Ugly Dumpling Express brings Shanghai street food to Holmdel
The flavors of Shanghai have arrived in Holmdel, thanks to the opening of Ugly Dumpling Express.
The quick-service restaurant, located in the former Cheeburger Cheeburger space in the Commons at Holmdel, is a scaled-down version of sit-down restaurant Ugly Dumpling in Edison, which opened last spring. Both are the first of multiple locations planned by Vertex Hospitality Group, a food and beverage company that also includes KPot Hot Pot & Korean BBQ, Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar, and Kinya Ramen & Sushi Bar.
"So many communities have the Italian restaurant, the Chinese food restaurant ... Chipotle, McDonald's, and those definitely fill the quick-service aspect," said Margaret M. Farrell of the New York-based Vertex Hospitality. "But when we look at the flavors and the excitement and people really leaning into food as an experience right now, we're recognizing that it's not only the full-service sit-down experience they're searching for. We've changed the way we eat."
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The menu features Shanghai street food, starting with xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, filled with pork, chicken, crab or shrimp ($8 to $11 for six). There are crispy scallion pancakes ($4.50); wontons filled with spicy pork, vegetables, or chicken ($7 to $9 for eight); noodle dishes with sesame sauce, beef and Szechuan peppers, or braised beef ($8 to $14); dim sum including pork and shrimp shumai and steamed buns filled with red bean paste or chicken and mushrooms ($4 to $9); and wok-cooked dishes like orange chicken and fried rice (around $10).
"One of the things we really look to invite guests to do is check out the menu online, order online or call ahead because all of these items are made to order," Farrell said. "Between the dim sum and the wontons and the steaming of the xiao long bao ... they take time, and you want them to have that hot, juicy soup filling so when you take a bite, it’s that flavor explosion.
"It's worth the wait, but be prepared for it," she said.
Go: 2130 Route 35, Holmdel; 848-294-7188, uglydumpling.us.
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Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Ugly Dumpling Express opens in Holmdel
