Friendly and fast service, intestines and liver taste so good, spicy matching rice or dumplings. And i tried the prawn pork chive dumpling was pretty good too, and looks special because prawn tails outside the dumpling.
Was craving intestines and they were one of the few restaurants on dominion road open at 3pm.
This restaurant is usually crammed with white people. So it’s safe assume the food preparation is relatively clean. The restaurant is considered tidy for dominion road.
The dumplings were steaks which is great. I got the prawn pork chive one and it is nice. The intestines were great and the kidneys were very tasty too. I also like their rice.
Overall great experience will be back to eat more soon.
Service: 4.5/5
Presentation: 3/5
Environment: 4/5
Food Quality: 4.5/5
Food Quantity: 4/5
Price per person: $30
Once a dumpling fan, always a dumpling fan and this place has some great dumplings along with other fare that is equally good. We had lunch there a while ago and though it was busy, service was quick and the staff were polite despite the busy state of affairs. We had some chicken dumplings, fried rice and I think it was chicken in black bean or garlic sauce. All of it was absolutely brilliant and I do want to go back soon.
Well-known for their dumplings and for a reason. Big fan of pork chive & prawn, and prawn fried rice 🦐
Good dumplings, enough quantity of food for the price you pay. Staff are a bit grumpy but they do the job. Non greasy food comparing to other fast food places in balmoral. So but healthier than other dumpling places. They also have frozen dumplings for takeaway.
I went there for dinner with friend. 2 of us ordered Shao mai, dumplings and fried noodle... taste is good as always, did expect too much service. You know? When we paying, we been told $37 EACH! It means $74 for those 3 dishes.:-( we double check her, but didn’t change.... sounds not correct to me.
Wow! Surprisingly delicious given how bad the Barilla on UoA campus is — I wasn’t expecting much, but was actually blown away by how tasty the pan-fried dumplings were, especially with some black vinegar.
Highly recommend the pork/prawn combo pan-fried — very much worth the extra couple of dollars for the uber-juicy, savoury, bouncy filling.
Pork/prawn dumplings: 9/10
Pork and chive dumplings: 7/10
Egg and chive dumplings: 7/10
One of my fav hang out casual dining late night place... Few items are really nice, Deep Fried Beans, Dumplings, Brown Sauce Eggplant... However, staff is a bit rude or straight forward!!! But fun place to go and munch some snacks!!!
I like this branch more than the other bigger one. This is the OG !
Shao Mai is a staple and prawn steamed dumplings are delicious too.
Other items on the menu are also very delicious ! We tried the cold black noodles this days and it was absolutely refreshing and delicious.
Come out here if you’re looking for a late night bite :)
The dumplings are 5⭐ service a 3⭐ but definitely going back for the pork and prawn dumplings 🥟🐷🍤🥟🐷🍤🐷🥟🍤 also pork and cashews were a classic also👌👌👌
This cheap and cheerful restaurant is well known for it's Northern Chinese food and in particular it's dumplings. We dropped in on a busy Saturday night and managed to get a table (they turn over fast). I enjoyed the cold hot and sour noodles, the pork and mushroom dumplings were actually soup dumplings which my children loved. Looking around other tables there are lots of different types of dumplings, other Northern dishes, and the meat stuffed buns looked good too. Big meals for cheap prices, well worth a visit
Stephanie D'souza De Mello
+4
Hands down best dumplings ever!!! I’ve always heard people rave about the food here and I now know why!!! Love the variety of options on the menu, cause why decide between just 1 or 2... I tried the chicken and chives steamed dumplings and it certainly was the best I’ve ever had 😊 The mixed meats fried rice on the other hand, wasn’t all that grand, but good never the less. I’m surely going back for the dumplings 🥟
Still one of the best fried dumplings in town. Service is quick and easy. Often order for pick-up and experience is always good. Price is also reasonable.
Love this place, we always get the chicken fried rice, lamb noodles and the spring onion pancake. The food never fails downstairs get quite packed on the evenings but they have an upstairs area which is great.
This is my favourite spot for a dumplings fix in Auckland. There are some nice vegetarian options that my wife enjoys too. Her fav is Egg and Chives Dumplings and the Deep Fried Green Beans with Spicy Salt.
The lady upstairs tonight was so helpful... Best customer service I have ever received period... My partner and I come here quite often but tonight was a winner... The dumplings are always nice...
These dumplings are delish. I would give them a 5/5 but the staff definitely hate it when us white folk come in as they are kinda rude. Either way the food is tasty as and I will continue coming here for the rest of my life
My favourite dumpling spot so far. I love the vibe in this restaurant. When you come in they seat you straight away, service is like bomb your order is taken and food starts rolling in. The spring onion pancake was flaky just the way I like it 👌. Through summer and winter no matter what temperature it is outside I will always order their soups. An absolute must go for dumpling lovers.
Cheap, fast, and tasty! Had heard of this place but was never able to try it and jumped to the opportunity to try it. I can see this becoming definitely one of my favourites soon. 😋
Our family dined here tonight and we got pork and cabbage dumplings, beef sizzling plate, chicken fried rice and chicken with noodles. The dishes were absolutely beautiful and the staff were fantastic, always on their feet watching out to when people have requests etc and come over quickly. Will definately be dining here again!
Great food here! Would come back for the food , especially the dumplings. In terms of customer service, everyone was soooo friendly except for one lady who happens to be the main lady on the floor. Maybe she was having a rough night but her looked like she didn’t want to be there at all. She came off very angry and when she took our order, we asked for recommendations and she didn’t really seem interested she just said “everything is nice can’t tell you what you choose” I felt like telling her to smile a bit more or at least fake it a bit. Overall good food and friendly staff, minus one .... but we shall just give her the benefit of doubt and say she was just having a rough day
Pretty good for value and money. We got this fancy dumplings and it surpassed our expectations. Hence the 5 stars.
Of course its still mostly self service I. E. Getting ur our bowls, chopsticks etc. But I can accept that.
The spicy eggplant here is delicious, we get it every time. The dumplings here are great. Always busy here because the food is so good but you are never left waiting. Excellent.
Very good value for money. We enjoy the jelly fish salad, prawn and chive dumpling (they charge an extra $1 for fried or steamed), pork noodle soup and the salt and pepper prawns are a must.
Been twice now and food is amazing! Will definitely be returning on the regular. Best place for dumplings. Quite busy but that’s because the food is so good.
The OG of dumpling places on dominion rd. I always have a good time here and always over order. Food is always great. Fat juicy dumplings like pork and mushroom, pork and celery, chicken curry are just a few to name that are well worth trying. Fried rice, sweet and sour pork, cold potato, chicken noodles, cumin lamb and chicken in chili with peanuts is always a must. Service is always a lil average here but this place is well known for that and besides the food makes up for it.
Prices are fair and portion sizes are reasonably large as well.
I love this place. I love and often crave the fried beans and all types of prawn dumplings. I’ve never had a bad dish but the beans are what continuously bring me back for more.
Barilla is probably the first restaurant I tried in Dominion Road (known to have many asian food restaurants). I found that you need to know what to order in each place to get the best dishes!
My personal favorites from Barilla are the classic pork and chives dumplings and their sizzling pepper beef.
I like ordering the dumplings either boiled or fried. I stay away from beef dumplings and from “steamed” dumplings as I don’t enjoy the taste and texture respectively.
Staff could be more friendly but all places in Dominion road are pretty comparable in this regard.
Prices vary widely depending on what you order. Dumplings come in a 20 dumpling portion and are about $12-$14. The beef which doesn’t come with rice or noodles is about $18-$20 alone. Sharing varied dishes with others is probably the best way to dine here.
These dumplings are delicious, whole prawns it tastes so good, I really liked the beef and coriander cold dish
, its soooooo gooood. Threat of the food is also very tasdy
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Dumpling Specialist In Auckland !!
THE FOODOLOGIST RATING:-
FOOD:-5/5 (Well Cooked , Authentic,Moist Dumplings)
SERVICE:-3/5 (Casual ,Busy , Fast, Efficient)
AMBIANCE:- 4.5/5 (Good Layout , Good Seats ,Hot Environment )
CLEANLINESS:-5/5 ( Good Hygiene Standard, Clean )
VALUE FOR MONEY :- 3.5/5 (Good Quantity & Quality, Well Priced)
FOOD POCKET DAMAGE:-****/*****(Cost For 2 $50)
THE FOODOLOGIST REVIEW:-
The Name suggest it all that they would specialize in dumplings ,but do not get fooled by the name as i have learnt that their other dishes are equally good . Off course their dumplings are great the service is fast and good as soon as your seated they bring in Chinese tea which is complimentary and not only refreshing but is a good digestive . The staff take orders but if your looking to be guided communication can be a problem until you know mandarin . But they are willing enough to suggest with the most common dishes . The pork and chive dumpling is a favorite of mine steamed and coming hot to the table. The chicken with celery is another favorite here I like them pan fried .You have an option with all dumplings either to be steamed or pan fried . The spicy diced lamb with cumin is delicious and most of the other dishes go well for a full meal . The casserole dishes like the hot spicy pot is good and goes well with rice
thoroughly enjoy every meal we’ve had here. turns into a bit of an addiction lol. wait staff are really good, the refills of the jasmine tea is a very pleasant addition too. food is fresh, hot and the service is always consistent. great place to go for a bit to eat. pleasant atmosphere, and in my opinion; not too expensive!
The ‘soup noodles with sliced lamb in hot spicy sauce’ is absolutely amazing and yes I have been to other noodles places on the same road. Used to only come here for their pork dumplings and would have given them (maybe) a 4 max? But glad I tried the noodles. Top 3 fav noodle place for sure!
Good place for Chinese food lovers. Special mention to their soup bowl😀 good dumplings, chives with egg fried dumplings are a must try. Everything else is cool. Ambience n decor is easy 3.5, service is good. Super easy on pocket. Would love to try anytime.
Love this place! This is me and my girlfriends go to place for dinner! Dumplings are amazing and affordable! The noodle soups are tasty as usual!Usually spend around $25 for two people and is always very filling! Service is above average but can be slow sometimes! But the food is 100% worth it!
I used to buy takeaways here when I was living on Dominion road. It’s just 10mins walk from my house. I love the fried siomai and seafood dumplings. Affordable and filling! Instant food.
Popped in here today as the family felt like dumplings. We ordered the chicken sweet corn soup, steamed pork buns, chicken with corn fried dumplings and the whole prawn with pork and chives steamed dumplings. All I can say is wow. Was absolutely delicious. Every mouthful was a delight. The place was packed. Always a good sign. Will definitely be back.
Top dumpling place in Auckland, my wife and I have tried almost all the dumpling places but Barilla's consistency is unparalleled. The dumplings are always juicy and hot.
Their latest addition of Pork with Corriander is one of their best IMO.
Have always ordered from Barrilla, without a doubt the best place to get delicious dumplings. Have tried a few different varieties and have never been disappointed. Fully recommend Barilla.
Such beautiful and delicious dumplings! I have had their chicken and coriander, lamb, prawn, and more chicken dumplings!. Absolutely loved it!
Apart from their dumplings, the other menu is just as good if not better. The restaurant is neat and tody, and you would be happy to have a good evening meal on a busy friday night in balmoral.
The only downside? The communication issue is real. I spent 10 minutes explaining to the serving staff what a plate and bowl meant. Showing signs, and resorting to pictures which didnt help either.. we got there 10 mins later eventually!
Minus the communication issue, the food is bang for every buck!
Highly recommended!
Customer services was great. Loved the food especially the pork buns, fried rice, noodles and diced chicken with green pepper and chilli sauce (forgot to take photos).
Well don't expect anything special when it comes to the ambiance of the place but if you're into good quality food ( specially dumplings) ,this is your go to place .
The pricing is competitive and you're assured to get thorough value for your money.
I would recommend this place for causal dining/ Takeways!
This place is always packed so getting a seat is always a gamble. Service here is your typical Chinese restaurant as it gets quite noisy with how busy it is.
They give you lots of food for what you pay, and they don't decrease the quality to compensate for the low prices. They have many more dishes than just dumplings. You cant go there without trying their fried beans! My partner who hates beans can't get enough of them.
The best dumpling place ever! All the dumplings are juicy, mouthwatering and delicious. Food is always consistent and the main and side dishes also live up to the high standard. However, it can get quite busy and crowded but definitely worth a visit (or two)! Price is reasonable and worth the taste. Highly recommend
Our go-to for dumplings or just a cheap meal!
We always get the vegetables with egg dumplings. Steamed. Many people complain about their dumplings bursting before they reach their table. The way to avoid this is to get your dumplings steamed or just boiled, because they can get a little heavy handed with fried dumplings. Sounds lame, but it’s the best way to fully enjoy your dumplings! However, steaming them will probably take a bit longer than the rest of your food.
Other than vegetables with egg, other favourites of ours are the classic pork with chives, pork with cabbage, and the pork, prawn and egg dumplings!
Service is quick, straight to the point, as with any Chinese restaurant. Ambience is ok, very cold lighting but better than the other hole in the wall diners neighbouring it!
Always outstanding. Have been here more than a dozen times and have enjoyed nearly every dumpling flavour they have to offer - with exception of Pork and Fennel. All others are totally fantastic and would recommend!
Great tasting food, staff can be a bit rude at times otherwise it's pretty good. Do keep in mind you will be sharing a table not by request if you come during a busy time.
Great homemade style dumplings! However if you expect smiling as part of your customer service, then there is no customer service.
To the restaurant - if great business (which you already have) doesn't make you smile, then what will? Show some appreciation, please?!
The dumplings are the go-to here... I always get the pork with mushroom steamed dumplings and they're delicious! ❤️ it's always busy here so you might want to come in a bit early if you want to eat here. The customer service is average. The place is small so when it's full it gets cramped a bit but still the food is great so I always go back.
I prefer this place more than the one down the road
The one in mt Eden has better seating and atmosphere but this place tastes better
I love the dumplings here and the beef brisket noodles
Don’t know why the beef brisket noodles taste so different at the other place
Great food great atmosphere staff are very polite and attentive dumplings are great sizzling beef is my favourite dish so delicious favourite place to eat out.
The best takeaway dumpling place there is! Their portion sizes are massive, the prices are reasonable and the dumplings never ever disappoint. The tofu in oyster sauce was a stunner too!
Love the dumplings here!!! The lamb ones are my favorite. Even the non dumpling dishes are really good! Been here several times and will always go back.
Don’t know why so many people go there. The dumpling wrapper tastes so soft just like that it absorb too much water.
The packed rice and fired rice is normal
Went with a group of friends and ordered 3 different types of dumplings. Pan fried pork & chicken and mushroom are the best! Must visit if you love dumplings. When busy, service can take a while but worth it.
Finally tried out this place after hearing many good reviews and recommendations to try the dumplings here. (I went to the newer one across from countdown) we got the pork and cabbage dumplings, shyumai and Mapo tofu. We definitely got way too much food but the dumplings were great and would definitely come back again! Great place to take a bunch of friends and share lots of food
It's a bit of a dom road institution. Let's not beat around the bush- it's not fine dining but if you're a tad hungover and craving some pork dumplings, garlic greens and spicy noodles; get to Barilla ASAP. Quick as service and you will most likely need to take a wee doggy bag home as the servings are big. Dumplings for breakfast are totes legit ☺️👏
Awesome fried green long beans with cumin, stir-fry squid and scallion pancakes. Dumplings look inviting and massive in portions, something for the next visit. Easy on the pocket and great taste.
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My parents happened to venture outside our local area and decided to bring home dumplings for dinner. Barilla was chosen not only for its convenience at the time but also its good reputation.
Food
They ordered three lots of steamed dumplings (20 pieces each) which all have fairly thick skin that is typical of Chinese dumplings but also decently sized portions of meat, as well as the Sauteed Diced Chicken & Cashew Nuts.
Predictably the first thing on my plate was one of the Pork & Chives dumplings. Barilla does a good job with the dish. While still tasting of pork and chives, Barilla's P&C was a bit different in that it was a tad reminiscent of the potato flour shrimp and vegetable dumplings you often see at yum cha, which I thought was a nice change. If I were to guess, I would attribute it to the faintly oily finish of the filling.
The second dumpling I tried was Beef & Cabbage. I will admit I am a huge fan of dim sum but as far as dumplings go, B&C has never ranked highly on my list. Barilla did little to change my opinion though that isn't to say their version was bad. I found it to be a decent overall dumpling as it had consistent texture and sufficient flavor. This was your typical B&C dumpling and while it isn't something I'd intentionally order again, I would still gladly chow it down on if it sat on a plate in front of me. The filling shared great likeness with that of Chinese steamed buns of the same variety.
Perhaps what grabbed my attention the most was the Pork with Mushroom & Water Chestnuts Dumpling. The pork carried a nice peppery flavor while the soft bits of mushroom and crunchy water chestnut made for nice changes in texture. The chestnut in particular made scarfing down the dumplings all the more satisfying. Perhaps out of my own ignorance, PM&W is not a dumpling I had tried in the past but having been thoroughly impressed with Barilla's attempt, is something that has been put on my radar.
The Cashew Chicken involved stir-fried chicken with cubed carrots, cucumber and of course cashews. I found it to be a bland and a bit too oily. It easily faded into the background among the dumplings and we ended up hardly touching it, opting to use it for fried rice instead.
Overall
Barilla Dumpling has an large menu and a plethora of dumpling flavors to choose from. There is something to suit everyone's preferences and I imagine it'd be hard to go wrong regardless of what
you choose. With that said, based on my family's experience and those of some other reviewers, I'd say you may be better off ordering Barilla's namesake opposed to other menu items.
Barilla Dumpling while not an establishment I'd travel long distances for, is one I would happily to dine at or recommend to someone around the area.
Recommendations: Pork & Chives Dumpling; Pork, Mushroom & Water Chestnut
We went there around 1pm on Saturday for lunch and the place was packed with people. We ordered the salted spicy french beans, pork and chives steamed dumplings and the pork, prawn and egg siew mai.
The french bean was our favourite dish as the flavour and texture were all well-balanced. However we agreed that it's not the healthiest vegetable dish to order. Next, the pork and chives dumplings were flavourful although the dumpling skin was pretty thick. They go well with the vinegar rather than the chilli that was provided.
The siew mai was alright, although the wonton skin was pretty dry as we ate.
After finishing all the three dishes, we were so stuffed that we felt we could skip dinner altogether. Would be good if they can do 10 dumplings rather than 20 for smaller group sizes.
Great place to visit for cheap and delicious plate of hot steaming dumplings!! Good amount of dumpling to share with small group of friends or when the family. The selections of dumplings they sell all seem very good that you will have to go back for more than once to try.~ :P
The restaurant gets fully booked quite easily as it seems to be popular with the locals so it is recommended to go and take a seat early before the dinner rush starts. Their other selections of food are good as well but I recommend just getting the dumplings because it is their specialty. The price is very good as they serve a lot of dumplings and for a dollar extra, you can have it steamed or fried. Delicious~
Carpark is a bit tricky so once again, recommend on getting there early to avoid the dinner rush and traffic rush :)
A personal favourite for reasonable and delicious dumplings. We only had steamed dumplings, having the pork with chives, beef with coriander and chicken with celery. Everything was brought out in a reasonable time, it was relatively busy and was also very enjoyable. I also like that their prices, not bad at all. Ambience and service is standard.
Good place for having some yummi dumplings.. like the place .. clean and neat... good service as well .. even though the staffs are always busy.... tried their chicken dumplings & soup .. nice 👍🏾.. reasonable price with good quantity... will recommend for a try
Chicken Dumplings : Steamed and Fried : Tried both and have been there twice and did go there second time because I loved it. Nice service and ambiance but you may have to share the table with strange foodies. But its worth it so Definitely going there again soon.
A thumbs up to the chef for a job well done.
Big in amount, flavourful and tasty for really descent prices! A serious downside is the waiting, noise and service. Ordered: shumai with 3 fresh delicacies (pork, egg, prawn), pork with cabbage dumpling, soup noodles with beef brisket and mixed seafood with pork dumpling. AMAZING taste. With most things you can choose: steamed, boiled or pan fried. The shumai is not the usual~ thin flour wrap with juicy meat and prawn (soup leaked out!) The beef brisket was the best I've ever had. Well marinated beef, soup and noodles! My favourite is the seafood dumpling - real whole prawn lying ontop(with tail poking out!) of a delicious pork filling. Overall: good amount of meat, not oily at all, super good flavours!!
Been a few times recently to both Balmoral and Mount Eden branches.
Mt Eden branch - visited over weeknight dinner times.
Good service, also noticed more non-chinese clientele.
Ordered steamed dumplings, fried dumplings, eggplant dish and also a beef+tofu dish.
Everything was nice, we felt reasonably satisfied and looked after. The fried dumplings though feel very different from the good old times, and by the looks of things same with the Balmoral branch. Sadly I don't recommend the fried dumplings. Go for steamed ones.
Balmoral
Went during a weekend afternoon non-meal time and felt the service was good. Restaurant wasn't full but certainly not empty at all.
Ordered steamed dumplings and pork shaomai. The shaomai is a must-try, don't expect the Cantonese yumcha style, it's bigger and juicier/softer.
Our fave dumplings are pork and chives, pork and coriander (it's not as strong as you might expect), pork and fennel, pork and mushroom.
Great foods, excellent dumplings and traditional Chinese meals. You need to try the fried long beans, great taste. Good value for money and you won't regret.
Something about the food at this place- its oily, its salty, it's unhealthy but their dumplings are ADDICTIVE.
We have tried a number of different dumpling filling and our favourites are Prawn, egg and pork pan fried dumplings and Pork & chives pan fried dumplings!
Other Chinese dishes on the menu are not worth trying.
To improve: chilli sauce in the table is not hot.
We always come to this place for dumplings and for their seafood with seaweed soup.
Today we also tried their famous deep fried beans with salt. I did not like it. It had too much cumin and also tasted sweet (I felt a disconnection between the flavours).
Since we came just before busy hours (530pm), staff were still friendly and not abrupt. But on previous occasions we have experienced their lack of warmth towards diners. Also worth noting is the lack of English skill of most of their wait staff.
For their dumplings and affordability I will still keep coming back.
I've been here quite a few times for their dumplings and friend rice. Amazing food is an understatement. Must try their noodle soup, Bok Choy, all dumplings and fried rice!
The place doesn't get 5 stars because you have to disturb people on tables to get their amazing chilli sauce. That's very inconvenient. I don't see why they can't have one bowl of that on the counter?
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Finally visited Barilla after hearing about it on Metro top cheap eats, the Urban list etc..Barilla seemed to have bathed in the centre of attention for quite a while, also being Chinese/an expert in Chinese food, I've been slightly skeptical about how amazing their dishes can be...
After last Friday, I know I was wrong because their fish dumplings and the pork &a shrimp shui mais are utterly AMAZING!!! I haven't reviewed in a while but Barilla was worth it!
Firstly, the Shui Mais! Sooo different from your yum cha style dim sums! They were more like open dumplings with generous servings of pork and large pieces of shrimp! They amount of juice that they had also made them resemble xiao long baos-Definitely a must-try😊
We also tried quite a few different flavours of dumplings and the fish ones were by far my favorite! The fish mince was blended perfectly with awesome seasoning. They didn't taste weird at all either! The dumplings were large, had paper thin skins and were super succulent! The beef and chives ones were interesting too! The only disappointment was the most traditional pork and chives dumplings (which didn't make the cut to my photo). Those were the only pan-fried set that we ordered. However they weren't really "pan-fried" at all! The dumplings were soggy and greasy as opposed to dried and crispy! What's worse was that the skins ripped apart and quite a few meat stuffings fell out. I was surprised by how bad the generally most popular and traditional dumplings turned out when they've certainly aced the specialty ones!
Anyhow, different will go back and reorder the shui mais and fish dumplings! Also keen to try the prawn dumplings😍😍😍 did I mention for between $11-$16, you can get 20 DUMPLINGS? What a steal!!!
3.5/5 Taste
3/5 Display
4/5 Quantity
3/5 Customer Service
Place to go when you're in dominion road and don't know what to eat.
Because they have a huge menu of chinese food and dumplings.
Sadly you don't exactly get what you expect, could order some stirfry expecting it to be light, and get bombarded with cumin and corriander.
Menu needs abit more explanation i guess.
Possibly one of the best late night dumpling joints I've been to. I've visited this place a few times and their dumplings are always delish. Their pork and chives dumplings are a classic and their chicken with curry dumplings are amazing. Just remember to grab yourself soy sauce and chilli oil before you take it away as they don't put any in your bag for you.
As a local to Mount Eden I would highly recommend Barilla as a place to stop in for a quick bite. There is no other place I have eaten at which can full myself and my partner including dessert for only $22. This is not somewhere you will go for a customer service experience or somewhere which has beautiful decorations.
We love to try new dumplings each time and the mini deep fried buns are a real delight. I like to refer to it as an Asian version of Maori fried bread. As an added bonus you have free Jasmine Tea so there is no need to buy a drink.
On the odd occasion the place is full so I would recommend if you are traveling just to eat here.
Great place for some dumplings. Have tried both takeaway and dine in and can say the experience has been great every time. Friendly staff and a clean place.
BARILLAS DUMPLINGS
So good, definitely lives up to it's title of the best. Large portion sizes and decent prices. Great service, friendly and quick. Would definitely recommend.
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This is a great place for late night dumplings! It can be super busy so booking is safer if you're going in a group, but sometimes you get lucky and there's a free table.
At $12 for a plate of 20, this is a cheap eat and if you go with friends you can be full for under $20 each whilst getting to try different flavours. I really recommend the classic combinations like pork and chives, and chicken and celery is another firm favourite, but they also do a surprisingly juicy siu mai with pork and corn and a whole prawn sitting atop each. The siu mai are distinctive in that they aren't filled to the top with meat like yum cha ones, but I was actually rather enchanted by the loose silky folds of the wonton wrapper and the dots of corn gave it a homemade wholesome character.
The only thing I would warn against is sitting at a table near their front desk. The staff bustle in and out frequently, and I often had water droplets flung on my face throughout the meal as they walked out air drying their washed hands.
All that aside, they are my go-to for gorging on dumplings without breaking the bank.
For someone who lived in Asian countries before, this place brings you back to the memory lane for sure; with the homely dumpling taste, the noise, the aroma, the conversations...and like most eateries in Asia, it's a busy place, so you have to either help yourself or be very up front (firm) to the servers. They also sell frozen dumplings, so if waiting for seats is not your thing, then pack some home instead! The dumplings make great weekday meals.
Reliably good and well priced dumplings. We like the beef and celery dumplings and the chicken and coriander are also yummy. The pork filled pancake was not so, just cold meat wrapped in a plain pancake. The restaurant has been done up a bit and has much nicer ambiance now.
Jalessa Elizabeth Puru
+4
There's a first for everything and after hearing so much about this place, I was determined to try it out.
You're greeted immediately by a packed house, long takeaway line and the aroma of soy sauce and steamed pork in the air. The hustle of couples, singles and even families told me that, yup I'm in the right place.
Parking? Not good lol but the short walk from around the corner made no difference to the pure excitement of finally trying out these famous dumplings.
It was recommended I tried the pork and shrimp dumplings, instead; I went pork & cabbage, wonton soup and a smoked pork pancake and we were not disappointed.
Each dish has a distinctive taste. The dumplings had the perfect texture, soft and yet enough resistance to enjoy the mixture of flavours that oozed out in the hot juices.
I highly recommend Barilla dumplings based on the fact that we want to come back and try more.
It's a yes from me lol
Awesome place for a late night out with your mates, family or partner! Been here several times and I just love all their dumplings steamed! Their fried dumplings are also delicious. This place gets pretty busy, so sometimes service will be really slow but worth it
What a great place to go to if you want to have dumplings. You can tell why it is so popular. The dumplings are cooked well and are bursting with flavour. It's my go to place with a lot of people, so you can have a variety of dumpling flavours and share them. And when you do have a lot of people, the price doesn't come to that much when you share. I haven't tried the other dishes much, but when you go here, you'd definitely want to go for the dumplings anyway!
Great quality, quantity, and variety of dumplings. Fantastic for a large group wanting to share, but call ahead to make sure they've got room and be proactive about tracking down your own water, chilli oil, soy sauce, forks etc for the table. Don't waste time sitting there and getting grumpy that staff aren't bringing you stuff ;). The dumplings are good. End of story ;).
Straight after eating Nandos just down the road one time, me and couple of mates were still hungry. What better than to try some dumplings. From the outside I thought I was entering someone's house, proceed a little further then it starts to look a like an actual food establishment. My favourite flavour of all dumplings (pork) did not disappoint.
Classic Chinese service (Hard & Fast)Dumplings are good especially for the price!Love the variety of dumplings available. Good classic ma & pa kinda taste.
The food came out fast!
Great deal because it's cheap but with a large amount of dumplings for the cost.
Quite sickening after a while.
Worth the visit but nothing special.
Can be no 1 in NZ. Freshly handmade dumplings served implacably with a great value. 20 for $12? Great price & fantastic & variety of different flavors. Highly recommended. I can see myself going there a lot. However Don't hot plate there. Too salty.
Barilla Dumpling is a popular spot known for its value for money and large selection of dumplings.
I came here with a group on a Friday evening. Thankfully our friends arrived earlier and got a table for us, we would've been standing outside otherwise.
Despite being crowded, the restaurant remained impressively tidy.
I ordered pork and cashew dumplings. They took a significant time to arrive but considering how busy they were I can't complain.
I spent $12 and received 20 dumplings which were more than enough. Seriously great value.
Those at my table who ordered dumplings were satisfied, but the patron who orders fried rice was let down. I suggest ordering dumplings here as it appears to be the specialty.
I'll come back here because with these prices, how could I not?
Our steamed pork with chives took more than 50mins since we ordered them because it seemed like they forgot about it but sweet sour pork came in within 10mins. The service was okay but not that great. We came in at Saturday night
Best dumpling place in Auckland, with both affordable and juicy dumplings. The steamed pork and chive remains a classic. The service and decor used to be merely functional and simplistic, but both have improved significantly, most probably due to their "changing demographic" of customers (hopefully that is politically correct enough) who pay more attention to such aspects. More liberal use of the air conditioner would be welcome, especially in the summer months. Just be careful not to confuse it with their second restaurant further down the road (we learnt that the hard way).
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Much awaited review on this much talked about Dumpling heaven.i was very cautious after I read about poor service on zomato and people having to wait for 30/40min for food. Decided to go for early dinner at 7.30 and I was pleasantly surprised, not only the food came super fast but the service was great, they were pleasant warm and attentive. I am not going anywhere else after this for Dumpling. Absolutely incredible taste for incredible price. We had pork and chives fried dumplings, they were flavorful moist and very juicy- cooked to perfection. We also had fried lamb with cumin - it beats flavour house as well as spicy house lamb with cumin but it is for $20 - and definitely overpriced. Not much to say about the ambiance, it is like any regular joint in Balmoral but it has more seats upstairs so if u find downstairs packed- head up and u'll find a place. I really liked the fact it was so clean, cleanest amongst it's competitors. Very happy with the visit, definitely going back for dumplings.
Quick service and the food came out super fast! We were a large group and they did really well with getting all the food out and hot! I enjoyed each dish which was a mix of dumplings, vegetables, beef, sweet and sour pork, fried rice, crisp chicken - the list goes on! I would recommend as a great quick dinner option!
I've only been here once and that was after the renovations were completed. I had a great time and found the food to be good value for money.
When I came in 2015, you could get 20 steamed dumplings for $12. So cheap! And the pork and chives filling was amazing.
We also tried an eggplant + potato vege dish which was surprisingly delicious too.
Service was friendly. Only complaint was that our chopsticks were quite oily for some reason.
Pretty good service, standard Asian food. Really yum dumplings!! :D would recommend going BUT to an Asian with super high standards.... hmmm might not be there choice then.
The food was amazing. Really enjoyed it. But unfortunately can't say the same for the service. The woman at the counter had so much attitude
Excellent food, slightly indifferent service. If you like dumplings, they serve a huge range. All apparently made in house and excellent. Some of their orher dishes are pretty decent too. Recommended.
We just came to know that there's a new Barilla Dumpling branch with a nicer ambiance on the same road, but a different stretch of shop lots.
We went at around 9pm and this restaurant was 70% full, and in the next 30-60 minutes there were still people waking in. Great place to grab a late night bite.
Pan fried and steamed dumplings were amazing, but their noodle dishes were average. Generous portions at an affordable price.
Overall pretty delicious, and we recommend this restaurant.
Surprised by some of the recent bad reviews. I'm a regular at Barilla and think it's unbeatable in Auckland for authentic Chinese food at $12-16 for mains. On Sunday we got the pork and chive dumplings, Chilli diced chicken with peanuts, and egg fried rice (ok maybe not so authentic), all great and more than enough for three people. No issues at all with the service, seems to be improving a lot at their flagship store.
Michelle Binning DaSilva
+4.5
One of my favorite favorite places to eat. :-))))))) The place is clean and welcoming. Staff do make an effort for the non Asian client tele. Oh and did I mention the DUMPLING are amazing!!!!!! 10 / 10
You know that this place serves good food when your 1.5 years toddler sit down quitely and eat the food that we put in front of her 😊
Our favourites: Pork & chives dumplings (steamed), lamb with cumin and deep fried golden bun... Yum...
I haven't tried many dumpling places but for me this 1 is good the fried and steam dumplings,staff are ok some times bit hard to talk to but you get that with different cultures,it's been a while over due so will stop by sometime soon guys...
got the chicken fried rice and pork and chives steamed dumplings.. was okay i have had better dumplings .. big generous serving though and it didn't take long to arrive
If your looking for good dumplings for a good price Barilla is the spot!! So goooood and cheap! The Bok choy is great too. I usually just get dumplings and Bok choy but this time we got the diced chicken with chilli sauce and I was pleasantly surprised it was really yum. We also got mixed fried noodles but that was average, too much noodles and not enough meat. I forgot to take photos after the Bok choy came out but extra points for the Burberry table cloth haha. Quick service and free green tea is always a bonus. One of my favourite dumpling spots.
Love this place. Great food, sometimes it's really hard to choose what to get. If this is the case you MUST order the deep fried squid it's my absolute favourite!
This place is the place you go to get balls deep in dumplings!!! Plates of them, cheap pricing, great tasting! A grade, opens till 3am so after a night on the lash I will be coming here to get my dumpling fix!
One of the best place to have dumplings nearby. Curry chicken are the best and also cheap as. Have been there quite often since my first visit.
Havent had Chinese food and I struck gold when I entered Barilla. Their dishes are pretty decent. Tried the pork with chives dumpling, stir fried noodles with pork and veg and also pork veg stew (which was very very oily but tasty!). Dumplings came in a set of 20s and you can decide between pan fried or steamed. We had it pan fried! Three dishes that summed up to $45. Pretty decent. Will be back for authentic Chinese food next time. They open till late so it's another bonus :)
Our go to for dumplings! Food is so good and the best price. If you get really bitchy about service do not come here, service is sacrificed for amazing food. Also can be a wait for tables on busy nights but well worth the wait 10/10
Well known, popular Chinese restaurant in Balmoral for good reason! This place is always busy and sometimes you need to wait outside just to get a table.
Not the best service but the food makes up for it. I don't actually like the typical fried dumplings here but I love the steamed Shu-mai, they taste similar to xiao long bao as they have soup inside which makes them so juicy and delicious to eat! I also love the deep fried mini golden buns (fried bread) with condensed milk to dip it in, so yummy!
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It felt like a dumpling kind of night, so it was off to Barilla for dinner with friends.
Barilla does dumplings in large quantities for quite a reasonable price as well as a number of other dishes, and the great thing is you get to take away the left overs!
The only let down is the service - it's really non-existent but I guess some places are like that. You go for the food & the company with the knowledge that you will most likely be treated like a mild inconvenience.
For our dishes tonight we had the cumin beef which was delicious - lovely & tender but with an overload of onion. The Mapo tofu which was also delicious. Golden mini bun with condensed milk. Chicken fried rice, cold sliced chicken with chilli & the deep fried squid. For dumplings we had shumai, pork & prawn (both steamed & fried), egg & Chive, chicken & cabbage. All the dumplings were great although the fried were a bit burnt in places.
Drinks wise the tea was good, and there were also a selection of soft drinks & Korean drinks. BYO also an option.
Very busy - a great place to eat, just be prepared to expect zero service. Also the branch up by Eden Qtr is also a lot newer & cleaner.
Beat. dumpling. ever.
My favs r chicken m mushroom n lamb n chives and lots and lots of sauce n chilli lol. Go here religiously for my fix lol.
Great service and authentic dumping! Some dishes are a little oily for me. Would definitely recommend combination fried noodle and steam dumping.
Barilla has definitely upped its game since they moved to new place which looks much nicer. We ordered pork & chives dumplings, whole prawn & pork dumplings (my favourite!) and beef noodles - see photos. Service is ok but still great value. It's also BYO - bonus!
Food here is super affordable, great portions, always packed full of people and I'm not surprised. I don't have much to grumble about this place and will be coming back again for more.
Every time we were discussing dumplings, my friends suggested the Barilla once.
Finally had a chance day before to try them out. We ordered steamed dumplings (Chicken celery, curry & mushrooms).
The quantity was mind-blowing and we ended up taking away a majority portion of what we ordered. The dumplings tasted amazing though and we loved every bit of our experience. No wonder everyone talks about this place.
Staff members were efficient and the service was fast.
Will I be back here? - 👍🏼👍🏼
Finally visited dominion road- the heart of Chinese food
I've heard lots of good things about this place; described as cheap and absolutely delicious, and they weren't wrong
The wait was a bit long but however service wasn't as bad as I heard and the dumplings were amazing!
Had to share tables as it was busy, even on a week day night !
Parking is a bit of a pain but so worth it
Will definitely come back 😀
This place speaks for itself. Once you've had their dumplings you are sure to go back. The day I had dumplings from here I went back thrice that week!!! Awesome food, even other dishes are soooo good. Quantity is massive. I can never finish, always take away half of it. It's usually packed on weekends, have to wait to find a place but it's always worth it. Service is very good even though sometimes it takes long. Overall my favourite haunt for dumplings. My favourite fish & chives and chicken coriander :)
Great service. Dumpling serving size was awesome and good value we spent $14 a person for dinner which was great value ! Definitely my favourite dumpling place and I'm sure I will be back to satisfy my dumpling cravings !
Came here craving dumplings and first visit here in a long time. The place has expanded and busier than previous but the food standard remains very good, but probably has been usurped by other dumpling outlets.
Service during the busy Friday evening dinner service was frenetic with mistakes and delays in seating and taking of orders which obviously harmed the overall feel of the meal
The food however remains good with the standout dishes being the pork and chive dumplings and the shumai. Have the dumplings fried as the other versions end up in a soggy mess.
Also highly recommend the fried beans and eggplant dishes which had that added umami taste which made them both very moreish
Overall a good place to come savour dumplings but be prepared to wait especially at busy periods and don't expect service of any high standards
My friend told me to go here as she thinks it's the best place to get dumplings in Auckland. The dumplings certainly did not disappoint. We got the fried chicken and mushroom dumplings, steamed pork and chives dumplings and wonton soup. Both dumplings were amazing, melted in the mouth. They fried the dumplings very nicely. Overall, was a lovely experience, the only downside is the wait time for food. The wait was definitely worth it, can't wait to go back here again to new flavours of dumplings!
What can I say about these dumplings that hasn't been said before? I ordered the pork and chives dumplings steamed. Along with the chilly paste on the table, they were soft and delicious and yummy. Can't wait to try the chicken curry one.
I've just going to put this out there. If you are at Barilla for the service you are doing it wrong. The aim of the game is to get the attention of any member of staff by whatever means possible (politeness is not a word practised in their vocabulary). Protip: head upstairs immediately to have a better chance of getting someone's attention and getting a table.
Once seated, one thing to definitely try are the Fried French Beans with Spicy Salt. This should be how children are introduced to their veges because it would eliminate the problem altogether.
Of course since you're at Barilla you also need to have dumplings and we usually get 20 dumplings as a second dish. While the regular pork + chives/fennel are good, one to try it definitely the Chicken with Curry Sauce dumplings. They give a nice little liquid explosion when eaten.
A good place for authentic Chinese flavors. 2 of us had 20 (yes 20!) boiled pork and coriander dumplings, shredded cumin lamb in a soft baked bun, and a plate of sizzling squid. The serving sizes were ample and delicious! The dumplings were juicy and well seasoned. The lamb was smokey and the bread delightfully soft. The squid was sizzling off the plate and came with soft caramelised onions and capsicum. Really appreciated the free flow tea and condiments. Definitely value for money, just ignore the frustratingly slow service and basic decor. Would return to try the gizzilion other dumpling flavours but will be bringing more mouths to feed.
Ashlene Cheryl Cardoza
+4
I have never dined-in here, just always ordered take away. It's probably the best and most authentic dumplings you'll find in Auckland. Trust me the dumplings are worth driving down for from whichever corner of Auckland you are at. I personally prefer the boiled/ steamed dumplings as they are juicier. My favourite are the pork ones. And for $12, it's a very affordable and satisfying meal.
They moved! Further down dominion road (close to the countdown) the new and improved Barilla dumplings has established itself for business. Two of us came in for a very late lunch (3.30pm) - it was empty! - but still was able to order food. We had the mapo tofu with side rice and the lamb and mushroom dumplings. The mapo tofu was very good - Aromatic and authentic tasting with the lemon corns and spice! And the dumplings were panfried nice and moist and had a good level of flavour. The service was friendly and the food was out quick enough.
Definitely come here for the dumplings ($12 for 20! Super cheap!).
Long drive but well worth the trip!
whenever I can I lean towards seafood and their sizzling squid with soy sauce was awesome! perfect balance between squid and vegetables.
The steamed dumplings was fantastic! cheap for the amount you get. Tasty tasty! The fried variation is also something you should try. Pork with veggie on sizzling plate is a must as well.
Staff friend and efficient!
OMG! The best dumplings I have ever had. I have been to Barilla a few times now. Their service is fast, food is AMAZING and it is really clean.
My favourite is probably the trusty Pork and Chives steamed dumplings. I have also tried a few other flavours and I have not been disappointed.
Definately recommended and a reliable regular for a yummy night out 😀
The lunch at Barilla on Easter Monday was so good it's driven me to poetry.
Barilla, food so good I want to kill 'er.
This food is anything but Vanilla.
For a second I thought I was in Manila.
I called Prince Charles just so I could tell Camilla.
I took leftovers home to feed my Chinchilla.
Yeah, that's right, back to my Ponsonby villa.
Ate so much they call me the Urban Guerrilla.
Chinese food from here on is going downhilla'
This last line is a test, hey! Pass me that Quesadilla.
Food is seriously good here.
We came here for dinner as a friend suggested saying that they cook mean dumplings. When we arrived, only to realise that there was a long queue waiting to enter the eatery. But it didn't take long to wait. We ordered some pan-fried and normal boiled ones together with some Chinese dishes. Dumplings tasted great; probably the best I had in Auckland. The only thing I was not satisfied with was the service. You can't just tell me the rice costs $1 and change your mind charging me $2 for that. It's not about the money, it's the principle. Barilla really needs to train their waitresses. I gave 4 points for their food, and 2 for the service.
Finally got a chance to come here today after uni. The place was super packed with a good mix of Asians and non Asians now that to me is always a very good sign. I ordered the pros and chive dumplings (fried) and the chicken fried rice which I asked to be made spicy. The dumplings were delicious!! I'm not usually a pork fan but these did not taste overly fatty at all and the fried rice was good too boy did they make it spicy for me. Only thing they can improve on would be customer service and maybe a waiting area for people getting takeaways. I was waiting in the middle of the restaurant for a good 15mins and felt like I was in everybody's way since it was so busy. Will absolutely be coming back though.
Been going to Barilla for years, absolutely love the place. We hadn't been for a while and it was a miserable day and I had a craving for dumplings, so we headed to Dominion Rd. We instantly got a table for four and ordered without looking at the menu. We had the chilli &cumin french beans. These beans are so more-ish and they're the only beans my partner will eat. We also had fish&chive dumplings. These are the BEST dumplings EVER. Little pockets of flavour!
I don't go to Barilla for ambience or service, I go for the fish&chive dumplings.
I usually only come here for the dumplings as I find the other items aren't as good. Generally go fried. Lots to pick from and most are quite good. Came for lunch and it wasn't too busy until we sat down (around 12.30). Food didn't take too long to come and was good.
We generally go for 20 dumplings per person but that is usually overkill. Not too expensive and remember they charge extra for steam and fried.
I do wish that I could've given this place a higher rating. I had heard so many good stories about this place that I HAD to give this place a go. As soon as my partner and I walked through the gates, the restaurant was absolutely packed and people were lining out the door. In terms of the food, yes, the dumplings are delicious. I really enjoyed their pork and corn dumplings which I believe were very well seasoned, cooked (as it is quite easy to get the floury taste of the dumpling shell if not properly cooked) and for the price you pay, it was worth every last cent. However, their hygiene was a bit of a concern. Table tops and sauce trays covered with old grease and grime?... Not the most favourable. The best way to enjoy their awesome dumplings is to get it takeaway! Nonetheless, if you are after some good quality dumplings then I recommend this place.
The best chicken and mushroom dumplings I've ever had! 👍🏻
Quite busy during dinner time so may be check prior to dining in over the phone.
Good, but nothing special.
What i got : Pork and chives, pork and cabbage.
Good: Lots of seating, amazing range of tasty dumplings.
Bad: Meh. The dumplings are solid and spectacular. They're good but i dont understand the hype of this place.
Barilla Dumpling is still one of my favourite places to go and the first place I think of when my family say they feel like dumplings. The beef and cumin (must be fried) and the pork chive are still my favourites. Prices have gone up recently which has stopped me from visiting as often as I used to. Also be sure to try the beef brisket noodle soup if you're looking for something other than dumplings to try.
Went here on the advice of a friend who is huge on Asian food and wasn't disappointed. So many dumplings! Absolutely delicious too. I also had the salty squid which was really different to any squid I've had elsewhere but it was really yummy. The service isn't the best but the food is excellent and cheap. The restaurant itself is pleasant and busy. Will definitely be back for more dumplings again and again.
This place have the biggest selection of dumplings I have ever seen. It will take quite a visits to try then all out. Even the cooked dishes had a good variety. My friend told me it was recently renovated and the place was quite nice and new. Service was ok, we went for a very early dinner so there was no rush.
BD has had some wonderful and not so wonderful reviews, but if it's dumplings you want, then this is one of the best places on Dominion Rd to get them. You get real value for money and their shrimp fried rice is tasty also. We pop into BD often and we prefer the steamed over fried w. Shrimp fried rice and some of those delicious green beans.
Definitely give the chicken, spring onion, mushroom and the pork and cumin steamed dumplings a go. You get 20 for $12-$14, now that's real value.Andrew @anjeats
Have been to Barilla twice now with the family and I love it every time!!! People often talk about bad service etc but I have never experienced it and I love the atmosphere of the hustle and bustle! Great place to enjoy meals with friends and family and great on the pocket too!!!
If you are a dumpling person, very good dumplings served here. And just not dumplings, we ordered some chicken with veges and a lamb casserole kind of dish and it was good food. The lamb dish had some strong spices but was still worth the money. Overall good experience, nice food and worth your bucks.
I ordered vegetables and egg dumplings with seaweed salad, it was yum and very well satisfied!
Definitely recommend anyone who is hungry!
Good dumplings but unfortunately service wasn't. One woman was very rude walking off mid order and not even acknowledging customers waiting to order right beside her at the counter.
Very delicious place to grab dumplings if you're around Dominion Road.
It's one of those cult places that fills up quickly as they offer great tasting affordable food.
Food: 6.5/10
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Value: 4.5/5
Overall: 17/25
The best dumplings in town! One of my most frequent spots. So cheap and delicious. This isn't the kind of place for great service but the food is perfect! #gidschallenge
GideonMarisa MasterchefNz2015
+4
Dumplings heaven! clean delicious tasty! it doesnt get better than this in terms of quality and value for money! these guys have hit the nail on the head and have got a good name for themselves because of the exquisite dining and takeaway experience #g1
A definite go to for yummy dumplings on Dominion Rd. I've ordered the pork and chive dumplings from here a few times and have always been satisfied with the yummy filling. The skin has a good texture, with a little bit of runny soup on the inside that bursts with flavour when you bite into it. They are very hot though, so careful not to burn your mouth! I haven't tried anything else from the menu here before so can't vouch for that, but the dumplings have my approval.
I was devastated last year when this was closed for renovations, but it's newly opened so I was excited to try it out. We popped in one night after work (thinking it wouldn't be too busy on a weeknight) and had to wait for a table. The place was packed, but luckily it was only a 5-10 minute wait. We were seated at a big round table, and had to share it but we didn't mind. Better to do that than have to wait 30 minutes for a table for two.
The dumplings are what I came here for, and I wasn't disappointed. I got some fried dumplings, and they were delicious. Hot and a bit sticky, filled with delicious filling, and exactly what I wanted. On the table were soy sauce, vinegar, and chilli, so we could make our own perfect dipping sauce.
This isn't the most fancy place, but the food is great, the service is quick, and it was an enjoyable meal. I'm keen to head back soon!
First time to Barilla and ordered takeaway.
I have never had dumplings before, but got a great reference from a friend and decided to dive in and try. Wow, they were delish!!
We got the Pork & Chives dumplings and for $12 for 20 dumplings its a cheap eat and pretty filling.
It took a while for them to cook them, but there were crowds of people, so it was to be expected.
I'll be back to try other flavors.
Indeed one of the best dumplings in Auckland city. Ordered pork & chives dumpling and chili beef dumplings. It was really delicious. Being a dumplings lover I wish I could eat here everyday.
I had heard many good things about Barilla Dumpling but was never truly convinced, how good could dumplings be? But trust me. These dumplings and buns are not only delicious, but their service is also unbelievably fast and it's so affordable. It was quite busy when I went and we assumed that we would be waiting a while since they have to boil the dumplings, but within 10 minutes of ordering, our food was on our table. Such a nice place to relax and eat delicious cheap food.
Good simple cheat eats. The pork and mushroom dumplings were sublime. Everything else was pretty standard Chinese with tonnes of oil and chilli. Would certainly go again and try some other dumpling varieties.
Best dumplings in auckland :) pork and chive is my favourite, pork and onion is also a goodie, the garlic bok choy is to die for along with the sweet chilli eggplant. Some of the staff are nice, some not so much, the place is clean and tidy now after recent renovations but you go there for the dumplings and dont expect anything more
Dumplings are amazing and cheap, funny place with funny decor and staff not that friendly but still the best dumplings and Bok choy. Always busy, which as good sign and they have tables upstairs, if you like it quiet.
Barilla always leaves me so conflicted.
The dumplings are cheap, plentiful and tasty. I love the pork and chive, and the enormous pork siu mai.
The fried French beans with Szechuan salt are possibly the unhealthiest yet most incredibly delicious greens in the history of food.
If it was just about the food this place would rate higher...but sadly their staff are terrible. The surliest bunch I've ever come across...honestly it's like you're inconveniencing them by being there. Obviously service isn't their focus...shame as it could be great!
The food is awesome and really well priced, but the service is terrible. We used to go here a lot, until we took friends and waited over an hour for our orders, which were wrong.
That being said, even though the service is bad (like its really really bad), the dumplings are to die for.
Definitely serves delicious and tasty dumplings. We came on a Thursday night last week so they were busy but we easily managed to get seats by joining other customers' table which we didnt mind. We had to wait for a while for our orders to arrive and even had to mention twice for our rice to come. The squid was tough although tasty. Husband didnt enjoy it and thought it was overcooked to be that tough. The pork shao mai was good though.
One of the things you quickly learn when you move to Auckland, is that dumplings 'are a thing'. Barilla has been the dumpling go to spot for a while now, and delivers every time on the promise of a yummy cheap bite to hit the spot. You can't go wrong with an order of pork and chive pan fried dumplings and chicken fried noodles at Barilla.
Genie @ BunnyEatsDesign
+4
I’ve been going to Barilla for years and came back again last night. Firstly, it’s busy. Even late on a cold, wet Tuesday night. Clearly popular with locals and there was a mix of Chinese and non-Chinese dining in. We had a party of 5 and managed 2 tables pushed together. You may have to share a table with others if you have a small group. Expect a wait in Fridays and Saturdays.
Barilla is clean and brightly lit and have been through a series of renovations. Staff are efficient and no frills but not rude at all. The menu is HUGE and overwhelming so have a browse online before you visit or have an idea of what section/s you want to order from, especially if you are hungry.
We were here for dumplings and a couple of other dishes. We started off with 4 dishes to share: Vege and egg steamed dumplings, pork and chive fried dumplings, shredded pork in spicy garlic sauce and eggplant with spicy garlic sauce. We had a few bowls of rice to share. Everything was delicious but we still felt a little peckish so we added a second order of the pork and chive fried dumplings. We polished off the lot. I would usually recommend 4 dishes for 5 people but we must have been hungry because we easily finished 5 dishes between 5.
Their pork and chive dumplings are perfection. Crispy on the bottom, juicy and flavourful all over. They come out piping hot so be careful when you take that first bite it doesn’t explode with juices in your mouth. I’m also a fan of their pork and fennel dumpling, though fennel isn’t for everyone.
Barilla do a great range of vegetarian dishes and my vegetarian friend was very happy. Prices are cheap and the food comes out fairly quickly. You really can’t go wrong with $12 for 20 dumplings. A heads up, steamed dumplings take longer than the other dishes.
This place is great for a cheap or late dinner. Bill came to about $14 per person. A bargain that is hard to beat!
Note, Barilla place is not licensed. For some reason we thought they were…don’t bring your bottle of wine from home!
Its like Mc D of dumplings..
They recently renovated which is good! Cz it was a bit dingy and unclean before.
When they are busy they sometimes get your order wrong so be patient.
Sizzling black pepper beef and pork& fennel dumplings are good
Honestly I was not expecting much from this place, on the contrary Barilla Dumpling exceeded all my expectations. If you after some great pan fried dumplings then this is the right place! I ended up going to this place twice in a week. But it does take quite a while for the food to arrive so be prepared to wait. One of my fav places for dumplings now!
If you like dumplings, go there. All sorts of dumplings, you name it. My fav is chicken with mushrooms and onion. They are quiet busy on Fridays eve so be prepared for a little wait. Service as you ll have at most Chinese places but dumpling are good.
Honestly, why they never wait for you to leave before they clean your table or learn how to do it properly. Its soo disgusting to see how they clean any tables! Juices are spilling over everything - yuck!
I did ask about MSG and yes, they use it "a bit".
Cheap and cheerful. Parking is easy.
A friend of mine took me here and proclaimed that the served the best dumplings in the whole of Auckland - so naturally I was very tempted in giving it a go. While the service wasn't anything to write home about, the food was another story. 20 dumplings for $14, steamed/boiled/fried and a large variety of flavors. The dough on each pocket of heaven (or dumpling as most people call them) was so fresh and soft and just melted in the mouth. What totally won me over was the variety of fillings, I've never seen a dumpling house which served this many varieties! A must go in Auckland - if you can get a table!
If you are after great dumplings and are prepared to wait for them.. then this place if perfect! the dumplings are always great... and the spicy salt beans are yumm! & garlic bok choy ... it does get quite busy and the wait at times is too long... my partner and I have been here many times... although at times the wait can be incredibly long ..it hasn't stopped us from craving dumplings from here.
If dumplings are your thing, then you have to give this place a go! Although they aren't the best I've ever had - they are up there on my list. The restaurant is spread across 2 levels and when we visited on a Saturday night..it was packed. We were lucky enough to get a table upstairs with little waiting time. The service wouldnt get top marks, but this could be due to them being fully packed. However the food is somewhat delicious and its obvious by the amount of people dining in and also taking away.
We ordered the lamb and cabbage dumplings (steamed), mixed vegetable & egg dumplings (fried) and the braised eggplant in brown sauce. This was plenty for the 3 of us and the prices are quite reasonable! We enjoyed all three dishes we ordered. I would recommend their dumplings steamed or fried!
This place is a perfect location for a group dinner or causal met up and given there prices are affordable and not over priced I'd happily eat here again.
Haven't been here for a while and was thoroughly surprised by the service. We used to have to constantly wave down or even walk up to servers to get their attention. Tonight we had our tea filled multiple times, questions answered, and servers eagered to take our order. We got pork and celery dumplings, lamb and cabbage dumplings, potato salad, ribs soup noodle, spring onion pancake, and hot and sour soup. Everything was great except for the spring onion pancake. It was cooked properly, we sent it back but it still came back not thoroughly cooked. Also, the lamb tasted like it wasn't prepared properly. But everything else was what we expected.
Food: 3.5/5
Drinks: 2/5 (perhaps investing into some better tea? It was pretty tasteless. As a Chinese I'm disappointed)
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3/5 (much better after the renovations)
Value for money: 5/5
This place is flippin' awesome. 20 dumplings for $12 and they are really yummy too. Love the pork and coriander ones their definitely my fave. Always super packed in here so you know it's pretty decent. Just good, cheap and tasty Chinese food you can count on really :)
De-li-ci-ous!!!
Barilla Dumpling exceeded all my expectations.
Went here for a group dinner with a large dining party and we ordered up a storm!
We ordered pork and chive, beef and chive and pork and coriander dumplings, french beans, sweet and sour pork, black bean beef, prawns, salt and pepper calamari amongst other dishes and they were all amazing!
The dumplings were steamed perfectly, and the flavours were tasty. Everything was seasoned well and came out piping hot and in a timely fashion. And the French beans! Ugh, delicious 💕.
With dumplings being around $10-$12 for a large plate it was great value for money.
The service was quick, polite and attentive even though they were very busy (as they always are) and they were incredibly helpful with choosing dishes and describing what each dish involved.
Definitely one of my new favour food haunts for good Chinese cuisine.
Been here more than a few times. Good place to take a crew or a date. Meals are kosha. You dont have to wait for long. And the dumplings are the best around for sure. Menu is kosha. Staff is good. My spot for sure
Best dumplings. Always good. Open late for night owls so i visit regularly.
The service leaves somewhat to be desired but who cares when they taste so good!
Best dumplings in auckland - beef and cabbage pan fried are amaaaazing ! Service isn't too great but the tasty food definitely makes up for it!
Best Dumpling in Auckland
Very popular and busy
Price 4.5/5
Food 4.5/5
Servic 3/5
Atmosphere 3/5
All dishes delicious.
Try again.
Fresh light food. The dumplings, buns and noodles all taste hand made. We had the chicken curry, lamb and eggplant dumplings, pork spare rib noodles, pan fried 3 surprise buns and garlic choi sum. Deliciously delicious! The soup broth was simple but not bland, just right. The choi sum was a little bit watery for my liking however very tasty :). Oooooooooo I loved the dumplings, buns and noodles. Usually I feel so stuffed when I eat these foods but to my surprise they are very light and tasty! Had to buy some dumplings to take home. 4.0 due to it being a Lil bit pricey and average to good customer service.
Still the best dumplings in town. If you know a place that's better, message me & we can go there together. The dumplings are always insanely juicy (mostly from a high fat content but fat is flavour) with just the right amount of wrapping to contain the parcel of the good stuff.
The only downside is how busy they are. It can be rough securing a spot and when you do, the wait time can be long. I still drive across town for this.
Affordable and absolutely delicious food. It's busy and vibrant. Loved the Chicken, Onion and Mushroom dumplings. So flavorsome and delicious I couldn't stop eating them.
The atmosphere was very busy and rushed. It made me feel like I was in China rush hour. I felt like the food was rushed and could've been made much better if they took the time to cook it. The spring onion pancake was abit too doughy for my taste. Overall it was a new experience that I will probably return too but not anytime soon.
Time and date: Monday Dinner
Food ordered : Pork and pickled vege dumpling, beef and celery dumpling, Three delicacies Shaomai, pickled cucumber, pickled pig ears, sour and spicy soup
Ingredients : Cant really judge their freshness as most would be pre-made or made with pickled ingredients
Authenticity : Dumplings and Shaomai are quite authentic (based on my own experience and Chinese friends), Sour and spicy soup on the other hand are somewhat different than the authentic version (authentic version does not include chili)
Taste : Very tasty, dumplings have soups or gravy in them, pig ear is cruchy and a bit spicy
Environment : Very pleasant compare to two years ago, they renovated the whole shop twice in 4 years time, photo of the shop above are not re-presentable as they just recently renovated
Service : Mechanical but efficient
Costs : less than $20 per person
Will I return : I'm a regular there
Decent dumplings and rice dishes, the noodles aren't as bland as most other dumpling takeaways. Service is average but that's to be expected from the dominion road joints. I personally think people sometimes do expect an a better service than the place can offer. They do what they are supposed to do.. clean the table, bring out the food and tea, polite service etc.
Best Chinese food in town... They make the best steamed dumplings... Always really busy and since they change the decor it seems very well cute decor..
Staff is efficient and service is also fast...
Such a busy place every time that I have been here and definitely for a good reason - well priced home style Chinese food. The place has obviously been redecorated - I would definitely not be able to recognize the restaurant from looking at these photos. great thing is they're open until late , had a meal here at 11 pm (second dinner nom nom) and people just kept streaming in for dine in/takeaways on a Friday night. 1 star taken off as there is sometimes a wait time for seats, and also wait time for food could be improved - can take up to 30 minutes during very busy times (whereas it can be as little as 10 during not so busy times (still a full house perhaps with less takeaways)).
Come here if you're after a cheap and yummy meal! Don't expect to get good service though as staff is not attentive at all (don't give out napkins or take awhile to get their attention). Food took forever to come, one table waited for 45 mins and left without their food. The restaurant is a bit dirty and table is sticky etc. But who cares because you get what you pay for right? And the food is pretty good for what you pay for! Make sure you come early though because this place is always busy! I was super lucky to get a table here!
I really like their pork and chives dumplings! Since it was my first time here I thought I would go with the safest option! They have so many other options that I have never heard before! Definitely recommend their steamed dumplings instead of boiled. I also ordered this spicy chicken dish and it was very yum! Will definitely go back!
It is certainly an experience eating here. It is noisy and cheaply decorated. The food however is very good and very cheap. Don't order too many things because you won't be able to eat them. Unfortunately they aren't licensed. But all in all it's worth going to but the staff certainly give you the impression they couldn't care one way or the other.
Come here if you're looking for great Northern Chinese food but don't expect attentive service :P
Their dumplings are really, really nice - especially the pan-fried apple and pork dumplings. Make sure you always enjoy dumplings with the chilli and vinegar :)
Another favourite of ours is the Shao Mai with three fresh delicacies (pork, prawn and egg). It is consistently moist and flavoured enough without being too salty.
I also reckon their cold dishes such as the shredded potato, tripe, and cucumber salad are pretty good as it's nice to alternate hot dumplings and chilli with cool and sour food.
I'm happy to say they've removed the lime-green walls and refurbished their interior. So ambience has definitely improved and I find it doesn't get too loud even when busy.
Yes, service can be sometimes lacking (forgetting serviettes, rushing orders) but all is forgiven when you come away with a full stomach and a happy wallet.
This place gets quite busy, so expect a bit of a wait or prepare to share a table with strangers. Can't really fault the restaurant for doing well though. It took us about 15 mins to get a table, but once we did it started to get better, much better. Of course the dumplings are very good and very good value too. We tried the sizzling beef with oyster sauce and it was some of the best beef we had ever had, yes it's that good. Would highly recommend this restaurant and we shall be back again, soon... Very soon
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Going in on a Monday night, I was surprised at how popular this place was. Despite being told on the phone that we didn't need to book, the waitstaff were surprised that we hadn't booked a table. The waiter begrudgingly offered up a larger table and brought extra chairs and a strap-on high chair over and to his credit he did attach it to the seat. The table was a little dirty and we did have to request it be cleaned.
As other reviewers have previously stated, this isn't a place you go to for the service. You will be waiting, to be seated, to place your orders and to pay at the end of your meal. The dining area is cramped and the thoroughfare often taken up by people waiting for takeout orders.
Where this place really shines is in the food. We were lucky to be eating with repeat customers and there wasn't a single dish I disliked. My favourite would have to be the pork and cashew dumplings, nicely washed down with Jasmine tea. Bear in mind that the steamed pork buns are not of the more widely known BBQ pork bun style, they are more similar to a pork dumpling wrapped in bread rather than a dumpling wrapper.
Would we return? For the food, yes, but I'd be more inclined to get a takeout order and skip their service dramas.
Believe the Hype! Yum yum yum. Generous serves with taste to match. I'm a dumpling snob so was reluctant to try them. Very impressive! Who wants to spend Friday making their own when you can buy 20 for $12? The only downfall was the huge wait on takeaways. They said it would be 20 mins... 50 mins later... so not quite a 5/5 from me.
Came here to try out the dumplings and I can happily say that's what we got ( plus a dirty ish table unfortunately ) We ordered 3 different types- pork and chives, egg and chives, pork, prawn, egg and chives and also some noodle beef thing my bf got. We got all the dumplings fried and they came fairly quickly.
We devoured the pork ones but the egg and chives were not a winner. The ratio of egg to the chives was like 1:10 and they were just chives overload.
We only ordered it because one of my mates was vegetarian but we all thought the dumplings would've been much nicer if they had more egg in them.
Would've been nice if the dumplings were less oily too but hey, they were still tasty :)
I didn't taste the noodle beef thing but the bf said it was pretty shit. So that was that.
We ended up paying like $15ish each which was pretty cheap for dinner. We all got out of there pretty stuffed and happy :)
Well，dumpling surely shines for Barilla. I felt a bit spoilt for the choice. I ordered lamb&coriander dumplings because my boyfriend is a big fan of lamb. The dumplings were very flavoursome. Putting coriander with lamb is very inspiring that I'd make same fillings at home next time！
I also ordered braised beef and mushroom. We were disappointed as it was too sweet when the fact is it's ought to be more hot and spicy. Plus their fried rice was just average. Not authentic at all. I guess that's because after all their speciality is dumplings.
One of the best Dumpling places in town!!
Pros:
Cheap (roughly 10-12$ per plate)
Great food, tasty and filling. You must try the dumplings here!
Handy location
Huge parking at the back
Always food left over for take away.
Cons:
Really Busy due to being popular so be ready to wait for a table.
Dont expect the best service in town, once you been served your not going to see a waiter again so get everything at one go. In all fairness they are really really busy all the time. The cheap food also makes up for no service and rarely on dominon road will you ever find good customer service.
This ones important.. The dumplings can takes ages to come out. in one case we ordered dumplings and they came out 20min after all other mains had been served. Either order them early or ask what the waiting time is for them.
One of the better dumpling places. Service and speed is nothing much to write about but the food makes up for it. You can't go wrong with Pork with chive dumplings - get them fried. Their 3 flavor Shao Mai (egg, pork, prawn) is good as well.
Great food. Crap service.
They are well known for their dumplings but I Highly recommend their Sizzling black pepper steak! A bit oily but my god was it tasty.
I had mixed feelings about coming here because of how different all the reviews were.
Personally I had a really good time here. Despite multiple reviews complaining about service, my experience with it was all good! The food was also really yummy. We got 2 plates of dumplings - steamed beef and coriander and fried pork and coriander, pork buns, a chicken and cashew dish, and a lamb and cumin dish. I really enjoyed everything! Only a slight downside was that they had forgotten to do one of our dumpling dishes, but they came and apologised and got on to it right away.
Don't let negative reviews/ the dated decor put you off. It's definitely worth a try!
Always great place for dumplings, either dine in or takeaway. We must remember the service is more towards a traditional asian service but it is improving which is a plus! IF dumplings aren't your thing they have a lot of other food on the menu which is also very tasty!
Their dumplings are good, but their Yang chow fried rice is too oily. l didnt like their Shu Mai but the beef hotpot was good too. I am planning to try their other hotpot dishes in the future.
Came here with a friend for a late Sunday evening bite to eat. Being gluten intolerant the dumplings were out for me so opted for a beef sizzle platter. Great portion size amd meat was nice and tender.
I have been to Barilla few times especially when I crave for dumplings.
Vegetarian dumplings are beautiful cooked and the serving is enough for 2 to 3 people. I also enjoy the sesame coated beans with the chilli and soya dipping sauce.
The food preparation and service is pretty quick. Must go for the delightful dumplings.
I tried barilla for dinner tonight and it was really good! The dumplings were amazing (pork, prawn and chive) and the beans were yum! The chicken fried noodle was good too but would be nice if there was more veges. Reasonably priced too!
Food was good compared to the price. Fairly simple straight up dumplings. Greatbfor simple quick cheap eats. The customer service was okay. Have to admit it was pretty hard to communicate with staff.
Best dumplings in the country. You'll never find any better and they are the best quality at a reasonable price. Ok the service is average but the food is great so who cares
An almost always packed restaurant is a great way to tell whether a place is worth eating at. Barilla is one of those places. If you go during peak hours, expect to wait quite a while to be seated. Highly recommend their hand-made Shoamai, particularly their Shaomai with Three Fresh Delicacies (Pork, egg and prawn).
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Behind the infamous neon green sign and fluorescent lighting lies some of the best dumplings I’ve had in NZ. The place looks deceptively small, with tables pushed as close together as they can manage. Do not be fooled, though – there is another huge dining area up the dodgy-looking stairway, and the group of dumpling-making chefs in the kitchen are constantly busy.
We are seated with barely a word by a grumpy-looking lady – but words are not what we are here for. Our dumplings arrive shortly, steaming hot in their tray – we typically order either steamed or boiled, not fried. The prawn, pork, chives and egg dumplings deserve special mention, but most of the others we’ve tried are good as well. The other mains are a bit hit and miss, and we usually give them a skip. The soups are passable, and the side dishes (including the pancakes) are pretty good.
But yes… the dumplings. What sets them apart from regular dumplings is the little bit of soup contained within. If you have tried xiao long bao, envision just that – except bigger, with thicker, doughier skin and varied fillings. The first bite of each dumpling is a flavourful explosion in the mouth, a welcome change from the typical dry dumpling fillings. The chili flakes in oil provided at the table make an excellent accompaniment to it.
Don’t go for the service, or the ambience, or even the mains… go for the dumplings, as their name suggests. Oh, and the proverbial icing on the cake? 20 dumplings is about $12-14.
This place makes me humorous..service is terrible but its very cheap and pretty tasty!!! Would be awesome if they were licensed
Best dumplings I have eaten in Auckland. Effecient service. Other food on the menu was average but I only go here for the dumplings so my rating reflects that.
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Calling this place The Best Dumplings in Auckland is a bit excessive in my opinion. As someone who has grown up eating dumplings (both homemade and store brought), my expectations were very high. It took ages for the dumplings to arrive and they were.. average. They resemble and taste like dumplings, but that's it really- it tastes like the ones you can make yourself at home. Perhaps my taste buds aren't as sensitive or defined as other people because I was sorely disappointed :/ Reasonable dumplings, just not wow/ amazing as it's been made out to be.
EDIT: Revisited again a few more times and tried various orders. My recommendation is go for the steamed ones such as the beef and coriander, or the massive seafood ones (not sure what they're called but they look quite different to the usual dumplings). The Xi An pancake with pork was mighty good, the bread was SO soft and pillowy, and it encased the succulent and tender (albeit a bit fatty), dark and boldly flavoured pork pieces. With these recent choices, the experience with food has dramatically improved. Service was actually pretty good too, you don't go into Asian restaurants expecting them to cater and look after you anyway, as long as they're efficient and get the food out, I'm happy.
Love the dumplings here, so delicious, especially the pork and chive and the beef and cumin. The best thing however are the beans!!! Cheap and cheerful place. Don't expect to be blown away by the service or decor.
I would give this place 5 stars if the staff weren't so miserable/rude.
The food is great - huge fan of the dumplings here, really have never had a bad batch so I rate it highly. The staff are Chinese - they work hard and don't chat / don't smile. It's just how they are here. If you look past that and realise how crazy busy they are and how good the dumplings are then it's not a huge deal. Glad they don't have a D rating anymore!
I come here when I am in the area and will keep coming here.
Best dumplings in town by a long shot. Grumpy staff. Although they had a D rating in the past, the last I was there it was A rated.
They are always busy, but usually the crowd rotates quickly. Go there. Now!
Oh... And you can buy the frozen dumplings to bring home.
Pork and onion dumplings so delicious. How do they get that juicy burst when you first bite the dumplings. Good price. It does get a bit busy because usually I wait about 20mins for dumplings but worth the wait because you can phone order in anyway. Staff aren't the friendliest.
At first glance the place looks terrible - bright neon green paint on the walls, cheesy sign, and the fluorescent lighting doesn't help either.
The dumplings are incredible, though. They're the only ones we've found here that have a burst of 'juice' inside, like how xiao long bao does. Our favourite is the pork, prawn, and chives dumplings. Only $14 for 20 huge ones. Service can be a bit hit and miss, but the great price and taste makes it more than worth overlooking.
Just had dinner there, ordered cucumber salad, tofu & spring onion salad, lamb & carrot boiled dumplings and pork & green beans hot pot.
Cucumber salad was too salty, tofu & spring onion salad was good, dumplings were amazing, hot pot was average.
Will definitely go back for dumplings. Service was good.
I actually went here because I read about how popular the restaurant has been.
The dumplings were top notch. The place looked clean and tidy. I even went upstairs next door to the toilets and saw a lady preparing dumplings in a secondary kitchen. It all looked clean and hygienic.
Anyway, we were here mid afternoon Sunday, the service was friendly (contrary to most other reviews). Service was slow.
Overall, quality, authentic dumplings at a good price.
OK, so if you're going to have your pants charmed off by the waiting staff, then best not bother...but who cares? I'd rather they just dealt with the dumplings to be honest. Service was speedy, dumplings were amazing (I had the pork, prawn and egg), price is acceptable. Have them steamed - looking at everyone's, the steamed certainly looked the best.
Its got a fast, busy atmosphere and is right opposite my favourite cinema, so I'll defo be back again.
We didn't take a poke around the kitchen, so I can't comment on the hygiene levels, but none of us got sick...so all good! ;)
The food here is incredible but the service is consistently horrible. The wait staff are unbelievably rude but you have to suck it up because everything tastes great.
Excellent dumplings and cumin coated fried beans (not sure of actual name). My partner and I have eaten here on various occasions and have never been disappointed with the above. Some of the other food can average and the service is abysmal at best but the dumplings are well worth it!!!
Wow the ratings are true. The dumplings are so good and one order is enough for two we also a ordered the sautéed cho sum, and chose the trio with seafood pork and egg. Three words. Go there now.. Service is average but the food is the clincher.
Fantastic dumplings - full stop.
The service is pointing and grunting but somehow it got us to a table and our order taken. The dining room is painted in art deco colors which is ok for the outside of a house, not so good for the inside of a restaurant. It all added to a great experience.
Standouts were the pork and fennel and ensure you order the French beans as a side dish. Doggie bags are stacked on the end of the counter so do not worry if you order too much.
If you feel like dumplings, hunt this place out.
Probably the best dumplings place I've been to in Auckland and it reminds me of Melbourne's Chinatown! I love the 3 delicacy seafood shao mai or 3 delicacy fried dumplings (I think that's what they're called on the menu). Didn't like their other dishes that aren't dumplings but understandable since dumplings are their speciality. This place is always busy so be prepared to wait if you're in a big group and often they don't take bookings over the phone. Great food though and service isn't as appalling as some other Chinese restaurants of this callibre!
Best dumplings I've found in Auckland, especially the pork and capsicum and pork and pot herb mustard. Service is not always great but well worth it for amazing dumplings!
Great range of dumplings and decent, if curt, service. Dumplings are tasty and well cooked. Thankfully they give you quite a few to chow down on.
This is a great dumpling place. We've only ever had takeaways from here and haven't been disappointed yet! We stick to our favorites of pork and chive dumplings and spicy garlic eggplant - fantastic combination.
The service seems a bit unpredictable but I think that's what helps make this place what it is!
Great dumpling place. We also like chilli long beans and squid
Barilla Dumpling is notorious for bad, indifferent, almost aggressive service....which we have come to accept and even look forward to. The food however makes up for that ....sensational food....cheap and generous portions.....since the renovation the 'lack of atmosphere' has improved marginally....try the sugar pancakes...they are addictive.....an absolute jewel of Asian food!!!
This is one of my favourite places to eat on Dominion Road, besides New Flavour! Although the surroundings and the service are both rather basic (don't take anyone here if you're keen to impress), the food has always been great. Everything on the menu is good and is served piping hot, which I love. Come here for a cheap and satisfying feed :)
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Visited Barilla with a friend for the first time a few weeks ago after reading the praise in Metro and a lot of word-of-mouth. We arrived at around 10.30pm on a weekday and the place was packed, the only table available was a huge table for ten in the corner which my friend and I were seated at. The menu is extensive however we don’t eat meat which narrowed it down substantially. We ordered the steamed mixed-vege dumplings, fried French beans and for dessert deep-fried milk buns.
The dumpling filling wasn’t terrible but we both felt it was lacking.. maybe an extra ingredient or more seasoning. While we appreciate vegetarian options, I feel like a lot of eateries think it’s sufficient just to have a vegetarian dish and then not give a crap about whether it actually tastes good.. just because we don’t eat meat doesn’t mean we don’t have tastebuds. The fried French beans however were so so good, I’m coming back for those specifically (and maybe to give the seafood dumplings a shot). The deep-fried milk buns were lightly fried bread rolls served with condensed milk on the side and were surprisingly tasty.
This place seems to get a bad rap for service, I thought the service was basic but not terrible. I appreciate that although there were only two wait staff for the entire restaurant our food came fast and our tea quickly replenished. If they’re rude it’s because they’re busy, not because they’re pretentious and I think that distinction needs to be made. The servings are huge and the French beans made a great breakfast the next day, I really recommend Barilla and I’ll be returning asap!
Wowee! Awesome Dumplings - crazy busy and well worth waiting for a table if needed. Very reasonably priced the dumplings were some of the best I have had. Loved the Broccoli Garlic dish too. Dinner for 2 hungry girls and enough to take home for lunch the next day - $40 - value for money and exceptionally tasty - well done Barilla :-}
I'm a big fan of Barilla. There is a huge amount of variety in the dumplings they make and I've had them on three or four occasions and each time they've been consistently good. I've usually only gone at lunch time and so haven't had any of the problems that other people have had in terms of wait times.
I haven't had the problems with the MSG that other people have mentioned.
Yummy dumplings and pancakes! Been there a few times with friends and loved it. Usually pretty busy in the evenings, you'd be lucky to get a table straightaway. Always ask the waitress for the wait time! You get 20 dumplings for $10 which is very filling! Make sure you confirm your order as some of the staffs' english isn't very good.
I've been her multiple times before and after their stint in the papers for their hygiene grade and I have to say that afterward they cleaned up the good still tastes just as good after before. Their dumplings are full of flavour and well cooked. It's also really cheap if you are sharing dishes. It's a place you can come to with only a few people or a bigger group and will still be really cheap and enjoyable. The only problem would be getting a table. Even during lunch time they fill up fast. My person favourite is the shredded potato. I've tried quite a few different flavours in dumplings, my two favourites are pork and corn and pork and chives.
We got take out from Barilla and I have to say that it wasn't too bad! It wasn't cheap but the food was definitely tasty.
We had the potato and eggplant sauté, pork and chive dumplings, chicken noodles, chilli beans and a chive pancake.
The pancake was a little doughy but everything else was super tasty. The beans weren't too spicy but they were crunchy which was amazing. The noodles were probably the best noodles I've had on Dominion Road and there was a generous amount of filling in the dumplings.
I would probably go back to Barilla but I'd want to sit in next time. I think some of the experience is the atmosphere rather than the food itself. And it always looks busy so that's a good thing.
5 for takeaway/dumpling awesomeness and price, 1 for decor... Nothing like a fluoro green/orange motif
The dirtiest foodie paradise !!!! Scoring a D for their hygiene but a A++ for their flavor !! Gives it an overall average of a B+ rating if you ask me lol!!
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Barilla is probably the most well known and most popular Chinese eatery along Dominion road, and it's definitely a great option for a cheap meal out.
The Sichuan cuisine is known for its bold flavours of garlic and spice, and Barilla can deliver on both. But what Barilla is most known for are their dumplings, and the pork and chives, and pork and cashew nut I can highly recommend.
They do particularly great vegetarian options which make for a great addition to dumplings, and I can recommend their garlic potato with eggplant and capsicum, chinese pancake and garlic bok choy.
Why you won't get service with a smile and the decor leaves little to be desired, Barilla will satisfy that dumpling void and is easy on the wallet..
Update Oct 2015:
You still won't get service with a smile, but its been renovated and the room is a nice venue now, modern and open.
Unfortunately there is a lot more competition for quality dumplings and I think that there are other places that do them better, but still not as cheaply.
It's public knowledge that Barilla makes damn good dumplings (the pork and chives or pork and cashew nut are my favourites!)
It's also well known that their French Beans are to die for. But the appeal of Barilla does not die there.
I've been a regular for over a year now and I'll admit. Pretty quickly ordering the same old favourites can get a bit boring. That's when you have to venture further and should I specify, into the vegetables section.
Between the bok choy with garlic, broccoli with garlic, shredded potato and spring onion pancakes alone, a vegetarian can have a pretty satisfactory meal. But the piece de resistance? The sauteed potato, aubergine and peppers.
Holy moly.
That dish alone is pure, unadulterated taste bud heaven. Personally, we like to order the pancakes and then dunk it in the sauce, savouring the flavour. It is really that good.
And these days the dining experience isn't too bad either. It's amazing what a lick of paint will do right?
We'd been eating at Barilla quite regularly for a few months when they got the bad hygiene grade, and really wasn't surprised! But we'd eaten at restaurants like it in other countries, and if anyone's going to get sick from dodgy food it will be me!and I never did! And we love the cumin spiced deep fried French beans , the pork and fennel dumplings and the garlic bok choy. In fact all the dumplings we've tried are delicious. The fried rice is quite dry and tasteless though and the vegetables don't always seem as fresh as they could be. Green tea is served throughout the meal if you like, ( not always frequently and almost never with a smile) and they're not licensed. Obviously they've had a big clean up and a lick of paint to get their A grade hygiene rating, but it's still very basic decor and feels a bit cramped
We now prefer New Flavour a few doors along - dumings almost the same, but their other dishes are better and it feels a bit more welcoming.
Barilla was amazing! Have travelled all the way from nelson to try these highly recommended dumplings... And super impressed. Shall be back to try the steamed bun before we fly home :)
An award winning restaurant, specializing in Chinese dumplings. Barilla Dumpling has an enormous range of fantastic tasting dumplings but if dumplings is not you're thing then you can try their other Chinese dishes. The prices are super cheap, for 12$ you can get 20 dumplings which is just crazy. I can't recommend any better place for those looking to satisfy their dumpling cravings. Personal favorites would be the pork range but the chicken dumpling are pretty darn good too. Woof.
You can’t miss Barilla with its outrageous green and orange decor. Barilla is dumpling heaven.
Flavours expand over two pages of the menu. Between three people we had a set of steamed lamb and spring onion dumplings, fried pork and apple dumplings and some fried long beans. These were very well made – not too thin, not too thick and cooked just right. The meat was juicy.
Personally I’m not a fan of long beans, at a young age I had convinced my mum that consuming them would make me vomit. Barilla cooked them with tempura style batter and added a slight sweetness to it as well as some chili. They were edible, but I’m still not convinced. It is worth noting that this is their second most popular dish after the dumplings.
The price is excellent, for $12 you get 20. Service is poor - but as long as I get my dumplings, I'm okay.
More photos and text here: http://twohonesttruths.com/2013/07/22/barilla/
Amy @ My Dining Journey
+3.5
Barilla Dumpling is an award-winning restaurant that has featured in Metro and Viva and has earned praise by many people, including celebrity chef, Al Brown. Dumplings being their major seller, Barilla has a considerable variety made with different ingredients and they can be prepared in three different ways (boil, steam or pan-fried). We tried a variety of fillings, all prepared differently so we could compare the separate techniques.
The steamed pork and chives and the pan-fried pork and prawns are my favourite. My preference is to have the dumplings pan-fried as it gives the dumplings a crispy exterior as well as intensify the flavours of the dough. The steamed version is good for people wanting to have a healthier option and I personally did not enjoy the boiled dumplings, the wrapping was close to falling apart and some of the water have seeped into the filling.
We also ordered a serving of deep fried mantou, served alongside a small dish of sweeten condensed milk. Mantau is a type of bread that originated from China and was a staple food source for Northern China where wheat was commonly grown. They are usually served steamed but you can have them deep fried so that it is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. These ones in Barilla could have been fried for slightly longer as they lack the distinctive crunch, but they were polished off regardless.
Barilla Dumplings offers delicious and affordable food that is truly worth trying. However, do not expect friendly and efficient service and be prepared to wait for a table as its popularity status continues to grow.
If you like this review, please check out my dining blog - http://mydiningjourney.wordpress.com for more reviews
Great dumplings spot and cheap eats! A group of 10 got pretty stuffed for dinner and only came out to just over $13 :O The service can be a bit hard to come by cos they are so busy (eg asking for extra bowls for the rice), and now they only give you a sauce dish and no other dish/bowl? We had many many dumplings, although I usually go for the boiled one, the fried ones a pretty good, I don't think I like the steamed ones cos it made the skin a bit harder. They also have shaomai dumplings which are similar to normal dumplings but with an open top (not like the Cantonese one when you go yum char). I also quite enjoyed the tofu (cold dish) we got and the buns were also fluffy :)
I think here is the most popular restaurant for dumplings in Auckland.
You can see how many kinds of dumplings they have on the menu. There is always many people there and even lots of them are kiwi. expect to have dinner share the table with other clients as the place is so tiny, otherwise you need to wait for quite a long time.
I like the pork with vegetables in the dumplings$12 /20 piece, quite cheap ,but the meat is very yummy and juicy, the cabbage is very sweet, the combination of the food could open your sense of taste.
and the wonton there.you can order pork wonton $9/10 piece, or my favorite wonton soup with pork prawn eggs,traditional northern chinese style, the combination of the food just balance in your mouth and very very yummy.
I also recommend the casserole food , the casserole could maintain the smell of the food and the ribs are soft tender juicy, very Delicious.
I was lured to Barilla Dumpling due to the fact that bad press (with respect to their hygiene rating) failed to deter their regulars who swear that the dumplings are to die for. The interior is clean, the service is quick and the price is very resonable. I was floored by the variety of fillings!
We ordered the pork and chive dumplings (an old favourite), the pork and eggplant dumplings (something I had never seen before) and a side of gailan vegetables. Everything tasted great and I liked being able to mix up my own dipping sauce. For full review see here: http://lucyeats.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/a-quick-meal-at-barilla-dumpling.html
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I am a dumpling fiend and Barilla dumpling is one my favourite places to go for dumplings in Auckland. Their selection is vast and they are always delicious. Usually when I go to Barilla I only get dumplings and pork buns (which are also great, especially the buns with pork, egg and prawns) but I decided to branch out a little on this week and ordered the soup noodle with pork ribs and fried pork and potherb mustard dumplings. I had not heard of potherb mustard before and our server described it as a little bit like spinach but spicier. The dumplings were wonderful as always, however the soup noodle with ribs was slightly disappointing. The ribs were flavoursome but were cold in the middle. I put them back in the soup and waited for them to warm up a bit and they were fine. The soup was good but not amazing. It very large, so between my partner and I we could not finish the dumplings or the soup. Luckily they have handy takeaway containers for leftover dumplings. Barilla is definitely in the cheap and cheerful category of restaurants with our meal for two (plus leftovers) coming to $23.
Poor Barilla has had a hard time as of late, but it now has its A grade for hygiene re-instated and is as good as it always was. This is one of the best places in Auckland for dumplings but don't make the mistake of only ordering those as there's a lot more to offer. It's had a bit of an interior spruce up and while it's still not chic by any means, the (very bright) green walls and the fact that it's ALWAYS full make it a lovely jovial place to eat. One of the cheapest places to eat in town too. For full review and dish recommendations see here http://cheapeats.co.nz/barilla-dumpling/
Really authentic and nice dumplings! My go-to for dumplings. A Dominion Road classic. However be aware that the service is blunt and direct so no smiles to be had here. Still in their old premises after all these years but what's changed are the prices! Now a plate of dumplings is close to $20 sadly.
We came back to Auckland late at night and were able to grab a table here before they closed. We grabbed a plate of the stir fried pancake as well as a spring onion pancake and two types of dumplings. They do have a fairly large range of dumplings with interesting flavours and can serve them boiled, fried or steamed.
The spring onion pancakes had a cumin taste to them so they were a bit interesting. The fried pancakes were nice as were the juicy dumplings. We purposely over ordered so that we had some treats to take home for another day.
Large share portions, extremely well seasoned meals and massive variety to choose from the menu.
Cozy and warm inside, well lit.
Highly recommend!!!
Highly recommend the dumplings. Some of the best I’ve had. The other food is also really good but fairly standard Chinese cuisine.
Everything was good but the fried pork n chives duplings is not like it used to be before. Always recommend lamb cumin but price too high compared to the portion
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Barilla Dumpling on Dominion Road in Auckland is a hidden culinary gem that transports your taste buds on a delightful journey through the rich tapestry of Asian flavors. Nestled along the vibrant Dominion Road, this eatery captures the essence of traditional and contemporary Asian cuisine in every delectable bite.
Upon entering, the cozy and inviting ambiance sets the stage for a remarkable dining experience. The star of the show, undoubtedly, is the impressive array of dumplings that grace the menu. From the moment the first dumpling touches your palate, you're greeted with an explosion of flavors that are a testament to the culinary expertise of the chefs.
The dumplings, lovingly handcrafted with fresh and premium ingredients, cater to every palate. Whether you're a fan of classic pork and chive or seeking more adventurous fillings, Barilla Dumpling offers an enticing variety that leaves you craving for more.
The attentive staff adds a personal touch to your visit, ensuring your dining experience is nothing short of exceptional. Apart from the dumplings, the menu features an array of other Asian delicacies, each dish prepared with the same dedication to quality and taste.
Barilla Dumpling on Dominion Road is a haven for food enthusiasts seeking an unforgettable rendezvous with Asian cuisine. With its delectable offerings, cozy atmosphere, and attentive service, it stands as a true culinary gem that captures the heart and palate of Auckland's diverse dining scene.
Staff are on hand to welcome you, are efficient and fast.
Every table gets a nice hot pot of tea and cups when you sit down.
Food is hot and tasty.
Our go to place for dumplings, sweet pancakes and eggplant in brown sauce.
Great place to eat 👍🏼👍🏼👌🏼.
The salted egg tofu and jelly noodles were very good. The texture and flavour of the dumplings were pretty decent, as were the fried noodles. However the porkbelly and pancake dish was disappointing. The pancake was instead cold man tous with mushy exteriors and tough, dry interiors. We were apparantly missing a 'pancake' from our dish and were given an extra bun wrapped in a paper towel shortly after being served.
Not a first time customer here. I'd recommend trying the dumplings (pork&fennel or pork&chives), tofu, and noodle dishes to those unfamiliar with the cuisine.
We ordered 7 dishes for 6 people, with some left to take home. Expect $100-$130 for 6 people.
Really nice dumplings and good portion for the price. The sweet and sour pork was absolutely delicious! High recommend it with rice. The stir-fried noodles was flavourful but a bit too greasy and oily.
Not the best service but you can’t expect more from these cheap-eat restaurants.
Price for the quality is out of this world.
They will not disappoint.
Thank you staff🙏
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