chinese places. They didn't cook with a lot of oil. The pan fried dumplings were very good and juicy. Their house special noodles were quite good for not having any meat in them.

    (4)

  • Darrel D.

    Being a proper din tai alternative says a lot. Affordable pot stickers, free refill congee(!), and of course the comparable to din tai juicy pork dumplings. Met my expectations.

    (4)

  • Clinton T.

    Well the table next to us must have been the ones writing the 5 star reviews as they received exceptional service and their food came flying out of the kitchen. We unfortunately did not receive the same level of service. Maybe because I came with a white guy or maybe because those reviews were paid for in dumplings. The food: The beef wrap was good, The XLB were good, the shrimp and pork dumplings were ok, but extremely annoying to eat with the tail attached. Dumplings should not require more than stuffing the pouch of goodness in your mouth. The wontons in szechuan sauce were disgusting. They were overcooked and mushy. It was like a bowl of snot with some hot sauce and green onion sprinkled on top. The rest: A little cheaper than DTF but the few bucks you save are not worth it. The service sucked. We waited forever for our check and had to ask twice while the first guy we asked walked past us eleventy billion times. The worst: We were still hungry after the tiny portions of everything and asked if we could have another order of XLB...25 min wait...what!? We bounced. Sticking with DTF for my dumpling cravings.

    (1)

  • Theresa C.

    I went here twice in one week, Friday at 11am and Saturday at 5:30pm and there was no wait. The place filled up quickly and there was a short wait about an hour later for each visit. Not bad considering the hour plus wait at DTF sometimes. The ordering process was a little confusing, since they have the jian buns on the check sheet, but apparently they can't be ordered. The jian buns only come around dim sum style and are made in batches and brought out. We were told they noted we wanted a plate, but not until we asked did they go check and bring it to our table. With that said the jian buns are like a char siu bun bread filled with the soup/pork of the xiao long bao, pan fried on the bottom. The buns were very tasty with the sweet bread and salty filling. Of course we ordered the xiao long bao as well, we tried the pork and the crab juicy buns and I would say the pork ones are tastier and at a better price point. The wrappers are nice and thin and pork/soup is flavorful inside. My only criticism is that they don't have soup spoons at the table to help with consumption of these little soup morsels. You must ask before they present a soup spoon. We also tried the steamed pork/shrimp dumplings, while a tad bit pricy for 6 dumplings, they were probably my favorite dumplings of the day. Another favorite was the pork boiled dumplings, which had pork/black fungus/and veggies inside (similar to HK siu-kau). The items that were on the not so tasty list were the leek pancake/beef burger/beef rolls. All three of these appetizer items lacked depth of flavor. I was expecting the beef rolls and burger to have a sauce inside, instead they were dry and flavorless. Some service items to note, the food takes forevvverrr plus some to come out (1.5 hours for four items). Hopefully that will be worked out in the future. Also they mixed up the pork and crab buns for us on our second visit and ended up just giving us an extra steamer full of pork buns for the mistake (free food is always good). If you want to try the elusive jian buns, you must be persistent and annoying, or another table will end up with your order. Overall, I say the stand outs are anything that ends with the word dumpling. Everything else is mediocre.

    (4)

  • Chariya S.

    Came here for lunch to celebrate our 13 years anniversary. My eyes got hungry and ordered a little bit of almost everything bc it was so cheap! We ended up sampling a little bit of everything. The bill came to close to $80. Everything we've ordered were delicious. Service was great! Would come back only if we are in the area, but won't let my eyes do the ordering. I'll let the tummy decide instead.

    (4)

  • E F.

    Delicious, and pretty reasonable. I did find the spicy wontons rather tiny. Might be better with a slightly sweeter sauce. But I'm glad they exist. I went last night around 6, and there were open tables. But I sat at the bar as a single and wanted to watch them make dumplings. It gets pretty noisy when they're full. Which they got rather quickly.

    (4)

  • C C.

    Hands down, The BEST pork dumplings! I could eat a dozen of these! Yes, they're better than Din Da Fung.

    (5)

  • jean w.

    Let me preface. The food is great! If I were to review the food, it would read exactly the same as every single review. So why bother rehashing it? I want to share why I gave 2-stars. What could possible leave a bad taste in my mouth after I'd said their food was fantastic? Well, i guess my gripe is with their business practices. When we arrived, I said we have 4 ppl with a baby. We were a family with two boys and a baby girl. I told them, specifically, we cld sit at a table for 4 and asked if they would be ok if we parked the stroller next to us since our baby isn't going to be eating any table food. While waiting, we read on the menu that they would charge gratuity for 5 or more. So when we were seated at a table for 4, I again told the waitress we won't need a setting for our 6-month-old and pointed to the plate with a plastic spoon and fork saying we won't need them. She acknowledge and proceeded to write "5" on the tab. Then she came back with a cup of water with a straw. I told her we won't need it, but she left it on the table. When the tab came at the end, we realized why they were making such a big deal about making sure our baby got "service". We got charged for the standard 15% gratuity. Shame on them... We are 20% tippers, but since they soooo wanted to get their 15%, we let them have it. I guess this is a buyer beware type of review. They really want their 15% gratuity.

    (2)

  • Lora I.

    Meh... decent place, but I definitely would not have it over Din Tai Fung. Dumplings were kind of falling apart and were overdone. Also, I saw a waiter shove his hands into a trashcan to push something in, then proceeded to go grab food and serve it to people... without washing his hands. Yeah...

    (2)

  • Cotten S.

    Second visit, and the verdict is pretty much all the dough items are really good, guess that's why they're called Dough Zone. The dough texture and taste is perfect and fresh. Recommend the juicy pork dumplings, pan fried leek dumpling, jian buns, and green onion pancake. The cold fresh fruit taste seafood was a tasty appetizer. Pork ear needs work and not a fan of the noodle with sechuan sauce. Service was okay, filled water promptly, but let the empty dishes stack up on the table.

    (4)

  • Seth H.

    Great Dumplings, good prices, great service, clean and stylish place

    (5)

  • Danielle M.

    Disappointed, perhaps due to many good reviews and compared to DTF. I just move here from San Francisco, have to say what I've ordered really just so-so (XLB, jianbing guozi, two other noodles). The XLB and noodles are just ok, but actually pricy compared to their size (I'm serious, especially XLB, can't image such small ones while not that tasty for nearly $9 in SF bay area ). For jianbing guozi, why those reviews are so happy with them? Just because it's so difficult to get one in US? Seriously? I'd rather made one my own Sorry, maybe it's already one of the best authentic Chinese restaurants here. That's why I give it 3 start instead of 2... Update: tried DTF last week, and also came here again. Now I feel here is a better place! It's XLB is better than DTF, also good fried bun, douhua. Soup noodle is delicious. The only thing is, portion too small

    (4)

  • Vyjayanthi R.

    After being informed of a 3 hour wait at Din Tai Fung one Saturday evening, we decided that it was time to find a new dumpling destination, one that didn't involve an excruciatingly long wait time. Dough Zone to the rescue!I was impressed that they were able to seat our group of 13 really soon after we arrived. We were ravenous so we proceeded to order what seemed like several of every item on the menu! The green onion pancakes were spectacular, my favourite of the meal. There were two other appetizers - one cucumber based and another cabbage based (can't remember their names unfortunately) - and both were delightful as well! I thought I was full from all of this but the vegetarian dumplings and pot stickers were so great that I ended up eating several of them as well. And a giant meal for 13 people cost us just about $207 +tip (under $20 per person!). The staff were super nice and the service extremely fast - we had our food within 15 minutes of ordering. Couple of minor differences from DTF: 1. No alcohol 2. No boba/smoothie drinks Won't stop me from going back here!

    (5)

  • Josh H.

    Definitely a fan. Cheap and cheerful with great food. I've been to several dumpling places around and while it doesn't have the ambiance that some of the others have, the food is as good or better. It's not a huge place so there's sometimes a wait for a table but once you get seated the food is quick to come out. I've tried most things on the menu because what we usually do is just order a bunch of stuff and share it family style. When we do that, it usually ends up working out to about $15.00 a person. I wish they had a better beverage selection as they have canned sodas (pepsi or diet pepsi) and no alcohol.

    (4)

  • Thao P.

    I order Lamb Sauce Noodles, Spicy Beef Wrap, Spicy Sauce Wonton, Beef Burger, Jian Bao?, and the Leek Pancake. Fairly saying that this place disappointed me much. Price range firstly is not that cheap in compare with the portion of food. This is the first time I came here and there wasn't anything that impressed me much. Quality of food is average. The tastes were poor. I was expecting something as competitive as Din Tai Fung but it turned out that it wasn't. Services are not so good if I'm not gonna say it's bad. I ordered a lot. They forgot my soup that I was anticipating to try the most. They don't really serve the fresh food I think. We got stomachache and badly turned out we stuck in the toilet for that night. Very bad experience. I don't want to sound like bastard. But yeah never try this place again. It may be just for me, you can always try and see how it feel.

    (2)

  • Kayla S.

    From what I understand, "juicy buns" are also called "soup dumplings" but correct me if I'm wrong. We had Dough Zone's juicy pork buns and life will never be the same. Put this little cute bun into your mouth and POOF, the most delicious and tasty broth explosion happens. The service was so quick despite how busy they were when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon. It was awesome! I will now always be on the search for more juicy buns or soup dumplings because they are probably my most favorite thing ever. At least for the next few months. :) Also enjoyed immensely: sweet and sour cucumber, spicy beef pancake roll and the potstickers!

    (4)

  • Jess L.

    If you've been to Din Tai Fung (DTF) in Bellevue Square, you should set your expectations appropriately before eating here. Some of the reviews here mention that it's better and cheaper than DTF. Cheaper? Yes, but unfortunately you get what you pay for. I tried the boiled "shui jiao" and it tasted like the ones you can buy frozen from the supermarket. The traditional "shao loong bao" were pretty good, but they tasted kind of fishy for some reason. The food is very clean though. I went during non-busy hours and found their service to be extremely good (contrary to what others have mentioned during busy hours). They are very polite, accommodating and attentive. The decor is also very nice and clean, although they're randomly located next to some teriyaki and Mexican restaurants on the edge of Bellevue's shop locations. Basically, if you're looking to save some money (but also are willing to compromise on taste), this is a good place to satisfy your dumpling cravings. Otherwise, you're probably better off heading to Din Tai Fung which has better dumplings and a wider selection of other food.

    (4)

  • Irwan N.

    Love their dumplings. Pork Xiao Long Bao and steamed pork dumplings. ordered several noodles dishes, and our top two favorite ones are Dan Dan noodle and pork noodle. Their onion pancake is good and don't forget the pig ears. Our orders all came out pretty quickly. Overall, good and attentive service.

    (4)

  • Amy N.

    Walked by this place on my way to a difference restaurant and realized it was packed with people waiting. I took a paper menu and returned a different day with my friends. I took the advice from another Yelp review that said to say that the bar was OK and we were seated much faster than the others that were waiting! The dumplings here were good! I'd say stick to the buns and steamed dumplings. The pot stickers were a little meh.. I didn't care for much else, we got two orders of noodles, the szechuan one and another one they just gave us because they got someone else's order wrong. They were both alright. After being there for a while I realized why they had such a ridiculous wait. They don't really know how to run their restaurant quite yet, they had a lot of miscommunication and all the waiters were running around everywhere, doing who knows what. Hopefully they'll get better at it soon, not sure how long they've been open but they operate like a new restaurant I really enjoyed the dumplings here. It's been a while since I've been to Din Tai Fung, but I'd probably come here get take out than brave the line or take out at Din Tai Fung.

    (4)

  • Spiro G.

    Most definitely a 5-star place. Just went there again with a friend, and this time we really pigged out and had pretty much all of their dumplings. They absolutely rocked it this time after the 1/2 hour wait for a table, food came quick, and we ordered plenty. I'll safely say everything was a step above DTF and comparable to Vancouver BC. The steamed dumplings are exceptional and the Sichuans (boiled dumplings with crushed pepper sauce) are very tasty - not just heat. Pro tips: there's a nice record store in Crossroads while you wait for a table, flag the waiters down when you need stuff, order appetizers while you wait for the dumplings since they take time to steam, and make sure you order plenty of food!

    (5)

  • E W.

    Saw the Seattle times review and went a couple of times to try out. Bright, clean restaurant with excellent food. Dishes are fairly priced as the portions are on the small side. This is a good thing though, allowing you to sample more dishes! Be sure to order the Dan Dan Noodles. They were as good as any I had in Chungdu, Sichuan.

    (4)

  • Lillian Y.

    Fancy food. We waited for 1h on Sunday 6:30pm, though.

    (4)

  • Jen T.

    I think this is a pretty good alternative to Din Tai Fung if you want to avoid the lines. The food is good and the price isn't bad either. Dumplings might not all be perfect, some of the ones we got were broken so they were missing the juice. The chicken potstickers were surprisingly good and you can tell those were made in-house. The crispiness of the potstickers and the fact that they weren't overly doughy really made those delicious. The service was pretty good and our water cups never went empty. It was just really hot in there--no A/C or open windows.

    (3)

  • M. S.

    Simply delicious. I haven't been to Din Tai Fung, but I have been to dim sum and dumpling houses in Hong Kong and China. That being said, these are some of the tastiest little dumplings I've had in the US. The juicy pork buns (soup dumplings) were succulent with a beautifully thin, chewy dough. The potstickers had a nice crispy brown coating from being pan fried and the sweet and sour cucumbers were heavenly. The staff were delightful too. We waited maybe 20 minutes to be seated for lunch. Our waiters joked with us and each other. It was a very pleasant experience, the food was awesome and we will definitely be back!

    (4)

  • D C.

    Super tasty dumplings, close to home, and in a casual setting. I'm a fan of DTF, but sometimes, I just want to pop in, casually--and not pay for the "ambience" of downtown Bellevue. I've been 3 times, now, with various dining partners. Am not a fan of the noodle dishes (not enough spice or flavor) and the pancakes were blah, but the dumplings don't disappoint. On my last visit, we enjoyed: * Spicy wonton appetizer (steamed) - delicate and nicely spiced * XLB soup dumplings - as good as DTF, but less expensive * Shrimp & pork soup dumplings--these were amazing!! * Fried pork potstickers - just ok, not remarkable * Fried leek dumplings - delicious, but very filling Service was fast--as long as you know the drill of how to order and don't have a question, everything will be fine. I recommend going in off-peak times, although Monday at 1pm was recently easy to get in for a table for 4. Usually, plan on a wait if you go near lunch or dinner hour. Only good for large groups if you go early and/or don't mind a long wait.

    (4)

  • Henry L.

    Not sure if this is the chain from Taiwan since the branding looks different. Guess the name is somewhat common enough. It's a Chinese homonym - the character for "dough" and "meet" sound the same. Regardless the food here is pretty good. Pretty simple and straight forward menu.

    (4)

  • Lydia L.

    Don't see What the hype is. My dumplings we not very good. They were poorly folded. But I have heard a lot about this place. Could be a fluke? But hesitant to come back.

    (2)

  • M H.

    Ha ~ Creative name, I like it! The juicy dumplings are definitely Awesome here! - just as good as DTF but better pricing. I love that this place is closer to me. Service was relatively fast but then again, it was right when they opened. I love that they have a good selection on the menu and can't wait to return for me. I did notice though that I was quite sleepy afterwards, not sure if there is MSG in the food or just me being in a food coma! LOL

    (4)

  • Lawrence S.

    ABOVE AVERAGE FOOD IS OVERSHADOWED BY HORRIBLE SERVICE SERVICE: Came on a Saturday, which I understand is busy dinner service. Told wait was 45 min, but ultimately waited 1 hour and half. We had a party of 8 but only we were offered a small table which was open, so we agreed to split our party. But the table the hostess offered us was then given to another family ahead of us. We were told that it was the FAMILY OF THE OWNER and that they are VIP's! 2x dishes we did not order were brought to our table. The other part of our party ordered 9 dishes, only 7 came out, then we were told they brought out 9 but forgot to cross out 2. Still charged us for 9. Final dish we ordered took forever, so we had to ask manager to cancel. FOOD: Only a few dishes were better than DTF but overall, food was just ok for me. Dry noodles were good. Pork and Shrimp Dumplings above average, same as DTF. Pancake Beef Wraps - just ok. OVERALL: ABOVE AVERAGE FOOD IS OVERSHADOWED BY HORRIBLE SERVICE If you offer a table to a customer, you should not give it to someone else. I cannot understand how this can be a 4-5 star place? Looking at the poor reviews, I see numerous people who say the same thing, this place routinely makes mistakes with orders, and has a long way to go with service. IN THE END, IF YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS THIS WAY, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR FOOD IS, BECAUSE IT MAKES THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE WANTING. My Family, WILL NOT be returning.

    (1)

  • Will P.

    Its a good alternative to Din Tai Fung, with less of a wait

    (4)

  • Alice W.

    Great job coming up with a waiting list system within a week of opening! We arrived on a busy Saturday night around 7pm. We were told that the wait would be 45 minutes and left our number. Got a call 30 minutes later and the table was ready. We ordered right away and food just kept coming. I was really pleased with the speed of service. The waiters were very attentive but you do need to give specific directions. For example, they took away my plate for a clean dish but never gave me the clean one. When I asked for another dish, they asked me "what kind"? I had to show them my daughter's. Other than that, the food was amazing and the price was very reasonable. The only suggestion I would give them for XLB would be to use a flour with higher gluten for the wrap for better holding and texture. Great job Dough Zone!

    (5)

  • Christian D.

    The food here was excellent! The restaurant was impeccably clean! You won't regret it!

    (4)

  • Terry S.

    Great dumplings.. Small Resturant, but you don't have a hour wait.. Great tasting soups.. And for summer serving rice pudding!

    (5)

  • Rosenna T.

    Came with my picky parents on a Sunday night for dinner. The wait was about 30 minutes. The three of us ordered 6 dishes total and find that this restaurant was just okay, not comparable to DTF. We ordered: Juicy pork dumpling Just like its competitor DTF, each of the dumpling was juicy and tasty, however, if you pay close attention as you place each of these dumplings in your mouth, you will notice that DTF's dumplings will never be so hot that it burns your tongue. And the ginger that came with the dumplings were not thinly sliced. When you place the ginger along with your dumpling in your mouth, the ginger should just slightly covers the gamy taste of the pork but not overpowering the flavor of it. Jian buns Hands down favorite dish out of so many that we tried! The bottom of the buns were slightly fried to golden brown. The pork inside the buns were seasoned perfectly. Must try! Spicy wanton Meh. This dish was $3.50, so go figure. Pig ears Tasty and cheap! If you would like some collagen boost, try it! Noodle with mince pork (Jia Jung men) Unbelievably tasteless. Don't even know what I ate. Pan fried dumplings It was pretty good. But I can't tell the difference between the frozen ones where you would pan fry them at home and these pan fried ones. Vegetable/mushroom noodle soup Not bad and not particularly awesome. Overall a 3 stars restaurant!

    (3)

  • Leland B.

    Came into this place around 6 p.m. on a Thursday night. It was going to be a 20 min wait for a table so we waited. Once we got seated the server was very quick to help us out, I asked for some recommendations and he was VERY helpful! He basically picked out most of our food and overall I was impressed. If you like Din Tai Fung (or DTF) then you will love this place solely based on the prices are WAAAY Better. Here is a break down on what I had: FROM BEST TO WORST Jian Buns - 5/5 -YUM Dizamn... so good! I would have ordered a couple of these plates if I knew. YOU MUST GET SOME OF THESE. Nuff Said Juicy pork Dumplings - 5/5 -Similar to what DTF serves, but BETTER price. SO VERY GOOD and yes they are juicy so be-careful! Only downside from this place to DTF is that the dumpling choices are few here, while DTF has a ton of choices. Noodle w/Sechuan Sauce 5/5 -SSO flavorful! IMO, this *ish right here is better than PHO any day of the week, I added a bunch of chili paste to mine and it was SO GOOD! Spicy Beef Pancake - 2/5 Dont get this, not tasty, its different, but not very good Wonton in Szechuan Sauce - 1/5 If you like to just give away your money then by all means order this. I was not impressed, no flavor, and the portion was so small I could have ate all 5 in one bite. GREAT PRICES GREAT FOOD Not as "fancy a decor" as DTF but if you want the DTF food for a better price, BRING YO BEHIND TO THIS PLACE. They will be seeing my face again here really soon!

    (5)

  • David X.

    Overall, very good and cheap. Juicy pork dumplings are competitive IF NOT BETTER than Din Tai Fung. Jian buns are amazing. I also had pig feet soup, which tasted like my mom's home cooking. Very tasty. Other dishes are hit or miss though - their congee was a black hole of flavor. As in, not only did it have absolutely zero flavor, it sucked in flavor from things NEARBY and made them less flavorful. Would also avoid their "burgers," which are inferior to most other Chinese burgers I've had from places like Facing East. Dough Zone seems not to have mastered the "stuff to bread" ratio in these things quite yet. I'm a fan and would return.

    (4)

  • Lemme K.

    This was my first time here and it was awesome!!!!! Our server Perry was amazing, he made sure we know what's good there and was pretty honest. Very funny as well. Food was delicious, all the different dumplings was juicy and delicious. The noodle wasn't as spicy as I wanted but it was still good with flavors. It doesn't have as much stuff as DTF but it doesn't matter, the food was great. Would definitely come back!

    (5)

  • Ryan W.

    I had a very enjoyable meal at Dough Zone. The service was prompt and the servers were all very polite. Although there were a few dishes that could be improved upon, the ones that were delicious exceeded my expectations. Their menu is also quite expansive, ranging from a huge variety of different dumplings, to a ton of different noodle, congee and soup dishes. The prices are also very reasonable . Had the spicy beef roll, pork ears, pork dumplings and XLB. Here's my review for the pork dumplings: The handmade dumplings were the highlight of my meal. The first thing I noticed was how good the dumpling wrapper was. Like Goldilocks eating baby bear's porridge, it was just right. The pork had a rich flavor with the chives providing a pleasant accent. I can't say these are the best dumplings I've personally had, but they're definitely good enough for me to come back. check out my blog for the review on the rest ;) nwgourmand.wordpress.com…

    (4)

  • Seattle Starve ..

    The restaurant itself is not the easiest to find, it sits small and quiet between a Teriyaki House and Thai Palace, the interior is warmly lit and very small cozy. We waited about ten minutes before a table large enough for five to become available. Immediately we were greeted by our server, Dan, who was delightful and a self proclaimed noodle connoisseur. He kindly took the time to suggest some of his favorite dishes, as well as what was most popular and gave us a very brief run down of how certain dishes compared to competing restaurants in the area. Our order included green onion pancakes, beef pancake rolls, broccoli w/oyster sauce, juicy pork buns, steamed pork buns, chicken potstickers, hot & sour wonton soup, sweet & sour cucumber, hot sour noodles, pork wonton soup, and milk tea. The hot soup dumplings were by far the star of the show; not that there was any doubt they would be. Our charming waiter took an opportunity to suggest his preferred vinegar to soy sauce ratio, and with a warning to treat the delicate dough with care, so as not to lose any of the hot soup inside, we were off! The green onion pancakes were perfection, not too thick or thin and with enough green onion to keep one interested, but not overwhelmed. The same perfectly crispy (but never dry!) pancake made up the exterior of the beef pancake rolls, which were stuffed with fresh cilantro and a tender, savory shredded beef. Easily a standalone dish for days where you arent quite prepared to order 17 items, but still want to leave satisfied. The chicken postickers were traditional, if not a little boring. They weren't disappointing, simply nothing special outside of traditional Chinese cuisine. The hot & sour wonton soup however, was an unpredictable contender for favorite dish. The wontons floated dreamily in a boiling hot sauce that was just the right amount of oils to spice, fiery with a slow smoldering after taste. Some kind of magic went into the dough for the wontons because even after sitting for a few minutes, they never because soggy, rather held on to a firm texture and help their shape so as not to lose any of the tender pork stuffing. Sadly the hot sour noodles failed to impress any one of us, perhaps I will simply never learn to appreciate the cellophane noodle, perhaps I am merely so very particular about them that I have yet to find anyone who turn feelings of squeamishness to feelings of delights, regardless, they were gross. The thickness of the noodles made them impossible to grab with chop sticks, and they were sadly over cooked, lending themselves more to the consistency of a pudding rather than a noodle. It really is unfortunate because the toasted soy beans, thick sauce and cilantro made it a very alluring dish. When our steamed pork buns finally arrived we wished we would have ordered more, so large and perfectly steamed with the softest, most flavorful ground pork and vegetables inside - they will be regular features in my dreams for quite some time. All in all our trip to Dough Zone was a great success. The service was wonderful and friendly, we felt very well attended to and while I will never give up a search for the best Dim Dim this side of Hong Kong, I can easily say that when I am looking for a solid staple in my restaurant rotation, I know where I will be going. Read more here: seattlestarve.tumblr.com…

    (4)

  • Najin K.

    The juicy pork dumplings were by far juicier and better then Din tai fung and the Jian buns were really great too but other then that everything else at DTF is better. The price was good but really the best way to describe the food is OK. Nothing very special, just a good place to go if DTF is too full. The Milk Tea was good though. It had a very strong taste of tea over the milk. The Radish in sesame oil taste weird. It needs rice badly with it. The asparagus with brown sauce is litterally just steamed asprgus with some dipping sauce next to it.

    (3)

  • Julia Z.

    I am in love with their XLB! Really I like this place more than dingtaifeng, bc they have shengjian here, and what shanghainese place wouldn't have it to be legit! Jian bing is also good!

    (4)

  • Yuen Tung P.

    I do not understand when people say that this is better than DTF. It is not. And is only like $2 cheaper than DTF. We came in hungry, we left hungry. The bill would be only about $10 more expensive if we had went to DTF instead and we most likely would have been full. First problem was that when we got seated, no one bought us the menu, and it took them a solid 5 minutes to bring us the water. The waitress that bought us the water said, "so are you finished with your menu and have picked your food?" And we were like uhhhhh what menu??? Second thing was that the food took a while. At DTF, It usually comes out after about 5 minutes. We had to wait about 10 minutes for our first dish. And when it came out, I was shocked at how small the pieces are. I knew it was going to be smaller than DTF, because of the price (wonton in szechuan sauce), but I had not idea it was like a one-bite wonder. Overall, we left hungry. Their choices are limited compare to DTF, everything was one serving except for the XLBs. Service was not good. When we tried to pay, the server said we had to go up to the counter to pay. But I saw when I got up there that other tables were able to pay at the table. So I am a little confuse.

    (2)

  • Kristen L.

    Came here solo on a Friday night and ended up waiting about 40 minutes. Once I was seated I was informed that the Jian buns, the main thing that I was looking forward to ordering was sold out. Instead I got the XLB. I was also considering ordering the congee, but the dish rotates on a daily basis with the day that I visited being a pumpkin congee, so I decided to pass. All in all the food was pretty good, but considering the wait was just as long as DTF, I'll probably just go to DTF since it is closer to me and costs the same. I do want to check out this place at least once more though to try the Jian bun!

    (3)

  • Sandra L.

    Stopped in for dinner tonight. Ordered juicy pork dumpling, 2 orders of pork potstickers, asparagus and spicy wontons. Food was very tasty and good The presentation was also good, overall we enjoyed the meal. Prices were good but the portions are pretty smaller. For two of us we needed 5 dishes. On the street parking and there is also a free parking lot. Decor is nice and service was very good and all the servers were very attentive. Will definitely go back for another meal.

    (3)

  • Sarah Z.

    The food is very authentic, we had shrimp dumplings, buns and beef noodles, all tasty. And one thing that stands out is that they delivered the food soooo quickly. Once you ordered you will have your food in a few minutes!

    (5)

  • James H.

    Better-than-fair food, friendly but mediocre service, and fast turn-around time make this a good choice for dumplings. Ideal for a quick out-of-the-office lunch.

    (3)

  • Yen D.

    If any xiao long bao (xlb) aka soup dumpling place rivaled Din Tai Fung, it would be this place. I had to try their dumplings even in the 99 degree weather because I was nearby. The regular price of their pork xlb would set you $8.50, but since they didn't have a/c, they were taking 20% off for the inconvenience. 20% off for having no a/c?? Yes, please!! I would have gone regardless of the discount tho due to the distance it is from my place.. They sat me at the bar with no wait, which I think was cooler than the rest of the areas because that's where the dumplings were being made so it was only 70ish degrees. I drank so much water that I could only eat one bamboo steamer of the xlb. XLB breakdown--the wrapper is thinner than Din Tai Fung and it has more soup. The meat and the soup itself is good! Plus you get more for your money! The only downside is that their soup menu is limited, but they offer a bunch of other dishes I didn't get to try, like their tofu or their jian bing. I really wanted to try their other dumplings since it is a dumpling house, but I was stuffed. It took a while for my dumplings to come out, but since it was good dumplings, I didn't mind especially since the ice water kept flowing. Service is great!! They kept filling up my water without me having to flag them down.

    (5)

  • Haojie Y.

    Very authentic soup bun, very juicy! The dishes we tried are all very delicious. Even my very picky 12 yo loves this place!

    (5)

  • Lydia N.

    I got to revisit and I am happy to have a significantly better experience. Spicy Beef Pancake - excellent. Fried and a little oily, but the beef was tender and so savory. Not too spicy XLB - all better now - the key to XLB is eating them hot! If they cool down the skins get tough and not so pleasant. Congee of the day - really really good value - $3 for an unlimited bowl of congee?! Yes please. If you're not feeling like filling up on rice porridge, you can split your $3 bowl and it's still worth it. I was worried it might be bland and watery, but the congee was well seasoned, mild enough to eat with other foods but salted enough to bring out the mushroom flavor. Beef noodle soup - simple noodle soup. Nothing amazing, but my friend loved the noodles here. And they cleaned up a lot! No more fruit flies.

    (4)

  • Paul L.

    Awesome Ambience: 4 Food: 5 Drinks: - Value: 3 This is what Din Tai Fong should be. From the various spicy dishes and the interesting sides, this place is a delight. We took a lengthy stroll through the menu (two of us ordered half of the menu), from the dumplings (soupy and delicious) to the crepes (with some spicy and crispy chinese donut centered) to the pig ears... all very good, all very authentic. I particularly enjoyed the spicy bean curd, with some crispy edamame nuts on top: excellent. I recommend this place wholeheartedly.

    (5)

  • Alice C.

    This place is another good spot if you're in search of buns/pot stickers/dumplings. But this place nailed it if you are craving xiao long bao. Almost like a smaller version of Din Tai Fung, their food is definitely acknowledged by their flavor and texture. I ordered a few random items off the menu. Juicy pork bun(xiao long bao) juicy crab bun, jian bun, green onion pancake and their wonton in schezuan sauce. I gotta say the Jian bun is definitely a must if you want to try something out of the ordinary. inside is similar to the XLB but instead of it being wrapped around a thin dough, this one is thick. the dough was crispy on the outside while still juicy and moist in the inside. The service was great too. Our server was attentive and nice. He made sure we liked everything we ordered and had a great conversation with him. Will definitely come here instead of DTF and its cheaper!

    (5)

  • Maryneth K.

    Definitely no air conditioning. I feel bad for the workers because they're standing there in a Dumpling factory hot boxing pork juices and their own sweat but boy does the dumplings taste freaking great! There must be some love pellets in those beads of sweat because they've got a good selection of tasty pockets of pleasure. It's really easy to order way too much food but I highly recommend the regular pork dumplings and the shrimp and pork wonton. Service was pretty good but I'd like to warn people that some of the staff don't know English well so it's good to bring someone that knows Chinese.

    (5)

  • Namtran V.

    Much shorter wait than DTF in a much smaller building. Service is pretty strange, but I felt like the servers had good intentions. Asked for a table for 2 and there was a 30 minute wait... Except we were the only ones waiting? Once we were seated, I had to seek them out and ask for water and a little plate of ginger. I really think they were waiting for me to ask for the ginger, which I thought was strange. Got an order of spicy cucumbers, pig ears, jian buns, and xiao long bao. My only complaint is that some of the tops of the soup dumplings came out dry and hard. One didn't even have soup in it :( However, I was especially pleased with the jian buns. Get them. It's like the perfect cross between a soup dumpling and a humbao.

    (3)

  • Christina K.

    [Dine-In] A bang for your buck and a semi-tolerable case of food coma afterwards. This place is a high 3-star place; I wish I could give it more of a 3.5/3.75. My friend and I came here later in the evening and about 30 minutes before closing time. Surprisingly the service was great! I really liked our waiter and he introduced us to these amazing buns. Which brings me to: I think this place is wonderful -- not as a substitution to Din Tai Fung -- but a restaurant as its own entity. Let's be fair here. The food comes in small portions which arguably can be misconceived for overpaying. However, I think the price point is right on and the portions are small enough to try more items on their menu. For smaller portions, I was able to order 3 times more of what I wanted and I was at a healthy full. Food was flavorful and tasty, I would definitely recommend coming to this place. Dishes Ordered: Unfortunately their menus online are pretty hard to track down and I found that it is entirely in Chinese...however, try EVERYTHING and go crazy. The Jian Buns are awesome.

    (3)

  • Alan B.

    After reading some of the reviews, we have decided to try this place. We got here around 4PM on a Saturday. It was not too busy! Thanks to other reveiws that said before 5:30PM then you don't have to wait. We got seated right after we got in, as expected. They give you a pen and menu that you can write how many orders you want. Just like DTF. And I like it this way anway. We ordered alot, because it was our first time here and we want to try everything. We started with the Cold Dishes. Sweet &Sour Cucumber Fresh Seaweed Pork Ear All of them are pretty good. They way the cut the cucumber is pretty, however it was hard to break them to smaller portion with chopsticks. We have also ordered: Juicky Pork Dumpling X 2 Pan Fried Leek Dumpling Wonton in Szechun Sauce Spicky Pancake Beef Roll Pork Potstickers All of above are very good. However, I think the wonton in Szechuan sauce is a bit too light on the sauce. I prefer more sauce and stronger taste in red hot chilli. The service was good, but I could tell some of them are new. But I have nothing to complain about it. We will def. come back here and try other stuff. I love 北方麵食 :) Price seems to be fair as well.

    (5)

  • Earl O.

    Enjoyed the dimsum here it was worth the wait service was fast and friendly,food was awesome my son enjoyed it as well.

    (4)

  • Charlene L.

    Oh how I wish this place opened up sooner! I'm glad I got to try it out before I moved, but super sad that I will only visit on occasion when back in town! XLB- Juicy pork dumplings.. Everyone wants to know.. are they as good as DTF? I think they might be better! Here's why.. thinner wrapper, lots of soup inside, and prices that give you more dumplings than DTF. Chive Box bun- Get these.. these are pan fried buns of goodness! Great texture and super flavorful Noodles (all of them): tried them all dry and soup.. from the pork, to the dan dan.. to the rest, they are bland and not worth it.. don't waste your carb bucket here.. make sure to eat something else instead! I tried some other things, but I think the safe thing to say is get the DUMPLINGS.. any type of dumplings! Pan fried, steamed, whatever.. just get it, eat it, and get ready to be satisfied as they are oh so delicioso!! :) Now if only they had beef noodle soup, taiwanese shaved ice, and spicy won tons here, this place would put both DTF and Facing East out of business!! :)

    (4)

  • Liane L.

    I had high hopes for Dough Zone, but I wasn't overly impressed. While the food is inexpensive and average, it's overshadowed by the lack of service. The service, or lack thereof, was quite disappointing. My family and I came here for dinner (on a Wednesday) around 5:30 PM and were seated with an unfriendly welcome. Throughout our dinner, we had to ask multiple times for more ginger, spoons and bowls. Portion sizes were remarkably small. We ordered: - Chicken & mushroom congee (free refills): Lukewarm upon arrival. No flavor. Avoid at all costs! (After asking for a refill, our server said we could not have one because we were sharing. Acceptable, but it should have been mentioned prior to ordering.) - Chicken pan fried dumpling: Delicious and succulent flavor. Would order again! - XLB: Not quite comparable to DTF, but slightly cheaper. Notably smaller and less juicier than those served at Din Tai Fung. - Jian buns: My favorite. A crispy bun-like exterior filled with juicy pork. Each order comes with about 5 or 6. - Hot oil wonton: The sauce was quite good, although not as spicy as I had hoped. Wonton were bite-sized, literally! OVERALL: Nothing "wow'ed" me enough into thinking of returning. However, I may choose to eat here if I know the wait will be long at DTF. TIP: Gratuity is automatically added to the bill for parties of 5+ persons!

    (2)

  • Shino O.

    I learned the name of the pan-fried juicy pork buns that I loved so much from last visit. It's called Jian Buns. Sort of between XLB and steamed pork buns. Dough is smooth and flavored, there is a nice dome-shaped cavity inside, sitting there is the juicy pork meat ball. Delicious! So this time I came back with 12 ppl and ate tons of varieties of foods, everything was exceptionally good, and jian buns is still my favorite. It is definitely a must if you come here! The best part? After stuffing my face, I didn't feel heavy or bloated. Things we had: Jian buns XLB (pork and crab) Veggie dumpling Sweet and sour cucumber Pig ear Green onion pancake Noodle in Szechuan soup Silken tofu in Szechuan soup Chinese donuts and egg in crepe wrap Wait staff. They are great too. Constantly 3 to 4 staff are zooming in and out around our table, taking orders, bringing food out, filling water glasses. It felt like they are coordinating very well with kitchen staff. Food kept coming out in good timing and pacing, no confusion, no nonsense. Thanks!

    (4)

  • Richard T.

    Good place for some nice dumplings comparable to Din Tai Fung and a bit cheaper. The service here is what brings this place down to three stars. They really need to get this place organized in how to have a good service for their guests. My gf and I came for dinner and it was the first time for the both of us. When you first step into the place you realize the restaurant isn't very large since it is part of a strip mall. There aren't many big tables if you have a big group and the wait can be significant if you come at a busy time as we noticed when we left after our meal. We had ordered 4 items which consisted of minced pork noodles, Crepes with Chinese doughnut, pan fried pork won tons and pork dumplings "xiao loong bao". The noodles were very tasty with a sauce you add yourself put in a small bowl. It was one of my favorite items plus the won tons. The won tons were very fresh and some of the best I have had. The skin wasn't too thick and it had a little juice in them when you bit into it. Yum!!! The pork dumplings weren't bad, but to me it needed a bit more flavoring and didn't have the juiciness as the ones at DTF. The Crepes were interesting as they put small sticks of Chinese doughnut in the middle. Not exactly the same texture as your usual Crepes since it had a thicker skin and was a bit bland too. My main gripe was they seem disorganized on who has control of which table each waiter or waitress is in charge of. They had all these people moving all around to different tables either serving dishes or picking up dirty ones. It took them awhile to come pick up our order menu since you write it down yourself and again to ask for our check when we were finished. It also was very hot inside the restaurant with hardly any AC when it was a hot day outside. It felt almost like eating inside a sauna. Food wise I would come again, but not sure when until they have their service more organized.

    (3)

  • Joy H.

    Yummm . . . XLB are good! At least as good as DTF and ~$2 cheaper! There isn't a variety of XLB but if you're looking for the classic, it's solid! They're missing the soup spoons, ginger, and vinegar to complete the traditional XLB experience but they were tasty enough to be without. We also got the jian bun per every other Yelper's recs and they were a little more on the oily and salty side. The pork potstickers were solid and not crazy expensive and the leek buns were good but again on the oiler side. We got there early enough to meet any sort of dinner rush and plenty of parking in the lot. Overall clean establishment but the overall salty tendencies of this place makes it a spot that I won't frequent a TON from.

    (3)

  • Michael G.

    DTF in a pinch. That's it, in a nutshell. Maybe my lack of experience but it was a little refreshing to be able to contrast another place with juice dumplings. In a blind test of XLB, you probably couldn't tell the difference from DTF. That's about where the comparisons stop. No A/C, no rice... just a couple observations off the top. No vegetables like steamed spinach. Dough zone is really an appropriate name. I guess if I'm going to drive all the way to Bellevue for some Taiwanese cuisine, I'm just going to spend the 10-15% more and go to DTF is what it comes down to. All in all, it easily stands on its own as a nice spot if you didn't want to drive the extra couple miles but that's about it. Tried the pig ears for the first time, didn't care for them, too chewy.

    (3)

  • Eleanor A.

    So far the best juicy pork dumpling place in the area, even better than Din Tai Fung. Yeah, you hear me. More delicious than DTF. I've been here two times already since discovered it yesterday for a late lunch. Besides juicy pork dumplings, I am thrilled to find out they offer dishes like Sichuan Toufu Soup, and Lao Ma pig feet soup. Those are considered as popular snacks 小吃 in China. The chef here makes them exactly how it tastes like back in home. Yummy, authentic! I am seriously considering this place as my daily cafeteria from now on. Coming from California, I can tell you their counterparty in California haven't come up with such good quality food yet.

    (5)

  • Monica V.

    There have been hits and misses for every time I've been here, but I don't ever mind coming here. Sometimes their food is too salty, sometimes it tastes like nothing, but like I said, there are hits and misses for every time and everything. The service is decent and usually everything is done in a timely manner. Clean place, kind of stuffy. I think they need a better seating arrangement, especially for big parties. They just have one huge table, and sometimes they seat two smaller parties there so it's really inconvenient when a large party comes in and they have to wait nearly 45 minutes for the two smaller parties to leave. Granted, large parties should call ahead but there ARE other seats in the restaurant where the two small parties could have been seated. Plus a 45 minute wait here is a lot better than waiting over an hour for DTF.

    (3)

  • Jin Z.

    Sorry for being honest, but your shengjian and Xiao long are among the worst I have tried (only compare to other stores who made them fresh before order). U may fool others who never tried the Nan Xiang Xiao long or shengjian from the alley. But to shanghainese these are where our food culture starts. U can hate us, but u cannot ruin the reputation of our food. Btw, your jianbinguozi sucks too, from the perspective of a shanghainese.

    (2)

  • Laura F.

    Wait on a Wednesday night was only 5 minutes, although we did opt to sit at the bar. From there, we could watch the numerous workers making the dumplings. My husband is from China and said the food tasted very authentic, especially the wonton in sichuan sauce. The noodles with Sichuan sauce tasted strait out of Chongqing. Shaolongbao with crab was delectable, particularly the "soup" inside the dumpling. I also recommend the pickled radish appetizer - very fresh and unlike others I've tried. Service was prompt and friendly. Happy to see this place so close to where we live!

    (4)

  • Kerry L.

    So delicious! A new favorite. Excellent service our first visit while we tried things out. I would definitely recommend. The interior feels quite nice, it's a place I could take my friends or my in laws. I will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Jesse M.

    There are only three places in the Sound that I know of that make Xiao Long Baos worth eating - Din Tai Fung, Ping's Dumpling House, and now add this to the list, Dough Zone! Look, it's a real rarity to have a good XLB. If you order it at any old dimsum place, it will never be worth eating. That's why I'm so stoked about this place. It's GOOD. I'm going to compare it to Din Tai Fung and Ping's Dumpling House so that you can decide where you want to go. I'll focus on the XLBs cuz, let's be honest, that's why we're here. Price. Din Tai, $10 for 10. Ping's, $8 for 12. DZ, $8 for 10. Advantage Ping's? Not so fast. We have to consider... Size. Din Tai and Ping's are about the same size, with Ping's slightly smaller. Dough zone is slightly bigger than its competitors! But for sheer quantity of food for what you pay, advantage actually goes to Ping's by a hair (remember, you get 12, even if they're smaller), then Dough Zone, and Din Tai brings up the rear. Flavor. Easily, and this is what I'm so excited about, easily Dough Zone has the best flavor. Specifically, the rich pork broth you look for, and it's seasoned well. Din Tai has that depth, but it's lacking seasoning. In other words, they have their broth base, but it's pretty bland in my opinion. Finally, Ping's bring up the rear. I'd make it comparable to Din Tai, giving Din Tai the slight edge here. Side dishes? Okay, I said I wouldn't but....Ping's easily wins that one. Their side dishes are pretty quality and definitely the cheapest. Dough zone's side dishes are cheap at first glance, but then you see how much they give you. Their dishes come in pretty sad amounts, and you get what you pay for, if a little less. Dough zone's most redeeming quality, though, is the UNLIMITED, REFILLABLE congee bowls. Yeah! REFILLS, FREE. I believe it's either 2.50 or 2.75 to get the bowl, but man, don't sleep on that. They only serve one type of congee every day, a different one for each day of the week, so watch out for that. Possibly only on weekdays too? Can't remember. Regardless... Din Tai, premium prices for good quality food, but still pay for more than you get in my opinion. Dough Zone is where I am going to go if I want the best tasting Xiao Long Baos, and the biggest sized ones, hands down. Ping's is where I will go if I am hungrier, with a smaller number of people, and want to get plenty of side dishes as well. Din Tai is where I go if I'm having lunch with the President and things need to look high end. Oh, did I mention free refills on Congee? Don't sleep on that.

    (4)

  • Eddie C.

    Awesome chinese food tucked away in a relatively low-key neighborhood. Very comparable to Ding Tai Fung but at a much lower price, and without any lines!

    (5)

  • Steve C.

    Dough Zone has the best pan-fried buns hands down. I have not had other buns that have almost as much juice as a XLB (soupy dumpling) here in Seattle. Dough Zone's XLB is also great - assuming that you swallow them at the right time when they still more than warm. The noodles are cooked perfectly "al dente". I am giving them a 4 star because sometimes the sauces are a tad salty for my taste but probably just right for majority of eaters out there. I've been there 5 to 6 times and would no doubt visit them again. And use this coupon while you are there for a free order of pan-fried buns: goEater.com/#page-detail… I have used it a couple times and they work like a charm!

    (4)

  • Annie T.

    I wanted to like Dough Zone, I really did. However, the food is just OK and the service is a complete mess. Came for dinner during a week night and told there was a wait for a table or we can sit at the bar. We opted for the bar and they ended up not seating us at the bar until it was our turn in line anyways. We ordered crab XLB, house noodles, daily congee, pork dumplings and beef burger. Food came out sporadically with large time gaps between each dish. The beef burger and pork dumplings were the best of the night, and that's saying a lot because half of the dumplings were broken already. I swear the daily noodles were made from instant noodles, which was a big disappointment. The congee had free refills but they refused to give us any after 2 small bowls. The XLB were last to come and 3 of them were deflated and soup at already escaped. It was a dissapointment. If you gotta wait anyways, just go to DTF for dinner because the food and service is still much better.

    (2)

  • Stan L.

    excellent XLB.. they come piping hot.. and there's plenty of fatty juice.. =) the beef noodle soup isn't too bad either.. but you'll get a better one at din tai fun and facing east of note.. prices are slightly better than the aforementioned taiwanese options

    (4)

  • Maggie I.

    We chose to go to Dough Zone for lunch on a Sunday because it had great reviews and we thought it would be less crowded than the Dim Sum places in the ID. We had a party of ten, so this probably wasn't the best choice. We were told it would be a 30-40 minute wait, and ended up being an hour. They don't have any place indoors to wait, so we waited outside in the rain. We tried to get up under the eaves, but the owner of the Teriyaki place next door kept coming out to shoo us away from her door. Others who were waiting outside were chain smoking and stinking the whole place up. By the time we got in, the little ones had long since run out of patience and were hungry and fussy. We were all cold and wet. Two melt downs ensued while we were waiting for our order. We ordered a variety of dumplings, noodles, potstickers and won ton. Everything tasted very fresh and the dumplings were a wonderful texture, but to me, they all tasted about the same. Maybe I was just too chilled to enjoy anything at this point. The reason I'm giving this three stars is that everyone else with us raved about how good everything was. I'm not sure if they really felt that way, or were just saying that because it was our treat and we had waited so long. I'd like to try this place again, but next time, it will be just the two of us. I would seriously discourage anyone doing what we did, that is, bringing a group of ten for Sunday lunch. The restaurant is not all that big. They did as good a job as possible of accommodating our group, but why tempt fate?

    (3)

  • Tiffany T.

    XLB don't have weird dry wrappers that stick to your teeth a la Din Tai Fung - win Hardly ever a wait - win Cheaper than Din Tai Fung - win Easy parking (I don't have to stalk mallgoers for their parking spot) - win THEY HAVE JIAN BUNS - win win win The biggest difference is probably the ambiance - Dough Zone has a less corporate, homier feel, but it's still very clean, don't get me wrong. If you're not too hungry and you can't decide between the XLB and jian buns, I'd go for the jian buns. The XLB aren't that warm for some reason :(

    (4)

  • Mark Y.

    Service was consistent and friendly with us.. didn't have any problems.. Food was very tasty.. consistent quality.. probably 90% of Vancouver level.. not 'quite' there with the refined subtleties, but for the most part it's there and it's great. XLB - yup. good.. a bit cheaper than DTF. Spicy noodle - tasty steamed pork dumplings - yum.. although i can make this so nothign is quite as good Cucumbers - light/tasty forget what else we got.. but all in all it was very good, and the prices were reasonable. Note: it's cheaper than DTF. but not like SUPER CHEAP.. yes there are dishes at 2.50 or 3 bucks.. but they're tiny.. so you can have one dish that's 8 bucks or 3 dishes at 2.50-3.. not that much difference. 4 people came out to 80 with tax/tips included.. i think at DTF it'd be closer to 90 or 100.. so it's not like dirt cheap or anything.

    (5)

  • Homan L.

    The food, better and MUCH cheaper than DTF. Not as good as Vancouver but I can confidently say this is probably the best in WA when it comes to XLB. Lamb sauce noodles - Not impressed with this one actually, tasted like soup from a can, noodles and toppings were good but overall not impressed. Not a hint of homemadeness. Beef steamed dumplings - Owner said this is their specialty, good stuff, no complaints. XLB or juicy pork dumplings - Taste as it should, better than DTF and much cheaper. Pan fried pork buns - Very good, but slightly not as good as Vancouver. Braised beef biscuit - Ingredients were good and fresh BUT there wasn't much flavor, I don't know if it's supposed to taste like the ones at yelp.com/biz/peaceful-re… If it isn't then I think it taste fine but just really lacking in flavor. It does seem to much "healthier" as there weren't much grease/oil. The service, very disorganized. First 4 dishes came within 20 minutes, the last one took more than 1 hour and 30 minutes. Saw people who came in later order the same thing getting their order first. I secretly hope it wasn't because of my lack of mandarin-street cred and ABCness. No status updates and had to ask for them to follow up a few times, they took the check back to the kitchen and about 15 minutes later came the pan fried pork buns. They were fresh and very good but we didn't get our check back. Upon trying to pay, was told by the owner they lost it and we didn't have to pay. Pleasantly surprised but can't they just print a new one from their computer which should have the recorded the orders? Anyway, not going to argue, I got a feeling he felt bad we had to wait so long. So I think they are trying, just need to work out the disorganization. Place is packed with all mandarin speakers so it seems legit. I will definitely go back but maybe early in the morning and/or with a mandarin speaker. You won't find better in terms of taste and price in this state and judging by the number of Taiwanese/mainlanders, whether anyone on yelp goes at all won't matter to their business whatsoever. The hours are wrong btw, they open at 730am (WTF?) Who are the XLB fiends at 730am?

    (5)

  • Jeff M.

    First time here with my hubby, and we were very pleasantly surprised. The quality of the dumplings is easily equal to or better than Din Tai Fung, and at a much better price without the pretentiousness. We'll definitely be returning again.

    (4)

  • Tony L.

    Juicy pork bus - 3 stars Jian bun - 4 stars Pork potstickers - 4 stars Beef stay noodle soup - 3 stars Cucumber - 2 stars Service - 3 stars Overall - 3.5 The juicy pork buns isn't as good as Din Tan Feng.

    (3)

  • Christina H.

    Disclaimer: I do not like DTF. I don't think their steamed dumplings have enough flavor, the only things worth going for are spicy wanton and fried rice, and I hate they don't take reservations and the stupid "is your party all here" policy. O, and the high price. I have been to the one in Bellevue, CA and Arcadia, CA. Dough Zone: I will come back again and again. Pros: no Asking "is your party all here" before seating guests (better than DTF) Good service - quick and polite (same as DTF) Xiao Long Bao - thin wrapper, flavorful stuffing, & steaming hot (better than DTF) Jain Bao - good size buns with proportional dough, and crispy bottom, so good we ordered another (DTF doesn't have this) Boiled dumplings - an alternative from steamed dumplings (DTF a doesn't have boiled dumplings) Chive pockets - as good as my mom's (DTF a doesn't have this) Mixed review: spicy wanton - not spicy enough for some; but they have good chili sauce on the table Pancake with Spicy beef - not spicy enough; but rest of my party loved it Hot and sour mung bean noodle soup - not spicy enough Noodle with minced pork - noodle is good, but the black sauce needs more flavor So-so: Appetizers: spicy beef and pig ears - I had better at Spiced. You should know: price is high because dumplings are labor intensive, and skilled laborers cost $$. If portion is small, order more. Their service is quick. For party of 6 (healthy eaters), our tab was a bit shy of $100. All left with full belly. They have a 2 credit cards per table limit

    (4)

  • Henry L.

    I think their food is as good as Ding Tai Fung if not better.

    (5)

  • Margaret K.

    Really good pork dumplings comparable to the ones at Din Tai Fung at half the wait. I also got some noodles as sides that were all delicious. Will definitely go back!

    (5)

  • Mayra G.

    Great place to eat the most delicious dumplings you can find in Bellevue, also I can add that the staff is very nice and it is not all that you will love in this place because when you ask for the check you'll be surprised how cheap it is compared with another dumplings places.

    (4)

  • Vinh N.

    Only giving this place 4 stars because the wait is ridiculous. We tried to come here on a Saturday at 1pm and the wait was an hour. We just left, but to their credit, they did call me 50 min later, but I told them I went somewhere else already. Like a battered wife, I came back that night at 8:30 (they close at 9) and had no wait. So here's the scoop - THEIR PORK XIAO LONG BAO ARE BETTER THAN DTF. They are juicier and just as thin as DTF (not to mention cheaper). And I've been to the DTF in Shanghai too. Here's how I'd rate my xiao long bao - DTF Shanghai special hair crab dumplings better than DZ pork dumplings better than DTF (any location) pork dumplings. Sorry Shanghai Joe and all you Vancouver xiao long bao lovers - your skin is just too thick. So if you want better and cheaper dumplings and don't go on a weekend afternoon, then this place is great.

    (4)

  • Beatrice W.

    I love coming here and actually prefer it much better than Ding Tai Fung. The staff is always warm, friendly and inviting. I am excited they are opening up a second location in The Overlake shopping area. I wish they had a few more veggies. Then again, it is a dumpling house ;-)

    (4)

  • Tiger K.

    Small place so have to wait most of the time. Wish they had more items on the menu but what they have is pretty good. Check it out!

    (4)

  • Sophia G.

    Ding Ta Fung alternative

    (5)

  • Aimie J.

    This place did not let me down! Everything we ordered off the menu was amazing, couldn't get enough of the sweet/sour cucumber, and the juicy pork dumplings were sooo good. I would recommend this over any other dumpling house I have been too.

    (4)

  • A D.

    The staff were super nice and friendly. The food was great. I did not care much for the red bean bun (dessert), it had very mild sweetness, that's about it.

    (4)

  • Stephen C.

    Service slow because they make to order all your dishes. All food is "Made to Order". You have to get the server's attention if you need anything. Come early. There are no reservations. Sometimes you might have to wait up to 30 minutes for a table.

    (3)

  • Sasa T.

    Pretty pricey because of small portion. Xiao long bao was good and the ONLY food worth eating. But the quality was not consistent. My second order Xiao long baos were very dry but not juicy at all. Noodles were barely edible, undercooked and too tough. Wonton with chili sauce was bad, no chili sauce, no peanut sauce... Sour and Hot Clear noodle, no taste at all. You may need to put vinegar and chili sauce in it! I will NEVER NEVER be back again.

    (2)

  • Ngoc H.

    Our food was decent but nothing special. The portions are smaller than expected. Do not get the Tuesday night's porridge. It was absolutely flavorless. But what I disliked the most was the fact that from my spoon to my plate and my water glass, everything was dirty. In addition, they did not bring four everything that we ordered.

    (2)

  • Lily L.

    I bring my friends here when they visit and want a Chinese tapas. The juicy pork dumplings, beef pancake roll, spicy noodles, and bowl of fresh soy bean milk are amazing!! There's usually a wait but it's worth it!

    (5)

  • Olivia S.

    Surprised by this place and that it existed where it does!! Xiao long bao is definitely a must, way more juice and flavor than our glorified din tai fung. Some dishes weren't my favorite but I would definitely come back again. All are small plates which is awesome and allows you to be able to try more variety. You're solid before 530 if not, expect a line for sure!

    (4)

  • Kenny C.

    Disclaimer: I grew up in Taipei and ate this stuff growing up. I tend to compare everything here with the food I grew up with. XLBs: The skin is not too thick, the soup is flavorful, the meat inside is firm. The meat of XLB at DTF tends to fall apart more (it's supposed to melt in your mouth), and that's the norm for Taiwanese style XLBs. While the XLBs here doesn't live up to that expectation, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Shengjianbao (Jian Bao): The meat inside is flavorful and juicy. The dough outside is fluffy, but it wasn't seared crispy enough (jian means to sear). I've had better, but this wasn't a bad choice. Beef wraps: It's made differently than what I'm used to (think Facing East). The meat inside was flavorful and tender, but the green onion pancakes were a bit too soft. Potstickers: pan seared dumplings... meh, I've had better. The dumplings themselves weren't bad. But this dish wasn't spectacular. It's also a bit too greasy for me. Spicy wontons: This is comparable to what I'd get in Taiwan. But I personally prefer the spicy wontons at DTF (thicker skin, feels more substantial to the bite). Would I come back? Sure, the wait list isn't as long as that of DTF. The price point is also a bit lower than that of DTF. Not a bad choice if you want to satisfy your XLB cravings.

    (4)

  • Kathy L.

    Had lunch here for the very first time. Got there at 11:30 had to wait 10 minutes for a table. We had a very good waiter and loved the food. Especially liked their fried pork and steamed shrimp ...excellent! We also ordered their onion noodle dish the portion was small but very tasty. 4 solid stars. Would have given 5 stars but we did feel rushed. The plates came fast and so did the bill... would like to have lingered a bit. Overall a great place..definitely recommended!

    (4)

  • Linda T.

    Pretty good XLB juicy pork dumplings and jian buns, reasonable prices, casual no-frills dumpling house, average dining experience. I was really excited to try Dough Zone, being a huge fan of Din Tai Fung and hearing that they have equally good dumplings. We dined here for a weeknight dinner, so it was fortunately no wait at all and got seated right away. The menu is a piece of paper with the food items listed, and you check the box for your order. They have a small menu with little selection of dumplings, some appetizers, soup, noodles and drink options. Xiao Long Bao juicy pork dumplings - Came out steaming hot. The dumpling skin was nice and thin. The soup and pork inside of the dumpling was tasty. I enjoyed the dumplings. They were good, but overall not as good as Din Tai Fung. Jian buns - It was my first time trying the jian buns, and I enjoyed them. The steamed bun on the outside was soft and fluffy, and the pork filling on the inside had a rich flavor. The green onion and carrot garnish was a nice touch to add some crunch and freshness to this dish. Beef pancake rolls - This dish was just okay. The pancake portion was soft and thin, but the beef filling was a little too dry and almost like a beef jerky. I wasn't sure if they over-cooked it, or if that is the way it was supposed to be. What I did enjoy about this dish was the side of tart pickled veggies that came with the beef pancake. Service: The waiter was prompt to take our order and keep our water cups filled. However, one of the servers came to try and take our plate a little too early while we still had food that we were still eating on it. We had to ask her to please wait for us to finish the food. She had already picked up the plate, and so she held it there so I could grab the rest of the food off the plate, which I thought was a little awkward and slightly rude. Later that evening, we unfortunately got stomach pains. We weren't sure which dish it was that could have caused it, but it is a dissapointment when we try to enjoy a meal at a restaurant and get sick from the food later. Boo. Overall, I enjoyed the taste of the XLB juicy pork dumpling and jian bun, but not so impressed with the service or quality of the food. Definitely no comparison to DTF in terms of freshness, quality, service, variety, or class.

    (3)

  • Angela Z.

    Came here for lunch with my parents and BF. We didn't have to wait for very long to be seated and service was fast (though in the typical manner that you usually see at chinese restaurants). Ordered the crab XLB, sichuan spicy soft tofu, shrimp and pork dumplings, jian bing, congee. Everything was great except that the congee barely had any thousand year old egg in it. Total bill for the 5 of us was ~$50. Willing to come again!

    (4)

  • Marcia W.

    Pretty yummy, I say! Staff were friendly. I only ordered 3 things as it was only my daughter and me, but we're pleased with what I got. The juicy pork dumplings came out hot and juicy like they should. My daughter and I both loved their Dan Dan noodles; the noodles have got a good texture to them. The potstickers were flavorful and delicious. Would definitely come back again.

    (4)

  • Linda H.

    Started out w/ excellent service. Both Perry and Lexy was extremely nice and explained the different dishes to us. Food came out fast and the price for the dishes was very reasonable compared to DTF. I wish they had more meat, like pork chops and veggie dishes. The pan fried pork bun was delicious. Crispy and savory.

    (4)

  • Vivian W.

    Yes! Absolutely Yes! How come I didn't know about this place earlier! Came here for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon. The place was not too crowded but there were a few other tables in there. We were seated right away. They give you a piece of paper with all the dishes listed in separate categories. All you have to do is mark the ones that you want. It's pretty quick and simple. The food came fair quickly as well. I was already excited because I love dumplings and carbs. First came the Sichuan cold noodles. Great flavor and totally hit the spot. Definitely need to try if you are into that numbing and spicy Sichuan taste. The noodles were cold and refreshing. Then came the steamed Xiao Long Bao. They were really good, had that soupy goodness in each and every one of them. Maybe not as soupy as Din Tai Fung but definitely good enough for the price. ($9) Definitely try the Sichuan spicy beef wrap (something like that), tis delicious! I almost had to go for seconds. The pan fried pork dumplings were also really flavorful, with a little bit of soup in each as well. Everything tasted soooooo good! The atmosphere of this little joint is very casual. Good for small group but probably not suitable for groups larger than 6. I think there is just not enough room in this small restaurant to fit that many people together comfortably. Also, another thing is that many of their small dishes are, indeed small, and can be best shared between 2 people max. The prices are very reasonable tho, around 5 dollars for small dishes and 10 dollars for the dumplings! Well worth the visit that's fosho! :)

    (5)

  • Bryan K.

    While everyone is in line at DTF I'll be at Dough Zone eating my XLB. I'm not saying Dough Zone is better that DTF, but when you compare price, convenience and taste, Dough Zone definitely holds its own. The XLB are filled with tasty soup, great dough too. In addition to the XLB, the Jian Buns were also excellent. The pancake rolls were good, but they are missing one thing. Usually there's some kind of sweet hoisin sauce on the roll, but when I asked if they had any the guy had no clue what hoisin was. Without the hoisin the roll is kind of dry. One thing that annoys me about this place is they only have paper menus that you check off. There are no pictures on the menu and only one TV in the back that scrolls through the menu options. They should have a picture menu on every table. Also I ordered the pork potstickers and it turns out they have shrimp. Luckily I'm not allergic, but there was no mention of shrimp and I hate shrimp. They should at least mention that on the menu for people who may be deathly allergic to shellfish. Bottom line, come here is you want XLB and don't want to wait/pay for DTF.

    (4)

  • Ron M.

    Good quality and a nice place, but the staff isn't super attentive and the comments about dirty tables are true - sticky tables to be specific. It seems they just aren't using clean wet towels often enough. The quality of the food and its preparation is good, but it lacks any salt or spice for most of the dishes I've tried. Once you add soy sauce it's great. They also lack any decent spicy chili sauce (it's just oil with chili flakes - yuck). I'd go back but I'd bring my own chili sauce or just plan to use soy sauce and salt. ;-)

    (4)

  • Stan Y.

    Definitely one of my most favorite place for Chinese dumplings and buns. Went there Sat evening for an early dinner. I heard good reputation of its crab and pork juicy dumpling so we ordered it, plus the pan fried steam bun, sour-spicy clear noodle, shrimp-pork steamed dumpling. After the main entry, we ordered red bean bun for my kid for dessert. The environment was neat and clean, and the staff was polite and fast. BTW, though all the waiter/waitress looks Asian, they do not all speak Chinese. The food was great. Juicy dumplings and pan-fried buns are must have, both are very juicy, nicely flavored and really tasty. The Juicy dumpling is more like a snack food, with ten dumplings in a steam rack, each one takes you just one bite. Of course, the juicy inside is so hot that you have to put it to a soup spoon, poke it with your chopstick so the steaming hot juicy flow into your spoon. After mixed the juicy with a little vinegar and drink that delicious meat juice, you can eat the whole dumpling. The whole point is to drink the juice first, then eat the dumpling. Otherwise the juice is so hot it might burn your mouth. The pan-fried bun is another great choice, with fresh juicy meat and soft bun. Comparing with juicy dumpling, it's much bigger and same delicious. So it you're hungry, that's a good choice. The sour-spicy clear noodle and shrimp-pork steamed dumplings are OK. Decent but not as good as juicy dumpling or pan-fried steam bun. I will most likely skip them next time. Generally speaking, it's a good place for Chinese dumplings and buns. I will sure visit them again.

    (4)

  • May N.

    My love for dumplings is growing more every day and my friend told me we were gonna try Dough and compare it to Din Tai Fung. So we ordered the soup juicy pork dumplings (better than DTF in my opinion but dough isn't rolled as thinly so it pretty dense at the top), jian pork buns (our favorite! The inside is a regular pork stuffing but the dough on the outside was steamed and I think lightly pan fried because it had color), sesame oil radish (it was ok if you dipped in the chili sauce but it had this weird floral taste to it. Over all Korean do it better), pork & shrimp steamed dumplings (oddly shaped and ours was kindly dry), pork wonton soup (had a seaweed flavor, broth was bland and won tons were ok), noodles in sechuan sauce (good but nothing like you haven't had before), and milk tea (delicious! It actually tastes like tea and it wasn't too sweet!).

    (4)

  • Serena Y.

    I took my little sister and her boyfriend out to lunch here at about 3:30 and got seated right away. The waiter was quite nice and seemed very collected. The dumplings here are pretty good if you're looking for a cheaper and inexpensive alternative to infamously busy and pricey Din Tai Fung. We ordered Xiao Long Bao (came in 10 pieces), Steamed Beef Dumplings, Steamed Shrimp and Pork Dumplings (all dumplings were 6 pieces)! Although I felt as though both steamed dumplings were a bit on the dry side, the Xiao Long Bao was quite decent! Location wise, there is plenty of parking to find especially since it's in the Crossroads area. I would recommend just parking in the next lot over and walk there! This is a decent place to stop by and have lunch when craving for some warm dumplings to pop into your belly. :)

    (3)

  • Branden B.

    This place was quite a surprise. While not DTF quality, I have no problem coming here to bypass the lines you get at Lincoln Square. We were seated right away, plenty of room for us and our little one. And the tables are a decent size! Actual room for all the plates that will eventually take up the space. Dumplings were just below DTF but still very good. Was surprised at how tasty their noodles were too! We got them for my 2 year old but I ended up eating most of them because I couldn't stop myself. Other than that, service was great. Friendly smiles. Easy parking. Diverse crowd. We will be back for sure.

    (4)

  • Sue Z.

    Went to dinner on Monday around 6pm. There is parking right by the restaurant. We were seating right away. The menu is super simple, just s piece of paper with items front and back, you write how many you want for each item. Some of the bowls they brought out still had food crumbs left, but they exchanged it after we pointed it out. We ordered a beef noodle soup.beef wrap, juicy pork buns, and a sweet red bean bun. At your table you will mix your own tipping sauce (if you don't like sour, don't add any vinegar!). The spicy sauce isn't too spicy, I would recommend adding at least a little bit to enhance the flavor! The food arrived in a timely manner. Both the noodle soup and the wrap has cilantro in it, so if you don't like cilantro make sure you let them know! Noodle soup- soup was very flavorful and easy to drink. The portion was perfect for two people to share :) the beef was nice and tender. Beef wrap- I loved it! The beef is the same as the one used in the noodle soup. But the wrap they used is soooooo good! Nice and crispy. Next time I would probably just order the wrap itself- which is the green onion pancake. Juicy pork buns (xiao long bao) - came out nice an hot! Dip it in the sauce you made and yummy! I would say it taste almost as good as din tai fung! Be careful not to burn yourself though! I usually hold a spoon underneath the bun just in case the soup inside the buns leaks out. Red bean bun- it can out after we were almost done with the other items, which was fine since it serves like a dessert. The dough was nice and fluffy, but the red bean on the inside was not sweet at all! It tasted kind of weird :/ wouldn't get this again. Service was alright, but if you need anything you have to get the servers attention, they will not just come to fill up your water. Overall pretty enjoyable dining experience!

    (4)

  • Kim L.

    I was in the area with my mom and aunt and decided to come here to try it out to see how it compares to Din Tai Fung. We got the order sheet, but there was no menu-I had to look at the tv in the restaurant, which was showing pics of Dough Zone's food, and yelp pics to see what was good to order here. We ordered the dumplings, Jian buns, 2 of the noodle dishes. I would have to say only the Jian buns were good. I actually preferred the Jian buns over their dumplings, the dumplings just didn't taste as good as DTF. The noodle dishes weren't that good at all really. Customer service was ok-it took awhile for them to get our check, because we had also placed to go orders for the Jian buns. I would come back for the Jian buns.

    (3)

  • Benjamin H.

    good service, good food, and a very short wait. Got here early on for dinner on a Friday with my family (6 people) and was seated very quickly. The menu is a little sheet of paper they hand you and you mark how many of each you want. We tried a pretty wide variety of the food and I cannot think of anything that was disappointing. Most memorable was the pork noodle soup, it has a very distinct pork flavor that is neither overpowering nor underwhelming. would come again to try more dishes!

    (4)

  • Janet Y.

    After being told the wait at Din Tai Fung was 2.5 hours, we decided to venture out. Someone had told my husband and me if we like Din Tai Fung, then we would like Dough Zone and they were right!! Dough Zone is more low-key. The restaurant has more of a cafe-feel but bright and clean! While the restaurant was full-- our wait was only 5 minutes. An extra star for that! Let's get to the food.... we ordered green onion pie, the crab buns, shrimp & pork dumplings, wontons in szechuan sauce, and the beef staw noodle soup. No joke-- every dish was amazing!!! Plus-- our bill came up to $35 for all that food! I would say the prices are slightly less than Din Tai Fung. Green Onion Pie: Light and crispy Crab buns: These are more like dumplings but super tasty Shrimp & Pork Dumplings: These were bursting with flavor Wontons in Szechuan: This paralleled my favorite dish at Din Tai Fung-- the Shrimp Wontons in Spicy sauce... the two are different but these stood on its own! Beef Staw Noodle Soup: LOVED this... definitely better than the similar version at Din Tai Fung. YUMMO! Overall-- great experience! It might have been slight cheaper than what we were expecting. I can't wait to be back!!

    (5)

  • J. C. L.

    This place is my favorite! As far as authentic Chinese dim sum items go, this place is doing an exceedingly great job. Our favorite items are Jian Bun (pan fried buns), Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), home style noodle soup, and cucumbers! You have to give it a try!

    (5)

  • Grace C.

    I don't care about anything if there's one good dumpling. Wonderful, pillowy buns, and unpretentious dumplings+ clean interior.

    (4)

  • C Y.

    We liked: - Juicy Pork Buns - Jian Buns - Noodle with Sechuan Sauce - Beef Pancake Rolls These were OK but we'll have something else next time: - Green Onion Pancakes - Pork Potstickers - Sweet & Sour Cucumber I didn't like their menu which customers mark down what dishes to order and give it to a server. And total is 3.5 stars.

    (3)

  • S C.

    Thought we'd try another location in spite of our poor experience at the 24th street location, as there really aren't a lot of dim sum alternatives to Din Tai Fung in the area. Sadly had the same sort of experience. The good: The juicy pork dumpling. The soups are good too. The average: Rest of the food Sad: Realized stuff is not fresh-made. The red bean bun was still frozen in the middle when it was served. Why I'm not going back: Really poor service, though they talk politely. No one comes by without a lot of looking around and calling out. Didn't provide soup bowls, ginger, or top off water without asking, etc.

    (2)

  • Thao N.

    Uh oh, looks like Din Tai Fung has some competition. Let's just say that I worship DTF, I dream about their Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) in my sleep and during my daydream in the middle of an exhausting work day all the time. For me to find somewhere else that serves Xiao Long Bao, that is a big deal. Actually, a pretty big deal. Although, I must say that Din Tai Fung will always be my number 1, Dough Zone is pretty comparable and I like it in different ways. They have a lot more variety of dishes in my observation. Din Tai Fung, I feel like it's all the same thing, but with different meat or toppings on each type of dish. For example, they will have like 10 fried rice, 10 noodle dishes, 10 soup, all the same with the only difference being what you put on top of it. Dough Zone, there is just more variety, but only down side is that there's no pictures for each item so use Yelp to figure out what each thing looks like! I am glad a friend introduced me to Dough Zone because now I know where to go if I'm craving dim sum and don't feel like waiting a million years to get a table to munch on dumplings. There's 2 location in Bellevue, this one is near Crossroads Mall.

    (4)

  • Toubi C.

    Road trip from the Bay Area. Wife was craving dumplings. Don't ask why we drive 10 hours for dumplings. Anyhow. 30 minute wait and it's 130 in the afternoon. Dumplings really hit the spot. Not the best but not bad at all. We ordered an assortment and all were pretty darn good. Go figure, my favorite item was the Dan Dan soup noodle. The noodles were perfectly cooked and fresh. The sauce has a slightly peanutty and spicy. It's not a big portion, but perfect to munch on. Also tried the spicy sechuan noodle soup. Lots of nice spices. Noodles perfect. I like the dumplings but I think I like the soup noodles even more!

    (4)

  • Josie C.

    Nice place. Nice food, nice service. Clean and bright environment. Reasonable price. It'll become my frequent visited place!

    (5)

  • Yerang P.

    Soup dumplings are one of the greatest culinary creations of mankind. Dough Zone's juicy pork buns are better than Din Tai Fung in my opinion and are a bit more affordable (still expensive for what it is). Dip it in the sauce with the ginger (3:1 ratio of vinegar:soy sauce with some of the hot sauce is perfect) and you are golden. Just make sure not to burn your mouth. The broccoli with oyster sauce looks incredibly unappetizing, but it's a good way to get in some fiber intake as you will find yourself plowing through baskets and baskets of dumplings. The shrimp and pork dumplings were delicious as well, and dandan noodles will give you a nice break from the dumplings. The wait at DTF is not worth it and Dough Zone is definitely more low-key and home-y.

    (4)

  • Eva C.

    I had high hopes for this place, overall I would say it was just okay. I would only come here for the xiao long bao. It is very comparable to Din Tai Fung. Everything else isn't really worth it and I tried a lot of the menu. I never get full coming here either, so if you're really hungry don't come here. I was really disappointed with the wontons in szechuan sauce. The wontons were extremely small and we only got six of them. The six of them together equal 1 regular wonton. I have been lucky that every time I have been here I have been seated right away. The service wasn't bad either. They seemed very quick and attentive, which was a nice surprise because I was anticipating terrible lines and service after reading other people's reviews. I would say give this place a try if you want some good xiao long bao, but fair warning, don't come hungry!

    (3)

  • Kevin W.

    Authentic Chinese restaurants usually get pretty decent reviews from me. The food here at Dough Zone is good, and I was hoping it would lead to another positive review. But they kind of didn't let that happen. The items are overpriced, the portions are tiny, and the service is nothing to write home about. Here, I sense so much potential but a lot of it goes to waste. I have eaten here once for lunch and once for dinner. It was terribly crowded on both instances with lines of people clustered near the entrance, but they were able to seat me promptly because I was by myself. They seated me next to strangers, but at least it was better than nothing. The ordering system here consists of the very efficient way of using a pen to check off boxes next to items' names on a paper menu. Despite there being so many customers to serve, they actually didn't take that long with my orders either time. They weren't incredibly fast either, but at least they didn't take twenty minutes to complete a small order. And when I say small, I mean it. I mean small in every sense of the word. The amount of food in proportion to its price is absolutely pathetic. The prices may seem low; almost everything on the menu is under ten dollars. But that's very misleading because these are not five-dollar full entrees. They're five-dollar snacks that are barely enough to share with the family if everybody grabs a piece. I was eating these alone and they still weren't enough for me. That's a pretty bad sign for how a table of four or five people would feel. For lunch, I ordered six beef dumplings and six pork dumplings for $4.25 per order. They came with some garnish in the form of shredded carrots, and even after eating all twelve dumplings and the garnish, I still felt about as hungry as I was before I had started. Needless to say, I was starving until dinnertime that day. I might as well have eaten nothing at all and thrown my money away. For dinner, their pig feet noodle soup ($7.75) was good but way too small. Their dandan noodles ($5.25) were good but way too small. Their green onion pancakes ($2.75) were... not enough. Do you see a pattern here? Because I do. There is no problem with the food. It is just far too expensive to be worth it and most definitely will not fill your stomach unless you spend a fortune here.

    (3)

  • Maggie O.

    Fast service and a staff very knowledgeable about the menu. I recommend the beef pancakes as they are quite big and filling. Unfortunately the leek dumplings were an oily disappointment and the red bean cake was tasty but cold in the middle. It is a reasonable DTF replacement if you don't have time for the DTF wait.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth L.

    Delicious, authentic xlb and buns (shen jian bao). The wait is real, be prepared or try to avoid peak. Scallion pancake (tsong you bing) was decent, but the real star is the jian bao. Excellent dough and savory filling. The xlb is on par with DTF, unless compared to DTF at its best (quality can vary). Protip: Just like DTF, come with a bestie to snag bar seats and minimize your wait. Not ideal for groups.

    (4)

  • Monkey T.

    Ran an errand and then what? Had time to snack & check off another bookmark... Monkey do: CONGEE w/preserved egg(free refills) - eh. Where the egg? BEEF PANCAKE ROLLS - think tender beef wrapped in green onion pancake - yummo! STEAMED CHICKEN DUMPLINGS - deliciously juicy Knowing this is here and doesn't take 45mins to sit, Monkey shall return!

    (4)

  • Marie B.

    Catching up on Yelp posts....visited Dough Zone Dumpling House in Bellevue's Crossroads neighborhood last Sunday 5/10/15 with the family and the mother-in-law. No surprise there was a bit of a wait for a table on Mother's Day, but no worries as it allowed us to soak up some sun rays outside and look at all the families with cute babies in tow. Service was straightforward as items of interest (including beverages like tea and soft drinks) are selected from a checklist. A printout is then attached to your table and items are checked off as they arrive. We clearly reached the maximum capacity for dishes placed at a 4-top! Here are the items we sampled during our first visit: Plentiful ice water and teas: Tieguanyin tea ($3.75), Puer tea ($3.75), and chilled Milk Tea ($2.75). Just be careful since the tea pots and cups are constructed of heavy material and radiate heat. Beef Pancake Rolls ($4.75) - perfectly pan toasted and chockfull of thinly sliced beef. Chinese Five Spice or Anise flavors were picked up via the beef filling. Pan Fried Leek Dumplings ($4.75) - nice and savory Asparagus with Brown Sauce ($5.25) - Crisp steamed spears with sauce we were still speculating about. Sesame oil? Oyster sauce? Whatever - it made for a tasty dipping sauce. Juicy Pork Buns ($9.50) Ten to a steam basket and ample for sharing. Crab Meat Buns ($10.50) Again, ten to a steam basket with sweet crab filling. Chicken Potstickers ($4.25) - Six generously filled potstickers that easily could be halved to make for a dozen bites. Wontons in Hot and Sour Sauce ($4.25) - This medium sized bowl packed a bit of heat. Shrimp and Pork Dumplings ($6.75) - Six to a steam basket and easily identified with the exposed shrimp tail, nice variation to shumai often found in dim sum. Sweet and Sour Cucumbers ($2.75) - Refreshing spirals of crisp cucumbers to add some cool crunch. Dandan Noodles ($5.25) Toothsome noodles with a slight undertone of heat. Szechuan Sauced Noodles ($5.25) This was served cold and a more pronounced heat factor. Pork Wonton in Chicken Broth ($4.75) I'd gladly eat a monster bowl of this any time! Red Bean Buns ($1.75 each) A pair of these were sampled by the husband and his mom. Nice introduction to Dough Zone, decent and efficient service in a relaxed dining atmosphere. Big surprise that our final bill subtotal was 50% off due to mothers present in our dining party (me and the MIL). Overall it's a 3-star, but boosted with an extra one for this generous touch by the restaurant. However, would I cross Lake Washington to go out of my way to return in the future? Not really, since there are several decent dumpling locations in the Seattle - Shoreline - Edmonds corridor. But if one was in the Crossroads area, it does the job and clearly favored by folks in the know.

    (4)

  • Aprameya R.

    Solid three stars. Their menu is a little light on the steamed dumplings which I like but this is a good place to satisfy a craving for dumplings - especially when Din Tai Fung is overcroweded.

    (3)

  • John O.

    Very impressed.. Dough Zone is clean, attractive, and well staffed. The XLB's were as good as any I've had in Taiwan or Richmond - better than DTF. The juice was much more flavorful. The spicy beef pancake roll was delicious. They make the best pancakes. The Wonton Soup came in an outstanding broth. Perhaps all the flavors were so good because they are not afraid or ashamed of using MSG.

    (4)

  • Ann W.

    Long wait for an average experience. Among the 4 of us, we ate $90 worth of food, so it is fair to say we tried a little bit of everything! Lets talk xiao long bao -- the wrapper could be a bit thicker, but they still held up the filling and soup without being punctured. The pork filling seemed a bit overworked and as a result, was not very moist; however the broth is flavorful and plenty. 10 pieces for $8.50 -- they will be gone in the blink of an eye. I finally tried jian bing, which is a Chinese style crepe with egg and stuffed with deep-fried Chinese doughnut with a smear of hoisin sauce. This was my first time trying it, and I wasn't impressed. It was dry and lacked any flavor. I just didn't understand the appeal. One of my favorite dim sum treats is pan fried leek dumpling. I was impressed by the size, but it was so oily! There were a bunch of chopped up cellophane noodles in the filling with the leeks, which fell right out. I didn't enjoy the texture. A few things I did really like eating were the beef stew noodles (a light but flavorful broth, as well as plenty of perfectly "al dente" noodles), the cucumber appetizer (sweet, spicy, and sour, but strangely presented in a spiral so you have to cut it up to eat it); and the spicy radish appetizer (I imagine this will be really delicious in the bottomless congee). Overall, if I was in the area, I would return to eat a few things, but I wouldn't wait longer than 5 minutes for a table.

    (3)

  • Whitney B.

    I enjoy paying others to make dumplings for me to consume. Thus, I like Dough Zone. Because have you ever tried making the dough from scratch, creating a palatable mixture of meats and vegetables, and then putting it together all fancy-like? There's flour fucking everywhere. You can't tell how your stuffing mixture will taste because it's raw. When you're finally putting it together and boiling it, it falls apart. Fuck making dumplings on your own. It's an impossible endeavor. Dumplings are one of the few things that taste good and manage to be moderately good for you. Not the way I eat them, probably (see: in excess). A pairing of soy sauce/hot sauce is a must; otherwise, a dumpling is just a pork part dressed in fancy paper with a textural element of a warm scrotum. After a 45-minute wait, the five of us finally got a table. I enjoyed quite a few things off the menu; my favorite choices were the cucumber appetizer, pan-fried vegetable dumplings, red bean bun, and pan-fried leek pancake. They were packed the night my group went yet the food came out fresh and hot. Our waitress, despite how busy she was, remained friendly, made eye contact and engaged us like adults. I can't ask for anything more. Unless you're an annoying dumpling purist, this place will satiate cravings.

    (4)

  • Sumalatha R.

    We love the dumplings at this place! Choices seem to be limited but would prefer to go here anytime than to wait in a long queue at din tai fung.

    (5)

  • Julie N.

    Went here because of the pics on yelp. The cucumber and the Chinese donut crepe was a disappointment. However the Jian buns are a must have. They are very moist and not heavy. It is not heavy as a banh bao and not light like a dumpling. The juicy dumpling was better then dtf but those are the only two things I would come here for.

    (3)

  • Linda Z.

    Cheaper, more accessible, and less pretentious alternative to Din Tai Fung. Went Saturday around noon and was seated within 15 minutes at the counter. The XLB were pretty good - thin wrappers, flavorful and juicy (well 7 out of the 10 were). I actually think they taste better than the ones at DTF (which I believe are highly overrated). The jian buns are nothing like typical shen jian bao - they're more like small buns that are steamed then pan fried and the meat wasn't juicy. The noodles with Szechuan sauce and soft tofu in chili sauce were well-balanced in spice and acidity. The beef pancake rolls were a bit dry and lackluster.

    (4)

  • Lee D.

    I stumbled upon Dough Zone when I tried to find any place better than Din Tai Fung for xiao long bao (XLB) and I am so happy that I found this hidden gem! If you're looking for fancy decor, high-end service and a lot of variety, this place is not for you. However, if you're desiring a place without a hour+ wait for dinner and quality XLB plus great steamed baozi (steamed buns), this place hits the spot. Don't expect service to be constantly looking for your needs - flag down someone if you need assistance. I've tried the crab XLB and pork XLB; both are very juicy and full of flavor. They have a couple of more folds in their XLB compared to Din Tai Fung. I'm not really sure if this truly makes a difference but the XLB at Dough Zone are amazing. Why am I only giving 3 stars? The XLB are fantastic and in my opinion, far better than Din Tai Fung. The steamed pork buns are also great. Where this place could improve is their "spicy" department. We tried their spicy beef rolls, spicy cold beef, and spicy wontons. Sadly, the only thing spicy is the word "spicy"; even their chili sauce is very mild and bland tasting.

    (3)

  • Michelle G.

    We always come at 9:30 on Saturdays to avoid lines. Everything is always so good and freshly prepared! Love!

    (5)

  • Alice T.

    Fantastic find! I do think that their soup dumplings are better than Din Tai Fung's, though their menu isn't quite as expansive. My favorite dishes so far are the pork dumplings and the spicy noodle with minced pork sauce. Great flavor. I didn't care much for the shaved beef burger, the vegetable potstickers or the vegetable dumplings. The veggie varieties didn't have much flavor. The wait is real and the service is a bit confusing. We had to ask several times for refills on the water. The dumplings, though, are worth the wait and the chaos.

    (4)

  • Tony L.

    Since we were seated right away, I am rounding up to 4 stars. We stopped by on a weekday night, and were seated at a booth right away. It looks like we just missed the dinner rush, although plenty of more people showed up after us (up until the 9 PM closing time). The place still looks relatively new, although it is not too big. They do have counter seating, so it should be easier to find a spot to eat if you are a party of 1 or 2. After reviewing the small menu, we ordered: Xiao long bao (x2): these were pretty good, almost as good as DTF (a little smaller). The skins were thin, and the soup was good. Jia Jian Mien: just ok: just seems to be missing something to make it a really good dish. Spicy wontons: pretty small dish, but the wontons had nice, thin skins. Green onion pancake: I am a sucker for this dish, and their version was pretty good. Yam congee: tasteless to me, but my wife liked it. Free refills, though. Tofu appetizer: the tofu was marinated, and was pretty good. Chicken pan fried dumplings: meat was juicy; skins were crispy. Although your wait times are reduced when you come later, the negative part is that they start to run out of items on the menu. I wanted to try the crab dumplings and the Jian buns, but they were sold out. The dishes are smaller than expected, but so is the price. Most of the above dishes were less than $4, except for the noodles and the Xiao long baos. Our bill came out to $45 including tax. If you want decent food and don't need a fancy place to eat (and don't want to wait the 1-2 hours at DTF), then this is a good alternative.

    (4)

  • Kim D.

    FOOD: Juicy Pork Buns $8.50: (10 pieces) The wrapper is thicker than DTF dumplings but still tasty and more juicy than DTF. I would come back and order these again. Shrimp & Pork dumplings $8.25: (6 pieces) This is other pricy side of things since there is only 6 dumplings. It was good, but nothing to brag about. Chicken Potstickets $3.75: (6 pieces) Not bad. Crispy bottom. Pork rice noodle $7.75: Sub out with their regular noodle that they use for their other noodle dishes. I would not recommend getting their noodle dishes because noodles were soft and not appetizing. Our server said it would be spicy but their definition of spicy is that there will be whole peppers in it but the actually broth and flavor of the dish is not spicy. If you want noodles go to a ramen house. I looked like a ramen bowl because of the egg and meat but it does not compare. SERVICE: I came during the weekday around 3pm and it was not busy at all. So we received great service, our server often walked by so I was able to get his attention. One thing I have to say is I love my ginger!! I asked for ginger numerous of times and they kept giving me a few strands... It was not cut even, some were chunky so it was strong but I still love it. PRESENTATION: Usually dumpling presentation. Booths and tables. Average decent size store. LOCATION: Tucked behind in a building behind Palace Korean BBQ in crossroads. There is street parking and a couple parking lots. Its right across from Crossroad Mall (in front of Joanns Fabric). WOULD I COME BACK: Yes =) ADVICE: Juicy pork buns! No noodle bowls!

    (3)

  • Mark G.

    Great Chinese food. Fast and delicious! The juicy pork dumplings rival DTF. The onion pancakes are crispy and delicious! And the big pork buns are 3 instead of 2 like DTF.

    (5)

  • David G.

    This is some of the best Dim Sum I've had since Beijing. You should try it. Casual atmosphere, good food.

    (5)

  • Kaitlin F.

    I learned about this place the other day when I went to an elite event and was chatting with a fellow yelper about my intense, burning passion for soup dumplings. I had never heard of Dough Zone, and while I was reticent to believe my new buddy's claim that their xlb were as good as Din Tai Fung's, it didn't hurt to give this place a try. We arrived around 2 pm on a Sunday for lunch. I expected it to be busy, and it was. But not nearly as busy as DTF would have been. It took us about 7-10 minutes to get a table. I wanted to try the bubble tea but sadly they were out of fruit teas, so we ordered the scallion pancakes, the chicken potstickers, and three baskets of the xlb. The scallion pancakes came out first, and they were very underwhelming. Undercooked, not tasty enough, would not order them again or recommend them. The potstickers came out next and they were in fact quite good. One thing though was that I had been looking for soy sauce or something, but there were no condiments on our table. After we had already finished the potstickers i discovered a tray of condiments on the next table, but it was a bummer not to be able to dip the potstickers in anything. Now to the main event. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the xlb. They really were almost identical in quality to DTF's, at least in my opinion. The skin was nice and thin, the broth was pleasantly scented, if a bit strong on the ginger, the meat was tasty. They compared very well with DTF's xlb. Price: the price of the xlb is about the same as DTF, but the price of everything else is much lower, so you will save money on your bill overall. Ambiance: Fine. It's not like the ambiance at DTF is super faboosh or anything. Service: A step down, and a step up. In friendliness, definite step down, but to be honest I don't care a great deal about that. But when it comes to time, huge step up. Much lower wait time, and when you get in you get your food a lot faster. This is a good joint for when you want some xlb, and you don't want to wait forever and you want a smaller bill than DTF. There *is* a lot of other food at DTF that I love, the fried rice, the rice cakes, other dumplings, so its not like i found a DTF replacement, but I found another good option.

    (4)

  • Tina Y.

    great food and excellent service, best juicy buns I've tried in Bellevue. Also the steamed dumplings are really good.

    (5)

  • Merina H.

    I absolutely love this place! Given, I've never been to China or Taiwan or whatever these dumplings originate from. I have had Din Tai Fung a few times, and I have to say this place tastes like this and it's CHEAPER. I've been here with my family a few times as well and my favorites here would have to the beef stew noodle soup, the pork dumpings, and the potstickers! I'm sure anything chosen from this menu will be excellent. I had the pancakes though and they are quite similar to Vanessa's dumping house in the chinatown in NYC. I would definitely come back. The reason why this got only a 4 star because the waitress was slow and they didn't have pictures to assist me in ordering! I had to go on yelp and to have a visual sense of what I am ordering.

    (4)

  • Nathasha S.

    Back again for a second try! :) I came with a friend on a friday night and was really surprised at how busy this restaurant was. Wait-time for 2 ~ around 30 mins. I know everyone has been ranting about the service, but all in all, I was pleased with the waitstaff. Yes, english isn't their first language and yes you do have to be a bit patient, but no one was rude to me. **Xiao Long Bao - yum, I'm glad I got these for the second time. Delicious, typical little soup dumplings. They are my favorite. **Jian Bun - reading over yelp reivews, there were mixed ratings, but personally, I thoroughly enjoyed these. They came with five, steamed buns that were fluffy soft pillows of heaven with a nice meat filling. I would order them again! **Spicy tofu soup (or something to that idea) - surprisingly, I really enjoyed this!! The tofu was silky and just like tofu dessert that you might get at some dimsum restaurants. But the sauce it was in was what made it really special, it had a nice numbing spice with cilantro & crushed peanuts maybe? For something like $4.95 it was a steal. And again, I would just say that this place is more of a China-chinese restaurant so be aware! :)

    (4)

  • S S.

    Not seeing the hype but can see why people go eat there for xiao long bao. This place is too popular for what it is. I think it is a great place for xiao long bao (if you don't want to wait for din tai fung) but otherwise what's so special. They service this special pancake thing that is nasty. It has a crepe with eggs on it and two chinese donut and some kind of sauce. That thing has the nastiest taste ever! They also have one good thing which is free refill on soy milk (which they make in house) and congee. My only gripe about the coffee is why is there only one flavor each day! I go there during the weekend I don't ever want to have the option they have on Saturday! Service is nice and they try to be fast so that's good news. As some other has mentioned before for the price the portion is small so it will add up. The only good thing for the price is the xiao long bao (cheaper than DTF).

    (3)

  • Kimmie L.

    The soup dumplings here are really good and cheaper than Din Tai Fung. Strangely, I really enjoyed the simplistic nature of the cucumber salad that was dressed lightly. Milk tea is good too! There was a pork sandwich that wasn't impressing to me as the "bread" it was made with is too dry and literally cardboard (which I never experienced before). Other than that, get the dumplings!

    (4)

  • Karen L.

    Yum!!! I've wanted to try this place for a while, and I'm so glad I finally did! The xiao long bao here are soooo good. Just as good as Din Tai Fung! And not as expensive. I still love Din Tai Fung, but this place is a good option if you don't want to wait an hour for a table. We got the pork dumplings, pork buns (so good!!!), green onion pancake (kind of bland), noodles with minced pork sauce, dan dan noodles, and wontons in szechuan sauce. Everything was delicious, although I wouldn't order the pancake again. And everything came out super fast!

    (4)

  • Ken L.

    Din Tai Fung (DTF) is the gold standard of soup dumplings, will Dough Zone be able to reach this bar set by DTF? Not quite, my friend: Green Onion Pancake ($2.75): this thin pancake is close to what I expect. Needs to be crispier and missing the special sweet soy sauce mix that makes it right. Wontons in Szechuan Sauce ($3.75): The wonton skin is amazingly thin and tasty but where is the meat and the Szechuan Sauce?? If they had discernible meat filling and at least enough sauce to coat the wontons, this potentially can be very delicious! As is, the portion is extremely small. Why not just offer a full meaty portion at $7 rather than 3 or 4 measly pieces that can't be tasted? Beef Steamed Dumplings ($4.25): The juicy and moist beef filling's akin to a meatball wrapped in a dumpling dough wrapper. 3 stars as no mind blowing flavors present. Lamb Sauce Noodles ($7.75): Noodles are like ramen noodles and broth is slightly spicy. Not much in terms of toppings: pieces of sliced and diced tofu and a hint (no exaggeration) of meat and green onions. Again, where is the meat?? Maybe they named it lamb SAUCE for a reason. Summary: 3 stars. Not inclined to return unless major adjustments made - I will continue to frequent DTF for dumplings.

    (3)

  • RONALD W.

    The xiao long bao or juicy pork buns (how are these considered buns) gives DTF a run for their money at a substantial discount. Not quite the same level of presentation and no vinegar and ginger served to round out the flavor profile of DTF though. Also a bit slower than DTF which is a machine when busy. I also had the daily congee (chicken and mushroom) which is thinner than what we eat in my family and a lot less flavorful. Service is friendly but leaves something to be desired. I was pretty pissed that a group that ordered the same thing after me was served before me.

    (4)

  • Thanh-Thanh N.

    This is a pretty solid place for bellevue/seattle dumplings. The safe thing to do is stick with the dumplings, I didn't like the soup stocks as much as other dumpling houses. The soup is very salty and soy sauce based. I loved the pork buns (actually called jiang buns I think), theyre pan fried on the bottom but still steamed and soft on top. I reallly liked the dough, and although it has the soft dough it is still very juicy inside! We obviously got the xiao long bao, juicy pork buns. The cucumber dish was ok, I prefer it sliced but the curly cut is interesting. PLEASE add more veggie plates to your menu, like green beans, pea vines, etc.

    (4)

  • Mason L.

    This a place I can finally find some traditional dumplings that i can only have in Vancouver BC. I will say it tastes better than Din Tai Fung and staffs are good. Only cons is the limited seats they have so usually we still have to wait a bit before grabbing a table. If you don't mind sitting at the bar will be a faster option to feed yourself

    (4)

  • Victor W.

    Excellent spot for some real Chinese food. The shenjian bao (pan fried pork buns), fried potstickers, and the xiao long bao are all excellent. Also the traditional pork noodle soup is great. The wait is a bit insane, rivaling din tai fung, and I'd consider it marginally worse but it's definitely more homely and cheaper so it all comes down to what you value. The soymilk here is also top notch. I'd come back when I knew I had time to wait.

    (4)

  • Samantha G.

    I heard about Dough Zone since people have been saying it's either better than or doesn't compare to Din Tai Fung. Of course, I had to come here to see for myself. Honestly, I was not expecting a line out the door. Wait time was about an hour. By the time my bf and I were seated, we were starving and could have ate the entire menu but you know we gotta have self control. We tried to have a good idea of the menu and had the following: Pig Ears Nice chewy texture with good flavor. One of my favorite sides. Green Onion Pancake We actually didn't order this but we just took it since we were hungry. You can't go wrong with this side. Wonton in Szechuan sauce Surprisingly, these were not heavy or overly greasy. I like the filling and the thinness of the wonton. Soy sauce noodles I thought these were pretty good and the noodles were chewy. It could have used a little more flavor though. Beef burger Skip this. I was not impressed with Dough Zone's burger. The bun was more of a biscuit and the cilantro was the only thing that stood out in this. Pork dumpling We had this mixed up for the xiao long baos but I love these dumplings! The filling was just delicious and I like the thickness of the wrapper. Crab meat Xiao long boa I found this a little disappointing since I didn't get much crab from this, although I like the soup inside. Juicy Pork Xiao Long bao Definitely a must! The flavor and juiciness of this was comparable to DTF. Jian buns Pan fried bun with pork stuff. I like that they fry the bottom of these buns but I didn't like the taste of the filling. I will pass on ordering these again. While I really enjoyed the food, service here can improve. While our server was polite, he did bring us the green onion pancake that we didn't order. If we weren't so hungry, we would have told him to take it back. The timing of the food can also improve. Our last two items were the xiao long baos and there was a long gap between the rest of the food and that. Prices here are very affordable. Our total bill was under $40. Personally, I would dine here over the Bellevue DTF, since I'm not in the area often.

    (3)

  • Amy E.

    The more I come here, the more I appreciate this restaurant. It is no wonder they are busy. This time the dough for their dumplings stood out for me. I enjoy the texture and that they are perfectly pan fried. I would still stay away from the noodles. They are not too impressive. Price is right, service is quick, and food is solid. I also don't feel sick from grease or msg afterwards.

    (5)

  • Amanda S.

    Came here 3 times in one week. Most everything is good but I would recommend the fried dumplings and XiaoLongBao the most. They have JianBingGuoZi and a whole bunch of other fun appetizers. Also the congee is light with free refills! I have also tried the Sichuan cold noodles which were delicious as well. Better than DTF except for the noodles. I found the noodle dishes underwhelming. #protip: try everything. It's cheap enough anyways.

    (5)

  • Steve L.

    Ordered a bunch of items, none were memorable, The Xaio Long Bao (juicy pork dumpling) was good and that's about it. We ordered Wonton in Szchun Sauce, six wontons were mostly skin (very little meat) and were all stuck together with little sauce. Pork with preserved egg congee was bland and no preserved egg was found. Zhajiang Noodle was way too dry after the mix. Overall, service was good, food....not so much. I would choose Din Tai Fung over Dough Zone any day.

    (3)

  • Latifa S.

    Tasty doughyyy fun!! Comparable to Din Tai Fung? Not so much. There's a reason Din tai fung has a Michelin star that this place will never have! I don't mean just from the geography standpoint. Location- in the strip mall behind the crossroads shopping center. It is easy and hard to get here depending on the time of the day. They have street parking and parking lot but they also have 5 restaurants in that same plaza. It's bound to be busy. I came in right after they open at 11:30 am. Seating was a breeze. I had an option to get a table or sit at the bar like area meant for single eaters which I thought was pretty cool. Except when you want to order a ton of stuffs! I moved to a table after I've ordered my food. Kind of had to!They wouldn't all fit! I went with a few items on their menu since prices seem quite reasonable! What's the harm in tasting food right? I got about 5 dishes-Yes, a lot of food for one person but nobody said you have to finish your food. It's all about tasting for me! **Lamb sauce noodle soup - this was the first item to arrive. It was ok. Very salty and mouth numbing from the pepper corns. I don't see any special appeal to the noodle or the broth. Skip this! **Noodles in Sichuan sauce - this only cost $4.75? It was good to taste a bite. Not crazy about it! **Wontons in spicy sauce - love the wontons, not the sauce! **Boiled pork dumplings - these were my favorite! At $3.75, you get 6 pieces! And I was full after 2 of them!! **Steamed beef dumplings! Another fav for only $4.75? Again, it came with 6 pieces, I had 2! Over all, I enjoyed the dumplings. Service was efficient. Would be better if you speak Chinese! Noodles gave me a massive headache right after. Holy sodium batman!! Seriously bad for you. Out of 5 items, I liked 2! I don't hate the place. But it is also not that great if I can only eat about 20-30% of their menu. That being said, I would go back when I'm in the area purely for the dumplings. They came steamed/boiled without any sauces on top. Which might be a good thing because their sauces and broths are not edible. So, I definitely liked it! I was excited for it! I'm still excited to go back for really cheap dumplings made fresh to order. It isn't comparable to din tai fung which is 100 times better but it's still fine. I'm sure their xlbs are pretty epic and close to the ones there. 3 is as good as it will get! Definitely worth trying though. Just watch out for the dehydration aka sodium overload in their sauces and noodles!

    (3)

  • Gary K.

    My new favorite dumpling place, but do I really want to wrire a review??? The queue has been growing inexorably longer, the wait staff increasingly more harried, but the dumplings are now more consistent and better. Dough Zone had its teething pains, and that may have accounted for the poor reviews, but now that it has been open for a few more months, it's worthy of 5 stars. A few highlights aside from the dumplings include the spicy tofu, 5 spiced beef, pig jelly and cucumber.

    (5)

  • Saejin K.

    So good om nom nom. Cheaper than dtf and almost as good. Strong XLBs and veggie dumplings. The steamed pork buns are even better than dtf (the dough is like biting into a warm delicious cloud) but the spicy wontons were weak. Their vinegar is also too tart for my taste. Also, the service is a lottery because you don't get your own server so you have to just kind of be aggressive or hope people notice you. But I will definitely be back to try more things!

    (4)

  • D.J. Y.

    Not really having much to compare this place with, (since this visit we've hit up 2 other dumpling houses, this one by far was AMAZE-BALLS!). Very fresh tasting dumplings, I liken them to little pockets of soup wrapped up in a light noodle-ish/dough-ish outside, I was very happy and cried tears of pure joy with every bite. We started off with with sweet and sour cucumber, it was a nice light item to get things rolling, we also opted for the juicy pork steamed dumplings, pork goodness in every bite, they didn't last long on the table since they just hopped into my stomach! The green onion pancake, pan fried dumpling and the braised beef biscuit rounded out our order. I'm getting hungry just writing this, needless to say we'll be back and once I try other items off of the menu, they just might get that extra Yelp star. Only minus is the size of the place, we had to wait for 30 minutes for a party of 3, there aren't many tables that hold larger parties other than 1 huge one in the middle of the place, so our usual group of 6-7 peeps will have to wait next time around. Also we weren't a huge fan of the braised beef biscuit, a tad too sweet, rather small and didn't look as amazing as the pictures posted here on Yelp, oh well. We were here well after the lunch rush but like I mentioned there was a line out the door! Food came out blazing fast, and hot'n fresh, just the way I like it. Worthy of a try fo'sho!!

    (4)

  • Vanessa W.

    First time being here. I've heard lots of good reviews about it so decided to try it today. The xiao long baos are amazing. We had the pork one and the crab one. In addiction their pork potsticker was amazing.The chicken one was kind of on the salty side though. The green onion pancake.was just meh. Nothing special about it. We didnt even finish all of that. Overall, I wouls come again, the xiao long bao is on the top of my list for sure!

    (3)

  • Tami H.

    Great new find in Bellevue -- comparable with Din Tai Fung but without the crazy waits and much cheaper. The soup dumplings are excellent, as well as the green onion pancake, spicy wontons, broccoli, and other dumplings. I didn't try the noodles or buns but will return to give them a try! Service is fast, portions are on the small side but healthier :) They also have several varieties of tea on the menu. Will definitely return! Tami

    (4)

  • Myduyen N.

    OMG, I looooooooove dumplings!! Most of all I love Dough Zone. The service was great when I came here. We didn't have to wait long for a table of 5 and the staff were all friendly. They were very helpful when I asked them the different type of dumplings. I tried their congee and it was okay. For the congee you can have refills but it was too bland for me to want more. My 5 stars is for the dumplings!!! I love the crab meat buns, you get 10 juicy buns that has crab meat and pork. I love the little soup that's in there!! The wonton in Szechuan sauce is good too. I like it way better than the wonton in sweet and sour sauce. Another one that I enjoy is the pan fried chicken dumplings. Wayyyy better than the steamed dumplings.

    (5)

  • Amos Y.

    Came here for lunch on a Sunday. Plenty of parking in the parking lot next to it or in Crossroads. There was a decent line outside. About half an hour wait for our party of 11, which isn't bad compared to DTF. Service was pretty average, not that speedy. Was told that it was a dim sum place, but it really isn't. They are a dumpling house. So they don't have that many options on their menus, with the bulk of them being beef, pork, or chicken dumplings steamed, boiled, or pan fried. There's no vegetables, and everything else is pretty much an appetizer, noodles, congee, or soup. Pig ears: nice chewy cartilage Green onion pancake: decent, I prefer mine more crispy though Szechuan Tofu Soup: surprisingly good. Mildly spicy with soft tofu. Jianbing guozi: We weren't sure what this was. It was described like a Chinese crepe, and looked interesting. When we ate it though, there was barely any flavor and basically the only thing inside is a very small amount of egg. So we were just munching on dough. Not worth it. Pork soup dumplings (siu long bao): Has pretty thin skins, and very juicy. Thought meat could be slightly more flavorful though. DTF still beats them, but at $2-$3 cheaper for 10, I'd come back to Dough Zone again. Pan fried pork dumplings - Extra crispy, but I actually liked the crunchiness. Meat was super juicy, a little oily, but could be more flavorful. Still enjoyed these though. Would come again for the siu long bao and pan fried dumpings.

    (3)

  • Chelsea S.

    We visited Dough Zone on a Friday night during a stay in Bellevue. We've been to Din Tai Fung a few times in U Village and really have come to love some delicious dumplings and Dough Zone did not disappoint. We were late to arrive and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. Din Tai Fung I know is notorious for long waits but usually with just two people we can sit at the bar right away. Unfortunately, Dough Zone doesn't allow self seating in the bar so we did have to wait. The restaurant was busy and active but not overly noisy or chaotic. We tried several offerings: (2) sweet and spicy cucumbers, pork soup dumplings, pork and crab soup dumplings. wonton soup, wontons in szechuan sauce, and chicken potstickers, hot tea and a Sprite. We had to order a second plate of the cucumbers because they were delicious and cheap. The pork soup dumplings were hands down our favorite item ordered. They were super flavorful with bursting warm soup inside, plenty of filling and very soft dumpling dough. I have no complaints about anything we ate and the service was efficient and friendly. Food comes out really quick so you can get in and out quick. They don't have alcoholic drinks and its not as fancy as Din Tai Fung but I would say the food is just as good.

    (5)

  • Alice C.

    Dumplings are one of my all-time favorite Chinese/Shanghainese/Taiwanese/whatever you prefer dishes. This place has a solid selection of xiao chi-style dishes to order, my favorite being the pan fried buns. Typically when I come here I also order the dumplings, pan fried dumplings, congee, and a beef onion pancake. The dish size here is significantly smaller than Din Tai Fung, which is accurately reflected in the price. But smaller dishes = more orders and more variety! I'm not complaining ^^ Pro tip: Don't try to come during prime lunch or dinner hour during the weekend--the wait is ridiculous!

    (4)

  • Kathleen C.

    A little torn between a 3 and a 4 star rating, I'll update if thoughts change next visit. Basically new Din Tai Fung. It didn't appear too busy when we arrived, but it still took 15 mins to seat group of 5 at 8pm on a weekday. I hear that weekends are pretty long waits. Food: Portions are small sharing plates pretty much. I tried like 10 things so I'll note what I can remember or things that stood out good or bad. Favorite item was: noodles with spicy sauce. It was probably 1 star spicy. Really good! But so small. Like a rice bowl size. The juicy pork dumplings/buns are very comparable and good as compared to din tai fung. The Jian bun's meat filling was good except that the pan fried bottom wasn't even crispy :/ that's the best pair about pan fried buns! The cucumber dish was good except pretty spicy at 3 stars spicyness to me. Soooo I couldn't eat much of it. Everything else was kinda just ok. The braised beef noodle soup was not worth getting again. The yam congee no bueno either. Prices: The juicy pork dumplings/buns were 10 for $8.50 which is only $1 cheaper than DTF (negligible). Everything else was $4 or $8. Seemed cheap but the portions aren't big so you end up ordering more. In the end with an enforced 15% gratuity on a party of 5, it was $19/person with tax and tip. This is slightly cheaper than dtf but I kinda thought the price differential shoulda been higher. Reasons 1) DTF is expensive. Just because this place is cheaper relatively doesn't mean it's actually cheap. It just is in comparison to an expensive place. 2) DTF has better service and is in a high end location. Thus going into some of the costs of the meal. But dough zone is very casual in the back of crossroads in Bellevue. To add, our server stuck half his thumb into this soy milk we ordered while bringing it out (biggest negative point of the meal). Safe to say I did not have any. But who knows what happened with other dishes. Overall, food was pretty good and I would come if it was less wait time than DTF, which I haven't frequented this place enough to know. However, if I'm still waiting, id rather go to DTF, at least then I can roam the mall while I wait and they can text me when they're ready and no thumbs in my food.

    (3)

  • Michael L.

    The food here is not bad but for the price you might as well go to Din Tai Fung. The lines here are a lot shorter than DTF but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and go to the better restaurant. The thing that they made best however was their Pan fried pork buns. I wish they took the time to make them more crispy since that's the way I prefer them.

    (3)

  • Vivienne L.

    3/5 things are worth coming back for. YES - Jian Bun - Xiao Long Bao - beef stew NO - Pancake - Spicy Szechuan wonton The line is pretty long, and you see all the Chinese speakers keep going up the front desk/hostess asking if they can get priorities. It gets annoying when you can understand them, and you see others who can't/can understand them waiting even more impatiently and uncomfortable. They need to have a Systems such as buzzer or even numbers.

    (3)

  • Danielle C.

    Dough Zone is located near the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. A lot of large parties come here, but if you opt to sit in the bar area, you can most likely get seated very quickly. I love Xiao long bao, and I haven't had much good Xiao long bao since Din Tai Fung, so I was curious how this place would turn out. The dumplings are extremely thin so I would be careful about not popping the dumpling skins. The soup is very plentiful in each dumpling though. I think the dumplings taste better with some chili sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar though - the actual meat filling was not that salty to me. We also tried the jian bao. They are basically fried buns with some meat filling. Unfortunately I thought the meat was a bit flavorless and there wasn't much soup (if any) in these buns. I would pass on these. The wontons in Szechuan sauce were good although they are very tiny. Each order comes with 6. To be honest I could have probably gotten another batch. The spicy beef pancake roll was interesting. The roll was the same roll you use in green onion pancake (cong you bing) and they wrapped the beef with the roll and cut it into two rolls. They stuff the beef with cilantro though so if you don't like cilantro, I would consider skipping out on this dish. Service was very good. I also spoke Mandarin to the waiters the whole time and they understood me (yay) and responded to me in Mandarin.

    (4)

  • Karen W.

    This was a great find on the east side. Juicy pork dumplings are actually better than Din Tai Fung! The flavor of the broth is really superior. Also love the Jian Buns and the minced pork noodles. In general I like the flavor of their pork better than the beef items and I prefer this location slightly to the newer one on 24th. Service is quick and efficient. Prices are good too. Now, if only they had bubble tea...

    (5)

  • Corinne M.

    Oh my goodness this place was SO GOOD, too good, I could've just ate here all night long, everything was amazing I can't wait to go back!!! I however wasn't impressed with the service. We were confused as to who was supposed to be taking care of us, two people were taking care of us yet every time that we needed something no one was around, my sister and I kept trying to get our female servers attention, and she kept passing us up, once we were done we waited what felt like forever to get the check, we tried unsuccessfully to get help, until we finally had to look like school children and sit there with out hands in the air until someone finally acknowledged us. Even with the spotty service I was still happy with our dinner, I'll be back for sure, I just hope to get a better server.

    (4)

  • Diana C.

    Delicious XLB! They have a good mix of food, decent portions for great prices (when compared to DTF). I didn't find the dough on the XLB to be too thick even though others have complained about that. we ordered the Pork dumplings (XLB), the pork dumplings with spicy sauce, the beef stew noodle soup, and the spicy beef roll (also got a coke). The bill was about $40 (at DTF it would have been closer to $60). I'm definitely a fan! I'm really excited since this is really close to my climbing gym in Bellevue. I will have to come back and try more things! Yum!

    (4)

  • Joe B.

    Just went here this evening with my Seattle True Foodies group, and we ordered a wide variety of items. Everything was pretty good, but they are still definitely tuning their recipes, and they are not on par yet with Richmond BC places. The pork XLBs were very good, but most stuck to the paper, so were difficult to get one w/o spilling the juice. The crab XLBs were bland, with a barely perceptible taste of crab. Chicken, pork and shrimp pot stickers were good, with shrimp being the best. The chive and egg filled pancake was outstanding, as was the pig foot soup, and the spicy wontons. Also tried the lamb broth noodle soup, which was excellent. Noodles are all made fresh, in-house and were cooked nice and al dente. The sliced beef brisket sandwich, as tasty, but very dry. would not order again unless the add a sauce, greens, or something to moisten it. (of course this is usually made with fatty brisket or pork belly. They use very lean brisket. So while it is a healthier version, it needs something to replace the moisture from the missing fat) The place is very noisy, with many happy families and groups of friends chatting away. Music is loud too. For what is meant to be a local, family-style Chinese dumpling snack shop, it is very much worth 4 stars. Note: spoke to the owner as we were leaving, and they are planning to also open shops in Redmond and Issaquah

    (4)

  • Nathan L.

    There's a lot of hype here before I even fell upon this gem. Like many dumpling places, there are good, the bad, and the ugly. Thankfully though, this place has many ups to it, but I highly recommend reading the reviews before ordering. That is the key. THE PROS: XLBs- Xiaolong bao here is definitely comparable to DTF. If those acronyms don't ring a bell for you, I suggest you step off the court and review your studies before coming back. But honestly the XLBs here are on point. I would even go far enough to say that they are more juicy and flavorful then DTF. Shengjian Bao- These by far come in number two for me on the list of what to get. The bread isn't too soft and it's not too hard either. The bottom is crisped to the right degree and the meat inside isn't dry. This is something that this place has that DTF doesn't, but DTF does have different noodles/ dumplings. Spicy Beef Pancake- On point! Just not a blow my mind type of entree. It's still good though and if you are hungry I highly recommend it. The wrap is very flavorful and not too spicy to be honest. Everything else is actually just mediocre to me. That's why I say that you need to know what to order before coming here or else you won't have that great of an experience. But the prices are a little cheaper then some places, but variety is lack there of in my opinion.

    (4)

  • Niki F.

    Everything is so miniature. Think of kids meal size if you are unsure about how tiny I'm saying. Szchuan wonton is the most expensive I have ever had in the US! Only 5 tiny wonton (although it says 6 on the receipt). I mean, come on, if you are competing against DinTaiFung, try harder. Or, drop ur price. Not worth eating daily. The beef pancake roll was super tasty though.

    (3)

  • Alisha W.

    YUM! very surprised to find such an inconspicuous restaurant in the back alley of Crossroads packed with so many people! The location is convenient and also not too chaotic which is nice. The ambience of the place is also modern and service is good. About the food: Wow. I was really surprised that the dishes were comparable to Din Tai Fung. The Xiao long bao are smaller, hand-made and done better I think than DTF. The skin is not too chewy/hard like it is at DTF. The noodles! Wow, really yummy! and the Chives box! holy smokes. I don't think I've had chives box better than my grandma's before, but she better step up her game, cause this may just beat some good ol' fashion grandma cooking! Word of warning!! The restaurant is newish and doesn't yet have the infrastructure to handle the crowd that it has drawn. If you want to order, you better order a lot (the dishes are small, and they come out very slow!) The hunger builds and then you'll be wishing you'd ordered more. Since the food is made by only a few chefs, it seems thats the main bottleneck. So be sure to order AT LEAST 2 dishes per person.

    (4)

  • Jonie N.

    I came here on a Tuesday night around 6pm with a group of 4 and there was no wait, plenty of seats available - yay! Service was great too, we got hot water right as we were seated and a paper menu ordering form to mark what you want to order. There's a variety of items - dumplings, noodles, random appetizers, etc. so we got a few things we knew and some things to try out: Pork xiao long baos - Good! I enjoyed them. There's more juice and a little less meat than other xlbs I've had, but I still liked them... I'd recommend! Hot and sour wontons - Pass. The wontons are tiny (small bite of meat) and the sauce isn't that flavorful. It's cheap, $4.50ish, but to me it's not worth getting since they're not yummy. These were kind of disappointing since I usually love spicy wontons! Beef pancake - I've never had anything like this before. Flakey pancake (same consistency as a green onion pancake) with cured beef or some kind of tender beef inside. I'm not sure how it's made but it's still good. Also, I'm not a fan of the cilantro/parsley they put in it, so I'd request them without the next time I get it. I'd also want to try the spicy one too. I think I'd like it even more. Jian baos - pan fried pork buns! We liked these. The buns were soft with a crisp bottom, and the meat inside was juicy. Careful eating them so the juice doesn't accidentally spill out! Cucumber - no. It's got a cool, pretty swirled presentation, but there's no flavor to it... just sauce on the bottom. Don't expect this to be the normal yummy sesame and/or vinegar cucumber. Dough zone - 3.5 stars rounded to 4 because I'd recommend it. Just stick to the xiao long baos, beef rolls and jian baos and you'll be satisfied with your meal here :)

    (4)

  • Kristi H.

    Love the new menu items! The asparagus was cooked perfectly with the brown sauce on the side. The green onion pancake was crispy (I can't stand soggy). I'm in love with the win ton soup and of course the juice pork buns.

    (5)

  • Vivian H.

    I really, really like this place. BF and I came here around 3pm and waited for about 10 minutes for a bar seat. They promptly served us with one glass of cold water and one mug of hot water. I am not sure why, but they did. They also gave us an order sheet to write down what we want. We had: 2 orders of XLB, beef pancake roll, mixed flavor beef, noodles in Szechuan sauce, dandan noodles, pig ears, and wontons in szechuan sauce. These were all small dishes so we thought we could order everything we wanted to get a taste of it all. Everything came out really quickly. My favorites were the XLB, beef pancake roll, dandan noodles, wontons in Szechuan sauce, and tofu dessert with red bean. The two things I would pass on are the pig ears and the noodles in Szechuan sauce. The pig ears were too bland, and so were the noodles. They were "spicy and tingly" but that's all it had going for it. The XLB were really juicy and the skin nice and thin. What I did not like was the price at almost $1 a dumpling. I would choose to come here over DTF though, due to their variety of fairly priced small dishes. After taxes the bill came out to $63. That is a more than fair price for the variety of food that we had. I was also beyond STUFFED. I can't wait to come here again to try their other dumplings.

    (5)

  • Kay N.

    We came here on a Saturday night. It was pretty busy. We ordered wonton, pot stickers, pan fried buns, and steam dumplings. Everything was delicious!! It tasted fresh and flavorful. I liked their hot pepper flakes with soy sauce to dump the dumplings in. Like what everyone says, the wontons are very small and not worth the price. The place looks clean with a bright atmosphere. The service was okay. That's why I knocked one star off. They seemed a little pushy and rushed us when we ordered and even asked us to pay because they were closing in five minutes.

    (4)

  • Penny G.

    Their dumplings are great. This hidden gem in Bellevue is the place to go for Chinese food. I tried several of their dishes and wasn't disappointed by any of them. The prices are reasonable, but there's often a line so you might want to go during non peak hours. Their dumplings definitely give din tai Fung a run for their money. I'll be back soon.

    (5)

  • Hoc P.

    omg can't believe I am writing review at 3am. It's just because this place is so good. Pork dumpling is completely IDENTICAL to Ding Tai Fung. So I have no reason to go to Ding Tai Fung and wait for 1 hour seats any more. There is no line here by the way. And the waitresses are very cool / nice to help out or recommend. The sauce was good. All spicy exactly what I want. The only thing I don't like was the Chinese doughnut. It was a bit soggy and salty. Maybe because we came there late before they closed.

    (4)

  • Ariel Z.

    I love this place! It is so much better, cheaper,and better service than DTF. I usualLY get the green onion pan cake, spicy noodle soup, and cucumber salad. The red bean dessert is also amazing. Everything I have tried here has been awesome!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Jennifer Y.

    Parking: street parking, easy to find on a Tuesday night Restaurant Size: Not a very large restaurant. There was no wait on a Tuesday night, unless you have a party larger than 4. You have to wait for tables to clear to combine seatings. Food: Jian Bun: I came here to try the Jian Bun. Tried to order it but the guy told me it was sold out. He said they often sell of of the Jian buns in the evening by 7PM. XLB: The pork Xiao Long Bao (XLB) were comparable to Din Tai Fung in size, flavor, and cost. The crab XLB is actually a lot better at Dough Zone than it is at DTF in my opinion. Spicy Beef Roll: Wasn't particularly impressed, there wasn't too much seasoning on it, just tasted all the herbs that was in it. The beef wasn't particularly flavorful like it should be. Wonton in schezhuan sauce: REALLY salty, did not like it. Wasn't spicy at all. The wonton was pitiful as well, it was all wrapper and like 1 teaspoon of filling. Wonton in Hot&Sour sauce: it was won ton in hot&sour soup, nothing to rave about. Same as the Wonton above, all wrapper and like 1 teaspoon of filling. Overall, if you're craving XLB, this is a great restaurant to get it at. Same as DTF but without the wait. Everything was mediocre at best. I really want to get some of that Jian Bun next time though.

    (3)

  • Capt k.

    yum yum. I am so happy that my friend found the restaurant. The dishes that I likes are dumplings and buns (except the ones that contains seafood). As far as the noodle dishes goes, the favor need a bit of improvement (ie. the flavor of mince meat noodle really need some white pepper to wake up the favor). Also, I really don't like they use a big plate to present 6 dumplings.

    (4)

  • Thi P.

    Worst service ever. It wasn't even busy, there was probably like 5 tables max. 3 servers present, and the host was the only one to help. Table next to us didn't get their food for 20 mins, but they were brought the check because the server thought they already ate. Took 15 mins to take our order, but it was only because we flagged them down and again only the host responded to us. On top of that, one of our food items didn't come. Then when we wanted to pay, again, only the host noticed us.

    (1)

  • Marie D.

    Still a 4. But the prices have increased since opening and the portions are getting smaller it seems. They do have some newer servers that can guide you through the menu if you need help. It's been featured at a few different magazines so I'm sure that's why the wait time has increased.

    (4)

  • Gabriel C.

    Came back with a few other friends, but definitely was quite disappointed this second time around. There was quite a wait here during Sunday lunch hour, but at their urging (and after waiting an hour, which is understandable for the time we came) - we decided to go with takeout. Unfortunately, it took an additional 45-60 minutes because they mixed up our order with another customer's. The moral? Better stick with dine-in and either make reservations earlier or come during off hours.

    (2)

  • Linda K. M.

    Juicy Pork Buns and green onion pancakes are really really good. The Jian buns are great and they have soup in them. Taste almost like a giant juicy pork bun! We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Matt K.

    We love the dough zone, it's a little crowded, but that just means the have awesome food. My wife and most my family is from China, they love it..I'm from here, I love it...Wish there were more so that whatever part of town we find ourselves in we'd have a solid choice for food.

    (5)

  • Joydeep H.

    Juicy pork dumplings are a good competition for DinTaiFung. Tried half their menu, food was good & very reasonably priced. Worth going back for more dumplings.

    (4)

  • Kim G.

    Definitely better than DTF! Faster service & not kitschy or over crowded. If you get there at prime dinner time you'll have a wait, but totally worth it. Only downside is they don't offer vegetable plates/dishes. If you know your dumplings you can't go wrong with any choice, but for something different to compliment your dumpling feast, I highly recommend the wonton noodles in szechuan sauce and the cucumber salad! This place has become my new favorite dumpling house.

    (5)

  • Mmm M.

    The cold spicy noodles are good. Sauce is different than DTF but still good with a more acidic kick and the noodles have a nice chew. Jian buns are good. Cucumbers are good. There aren't many choices if you want to balance out your meal with vegetables. Juicy pork dumplings are good when they are good, with lots of soup and thin but chewy skins. But every now and then, you get the most miserable, sad looking vacuum packed dumplings. All the juice has drained out and the skins sucked down to the little meatballs inside. So, so, so sad and deeply disappointing. The fear of getting these little sad, sad, sad dumplings kept us from going back until the recent coupon for free Jian buns came out. They redeemed themselves when our three baskets of juicy pork dumplings came out without a single sad one, and everything else was great. But we are still afraid. We still held our breath as we uncovered each basket of juicy pork dumplings. That takes a lot from the enjoyment of eating there. In comparison, DTF is more boring, the long waits are no fun, and loud noice level can be annoying (especially at the Seattle location), but it is safe and reliable.

    (3)

  • Mag Y.

    Three stars for food and NO star for service!!!! Super bad service. Went there on Sat late afternoon, ordered mixed flavor beef, jian bun, pot stickers... Checked the receipt and found that the jian bun is missing, asked the waiter to check for us, he explained 'it's the receipt after you got the food!!' (but some of the food items didn't come but still show on the receipt) since he insisted, we didn't question him. We waited for 45 mins, while we saw the girls next to us, who ordered after us got their jian bun already!! So we asked the waiter again, but he was very rude and insisted their order was before us. The food was so-so, not very special, too oily. The service was bad and staffs were unfriendly. The price was just okay. Come if you have spare time to kill and you don't care for food quality

    (3)

  • larry h.

    Came on a Saturday night so lots of waiting. Waited about 30 minutes outside before they called us in. Decor was nice and the bar option was cool, you could see the chefs making all the delicious food there. Ramen with pork was decent but nothig to write home about. The pork shao long baos were actually really good and highly recommended. The pork and shrimp dumplings were delicious although the shelled shrimp tail was a bit awkward to eat around. Overall pretty decent but I don't think I would wait more than 30 minutes again to come, but if there is no long I would definitely come back.

    (4)

  • celso w.

    The food is okay. Mediocre food and poor service. Xbl, I had better. Not the biggest fan of DTF, but DTF taste way better than this pos. The service is horrible. It took 45 min to get seated and another 15 min before we were ask for our order. They really keep the traditional China customer service style, which translate to no customer service. Please, does it take for us to be finished with our food to pour more water? Shall I be your busser and grab my own napkins and sauce dishes.? Gave this place a third chance because my family is visiting from out of town, and craving northern chinese food, but never again. Learned my lesson.

    (1)

  • Jeremy W.

    Make sure you double-check your order ticket before they bring you that food. This place needs to fire all the kids they have as servers and hire people who know a thing or two about customer service. The food is good but a few of the servers are real idiots! I brought a friend here and we ordered three sets of dumplings plus some apps. We watched our guy mark down the orders with a number by each one. All good so far...When the dumplings came, we noticed that there were four dumpling baskets. We checked the ticket that they print out and tape to the table and this fool added an extra order! I called up another worker (child) walking by and told him the mistake. We hadn't touched that food yet, thinking they'd take it back or something. The kid comes back and tells us in a passive voice, while waving both hands "I'm sorry...but we can't cancel it." WHAA?! Huh?!! They made a mistake and I had to pay for it? I wanted to punch that kid but he kept avoiding us after that. Even our actual server was dodging eye contact with us and didn't say a thing. Whatever...the two of us were hungry enough that we ate everything. Not goin back! If this happens to you, do me a favor and put the server on blast!

    (1)

  • Rami T.

    I've never gone to have dumplings but after reading a review in the paper decided to give it I try. I've been here several times and what I've ordered has been very good. My criticism is the limited menu and the lack of explanation or description of each item. Not everyone who comes has had a dumpling experience. We ordered what the newspaper reviewer ordered and it was delicious. The past two times I've been I ordered vegetable potstickers and the fillings were different. One was puréed broccoli and the other wasn't. The 'wasn't' tasted better than the broccoli filling. Both did lack a little flavor. The juicy pork buns, which are NOT buns, are delicious but the broth is HOT. Beware. I've never been to DTF so I can't compare the two places.

    (3)

  • Peng T.

    There are now two locations for Dough Zone in Bellevue; I've only been to the one in Crossroads so far. This restaurant serves very good Shanghai style dishes. They make a delicious xiao long bao and Shen Jian Bao. Those were my two favorites. The xiao long bao (aka soup dumplings) is comparable to Din Tai Fung in Bellevue; the soup is tasty and the skin is fairly thin. The Shen Jian Bao (pan fried dumpling) is very different from what I've had in Shanghai because the skin is very thick, but it does have a little bit of flavorful soup inside. They have similar style dishes and prices to Din Tai Fung for the smaller side plates. The wait times are typically shorter than Din Tai Fung for similar flavored dishes/prices so if you want a solid Shanghai style restaurant then try this out.

    (4)

  • Vi L.

    Crazy long waits, slightly bland food (corn congee tastes exactly like viscous nothingness), and a hostess that doesn't even take orders in Chinese. How am I supposed to order take out if you don't even know the names of the dishes?

    (2)

  • Julius L.

    Pretty solid xiao long bao. I wasn't a fan of the other dishes I tried, but the xiao long bao was very juicy. In my opinion better than Din Tai Fung just on the fact that the juice is actually still hot when the dumplings get to the table.

    (4)

  • Robert A.

    The buns and rhe dumplings are just too salty. Would be great if they cut back on the salt. Prefer Din Tai Fung at this point.

    (2)

  • Ryan M.

    Food was very good but business practices were very poor. I'm typing in my receipts for the day and noticed that they charge me a 15% service charge for my family of 5. not even a high school or college party of 8 and they forced me into a service charge. Although the food was good I will never go back.

    (1)

  • M S.

    We tried eating there today, but left after discovering that they didn't have AC. Either it was broken, they turned it off to save money, or that they just don't have AC installed... Whatever the reason, it was totally unbearable when the weather is as hot as it was today. We will give it another try when the weather gets cooler. Also, we waited around for 5 min for a table before leaving and there were open tables available. Not sure what was the problem there, but it allowed us time to decide to escape to a cooler destination.

    (1)

  • Geoff F.

    The wife and I stumbled on this place before going to a movie, and man are we glad we did. The Xiao Long Bao (juicy pork dumplings) are really quite good, on par with Din Tai Fung. We had several other dishes and liked them all quite a lot, with the exception of the braised pork burger. We really didn't care for the bun used, although the meat was okay and all the herbs they put in were quite tasty. One of the most exciting things is that they have a jian bing...it's a crepe with an egg cooked into it, smeared with sauces and rolled around a chinese doughnut. When I was living in Beijing I ate a TON of these things, but I haven't been able to find them since getting back to Seattle. The service was very attentive and friendly. I was just trying to look around and check out the other patrons, but the wait staff kept coming by to check on me every time I looked around. Edit: I've been back here a few times, as well as at their new location over off of 148th. Food is consistent between visits and locations. I'm a fan of this place.

    (4)

  • Sun H.

    I came to this place twice, and it wasnt that busy. I think I always have lunch or dinner at weird time lol anyways.. this place way better than other dimsum place, even better thank din tai fung. the only problem was.. servers... seems like they just wanted to talk to each others. they dont give us not much attentions. I havent had my drinks refilled until I finished dishes. (me and my gf ordered 6 dishes) only thing they did was just serving the food. thats why I'm giving 4 stars. but the food was great.

    (4)

  • Herb C.

    The XLB are good. Juicy and great tasting. Everything else was just okay. Went in on a Sunday afternoon and there was no wait for a table of 4 which was nice. Parking is plentiful around the area.

    (3)

  • Yumin G.

    I have been here 3 times. The food is good, worth 4 stars at least. but the service does not match the quality of food. Today we ordered the food and wait for 20 mins, nothing on our table yet. We asked the waiter to check and he comes back with an order for other table and asks "is this your order?" He then try the second time to find our order and it seems to be the right one. He tells us that the order has not been placed yet!!! We are so frustrated and ask to meet his manager and he says "i am the manager!" In short the story is we wait in a restaurant for 20 mins and the order is not placed even. Horrible service!

    (1)

  • P W.

    WARNING: Very small portions in dishes This restaurant is really trying to be Ding Tai Fun #2, which is the kind of specialty restaurant that serves delicate or well-made dishes, but in small or tiny portions. Therefore price vs amount of food you get is considered VERY POOR. When you order here, you may want to consider ordering 1.5-2x more than the usual Chinese restaurants you go to. There're a few nuances in the noodles... you thought that a bowl of noodle would be the size for one person... WRONG. One bowl is probably enough for a kid of age 3+ only. Service was so so... their servants seem awfully busy and didn't really remember the state of the table at times. I was asking a plate for my kid and the server gave me a to go cup, and said "We don't have any plates specifically for children." On the famous Xiao Long Bao... the portion of meat is too little here, and the juice wasn't enough nor was it tasty enough. the skin wasn't the best either since I've found a few already broken with juices leaked when served. I have tried XLB in countless places (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taipei, New York, Hong Kong, etc.), and the best remains to be 鹿鳴春 in New York: joeshanghairestaurants.c… In conclusion, the food here was good, but it was not good enough to justify the price that they charge. The restaurant owner definitely took advantage of the fact that it's rare in Redmond, but I'd rather save my money for normal Chinese restaurants, and go for the real thing in New York or other places that can serve real specialty XLB than trying to pay a higher premium to try at a place that's just so so.

    (3)

  • Richard P.

    Dare I say better then DTF for dumplings. Lots of juice, loved the fried buns they were also filled with juicy goodness comparable to van bc. Had the house special pigs hock noodle, tasty but I think portion and soup was a bit small for the price. Green onion pancake was just ok, and I would skip the chili wonton. Next time. Wish they had fresh sliced ginger. Will be back again

    (4)

  • Tianming Z.

    This place is not for dimsum. They offer good northwestern Chinese food, basically all the variations of noodles. Environment is not amusing. Bad A/C.

    (3)

  • Hai L.

    The steamed soup dumpling is well worth regular visit. The pork version is probably the one to get rather than the crab meat version; I barely tasted any differences any way. The beef and scallion pan cake is a pleasant surprise.

    (4)

  • David H.

    Terrible customer service. Super long wait with no communication from the waiters. Stood outside for a really long time and never got seated.

    (1)

  • Dave S.

    Service was a bit slow, but the place is busy for good reasons. The steamed dumplings were almost as good as Ding Tai Feng - frankly easily beats out any other place we've tried. My wife detected a 'hint of pungent pig smell' in the meat, but I was too busy gobbling them all up. The cucumber appi was surprisingly good, and it's cut in a spiral in-tact (imagine a string of whole cucumber). The chive box and congee were very good too. We'll be back to try the noodles next time.

    (4)

  • Y F.

    Dumplings were very close to DTF but I think DTF is still one notch better. Loved the beef rolls - got the regular this time but will try the spicy one next time. Fried buns were ok; a bit on the doughy side. Overall, the food quality was good. You have to ask for fresh sliced ginger. We went on a hot day and there was no AC so it was a bit uncomfortable. The location is somewhat hidden but we will return again.

    (4)

  • Peter L.

    The lowest rating I can give. The service is the worst I have ever had. We came in around 5:30 pm and ordered a few steam dumpling, 1 pan fried dumpling and 1 pork chop noodle. The "order receipt" came back. Left on the table. We took a look. It only had 4 entries. We flagged down the waiter and the waiter told me they don't have it so they did not put it in. Great, don't let customer know what changes they made to your order!! Then a few minutes later, the waiter came again and told me no pork chop noodle. I said fine so I looked at the menu and decided to order more dishes. We cannot find the waiter for like 10 min. Another waiter saw me keep looking around so he dropped by. We ordered a noodle dish. At payment time, we looked at the bill.....we got all the items on the bill, even those that never came. We called the waiter again and he had the bill adjusted. The steam dumpling is good but the service is terrible. The dumpling is same price as Din Tai Fung. For the same price and less hassle, I will go to the Lincoln Square instead.

    (1)

  • See L.

    We ordered quite few things but I'm most impressed by their xiao long bao, pan fried buns, and potstickers. The xiao long bao was juicy with thin skin, very comparable to DTF. The pan fried buns had a soft bun, crisp bottom, and good amount of juice inside. The bun was not thick or dense like how other places make it, so you would not feel as if you're biting into a mouthful of starch before reaching the inside. I didn't expect the potstickers to contain juice inside like the xiao long bao, which is a nice surprise! Also, the skin was thin with a nice crisp. Overall, all three items were very legitimate. We also ordered some noodles that was not bad or not particularly good. For this place, go for the buns and dumplings.

    (4)

  • J O.

    Went in at 6pm and there was no wait, first sat at a table but decided the bar would be a lot more fun. Perdy was our waiter and did an awesome job at explaining the menu and popular (and no so popular) items. While we waited for our food (a whole 10 minutes) we watched the master dumpling makers hard at work, so cool! We had pork chop soup (so so) sweet and sour cucumbers (very tasty not too spicy), jianbing guozi (different but still tasty) and the juicy pork buns (our favorite) the pork was flavorful, juicy and very well executed. Service and food were great, will be back very soon!

    (5)

  • Frank B.

    First time I went to the DZD it what hot as hell in there. I had to sit at the bar and it was so hot the sweat was pouring off my elbows and I was sliding around the table. Food was good. The second time we decided to go there we wanted to order out, guess what these numb nuts don't have a menu posted so we can order out. People have posted a couple of menus that are blurry. But screw that, if these guys don't want the biz. I'm not going to waste my time I will go else where.

    (2)

  • Megan B.

    Pretty darn good dumplings! The juicy pork dumplings were great, but not quite as well cooked as DTF and had to be carefully extricated from the wax paper. We really enjoyed the shrimp and pork boiled dumplings, but could have skipped the chicken wonton dumplings. The place was packed by 6:30 on a Saturday but it was worth the 15 minute wait and we'll definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Minnie Y.

    I like the place a lot and went there three days in a row after finding it. The thing I like the most is that there are a lot of choices for small dishes. They are all very tasty. I can satisfy my cravings in one visit easily. Some of them may be a little pricy because the size is small but overall it is a great place to go when you want to have some Chinese dim sum (not cantonese style).

    (5)

  • Yuki I.

    My class was cancel today so went out with a classmate, This place I heard was extremely busy during lunch/dinner hours but when we went it was walk in and sit. We sat at the display bar and were given a menu to which we could order. (Highly recommend was absolutely amazing to see them make dumplings) I ordered Chicken pot stickers(6) and he ordered steamed juicy beef dumplings(10). The chicken pot stickers were amazing! I've lived around the country and have had tons of pot stickers and these were amazing crispy yet not too much and really juicy chicken. The juicy beef dumplings were perfection, They are small enough to be bite size in this case it is amazing because you get all the flavors and great tasting juice running down your throat. Our noodles were both extremely good I ordered hot & spicy, it was not hot in my opinion (not a hot freak either) but it was so flavorful the rice noodles were a little hard to eat properly, the noodles kept running down my throat and were hard to chew, but that was me just being an idiot. He ordered the beef stew noodles and loved it bit big and seemed like it was something to share but hey more food :). Was not really expensive in my mind bill ended up being $35 for 4 plates and 2 drinks well worth it for how good the food was. Will definitely come back!

    (5)

  • Huy T.

    XLB and jian buns were good. Everything else was just OK. At least it was priced accordingly. I would probably come here again if I was in the neighborhood (no more than 15 mins drive).

    (3)

  • Christy N.

    The xiao long bao (soup dumplings) were fairly comparable to Din Tai Fung. Only problem was that in a basket, they were not all consistent. The good ones were almost like DTF, but there were a couple that lost their soup and were not good. The skin was thin like DTF, which I like. The other noodle dishes and bun things we tried were pretty good, but not stellar enough that I would make my way out there just for this restaurant. They had a beef roll, but not nearly as good as the one at Spiced.

    (3)

  • Leon C.

    Great alternative to the overly priced Din Tai Fung (DTF). Majority of dishes were delicious. Just make sure to AVOID the wontons in Szechuan sauce. The sauce was okay but the wontons were nothing like what wontons should taste like. I would also say steer clear of the soup noodles and go elsewhere for better broth quality and larger quantity for the price. The cold noodles were pretty good though. One issue that might deter potential customers from coming here (and direct them to DTF) is the oiliness. I understand potstickers and pan fried buns need oil to cook properly...but Dough Zone, please don't leave your finished product in plates glistening/dripping with oil. Not only is the presentation terrible, but the oil makes the bottom layer of the buns soggy if the buns rest on the plate. At least try to soak up the oil before serving your food! (Note that only the fried menu items have this issue.) And yes, the A/C is supposedly broken. If you're afraid of heat, make sure to come on a cooler day.

    (4)

  • K H.

    So most of the reviews have called out on the fact that they aren't like DTF and all of the other xlb's you can find in richmond and they're right; it's not. HOWEVER, I don't really care though since I just wanted another xlb place that doesn't require a 1.5+ hour wait and opens at weird times that I can actually grab a table (hell ya to xlb at 9:30AM on a Sunday) The good 1) crab xlb- this was more of a standout for me than the pork. Which is odd considering I usually like pork 2) Green Onion Pancake- crispy, savory and roti like - kinda of reminded me of Kedai Makan's roti (again, kind of) 3) Lamb soup - the broth was really good. I'm pretty sensitive to MSG but felt that (call me crazy) this didn't have too much of it - this was thoroughly enjoyed 4) Wait staff was fast and attentive On another random note, the soy sauce and vinegar tasted pretty weird so we didn't enjoy the xlb as much as we would've.

    (4)

  • Lloyd C.

    We have tried to come here twice already. The host in the front greeted us with content. Then he pointed out it will be a 45 min. wait time and he cant seat us. Then he points out that there are 5 couples waiting in front of us. I understand you are busy, but it is a very bad practice to turn down customers. An hour before you close, and you cant seat any customers because the wait is too long? WTF!!! The one star is for their service and attituted. 幹！態度跟服務超差！

    (1)

  • Emmanuel Rio A.

    Very bad service. Waited 20 minutes for my food, asked them where it was. Asked them 3 more times. They finally answered food will take 15 minutes after an hour or so. I then walked out. Table beside me also had the same problem.

    (1)

  • Ray H.

    More like "No Zone" After hearing about this place opening, and fairly good Yelp reviews, we tried for lunch. Tried pretty much all of the dumplings and ordered some noodles as well. Quick review: - Green onion pancakes: Thin and bland. The pics on Yelp even shows this. Seriously, frozen ones from your neighborhood asian grocery store tastes much better. - Noodles: small portions and nothing special. - Spicy wontons: VERY disappointing. Sauce was salty, and wontons small. - Regular dumplings: pretty good, par with any other dumpling place -XLB: Probably the best thing we ate, but again they can't mess this up because it is what they specialize in. Skin was thin and broth was good. A little cheaper than DTF, but not worth coming here for just this. -Pan fried baos: We ordered 2 plates and they only brought 1. Then they said that they are a popular item and only make a limited amount. The server then looked right at me and said "Well 1 order is better than none right?" Wow.... I really was wanting this place to be good. It would be great to have another option outside of DTF when we want our XLB and dumpling cravings. But this place is not it. DTF is not losing any sleep over this place. I will be back to try again..... if they close down and open back up as a SUBWAY : )

    (2)

  • Jan K.

    Nice alternative to DTF. XLB were excellent, as were the potstickers and noodle dishes. Good value for money. Busy. Lack of AC made it feel like Taipei minus the humidity. Free refills on congee though the cornmeal congee was a bit plain without garnish. Would be good if they offered some veggies a la cart.

    (4)

  • Suzanna C.

    Ordered Jian bun, noodles with Sechuan sauce, chicken potstickers, beef stew noodle soup, green onion pancake and juicy pork dumpling. Juicy pork dumpling was definitely the best item. Everything else was good but not out of the world. Definitely not 4 stars though because the Jian bun was not fully cooked inside and had to be sent back. Luckily I caught it before I gave it to my son! They apologized and gave us a new order. Would have been nice if they comp us the dish. I would still come back and try other items.

    (3)

  • M Z.

    Our first impression was pretty good- a small restaurant with simple decorations, reasonable prices and decent varieties. Similar to Ding Tai Feng, you can see people making fresh dumplings right there, but the prices are much lower than DTF. The portions are on the smaller side, but then you can order more to try different dishes. Maybe because it just opened and everything is still being sorted out, the service there was very slow. We'll go back and try more items for sure.

    (4)

  • Ives L.

    Din Tai Fung is better for both quality and quantity. They cost you almost the same but you would get enough in Din Tai Fung with good tastes.

    (2)

  • Emily J.

    Great dumplings. Rivals Din Tai Fung, without the crazy wait.

    (4)

  • Lee D.

    I stumbled upon Dough Zone when I tried to find any place better than Din Tai Fung for xiao long bao (XLB) and I am so happy that I found this hidden gem! If you're looking for fancy decor, high-end service and a lot of variety, this place is not for you. However, if you're desiring a place without a hour+ wait for dinner and quality XLB plus great steamed baozi (steamed buns), this place hits the spot. Don't expect service to be constantly looking for your needs - flag down someone if you need assistance. I've tried the crab XLB and pork XLB; both are very juicy and full of flavor. They have a couple of more folds in their XLB compared to Din Tai Fung. I'm not really sure if this truly makes a difference but the XLB at Dough Zone are amazing. Why am I only giving 3 stars? The XLB are fantastic and in my opinion, far better than Din Tai Fung. The steamed pork buns are also great. Where this place could improve is their "spicy" department. We tried their spicy beef rolls, spicy cold beef, and spicy wontons. Sadly, the only thing spicy is the word "spicy"; even their chili sauce is very mild and bland tasting.

    (3)

  • Michelle G.

    We always come at 9:30 on Saturdays to avoid lines. Everything is always so good and freshly prepared! Love!

    (5)

  • Tony L.

    Since we were seated right away, I am rounding up to 4 stars. We stopped by on a weekday night, and were seated at a booth right away. It looks like we just missed the dinner rush, although plenty of more people showed up after us (up until the 9 PM closing time). The place still looks relatively new, although it is not too big. They do have counter seating, so it should be easier to find a spot to eat if you are a party of 1 or 2. After reviewing the small menu, we ordered: Xiao long bao (x2): these were pretty good, almost as good as DTF (a little smaller). The skins were thin, and the soup was good. Jia Jian Mien: just ok: just seems to be missing something to make it a really good dish. Spicy wontons: pretty small dish, but the wontons had nice, thin skins. Green onion pancake: I am a sucker for this dish, and their version was pretty good. Yam congee: tasteless to me, but my wife liked it. Free refills, though. Tofu appetizer: the tofu was marinated, and was pretty good. Chicken pan fried dumplings: meat was juicy; skins were crispy. Although your wait times are reduced when you come later, the negative part is that they start to run out of items on the menu. I wanted to try the crab dumplings and the Jian buns, but they were sold out. The dishes are smaller than expected, but so is the price. Most of the above dishes were less than $4, except for the noodles and the Xiao long baos. Our bill came out to $45 including tax. If you want decent food and don't need a fancy place to eat (and don't want to wait the 1-2 hours at DTF), then this is a good alternative.

    (4)

  • Kaitlin F.

    I learned about this place the other day when I went to an elite event and was chatting with a fellow yelper about my intense, burning passion for soup dumplings. I had never heard of Dough Zone, and while I was reticent to believe my new buddy's claim that their xlb were as good as Din Tai Fung's, it didn't hurt to give this place a try. We arrived around 2 pm on a Sunday for lunch. I expected it to be busy, and it was. But not nearly as busy as DTF would have been. It took us about 7-10 minutes to get a table. I wanted to try the bubble tea but sadly they were out of fruit teas, so we ordered the scallion pancakes, the chicken potstickers, and three baskets of the xlb. The scallion pancakes came out first, and they were very underwhelming. Undercooked, not tasty enough, would not order them again or recommend them. The potstickers came out next and they were in fact quite good. One thing though was that I had been looking for soy sauce or something, but there were no condiments on our table. After we had already finished the potstickers i discovered a tray of condiments on the next table, but it was a bummer not to be able to dip the potstickers in anything. Now to the main event. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the xlb. They really were almost identical in quality to DTF's, at least in my opinion. The skin was nice and thin, the broth was pleasantly scented, if a bit strong on the ginger, the meat was tasty. They compared very well with DTF's xlb. Price: the price of the xlb is about the same as DTF, but the price of everything else is much lower, so you will save money on your bill overall. Ambiance: Fine. It's not like the ambiance at DTF is super faboosh or anything. Service: A step down, and a step up. In friendliness, definite step down, but to be honest I don't care a great deal about that. But when it comes to time, huge step up. Much lower wait time, and when you get in you get your food a lot faster. This is a good joint for when you want some xlb, and you don't want to wait forever and you want a smaller bill than DTF. There *is* a lot of other food at DTF that I love, the fried rice, the rice cakes, other dumplings, so its not like i found a DTF replacement, but I found another good option.

    (4)

  • Tina Y.

    great food and excellent service, best juicy buns I've tried in Bellevue. Also the steamed dumplings are really good.

    (5)

  • Merina H.

    I absolutely love this place! Given, I've never been to China or Taiwan or whatever these dumplings originate from. I have had Din Tai Fung a few times, and I have to say this place tastes like this and it's CHEAPER. I've been here with my family a few times as well and my favorites here would have to the beef stew noodle soup, the pork dumpings, and the potstickers! I'm sure anything chosen from this menu will be excellent. I had the pancakes though and they are quite similar to Vanessa's dumping house in the chinatown in NYC. I would definitely come back. The reason why this got only a 4 star because the waitress was slow and they didn't have pictures to assist me in ordering! I had to go on yelp and to have a visual sense of what I am ordering.

    (4)

  • Kim D.

    FOOD: Juicy Pork Buns $8.50: (10 pieces) The wrapper is thicker than DTF dumplings but still tasty and more juicy than DTF. I would come back and order these again. Shrimp & Pork dumplings $8.25: (6 pieces) This is other pricy side of things since there is only 6 dumplings. It was good, but nothing to brag about. Chicken Potstickets $3.75: (6 pieces) Not bad. Crispy bottom. Pork rice noodle $7.75: Sub out with their regular noodle that they use for their other noodle dishes. I would not recommend getting their noodle dishes because noodles were soft and not appetizing. Our server said it would be spicy but their definition of spicy is that there will be whole peppers in it but the actually broth and flavor of the dish is not spicy. If you want noodles go to a ramen house. I looked like a ramen bowl because of the egg and meat but it does not compare. SERVICE: I came during the weekday around 3pm and it was not busy at all. So we received great service, our server often walked by so I was able to get his attention. One thing I have to say is I love my ginger!! I asked for ginger numerous of times and they kept giving me a few strands... It was not cut even, some were chunky so it was strong but I still love it. PRESENTATION: Usually dumpling presentation. Booths and tables. Average decent size store. LOCATION: Tucked behind in a building behind Palace Korean BBQ in crossroads. There is street parking and a couple parking lots. Its right across from Crossroad Mall (in front of Joanns Fabric). WOULD I COME BACK: Yes =) ADVICE: Juicy pork buns! No noodle bowls!

    (3)

  • Mark G.

    Great Chinese food. Fast and delicious! The juicy pork dumplings rival DTF. The onion pancakes are crispy and delicious! And the big pork buns are 3 instead of 2 like DTF.

    (5)

  • David G.

    This is some of the best Dim Sum I've had since Beijing. You should try it. Casual atmosphere, good food.

    (5)

  • Alice T.

    Fantastic find! I do think that their soup dumplings are better than Din Tai Fung's, though their menu isn't quite as expansive. My favorite dishes so far are the pork dumplings and the spicy noodle with minced pork sauce. Great flavor. I didn't care much for the shaved beef burger, the vegetable potstickers or the vegetable dumplings. The veggie varieties didn't have much flavor. The wait is real and the service is a bit confusing. We had to ask several times for refills on the water. The dumplings, though, are worth the wait and the chaos.

    (4)

  • Marie D.

    Still a 4. But the prices have increased since opening and the portions are getting smaller it seems. They do have some newer servers that can guide you through the menu if you need help. It's been featured at a few different magazines so I'm sure that's why the wait time has increased.

    (4)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Brunch
    Parking : Street, Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Dough Zone Dumpling House

Share with your social network

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online

Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.

© 2024 Restaurant Listings. All rights reserved.