Every dish, photo, calorie count and current price for the famous handmade xiaolongbao, ramen and dim sum brand — plus combos under $20, vegan picks, allergen tables and a how-to-eat-soup-dumplings guide. The most thorough Ugly Dumpling resource on the internet.
Ugly Dumpling is a fast-casual Chinese and Asian-fusion kitchen built around one obsession: the perfect handmade xiaolongbao. Every soup dumpling is pleated to order — eighteen folds at the top, sealed by hand — then steamed in bamboo so the frozen aspic inside melts into a hot, savory broth.
Opened in Edison, NJ and now expanded across nine locations in New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and New York, the menu pairs traditional Cantonese and Shanghainese dim sum technique with modern presentations: color-coded dumpling skins (so you can tell pork from truffle at a glance), Taiwanese-inspired small plates and a tight, considered ramen program built around four signature broths.
This independent guide tracks every dish on the Ugly Dumpling menu, the 2026 prices at the Linden, NJ flagship, and answers the questions actual customers ask — what's spicy, what's vegan, what's the best $20 order, and how exactly do you eat a soup dumpling without third-degree burns.
Cuisine: Chinese · Dim Sum · Ramen · Asian-Fusion · Price range: $$ (most entrées $12–$19) · Best for: dumpling lovers, ramen runs, group sharing, takeout.
The brand has built a near-obsessive following across the East Coast. Here's what regulars actually rave about — and where it shows up on the menu.
Every xiaolongbao is folded by hand the same morning it's served — eighteen pleats, sealed with a twist. No factory dumplings, no shortcuts.
White for pork, yellow for crab, green for shrimp-spinach, black for truffle, orange for chicken. Order the Sampler to taste all five.
The kitchen doesn't dial spice down for U.S. palates. Kung Pao, Szechuan XLB and chili-oil wontons land where they should — fragrant, numbing, never sweet.
Eight items on the menu are fully plant-based — including the green Vegan Dumplings and Spicy Vegan Wontons, not afterthoughts.
The Braised Beef Noodle Soup ($17) and Tonkotsu Ramen ($16) easily serve as a meal-and-a-half with a side of greens.
The Brown Sugar Boba ($6) uses fresh-cooked tapioca pearls and tiger-striped milk — proper boba, not the bottled stuff.
Tap any category to dive into descriptions, ingredients, calories, allergen flags, pairings and current 2026 prices.
Hand-pleated xiaolongbao in five color-coded fillings.
Pan-fried buns, shumai & steamed dumplings.
Tonkotsu, miso, chicken & the signature UGLY bowl.
Popcorn chicken, baby back ribs, wings & rangoon.
Kung Pao, Mongolian Beef, fried rice & signatures.
Stir-fried noodles & slow-simmered noodle soups.
Chili-oil wontons — pork & shrimp, chicken or vegan.
Hot & sour and traditional wonton soups.
Garlic broccoli & baby bok choy.
White rice & plain scallion noodles.
Boba, milk tea, lemonade & bottled water.
Lava cookie, cheesecake, peanut butter bomb & ice cream.
Every Ugly Dumpling xiaolongbao wrapper is dyed a different color so you know what's inside before the first bite. Here's the cipher.
The classic. Seasoned pork in a rich, savory broth.
$12 / 6 pcSweet crab folded into pork — coastal Shanghai style.
$13 / 6 pcLighter and brighter — spinach in the wrapper, shrimp in the filling.
$12 / 6 pcThe luxury order — earthy black truffle in pork broth.
$15 / 6 pcLighter chicken broth — the pork-free option.
$12 / 6 pcXiaolongbao broth comes out of the steamer at over 200°F. Here's the proper Shanghai method, used at every Din Tai Fung-school kitchen in the world.
Use chopsticks to grab the pleated knot — never the body, or the wrapper tears and the broth escapes.
Lower the dumpling onto a deep soup spoon. The spoon catches any broth that leaks and becomes part of the bite.
Nibble a small hole in the side or top. Sip the hot broth from the spoon. This single step prevents 99% of burns.
Dip the deflated dumpling in black vinegar with shredded ginger, then eat in one bite. Repeat 5 more times.
Ranked by what's actually flying out of the Linden, NJ kitchen — these six lead the order list every single week.
$12.00
The classic — eighteen pleats, seasoned pork and a rich, hot broth that defines the brand.
View dish →
$13.00
Crispy wings glazed in savory soy garlic, finished with cilantro. Currently #1 most-liked dish.
View dish →
$16.00
Wok-tossed rice with egg and scallion, topped with a crispy Taiwanese-style fried pork chop.
View dish →$16.00
The namesake bowl — hand-pulled noodles, slow-braised pork, soft egg, chili-laced broth.
View dish →
$15.00
Black-pleated dumplings filled with pork, earthy truffle and an aromatic, umami-rich broth.
View dish →$16.00
Crispy fried chicken in a tangy orange glaze, garnished with fresh mint. Sweet, sticky, addictive.
View dish →The kitchen doesn't dial heat down for U.S. tastes. Here's an honest 0–5 reading on the spiciest items so you can order with confidence.
Tip: ask the kitchen to “on the side” the chili oil on any wonton dish to dial heat down by ~50%.
Filtering Ugly Dumpling's 75-item menu down to the dishes that fit your needs — with prices, so you can plan an order in seconds.
Note: dumpling and wonton wrappers contain wheat. Soy-based sauces may also contain wheat — request gluten-free tamari at order.
The fastest way to balance dim sum, a wok dish, a green and a drink — without overordering. Real prices, real plates.
Approximate per-serving values for the most-ordered dishes. Use these as a planning baseline; the kitchen doesn't publish exact figures.
| Dish | Cal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pork Soup Dumplings (6) | 410 | 18 g | 42 g | 18 g |
| Chicken Soup Dumplings (6) | 380 | 19 g | 42 g | 14 g |
| Vegan Dumplings (6) | 320 | 9 g | 48 g | 10 g |
| Tonkotsu Ramen | 720 | 32 g | 68 g | 34 g |
| UGLY Ramen | 760 | 34 g | 70 g | 36 g |
| Orange Chicken | 680 | 28 g | 62 g | 32 g |
| Vegetable Fried Rice | 520 | 10 g | 82 g | 14 g |
| Edamame | 180 | 15 g | 14 g | 8 g |
| Brown Sugar Boba | 340 | 3 g | 68 g | 6 g |
Use these quick presets to land on the right Ugly Dumpling order without overthinking it.
A reference table for the most-ordered Ugly Dumpling items. Always confirm cross-contamination risk with the kitchen if your allergy is severe — many dishes share fryers and woks.
| Dish | Wheat / Gluten | Soy | Egg | Shellfish | Peanut | Dairy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pork Soup Dumplings | ● | ● | — | — | — | — |
| Pork & Crab XLB | ● | ● | — | ● | — | — |
| Vegan Dumplings | ● | ● | — | — | — | — |
| Shrimp Dumplings | ● | ● | — | ● | — | — |
| Chicken Fried Rice (GF) | — | ● | ● | — | — | — |
| Kung Pao Chicken | ● | ● | — | — | ● | — |
| Tonkotsu Ramen | ● | ● | ● | — | — | — |
| Cream Cheese Rangoon | ● | ● | ● | — | — | ● |
| Brown Sugar Boba | — | — | — | — | — | ● |
| NY Cheesecake | ● | — | ● | — | — | ● |
● = contains · — = does not contain (per ingredient list). Estimates only — verify with restaurant.
Xiaolongbao (小笼包) means "small basket buns" — Shanghai's most famous dumpling. Each is filled with frozen aspic that melts during steaming, sealing in a hot, drinkable broth. Bite a vent, sip the soup, dip the rest in vinegar, finish in one bite.
Dim sum covers the wider family of small steamed and fried bites — shumai, har gow, pan-fried buns, cheung fun. The Ugly Dumpling kitchen leans on Cantonese and Shanghainese technique while plating for a fast-casual setting.
Wok hei (鑊氣) — "breath of the wok" — is the smoky char that comes from cooking over an open flame at extreme heat. It's why fried rice and stir-fried noodles taste different in a restaurant than at home. Read more on the wok-hei principle.
Ramen rounds out the menu with four broths — tonkotsu, miso, chicken, and the house UGLY. Each tops springy hand-pulled noodles with chashu pork, soft egg and aromatics.
Twelve dim sum and Asian-cuisine terms you'll see across the menu — explained in plain English.
The brand currently operates across four states. Tap any city for that location's menu and address details.
661 W Edgar Rd, Linden NJ 07036
Open daily 11:10 AM – 9:50 PM
📞 (551) 294-3181
View Linden Menu →561 US-1, Edison NJ
The original Ugly Dumpling location — opened 2020.
View Edison Menu →Bell Works · 101 Crawfords Corner Rd
Express counter inside Bell Works.
View Holmdel Menu →Willow Lawn Shopping Center
Ugly Dumpling's southern flagship.
View Richmond Menu →Rule 1 — Anchor on dumplings. A standard order has at least one steamed dumpling order plus one pan-fried or fried item. Variety is the point.
Rule 2 — One wok, one green. Pair every meat-heavy dish (Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Shrimp) with a vegetable side. Baby Bok Choy at $12 is the go-to.
Rule 3 — Order rice or noodle, not both. Wok dishes are saucy and need a starch. White Rice ($3) or Plain Noodle ($3.95) is plenty for a four-person table.
Rule 4 — Save room for boba. The Brown Sugar Boba ($6) is the most-Instagrammed item in the building for a reason.
Need a deeper guide? Read How to Order at Ugly Dumpling →
Select Ugly Dumpling locations run an afternoon happy hour with discounted XLB, beer pairings and bao bites. Here's a snapshot.
Pork or Chicken soup dumplings (6) reduced from $12 during happy hour windows. Subject to location.
A single Pan-Fried Pork Bun + draft pairing — afternoons only at participating locations.
Buy one Brown Sugar Boba, get one free — weekly rotating happy hour drink deal.
The most-asked questions about ordering, prices, dietary needs and locations.
