Singapore Dumpling Pacific

It appears Singapore Dumpling has closed. Looking back I went here about 10 times in a row and after having 2 meals that were very inconsistent (twice cooked pork not cooked) etc. we stopped going. I hate to do that to a business when they are excellent most of the time but if the business isn’t consistent then you won’t go there. If the chance of me spending $ 40 and getting bad food is high (20% in Singapore Dumpling’s case) then I can’t chance it.
I liked their dumplings, I loved the location and the sweet potato was amazing. All they needed to do is make these things the same every time… And have people who speak some English running the restaurant.

I tried this place based on a friend’s recommendation and all the raving reviews on Unilocal.
We got the following items:
Egg & chive dumplings (pan seared)
Beef dumplings (steamed)
Dandan noodles
Jajiang mein
Caramelized sweet potato
The egg & chive dumplings were quite tasty. The beef dumplings were a different story. To be clear, I wasn’t expecting grass-​fed beef here, but the beef tasted like the typical meat served at Chinese restaurants which is always so disappointing.
I’m not a big fan of Dandan noodles or Jjiang mein in general, but I was hoping this place would convince me otherwise. Unfortunately, no.
The caramelized sweet potato was the highlight of the dinner. The dish was fun to eat (good for groups!) and tasty. Be warned though, it’s very sticky and can get messy.
I would have given this place 3 stars if it had not been that it caused me all kinds of tummy issues after dinner (probably due to the low quality grease and meat). Also, don’t wear your best jacket here unless you want to air it out for a week. Oh well.

I’m always trying new authentic Chinese food, especially northern Chinese, in the area and Singapore Dumpling was another stop. We ordered the cold clear noodles, a rack of steamed chive dumplings, a rack of meat bao zi for dinner. The bao zi was delicious, but the other 2 dishes were just OK. The cold noodles lacked favor and the chive dumplings tasted way too sweet for some reason. They have a home cooked feel to it that may be attractive to Chinese exchange students away from home but if you have a mom that can cook the same food, skip the restaurant because it really isn’t all that special in taste.

Ahhhh, I wanted to love this place, not just like it. Unfortunately, it really did not do much to warm my heart on this cold, rainy, windy day.
First, I must own up to a bit of germphobia. When I arrived at the glass door of the restaurant, it was so grimy that I could not see inside. That just upped the ick factor for me.
Once inside, we were immediately greeted by the friendly staff. We were only one of two couples in the place and needed to keep our coats on because it was just as cold inside. Also, the TV was blaring some awards show from China while that and the piped in music wafted through the air and competed with our conversation.
We ordered both the egg and chive and pork and chive dumplings and an order of pork fried noodles. All were okay. In fact, if you come to SDP it should be for the dumplings; little pillowing delights. My only suggestion would be to have a variety of dipping sauces besides the soy/​garlic/​ginger sauce we were given… maybe a plum type sauce to balance the savory.
I would have to say this: everything did taste authentic and not an Americanized version of Chinese food.
One tip: the restaurant is hidden behind the Grease Monkey shop on Hwy 99.

I don’t get it. I read previous reviews and decided to try this place out because I just love dumplings. The service was not as described by all the glowing reviews. A previous review had mentioned things getting lost in translation. He could not have been more right. But there was also a lack of attention. It took what felt like a stupid long time for the waitress to come take our order and she did not seem to understand English very well so my wife and I had to point at pictures and order by numbers. No big deal, the waitress knows more English than I know Chinese. They still got the order wrong
My wife ordered the dan dan noodles. I ordered the pork pan fried dumplings and pork fried noodles. My whole plan was about those dumplings. I could not wait.
First the mineral water I ordered was a warm bottle of water.
Pork fried noodles were great with a minor issue. The larger pieces of pork were good but the smaller pieces were leather.
Then the dan dan noodles came out. Wtf? Way over cooked noodles sitting in the pepper oil. She and I both hated it.
After another 10 minutes they brought out a plate of boiled mushy dumplings. Wtf #2. Oops. I pointed out the mistake and the older lady eventually went and got a menu and came to me pointing at the PAN FRIED dumplings. This? Yes this. She took them away. More fun with pointing at pictures. :)
Now this is why I am bothering to leave a kinda pissy review. I am by no means a prima dona that demands perfection and attention but the next twenty minutes or so there were several «order ready» dings of the bell. An entire table got served before they even bothered with my correction. When they eventually made it to my table I was far too full of fried noodles that I could only eat a couple dumplings just for the sake that I could experience them hot and fresh and with their dipping sauce. They were good.
Sorry folks I will not be returning. Hope things get better.

First thing first… this is DEFINITELY not Singapore cuisine. Trust me… I’m of Singapore origin and I believe I know my food. This place serves Northern Chinese cuisine — the likes of Shanghai, Tianjin, Beijing, etc.
Was there about 2 weeks ago with my family. Ordered my share of what I thot would be good and the young lady asked if I wanted laksa. I raised my eyebrows and said «you have laksa today?». So along with the other dishes — braised beef slices, steamed kai lan with garlic and a bowl of braised beef noodles, I ordered 2 bowls of laksa. But it tasted more like mee siam than it does laksa.
We also ordered 2 servings of rice, which came in 2 small shallow dish bowls. Seriously??? If one would go to a regular Chinese restaurant, white rice for 2 person would have been more than their 2 shallow bowls!
I think… I won’t be going back. They should take the «Singapore» name out. Not right to deceive customers thinking that this is original Singapore cuisine.

We came here twice in a week when they first opened and we don’t even live in Lynnwood. Some of our very favorite items on the menu are the pan fried egg & chive dumplings, Dan dan mein, jajiang mein and caramelized sweet potato. The sweet potato reminds me of the ones that they sell in Beijing. They are super addictive! We have also tried their sweet and sour pork which has a really nice batter. It is definitely not your typical americanized sweet and sour pork so kudos to the owners for keeping it authentic. The DongBei double skin appetizer is also a must try. I’m Chinese and I would say that this is one of the most authentic Chinese restaurant in Washington. The prices are so affordable that we can’t hold back ordering more than we can eat.
Keep on eating, diners!

Singapore is hidden away in the forsaken, barren corner of Lynnwood, a city that scaled back its dignity and value to –16. This strip mall looks like a prime destination for teenagers wearing shit-​stained Vans who believe they’re winning at life all the way down to its tender ballsack by championing e-​cigarettes and shooting people in parking lots.
I value dumplings, especially boiled dumplings, a fair bit because it’s so simple that there’s a threshold past which boiled dumplings cannot improve. Yet, making dumplings is a delicate skill that takes much care and grooming because not butchering the integrity of each ingredient is essential to a good dumpling.
We walked in on a Monday afternoon, and this place is totally dead, so we were highly doubtful of how good this place could be. When we sat down, I got the full-​body, X-​ray inspection by the employees to assess which sub-​region of Asia I belong. My partner, whose European roots are obvious to a blind person, on the other hand received a pictorial menu as though the next thing that would come out of his mouth was a request to see if they served meatloaf.
We ordered the DongBei double skin appetizer, boiled chive and egg/​pork and napa cabbage dumplings, and the steamed pork buns. For me, the steamed pork buns fell short. It not only had too much bread but it tasted quite dry. I enjoyed the cold appetizer, too, as it’s something with which I am too familiar. Sliced pork, wide mung bean noodles, egg, cucumbers, all topped with what is normally a peanut sauce. It didn’t taste too much like a peanut sauce here but it was savory and not too overpowering.
The quality and freshness of the boiled dumplings were second to none, and for a small joint in Lynnwood, I am impressed. While the dough appears thick in all of the photos, it is the perfect ratio to hold the amount of stuffing inside. Also, when paired with the dipping sauces and hot oil that they provide for you, the combination was off the charts.
I enjoyed the no-​bullshit, no-​games lunch I had here. Eating out should be a simple experience like this one and not one that feels like a candlelit, warm water bullshit burrito. Come here for the dumplings. If you don’t, I will judge you in a way that is no picnic.

Legit northern Chinese joint in the middle of no where.
Been twice at lunch, and both times there are only 2 or 3 groups of people eating. how do they survive?
but the food is excellent! the dumplings are hand made, no machine made wrapping that is crap.
noodles are decent, La Pi is yum, steamed Bao Zi juicy.
go and try it!

Every bit as good as the other reviews suggest. We went for lunch on a Monday — place was practically empty.
Sampled the pork buns, fried pork noodle, egg fried dumpling and the sugar sweet potato. Everything was fantastic. The pork buns were my personal favorite and the unique sweet potato dish (covered in sugar strings and you dip in water to cool before eating!) was really amazing.
This would be a great place to go with a group so you could sample more menu items.
Be aware, this place is in the back of a strip mall and is not visible from the street!

Despite the hideous weather and traffic, the husband was kind to get some takeout after work from Singapore Dumpling Pacific. There is no obvious signage from Highway 99, but it is located behind a Grease Monkey.
They specialize in DongBei and NanYang cuisine. I couldn’t attest to its authenticity but it was worth checking it out. With tax and tip, the takeout order was $ 45 with generous amounts of food (and leftovers!). Big plus was that all the takeout boxes and sauces were clearly ID’ed with marker.
Here’s what was ordered as takeout:
From the Starters Section — Marinated Beef ($ 5.99). Initial appearance wasn’t too appealing since it was off color and sinewy. Maybe it was an acquired taste with its accompanying sauce.
From the Boiled Handmade Dumplings Section (10 each) — Chive and Egg Dumplings ($ 4.99) and Beef Dumplings ($ 5.99). Chive and Egg were so-​so. Beef ones were better but the brick color was off putting.
From the Pan Fried Handmade Dumplings Section (10 each) — the Pork and Napa Dumplings ($ 5.99) were the best of the three. Flavorful and had a nice crunch on the sides.
From the Rice Section — Chicken Fried Rice ($ 5.99) had very short grained rice, chicken, egg, peas, carrots, bean sprouts, green onion. Looked great, but merited just a so-​so because of a residual burnt flavor detected by all of us.
From the Noodle Section — Pork Fried Noodles ($ 5.99) was much better, a tad oily, but ample pork, both onions and green onions, julienned carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts and nice toothsome noodles. For folks familiar with variations on pancit — a cross between canton and chuka soba noodles.
If there’s a next time — maybe to check out items like DongBei Double Skin, Savory Jellyfish, GouBang Chicken, DonBei Pancake, Spicy Cilantro Pork Shreds, Sauté Garlic Bolts and Pork, Potherb (what?) versus Salted Mustard Noodles, Dan-​Dan or Ja-​Jiang Noodles and any of the eight listed NanYang specific entrees out of sheer curiosity.
But for our proximity in North Seattle/​Shoreline, most likely we’ll just stick to Fu Man or Yang’s Noodle instead.

OH, no no no no no no no no…
You know that feeling where you’ve had one too many beers, ate one too many slices of pizza, danced a little too hard, stayed up way too late, slept only a couple of hours, and had a deadline for some massive project due the next day? That’s exactly what I felt like after eating at this place.
We ordered the pan friend dumplings, some cold noodle dish with beef chunks, mapahtofu and a dish called Double Skin (probably the most unappetizing dish name for a rather tasty dish), and at first taste, everything tasted pretty good. The deeper we got into our dishes, we started to see a rather alarming trend: all of our dishes, minus the dumplings, were swimming in a pool of oil. Unless I order a soup or curry, none of my foods should be floating in a lake of anything, let alone cooking oil.
Granted, there are always placed that have a heavier hand using salts, butter, oils, and other cooking goodies, but when I’ve eaten these dishes elsewhere and they’re nothing bathing in liquids, then I’m not a big fan of the alternative.
I’ll probably go one more time and order other dishes to give this place a fair shake, but first time was okay at best.

I partook in my 2^nd-​ish visit with Tom’s lil get-​together with other fellow Unilocalers. There’s always a good time when you’ve got a table with awesome people and delicious food.
I don’t recall verbatim everything we had tried but I can say what I did have (which is perhaps everything Cynthia tried SANS the jellyfish, lol) I very much enjoyed, at the least: the chive & egg dumplings, 2 – 3 different noodle dishes, the mapo tofu, pork buns, 1 soup, the Earth Three, Candied Sweet Potatoes (w/​water side) and I believe 1 – 2 more items. Some folks didn’t, and may like, the Earth Three. I can understand that but sometimes it’s simple/​lacking dishes like that which I enjoy. The potatoes slightly mushy were good (I don’t like chewy much unless they’re fried) and the eggplant was nice & tender, mMmm. The tea is pretty good. I think our 2^nd pot was slightly diluted.
The staff is mostly the 2 young girls; 1 tends to wear glasses and a green shirt. They’re generally mellow and soft-​spoken but the girl in green shirt is more likely to offer helpful information regarding any questions about dishes.
Sure, the place isn’t in a better strip mall, very minimal design and some English may get LIT (lost in translation) but I enjoyed my awesome meals here.
Solo diner TIP: If you go during busy lunch/​dinner, I’d recommend having buddies along. It’s a rather small place and 4-​seat tables are few.
A fun moment I had during my first visit was when we left, I asked the girl in green if they were, indeed, from Singapore and they were! Then what neighborhood were they in to see if I could recall dining there when I was there for vacation in 2011. It was some plaza in Changi which was just outside Changi Airport. She had the brightest smile, as well, when I mentioned I’ve been to Sg and rattled off places and MRT Stations I’d been to (Bugis, Aljunied, Lavender, Joo Chiat, Clark Quay, etc).
Anyway, check it out! =D

DUMPLINGS!!! Now that I have your attention, I have to tell you that you can find much more than dumplings at this unassuming restaurant. I ventured up north after being lured by Tom B.‘s awesome post for an unofficial Unilocal event.
Singapore Dumpling Pacific is off the main road in a small strip mall. Drive slowly and if you miss it, go back. It’s worth it!
How much can $ 80 buy you? A tank of gas? A steak dinner? A movie plus drinks? Or… a ridiculously filling meal for 7. Here’s the dishes we ordered:
— DongBei Double Skin
— Savory JellyFish
— Soft Stir Fried Tofu
— Mapo Tofu
— Earth Threes (potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers)
— Silky Sugar Sweet Potato
— Chive and Egg Steamed Dumplings
— Pork and Napa Steamed Dumplings
— Chive and Egg Pan Fried Dumplings
— Pork and Napa Pan Fried Dumplings
— Pork Buns
— Potherb Mustard Noodles
— Dan-​Dan Noodles
Um…okay. That list totally looked shorter when we ordered them one by one. Let me just say that aside from three dishes, I found everything on that list to be fantastic! I eat jellyfish but I’m not a fan so I stepped aside for that one. The dan-​dan noodles had great flavors in the dish but the noodles did not absorb a single bit of it. The earth threes was not good. The veggies could have worked together but the consistency of each was a bit off.
Now that we got that out of the way, I can get back to raving. My favorite dishes of the day are as follows: soft stir fried tofu, silky sugar sweet potato, pork and chive pan fried dumplings, and potherb mustard noodles. The tofu was a nice consistency and really had mild, appealing flavors. The silky sugar sweet potato was unlike anything I have tasted in savory form. I like sweet potatoes and I cook them sweet at home but this… I cannot get these out of my mind. Chucks of sweet potatoes covered with a hard, sticky sweet glaze. The first one that was pulled off the plate left a sugar string about a foot long. Awesomeness! The pork and chive dumplings were nice and crisp outside and tender inside. The potherb mustard noodles was a surprise since I had NO idea what to expect. The noodles, the broth, the pork… so comforting. So good. So perfect. I want to go back to there. NOW!

UPDATE:
Jeebus! Part of me wishes this place was closer, but I know that part of the reason they are able to keep the prices so shockingly low is that the business overhead is lower here.
Going here with just one other person is detrimental to your palate; first and foremost. The more people you have, the more you can order!
Big note: There’s pork in almost everything it seems, and it’s not listed as an ingredient on the menu. You’ve been warned.
Have the chive and egg dumplings; between steamed and pan-​fried, I recommend the pan-​fried so you can get that brown crunchy seal on the outside. And please have the Potherb mustard noodles! We shared a beautiful bowl of them and I got a little pang every time I saw somebody take more. Get two! (Has pork.)
Jellyfish is a love of mine. Snappy gelatinous crunchiness is the best way I can describe the texture of jellyfish. It’s excellent at soaking up sauces and the simple Napa cabbage with sweet soy sesame dressing was balanced and delicious.
The Earth Three vegetable dish were potatoes, eggplant and green peppers. It was so-​so; I’d probably pick a different veggie option next time.
The Mapo tofu was less oily this time; the Singapore hot sauce wasn’t hot but it had good flavor to go with the tofu. I also liked the other tofu dish with gravy and onions. I’ll have to remember to order it without pork next time :/​
And getthefuhhhhout! Sweet potatoes covered in a hard sugar glaze? Chunks of fried potatoes covered in a shiny, sticky glaze arrived at our table, with a little bowl of water. The cold water is supposed to set the glaze to a crisp crunch but it already had that going on! Unlike anything I’ve ever had. Get it. It’s different but good because it IS good, and not because it’s different.
We ordered ALL this; multiples of dumplings and some other dishes for 7 people, and our bill was $ 12 per person.
I promise not to do a review update every time I come here, but I’m telling you, it will be hard not to. Get here.

I had to beg my wife to try this place, she’s not real big on change. I had seen some reviews about this restaurant and wanted to try it real bad. She agreed to go.
When we arrived there, it looked as if the place was closed and they were cleaning up. Lights are on but not a soul inside. We tentatively walk in and they welcome us, relief! The young girl seats us and we order wine… «sorry, no wine»… uh ok, two beers then. She promptly returns with two beers and two small mugs of ice. She opens both beers at the table and we are kind of perplexed about the mugs and ice. Once we grab our beers we understand. Room temperature beer… this is a first for both of us and there is no way my wife is going to drink that OR put the beer in a glass with ice. The poor girl notices our confusion and actually takes my wifes back, and me being the adventurous type decide to give the «beer on ice» a try. She told us that this is how it is done in Singapore.
We order egg and chive dumplings, hum-​bow (sp), pork fried rice, stir fry yakisoba, and sweet/​sour pork.
Let me tell you, through all the awkwardness that we went through with the beer, this place was the bomb. Everything came out piping hot, great portions, and it may be the most delicious Asian food I have ever has. It didn’t have the extensive menu like T&T Seafood but was absolutely delicious. And the prices were great also. WE“LL BE BACK!

Although the food is pretty good, the service really turned us off. We came here a week ago and everything was as expected and it really set the bar for us! We thought this would be the place to go regularly! Good prices, good food (especially the sweet and sour pork), but we returned the week after (yesterday), and we were completely disappointed with how they treated us.
We came in Sunday at noon and were first in the door, with 2 Chinese families coming right after us. We get seated and we’re ready to order immediately since we know what we want. The older lady comes by and we tell her we’re ready and she says ok ok, and walks off… and then starts talking to the other Chinese tables.
She comes near again and we tell her we’re ready to order and she again ignores us and kinda lingers around… and then when we tell her we’re ready againnnnn, says something along the lines of «her first» and I thought she meant that they wanted the younger worker to take our order… but then the Chinese speaking family ask her to come over because they’re ready to order, and takes their order first! THEN goes to the 2^nd Chinese speaking table and takes their order before coming back to ours…
The segregation was just enraging. My favorite restaurants are the mom-​n-​pop shops and hole in the walls, but the blunt segregation because they wanted to cater to the Chinese-​speaking community first (and don’t get me wrong, we’re asian too) was infuriating. The service the entire time we were there was like that from ordering to even trying to get the bill.
Although I loved it the first time, and the food/​price are great, I won’t be eating in here ever again due to the lack of customer service and blatant segregation. Ordering to-​go will be the only way to go here IF we return.

Returned today, pleased as punch! Ordered savory jelly fish, sour napa stewed pork belly, some chive and egg dumplings, and LAKSA! Everything was superb, I highly recommend the laksa, full of herbs and spices shrimp paste skinny rice noodle and we got shrimp in ours. Pan fried chive and egg dumpling rocks the boat! Pork belly soup was brought home, a light treat, and the jelly fish was great, as I remembered it from years ago. Add a splash of vinegar for an added touch. Still so enthused to return, the staff are a pleasure to talk to, and suggest the best! Mapo tofu is so incredibly awesome tasting, I had a hard time stopping the eating!

What is it? A humble, cheap little grub spot tucked into a kinda grotty strip mall a couple blocks from the freeway. Pretty easy to get to. Not fancy, inside or out. But they’re stone cold serious about the delicious foods.
To get here, you run up 525 and then down 99 a couple blocks. It’s in the same little compound of tilt-​up commercial real estate with Ka Won, Ichi Teriyaki, Mansun, and a few other places. Kind of a little crossroads of cool asian dining, to varying degrees. Plenty of parking. though the lot does feel a little tight.
You walk in and it’s just bare bones. Minimal art, no music playing, quiet. Maybe a dozen tables. Sweet kid working the counter – she’s so nice, but clearly a little shy about her English with some questions. There’s a minimum of staff here, seem to be family. The place smells amazing, even if you’re the first one in the door and all they’re doing yet is prep work.
I had steamed egg and chive dumplings, which were so good that it was hard to slow down enough to appreciate why they were good. I took dinner out and shared with a bunch of folks, but I think I got all ten of those dumplings. Also got the pork pancake, which serves three and is the specialty of the house. You get thin slices of smoky grilled fatty pork, sweet and salty dipping sauce, cilantro, and onion stalks to go in the pancakes themselves. The pancakes are little tectonic plates of starchy delectation, if ever there were any. Chewy, dense, flavorful, and totally capable of holding in the fillings, no problem. Put it all together, eat it, and… you’re super full.
On the way up here, I was on the phone chatting about the meal. Don’t worry, I was using earbuds in the truck. We discussed whether it means anything for food to «be authentic,» which I’ve given up on knowing for sure, so I just say «authenticious» now. We agreed that it’s more important that food be good, if it’s not something you grew up eating before moving to wherever you are now. That yearning for comfort food that reminds you of home is one thing, but authenticiousness is much, much harder to define, because every dish can be made a million different ways, even in the place where it was invented. And somebody like me just wouldn’t know, unless someone pointed it out and explained why.
After hashing all that out, I took the takeout from here over to eat with friends, one of whom bit into her pancake and immediately squealed «oh, my god! This is EXACTLY like what my grandma used to make me when I was little!» and proceeded to freak out over the whole menu. After her husband said he liked it, too, she decided she wanted to order every kind of dumpling on the menu for his upcoming birthday party. Ironically, he grew up eating hot dogs and mac and cheese, so the dumplings didn’t really have anything to do with HIM, it’s just an excuse to order one of everything on the menu.
This food might be authenticious, or it might not. I dunno. But I know everyone who tried it, including me, kinda lost their minds. To feed 3 people, give others bites, and have everybody be that happy, all for $ 25, that’s quite a thing. Can’t wait to dig deeper into the menu. If there’s any frickin’ justice, this place is gonna be an anchor in south snohomish county for the next 20 years.

I was fortunate enough to attend the grand opening and tried their dumplings and steam buns. The dumplings are amazing because it reminded me of the dumplings my mom makes for Chinese New Year — very authentic. The steam buns with pork fillings inside also remind me of home cooked food.
I’d definitely come back whenever I’m craving dumplings!