things people DON’T TALK ABOUT 🤔🫢

I’ve been to Dumpling Darlings 3 times so far, once at the Circular Road outlet and twice at the Amoy Street outlet. My experience in both outlets were pretty similar so I’ll share more below:

🍜 THE FOOD 🥟

What I ordered on my most recent visit:

1. Miso Mushroom Noodles $9 (4.5/5)

- Very flavourful, but not yet gelak

- Good mushroom to noodles ratio

- Mushrooms are well-seasoned and marinated

- Love the fried shallots that are mixed in with the noodles to give more texture 🫶🏻

2. Sichuan Spicy Dumplings $8 (3.5/5)

- Dumplings itself are not very special, maybe because it’s steamed so I didn’t think there was much to shout about

- Chili wasn’t spicy, not much of a kick but I appreciated it because I can’t take much spice 🤪

3. Prawn & Crab Dumplings $10 (3.5/5)

- Couldn’t really taste much of the crab, more of the prawns only

- The sauce it came with was very interesting, apparently it’s called Assam Mayo and it was tangy and sour yet sweet at the same time?

4. Braised Pork Noodles ($9) + Tobiko ($2) x 2

- Didn’t get to try this because it was my friend’s order HAHA

- But she did say it was good!

Price for 3 pax: $56.40

💫 THE AMBIENCE ☘️

Both outlets are actually very tiny! The tables tend to be pretty squashed together and the chairs are more like stools so it isn’t very comfortable ☹️

Moreover, I think the staff are under pressure to keep up a good turnover rate to handle the HUGE demand of ppl who want to dine-in. There has always been a queue outside the restaurant whenever I’ve visited (both weekdays and weekends) so I always make sure to make a reservation in advance. This has lead to many instances of the staff “chasing people out” once they’re done with their food, which can be unpleasant if you’re in the middle of catching up with friends.

The restaurants can also be pretty noisy due to number of people cramped inside and the times that I’ve sat along the corridor near the entrance, people are always bumping into me when they walk by so it didn’t make for a very good dining experience 🥺

MY CONCLUSION:

Overall Rating /⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: 3⭐️

I would say that the food is definitely worth a try, so PLEASE take advantage of the Lunch Deal if you can (Noodles + 4 Dumplings + Drink @ only $17)!

But in terms of ambience and overall experience, it is really subpar compared to other cafes that have similar price points. It’s good for a quick bite but nothing more, so avoid going there if you want to have a romantic date night/catch up with friends!

📍Address: Dumpling Darlings and Dumpling Darlings (Amoy Street)

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