Mayflower Dumpling Express

Decent to good dumplings type Chinese food in a fast sit-in platform. Time between order and food to table is somewhat long but that’s the traditionally good way - made to order. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Very clean and fresh! Food was great and the prices are very reasonable. Staff is really friendly and helpful. As we were just about to pack our leftovers up Togo a gentleman popped up what seemed like out of nowhere and had all the containers for us.

I read about this online in the Orange County Register, so I gave it a shot. It was delicious!

The place is not hard to find. There's a small parking lot behind the building, and limited street parking. I went early in the afternoon and had no problem finding a spot. Inside, the place is small, but kept very clean. As soon as people got up, I the gentleman at the counter rush over and cleaned the table. Speaking of, the counter is where you order, but the food will be brought to your table.

My +1 and I were hungry and wanted to try a few different things, so we opted for the fried rice with pineapple and sausage, pork XLB, and pork pan fried buns.

The fried rice was amazing, and with the pineapple and sausage it added just a little sweet and a lot of savory flavor. If describe it as like a Hawaiian fusion sort of dish.

The XLB was incredible. Each dumpling was filled with not just meat, but a bit of broth making it really juicy. It reminded me of one of my favorite dining experiences at a dim sum restaurant in Little China, San Francisco. The pan fried bums were also delicious, and being pan fried they offered a different texture than the XLB.

We also ordered matcha milk teas with boba to wash it down with, which was refreshing and delicious!

Overall, I had no complaints about the food or the location. My +1 and I wanted to try a few different entrees, so we spent right around $40, and a feast for two, and had some leftovers to take home. If you pick one or two, you'll probably pay substantially less.

Omg, this place is awesome! All pics are after we ate, couldn't wait. The wontons, dumplings & fried rice, delicious. So much food & great prices. Can't wait till next time

- FIRST IMPRESSIONS -
Okay, seriously, it looked a little... run-down despite the all black exterior but once you step inside it’s completely different. The restaurant is very clean and is well-lit. It has great air conditioning and looks very modern.

You are immediately greeted by the cashiers at the counter and from there you will order and they will deliver your food to the table when it’s ready. I highly recommend getting the paper menu and taking a seat so you have enough time to order your food without feeling so rushed or pressured. The express part of their name does allude to the fact that many people do take their food to-go and/or get it delivered by a mobile app (Grubhub or Doordash, can’t remember which one exactly.)

One thing I do like is that there is a little water station by the entrance that serves some sweet or salty chips. I don’t actually know what it is, but it’s a cute little snack you can munch on while waiting for your food. They do have complimentary mung bean soup that you can have as well but I was not in the mood to try it.

- FOOD -

BRAISED BEEF NOODLE SOUP ($9.50) — good enough for one person if that’s the only thing they’re eating and definitely enough to feed a party of four if they just want a small serving for each. The beef is much smaller than I expected but was still incredibly tender and melted in my mouth, so I loved that. The broth was just as oily and flavorful as I wanted it to be without seeming too salty. There’s a bit of a kick to it but not enough to make you want to reach for your cup of water. The noodles were medium firmness but a little filling.

CHICKEN DUMPLINGS ($7.50, 8pcs) — Whoa, I was definitely not expecting something to be so incredibly packed with meat. But it was! The only thing I didn’t like was that it was just chicken in there. I was hoping for a little more flavor but my boyfriend liked it. I did not know the name of the sauce it came with but when I did try it, it was some sort of chili oil with a paste and it was not to my liking. I preferred the soy sauce and vinegar concoction that I used with my xlb.

PORK XIAO LONG BAO ($7.50, 8 pcs) — Now this is what I came for and I left incredibly impressed. It is hard for me to say that there are competitors with xlb comparable to Din Tai Fung, but damn it was that good. The xlb was way bigger with more meat and a LOT more soup. I was so happy to bite into each one and see that there was just so much broth to suck out. Oh, and if you do not know the soy sauce and vinegar concoction, make sure it’s 1 part soy sauce and 3 parts vinegar with your ginger. You won’t regret it!

— DRINKS —
I am told that their house fruit tea with cheese foam is a fan favorite, but I wasn’t feeling anything other than a standard milk tea. So that’s what I ordered!

For $4.25, there is only one size for the tea and it already came with boba. It was incredibly sweet and I regret asking if I could modify the sweetness but I did love it overall. I just didn’t have enough space left in my stomach to finish it!

My boyfriend opted for a cup of coffee for $2.50 in the large size. It is only brewed hot and you will need to mix in your creamer and sugar at the condiment station. He liked it, but don’t expect a coffee latte or anything.

- FINAL THOUGHTS -
Would I consider coming back here? Yes, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to do so. The pork xlb was certainly amazing and there are still a few other items I’d like to order off of their menu. One of the reasons why I decided to dock a star from their rating was their heavy use of styrofoam and disposable items like paper bowls and utensils. I know that it’s more of an express restaurant, but it isn’t very eco friendly. Other than that, the service was nice and I liked my first experience here.