If you’ve passed by 2660 Broadway St. in downtown recently, you may have noticed it’s looking a little different.
That’s because, a few months ago, Formosa Bento House – the spot’s former tenant – closed up shop, and now, a new restaurant has moved in.
I-Dumpling, the new Chinese-Taiwanese restaurant that quietly took its place, appears to be a big hit with early customers, and is earning its owner, Lao Fu, rave reviews on Facebook and Yelp.
In just the few short months the restaurant has been open, it already has nearly 70 reviews on Yelp, with an average of four-and-a-half out of five stars.
“Business is really going up,” Fu told Patch on Friday.
Fu describes i-Dumpling’s cuisine as Northern Chinese in style, with a bit of Taiwanese flare thrown in.
“Our specialties are handmade dumplings, homemade noodles, and some house dishes,” he said.
It’s these specialties that customers just can’t seem to get enough of, if Yelp.com is any indication.
“The stars of the visit were the shrimp and pork dumplings, and they definitely were some of the freshest dumplings we've ever tried,” said Kelly S. of Santa Clara, who gave the restaurant five stars a few weeks ago. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
A commenter on the site’s new Facebook page cautioned, don’t let the restaurant’s low-key appearance – or the fact that the dining room can only seat about 20 at a time - fool you.
“You’ll be caught off-guard by the hole in the wall, but [this place is] YUMMY!” wrote Facebook user Vonny Kleveland.
Fans consistently praise the restaurant’s various flavors of dumplings, homemade noodles, beef and onion pancakes, soups like beef noodle and pork, and even traditional delicacies like pig ears.
“This place is the best Chinese ‘comfort food’ in all of Redwood City,” wrote Andrew C., a local, on Yelp.
The restaurant’s prices are also earning i-Dumpling compliments.
“The service is always excellent. [And they offer] tons of food at a reasonable price,” said Yelper Greg S., another Redwood City local.
A dozen dumplings will cost you around $5.95, pancakes are around $3.95, and pig ears run $5.95.
Fu said, he is having a great time running his new restaurant, and Redwood City has been a great place to do business so far.
“Everyone in the community has been very nice, and they’re all supporting us very well,” he said.
I-Dumpling is located at 2660 Broadway St. Call 650-568-9789. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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