Tiny Urban Kitchen

Exploring Food from Boston to Hong Kong and Beyond

  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Michelin
    • Subscribe
    • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Nanjing, China
      Weekend Trip to Nanjing China
    • Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong
      Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong
    • Wakaran Hong Kong
      Wakaran Wan Chai
    • Godenya Hong Kong
      Godenya Hong Kong (revisited)
    • The Chairman Hong Kong
      The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star)
    • Hanu Wan Chai Hong Kong
      Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan Chai
    • Always Joy Hong Kong
      Always Joy Hong Kong
    • Michael Chiarelli Ottimo Yountville California
      Bottega + Ottimo Yountville
    • Ciccio Yountville California
      Ciccio Yountville
    • Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
      Charter Oak St. Helena Napa Valley California
    • Cole’s Chop House Napa California
      Cole's Chop House Napa California
    • Compline Restaurant Napa California
      Compline Restaurant + Wine Shop Napa
    Home » US Travel » Boston » Cambridge » Central Square

    Dumpling House (Cambridge) - a first look

    Published: Jun 24, 2014 · Modified: Nov 29, 2017 by Jennifer Che

    Dumpling House Cambridge

    Dumpling House Cambridge

    "No way" I said when I heard the news.

    It just couldn't be true. It seemed so ironic, so utterly unfair, yet still so exciting at the same time.

    "I can't believe that they are opening a second location of Gourmet Dumpling House right underneath our old condo!"

    Yes, my friends. Imagine how I felt when I found out that one of the most popular restaurants in Chinatown - the one that always has a huge crowd outside the door - was opening a second location (called Dumpling House) in Cambridge right on the first floor of my condo - two years after I had moved out.

    "We should have never moved" piped Bryan, who still misses the full-service concierge building and all its conveniences (he hates house stuff).

    Part of me almost agreed (heh, but not really. I do love my new house).

    Though I was bummed we never overlapped with the dumpling house (which would have been pretty awesome), I was still excited that Cambridge was getting the second outpost of a very popular and tasty dumpling restaurant in Chinatown.
    Dumpling House Cambridge
    We stopped by on a Saturday for lunch. The dining area is much more spacious than the one in Chinatown and overall the space feels bright, airy, and clean.

    Of course we had to order the specialty, the soup dumplings (xiao long baos). These tasted similar to the ones in Chinatown, which I think are decent, though they are not my favorite soup dumplings in Boston. One of Bryan's broke when he picked it up, which is always sad because you lose the soup.
    Dumpling House Cambridge
    Beef with Okra is a classic dish we liked to get at the other location, and this one was similar and pretty enjoyable.
    Dumpling House Cambridge
    The Sliced Fish, Szechuan Style, looks more spicy than it tastes. It's a flavorful and enjoyable dish, though I was wishing for more Sichuan peppercorn flavor. The guests at the table thought it was pretty good and one of the best dishes at the table.
    Dumpling House Cambridge
    The Taiwanese Style Sauteed Rice Cake with seafood and vegetables was disappointing. Granted, the dish is not very expensive, which might explain why the seafood inside was not of the highest quality (tiny shrimp, a few pieces of calamari, imitation crab meat). The flavors were so-so, and I probably wouldn't order this again.
    Dumpling House Cambridge
    The stir fried spinach with garlic was good - cooked just right and seasoned perfectly.

    General First Impressions
    Overall, the food was solid. Everyone at the table agreed that, at this point, the quality of execution is not quite up to par as the Chinatown location. There's hope, though. I realize that the restaurant just opened and they are still working out kinks. With time, I hope they are able to execute at the same level as their Chinatown sister.

    Thankfully, there were several solid dishes, and even at its current state, it's still one of the better Chinese restaurants in Cambridge. Frankly, there really isn't any other Sichuan / dumpling restaurant in Cambridge, so it's really, really nice to have that option so close by. I'm confident I'll be coming back here, especially since it's so close to my home.

    Of course, nothing beats having it in my building, but I'll take having a dumpling house 1-mile away.

    ©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
    All Rights Reserved

    More Cambridge

    • Jen's Top Restaurants to visit in Boston - 2023 Update
    • Farewell Bergamot
    • Urban Hearth Cambridge - Cafe by day, Supper Club by night
    • (Partial) Solar Eclipse Fun! Solar Eclipse 2017

    Recent Posts

    • Weekend Trip to Nanjing China June 20, 2025
    • Po Toi Island and Stanley Hong Kong June 17, 2025
    • Wakaran Wan Chai June 15, 2025
    • Godenya Hong Kong (revisited) June 12, 2025
    • The Chairman Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star) June 6, 2025
    • Hanu (Korean Beef) Wan Chai June 2, 2025
    • Always Joy Hong Kong May 29, 2025
    • Bottega + Ottimo Yountville May 14, 2025

    Trackbacks

    1. Jen's Top Restaurants in Boston says:
      July 7, 2015 at 3:19 am

      […] Cafe. For Cantonese fare, we also enjoy Peach Farm, Winsor Cafe, and Hei La Moon. In Cambridge, Dumpling House, whose menu is quite similar to Gourmet Dumpling House, is also very good.  In the suburbs, we do […]

      Log in to Reply
    2. About Jennifer Che - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      May 7, 2016 at 4:30 pm

      […] to be my favorite, which is why I love going to Taiwan Cafe, Gourmet Dumpling House, Dumpling Cafe, Dumpling House, and Shangri-La. I also love the hot pots at Little Q (more recently moved to Arlington) and the […]

      Log in to Reply
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

    logo
    Food Advertisements by

    Explore

    • Recipe
    • Restaurant
    • US Travel
    • World Travel

    Popular Posts

    • Napa, California
      Thomas Keller's La Calenda: A Tribute {Now Closed}
    • Ad Hoc Thomas Keller Brunch Yountville California
      Thomas Keller Ad Hoc + Addendum + Bouchon Bakery
    • Mandalay San Francisco
      Mandalay San Francisco (Burmese Food)
    • Boulettes Larder Ferry Building San Francisco
      Boulette Larder (Ferry Building) San Francisco

    Recipes

    • Appetizer
    • Snacks
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Seafood
    • Noodles

    Recently Traveled

    • Hong Kong
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Boston
    • California
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • Spain

    Support Us

    Support Tiny Urban Kitchen by making purchases on Amazon through our affiliate link:

    Recognition


    Featured on the front page
    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Equipment
    • In the Press
    • Project Food Blog
    • Privacy Policy

    Eating Guides!

    Eating & Travel Guides
    Trip Reports
    "Kawaii" (Cute Foods)
    Around the World

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Mail
    • RSS Feed

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Shop at Amazon

    Copyright © 2024 Tiny Urban Kitchen