Zen Dumpling

**I've only tried takeout so far**But man I cannot wait to come in and eat there. All the food I got for carry out was delicious.Will update when I visit for dine-in!

A cute spot in a typical strip mall with an alluring atmosphere--welcoming for date night, friends, family, whatever. The staff is friendly and attentive, too. Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil are on the table awaiting your choice of dumplings along with very cute--and nice--chopsticks, bowl, and other table service. The dumplings are pretty good--the shrimp and pork ones my favorite. All seem homemade and perfectly steamed or otherwise cooked (important, because at some dim sum restaurants I've had soggy, overcooked dumplings and at one, cold dumplings which raises a whole host of questions). I would not say however that any of the dumplings we tried rose to the level of outstanding: instead they all seemed pretty similar and none quite stellar. So, I guess the verdict is that Zen Dumpling is a good enough place for dependable dumplings but probably not the dim sum leader or really outstanding place some have hoped it to be, at least not in my book.

Omg! It has been a long while since I've eaten anything this good for a while!! The service was 10/10!! Our waiter took the time to explain everything and great recommendations. The place was clean and beautiful and they have a spot to look at them making the dumplings! We got the sampler dumplings which I recommend because it gives you one of everything. 10/10 (my favorite was the truffle) We got the steamed and fried bao buns. Both have same flavor just different texture. So if you like the crunch then get it fried 9/10The egg rolls were my husband's favorite(he's picky with them), I loved it! 10/10Zen chili wontons were not spicy and tasted amazing 10/10Honestly everything we got was amazing! No complaints. Can't wait to come back!

Zen has a nice aesthetic. Service was very attentive, friendly and helpful. None of the food was served particularly hot but definitely not cold either. Dumplings had a good amount of soup in them and held together till they reached my mouth. You make your own sauce with 3 ingredients on the table (plus ginger in the bowl they bring). I did like that though I expected some kind of mayo or ponzu with the karaage. It still tasted good in my vinegar soy chili concoction I made for my dumplings. I got a brown sugar milk tea to go. It was good, if a bit extra sweet.

First visit - decent! Second visit - very underwhelming. The only thing I forgot to take a picture of was the Mongolian beef last night. I wish I grabbed a pic. That dish was very flavorful and very good except.... 75% of the dish was harsh/potent purple onion with green onion mixed in - very little beef, and comes with a side of white rice. I loved the flavor of this dish so much but I strongly recommend ordering this only if you love onion (which I do thank goodness) but even for me it was way too much onion. I wish there was more protein and less filler for this particular dish. The steamed pork and shrimp dumplings and the soup pork and shrimp dumplings came in second to the Mongolian beef. These lacked flavor for me. The first time I ordered the pork shrimp soup dumplings, they had way more flavor. Last night's tasted like they were not freshly steamed , and they did a quick nuke in the microwave to make them steamy again. The restaurant was very clean and pretty slow for a Saturday night around 8:30pm. Our service was okay. The first dish - the Mongolian beef: was dropped off at the table and the server was gone as soon as it hit. No "how does everything look, can I get you anything else" no check up on how it was once we started trying it, I had to wave my server down to politely ask for a fork and grab her attention. I looked around for other servers to possibly ask for something and they were in the back of the restaurant eating. The only server not eating was our server. I ordered a fountain drink at the start of my meal. At no point during the entire meal was I offered a refill. When the check was paid and the table was cleared, the server looked in my empty cup of ice and asked if I wanted more. great timing; as I'm on the way out. My dinner accomplice in crime had one beer. He was never offered another beer the entire meal either. If it were me I'd want to do anything I can to make the check higher as a server so that it shows I'm not only attentive and observant to empty beverages mid meal, but also offers potential for a higher tip but hey; that's just me. $53 later plus a tip; We left not very full. I'm not rushing to come back here any time soon.

This is my go-to spot when I take a day off from being a carnivore :)Those soup dumplings are addicting!!!I loved everything I've ordered so far (and didn't order, if you know what I mean). The staff is always friendly and will acknowledge you almost upon entering.It's a casual spot that is clean and relaxed. If you haven't been here yet, I highly suggest you visit soon.Cheers!

The restaurant is located in a shopping plaza on Baymeadows road with plenty available free parking in the shopping lot.It's is a unique restaurant with interesting menu options including soup filled dumplings that release the liquid when bitten into.The service was prompt and polite.The restaurant was clean and well themed.There are tv screens on the wall showing the menu so you can have an idea of what to try.I think it's a restaurant to try for something a little different to the usual fare

New hip Dumpling spot on the Southside. The service was speedy. The food was hot and cooked well. It might be a cool date spot but I think dumpling connoisseurs have other more economical options.

What a gem! This dumpling spot brings a perfect blend of trendy ambiance and seriously delicious food. Walking in, you get hit with a warm vibe--cool decor, dim lights, and a hint of deliciousness in the air. It's the perfect mix of casual and hip, great for a night out or a quick bite with friends. I was originally a bit sad since tastypot is gone (where this place now is), but I'm very happy with this place. Oh yeah, I came on a Saturday at noon, and it was moderately busy.Now, let's talk dumplings. These are next-level, with thin, perfectly cooked wrappers and fillings that pack a punch. I personally like it when there's more filling, and this place hit the spot. Juicy, flavorful, and seasoned just right. I also tried the soup wontons, and the seaweed soup didn't disappoint either.If you're a fan of spice, don't skip the chili oil dumplings--they're just the right balance of heat and flavor, with a kick that doesn't overpower. They even give you the tradition thin strips of ginger, which is the right way to cleans the palate from the fattiness of the meat. They also have vinegar, which was the perfect touch.Service was fine. The staff is friendly, but service was a bit on the slower side, but you can actively see them making the dumplings in the front, so who am I to judge?Overall, I highly recommend this place!

TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE!! all of the dumplings we got were just not tasty. The dumplings themselves were hard and obviously frozen. The filling on the inside just was not good. huge downgrade from the Tasty Pot that was there before. My boyfriend and I spent $100 and it was NOT WORTH IT!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!