Review Barrilla Dumpling

David He

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.

Benedict Uy

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.

Sherryk Koswara

Large share portions, extremely well seasoned meals and massive variety to choose from the menu. Cozy and warm inside, well lit. Highly recommend!!!

Andrew MacDonald

Highly recommend the dumplings. Some of the best I’ve had. The other food is also really good but fairly standard Chinese cuisine.

Anish Pokharel

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

Fabian Fernandes

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.

Crystal Paterson

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 👍🏼👍🏼👌🏼.

Carissa Huynh

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.

Ha Ho

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.

Joseph Kim

Price for the quality is out of this world. They will not disappoint. Thank you staff🙏

Ekta Mistry

The food is great no complaints! But the staff eye rolls at you when you ask them for tap water for the second time, saying they do not have a tap in the restaurant!! Are you kidding me??

Molly Dolly

Dumplings are average. eden noodle cafe dumplings are by far better and superior and they are just down the road!! Also when I paid for my dumplings then walked out with my order almost reaching the door the lady who took my order yelled down the end of the restaurant saying “HAY DID YOU PAY FOR THAT!!!” Well there was a lot of people in the restaurant. It’s her job not my job to tell her if I paid for my meal and she needs to learn how to talk to customers properly and also DO NOT COME HERE if you suffer from anxiety as this lady will cripple you. NEVER coming back to this place. Not worth my time or money and like I said eden noodle cafe is much more superior. Go see for yourself you’ll know what I mean when you taste there dumplings.

LuNa The TuNa

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.

Tony Ma

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

Jedediah J

Ordered the beef chive pan fried dumplings. Great price and quantity. Unfortunately it's not the best dumplings I've had tbh. Been here couple times before and I feel all taste exactly the same doesnt matter if you get pork or beef. Great if you on a low budget as it still gives you your dumplings fix.

Nakul Patel

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.

Kealy Mathews

Well-known for their dumplings and for a reason. Big fan of pork chive & prawn, and prawn fried rice 🦐

JaCinta Grey

Awful experience The staff were extremely rude! The food was below average and it was very expensive. Paid $116 wasn't worth it at all!

Persian Foodie

The cumin fried chicken is the best thing ever. Dumplings aren’t so great. Because they get so many customers they’re probably used to making them in bulk, especially the common pork and cabbage/mushrooms one which we got steamed. Very little flavor for the fillings and overly thick pastry, no broth drips out when you bite into them. Also got the Chinese broccoli which was gai lan. Good portions but standard of food is dropping.

Anish Ketty

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.

Minoru Tsujimoto

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.

오오수강

Meal were good and bad....manageble. But service was very bad. Staff were not kind,should be better than that. It was not the first time.every time i went here got anoyyed. I won't visit again

Daniel Wong

Had to wait over an hour for food. When asked when the food was ready, the staff mentioned it has just started cooking. Food was okay, but not worth the wait. Overall experience was very bad.

Jhonny Johnz

Loved the food! Felt the exact opposite in regards to customer service. Booked for a group of 13 for my son's birthday. Our group was seated upstairs and we each have our orders. 5 out of our group ordered 2 or 3 different plates each to share amongst the group. Approximately 30 minutes from receiving all our orders we were told we had ten minutes left for our seating. The food good. But not that good for me. I have been there twice in total. Don't see myself ever going back again.

Brandon Huang

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

Gaurav Jagwani

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!!!

Jonathan Chau

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 :)

Dylan Ogotau

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👌👌👌

Gus

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

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 🥟

Liv

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.

Natiella

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.

Dude

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.

Hungry Teddy (20% Zomato Gold, Use : HUNG2716)

The Dominion road branch is better. The dumpling here was too oily. Food tasted okay. Service was also not that good. There were so many staffs standing in the middle of restaurants doing nothing. Some of them couldn’t speak English as well.

Belle De Leon

I got sick from eating here yesterday. I had the pork and onion dumplings. I looked at other reviews and it seem that I’m not the only one. Proceed dining with caution. I think I’m going to stay away from this place 😕

Grant Glover

Appalling service waiting 50 mins for 3 takeaway dishes . No apology , all their staff walked past us for 40 mins . No one followed up. When we finally said something they said would 2 mins . Ended up another 10 . Won’t be back !

Wiri Pvp

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...

Emily

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

Chanara Ourng

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.

Maine Folaumoeloa

1st time trying out, had it takeaway prawn dumplings were juicy but that was about it pork dumpling had no flavor, Customer service was terrible

Angelica Starina

TERRRRIIIBBLE customer service. 1 star out of 5 for the food and the guys that work there who at least try to be helpful. They seem terrified of the women who work there? I wouldn’t be surprised because the main two women who seem to always work there-I’ve been 3 times to Barilla Dumpling in hopes of better experience but failed every moment. The dumplings are ALRIGHT-not good enough for that kind of service. The best was the beef and chilli oil but everything else we bought (chicken and pork dumplings, dishes and fried rice) were pretty average for the price, on top of that the poor customer “service” if you can call it that, makes the food and experience there worse🤢. Really sad because they have potential to be great.

Kyla Lee McLean

Rude staff and awful food. Was served as soon as we walked in. Then asked every thirty seconds if we were ready to order. When we ordered after about 5 minutes of looking. A table sat down next to us, then ordered after being asked what they wanted two minutes after sitting down. Their food came well before ours - they were at least half way through their meals. When our food arrived the dumplings tasted as though they were brought frozen from the supermarket. The noodles were basically inedible as they were covered in oil and had next to no meat. The only somewhat edible thing we ordered was the green vegetables and even then we barely ate them. I wouldn’t ever visit here again. The food was awful. The staff were beyond rude and I do not recommend

Natasha Holder

Food was good, service was terrible. Usually not one to complain about service. One lady in particular was very rude. She was impatient waiting for us to order, seemed angry when questions were asked about the menu, and scowled the entire time we were there. I do understand this is a self-service style restaurant, but when my friend asked a male waiter for a coke, he pointed at the fridge and told her she could get it herself, while proceeding to walk straight past said fridge. Overall, we felt unwelcome and unlikely to return.

Alex Stanners

Worst service I have ever had in my life, so rude and they took 50 minutes to make my dumplings after they forgot them. Food was okay but service was very offputting

Lisa

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. 😋

Naomi Deans

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!

Natasha Kumar

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

Nina

I will always love their lamb and coriander dumplings as well as their spring onion pancake but today (my third time ever going) there were a few service complications. Firstly that we had received an item we didn't ask for, we were taking new people who heard good things about their chicken fried rice but somehow we were served chicken fried noodles? They weren't that good sadly, not even after dousing them in the table condiments. The counter lady gotten a little mad at us when we wanted the split the bill 75/25 and told us to calculate it ourselves and tell her the value. I understand language barriers limit communication but she didn't have to shout at us even when I showed her the calculation I had to do on my phone. Gave a bitter end to a somewhat incomplete meal. I'd rate lower but their food isn't worth a lower rating, the service and communication is what let them down.

Alice Ma

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.

LSnag

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.

Tixiermary

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.

Tet

Very flavourful,tasty and juicy pan friend pork and chive dumplings. The deep fried squid was fresh and coriander complemented the dish. Spicy pork intestines were ok-soft but chewy and had an aftertaste. Food was good but staff were not friendly, wrong dish served and we were pretty much blamed for the error even when it was pointed on the menu upon ordering, the lady also forgot one of our orders so was served very late. Didn't feel welcomed in this place.

Corina Riggs

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.

Munchies

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.

John Marshall

Great food, the wait was around 15 minutes to get our dumplings but took around 15 minutes for a table to become free. I would have given this restuarant a 4 but the location, parking and Limited space brought it down to a 3.

Nickylee313

This restaurant service is very terrible. They may think their businesses is very good so that’s why they don’t care the customer service. Especially the woman who always at the cashier area. Her face really like bitxx, if you really want to know what is bitxx face. You can go and try then she will show you that signature face. Beside this, they are really dirty in the kitchen. I swear that I will not going to this restaurant anymore!

DKan

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.

TheDiner

Food: 7/10 Service: 5/10 Ambience: 4/10 Overall: 6/10 Nice dumplings, especially the prawn and chives, however the bok choi vegetables had a little too much dressing. I would recommend this place and give it a 4 if the environment was quieter and staff were friendly. It almost seemed like they were unhappy working there, especially the waiters. Food was nice and interior was clean and new. Would recommend this place for those looking for a cheap Chinese experience, specifically during quieter times, I.e. after 1pm when lunch customers have left and place is less frantic.

Rohan Bird

I have eaten here twice and got sick from eating the fried pork dumplings both times. The food is below average and taste like frozen supermarket dumplings. I have since been told unhygienic stories about the kitchen here. The staff was very rude and seemed to have forgotten about our order as we waited over 45 mins only to receive very bland, soggy FRIED DUMPLINGS. I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Spend your $$$ else where!

Wapatino

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.

Jamie Craig

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

Claire Teves Tamse

I guess our experience was different from most people and reviewers. Ordered through uber eats and was excited when the food came. Only, we were disappointed. The dumplings were all over the place - literally. It was a complete mess when we opened the container. The taste was bland even for the other food ordered. I would like to see them improve this overall. It was our first time ordering and not so sure about going back again.

Saahil Cherieth

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

Kenz

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!

Krystal-Jane Mosley

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!

Feel Food

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.

Branson Marshall

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!

Duchess_Arg

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.

April

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.

Karan Gosain

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.

Katherinne Jaimes

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.

Chirag Darji

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!

Watt

Used to be great 4 or so years ago (before renovations) but quality has REALLY gone down hill since they became well-known in the media. Ordered beef and celery dumplings and pork dumplings. Mince inside is such poor quality! Tasted almost off. Flavour is bland, really disappointed. We used to come all the time. Also question their hygiene?!?! My mum got food poisoning here from their dumplings and ended up on the toilet all evening, then in hospital. Will not come again!!!!

Ashton

Customer service is literally the worst, been there twice and every single time i get an upset tummy. Don’t write much reviews but on the toilet seat at the moment angry why i ate there again last night 😑😡 honestly dont go there

Iverson

Been here couple to times and every time the service we receive is third class. This time this girl took our order and we waited for 25 min then found out that they forgot to cook our order and they took another 20 min and our food came which was terrible. There are heaps of other places that are way better than this one. Don’t waste your time and money at this place.

Josh Ua

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).

AngryWhenHungry

Just here for the pork & chives fried dumpling. When having dumplings, you need to have the chili sauce. It may look really spicy but apparently just good enough so don’t be scared. Also tried a couple of veggies and was also good. Downside is that, there 2 or 3 staff that are not really friendly and quite intimidating. Also, last time I went there, they charged about $2 more than my calculation based on the price from the menu. They don’t give out receipts either. If you ask, they only provide the paper that comes out from the eftpos which is just the total. They dont provide the itemised receipt.

True.buzz

The food isn’t bad, I prefer to go here for dumplings however the staff really need lessons for good customer service and English. A lot of the time you’ll find them yelling at each other, great food but not the best environment.

Rachel Liew

We had two different varieties of dumplings however it was not palatable to our satisfaction. It's not juicy or any special compared to other eateries. It was not busy so it didn't take long for us to be served. An average place for dumpling lovers.

Hasiba Zareh

Absolutely loved the noodles! However the dumplings were definitely a let down! I was expecting much more flavoursome food! The service was possibly the worst service I’ve had at any balmoral restaurant. They just slammed our food on the table and stormed off??.

Manav Syal

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!

Rae

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.

Froyo🍦

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

Helen Lee

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!

Mathieu Duval

Decent food. Prices increased from the menu showed on the app (+$1). Not the best, just ok. Service was ok too, I just felt like I was bothering the woman taking the order than anything else but at least I didn’t wait too long. Wouldn’t go back anytime soon but if I’m around with people who want to try I would still go.

AJ

After all the rave, we had very high expectations and sadly left disappointed. I love my dumplings but we thought the dumplings here tasted underwhelming in flavour and almost no juiciness, maybe due to the way they were served stacked on a plate? Some of them even came with the skin already broken. The dumplings came stuck together and most of the broth had all but drained out onto the plate :( We tried pork, beef, and lamb. For the filling, I think pork was the best. Shrimp fried rice was no good either, overly greasy and bland with frozen veggies that tasted frozen. The saving grace here was the spring onion pancake which was crispy, delicious, and gooey inside! Service is blah, but nothing unexpected. We also experienced some communication hiccups with the staff. When asked which dumplings were which, staff just gave us a blank stare and five seconds of awkward silence, which we eventually thought was funny. Portions are massive and the price is great though. Overall, I won't be in a hurry back.

Christopher Pearce

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!

Chris L

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.

Jessie Liu

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?!

JC

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.

BaNaNa

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

Tanmay Jauhri

Came here to try their dumplings. The food is good but the staff is very rude. The waitress was grumpy. Food took too long to come out. The service staff had difficulty in communicating. Would definitely appreciate better service and better staff hygiene and communication.

Joe 'Fish' Seebeck

The food was good but the service was terrible. To be clear once you their attention the service is awesome it just felt like that they weren't really up for starting the conversation. And our server had limited English so we had to point at the menu to order

Maxwalteryoung

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.

Sushmitha D

Not my favourite dumpling joint. After seeing many people in the restaurant everytime I drove past Dominion rd, I finally decided to try it and unfortunately I was disappointed. I tried to ask the waitress whether they could make the dumplings without egg but she didn’t seem to understand or really bother to figure out what I was saying so I got the egg and chives dumplings anyway. It took a while to arrive and when it did it was soggy and undercooked. My friends chicken dumplings however looked much better ( and apparently tasted better too). Overall this place is very budget friendly and suitable for a quick grab but the food is a bit of a hit or miss.

Sakshi Chadha

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!

Elle

Have ordered takeaway from Barilla before, and had pretty good food. Came to dine in last week and can now safely say I will NEVER come back, for several reasons. 1. The staff were all eating when we arrived and got up to give our menus and take our orders with food still in their mouths - of course staff need breaks, but that was a bit weird 2.When the dumplings came out, they were greasy and undercooked, almost every one was broken, and there was a pool of liquid at the bottom of the plate - was so disappointed! My partner's looked better though, so we shared those. 3. So I don't do this ever, but I asked the waiter to replace my plate, because they were pretty sub par. He took my plate and said Just a moment. We waited about ten minutes after we ate the other plate, but no more dumplings came. We asked the waiter and he said Oh sorry, they didn't make any, we thought you didn't want more. 3. Then the waiter blew his nose in a tissue in the middle of the restaurant, and then continued to serve other people food - was so gross! Pretty bad experience, odd service and unhygienic staff . . . would recommend going to a different spot like Eden Noodles up the road! These guys might have had an off day, or they might just be getting sloppy

Dimitrios Konstantopoulos

Not a good place. Food is average if not worse. Fried Dumplings were not done properly. Diced lamb was too spicy and marinated but not good quality meat. Roti/pancake was just ok. Service is TERRIBLE. We asked for a few things in terms of cooking style, we got negative replies and no intention to help at all. Prices are low but I would prefer better food better service and would not mind to pay more. Not a good experience for us. I won't go back that's for sure.

찌화니

Horrible. I went there with my girlfriend for lunch and we were the only customers in the restaurant. Firstly, the service was very awful. They looked very angry amd made me feel as I did something wrong. Secondly, the food took ages and ages. We ordered lemon chicken and pork and chives dumplings. Like I mentioned before we were the only customers so the food should have been made at least in 20 minutes. However, it took approximately 50 minutes for the food to be served. Overall, I dont recommend this place because I felt really bad after having a meal from their restaurant. They didnt welcome us to their restaurant and they said literally nothing. Not even thank you or goodbye. The only time they talked to us was when we were ordering food. They looked very angry.

Divzna

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.

Emily Roberts

Awesome dumplings, especially the pork and chives. Food is amazing, however horrible customer service. Would not go again due to how incredibly rude the waitressing staff were to my friends and myself.

Joe HU

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

Rohit

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.

Jessica Neil

Me and my partner came here looking for a late lunch/early dinner, as we walked in, we saw a big table of all the staff and chefs having Lunch/Dinner, no one greeted us or even looked up to notice us, my partner asked “are you guys open?” and the waitress didn’t answer us, she just stood up from her dinner and grabbed the menus and pointed us to our table. Me and my partner felt as though we were not welcome at all, luckily when the food came, it was aaaaaalllllgooods!!!! Overall, good food but the worst customer service!!

Ms July

WILL NOT RETURN!! I have been there many times over the years and the service is getting worse every time. I don't think our waitress can speak English at all but luckily we can speak Chinese to her, placing the order was a challenge. Our food wasn't very good, very plain dumplings and I couldn't taste any eggplant in there. The soup was also very bland. But the worse part was the lady at the counter when I went up to pay. I have pre-calculated how much everything going to cost as the last 3 times I have been there, they have overcharged me. She was standing there chewing her food and signal the other guy to sort out the payment. And as I thought, it was more than what I thought so I asked him to tell me individual price of the food. As he was saying it, she heard him overstate one of the meal so she mentioned to him in Chinese. I paid my bill waiting for a "sorry" but never happened so I said "it seems like every time I come here, you guys overcharge me" She said "and every time you still come" In disbelieve, I said " I think this may be the last time." She said "I hope to never see you again" I walked away in shock. I can't believe she said that to a customer. Will I will make her wish come true.

Cory Bayton

Easily the most forgettable dining experience I've had in a long time. The food itself was so fiercely average, and the service was an absolute circus. They were unwelcoming from the start, disorganised and indecisive about where to seat us and what we had ordered/where our meals were. When one particular plate of dumplings never reached our table we asked if they were still coming to which we were assured they were. Of course, staff returned a while later to ask if we still wanted the plate of dumplings lol. How is Barilla's notability/popularity in Auckland even a thing? Are people delusional and/or completely cooked? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

SpoonMe

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

Linh 💛

My friend and I came here for dumplings. We ordered Mapo Tofu, Shiu-mai with 3 delicacies and Pork with cabbage dumplings. The dumplings were good, but the size was just overwhelming for me. The Mapo Tofu had a very strong spice which made the taste a bit weird but the texture was right. I don’t like the Shiu-mai coz the skin were quite thick yet falling apart. I don’t think they were wrapped carefully. Overall I would not recommend this place.

Yuri

There were some people even though I went there at later night. I could understand waiter's feeling when the shop was busy but their waiters were awful even if they were so tired or sick or something. They never answerd us wiz their voices, no hospitality, no smile, even no eye contact and pass the menu and dishes very roughly.... We ordered pork and chives dumplings. Their dumplings were NOT good but just cheap. Those dumplings had really strong taste of star aniseed and no good taste of pork or chives. I think there were lots of customers just because this shop is opened in the late night. The only good thing was that they provide customers free tea. Awful waiters and bad tastes... will NEVER go again.

Abel Asfaw

Disappointed. The rice dishes had barely any meat on it. The noodles in soup was quite plain. Not enough flavouring! Customer service was also quite bad!

Bring The Hot Sauce

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 ☺️👏

Jenil Bhakta

My friend and I went here to have dinner and ordered dumplings, wonton soup, etc. dumplings were below standards. The wonton soup when we order from menu was pork, diced prawn, and egg in the wonton. What we received was only wonton with pork stuffing; disappointing. So we requested the staff to look into it who called their other colleagues and four staff discussing in chinese among themselves standing next our table and walked away. I called the staff again to ask is anything being done to rectify the incorrect order? Staff said stand up, walk to the counter and speak to the cashier????! That’s hilarious and ridiculous. Not recommended to anyone unless you would like to waste your time and money! Rip off!

888bing888

We dined for the first time as we have been hearing rave reviews from friends about their dumplings. We ordered steamed pork with chives dumplings, Mapo Tofu and Yangzhou Fried rice. The dumplings was juicy, meaty and savoury. The tofu on Mapo Tofu was silky and smooth with a bit of a spicy kick however since this is supposedly a pork dish, it would be nicer with more pork in it. The Yangzhou fried rice was ok a bit average in taste with peas, corns and carrots that tasted like what we buy frozen from the supermarket. The place past 5pm was already busy with all the tables full. The service was fast and the dishes are reasonably priced. Will come back again to try the other dumplings.

Amod Indap

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.

Orient Express

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

Alana

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.

Savi Sihag

Worst customer service. The person on the counter was extremely rude. I ordered vegetarian dumplings and when I asked him to make it without eggs he put the money back in front of me and left the counter. He didn't even bother to reply me if he can make it or not. I was feeling so insulted after this and couldn't manage to talk even. 😡

Nicole C.

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 :)

Jeffie

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.

Yuko Saito

I used to really like it, but feels like the food quality has gone down since they renovated it. We had one terrible visit when we ordered something which I've had before, but they brought something that didn't even resembled it. When we took a bite, it wasn't even edible, absolutely horrible. We told one of the waiters, and he said "oh" and took it back, and never mentioned about it again, so not too sure what happened.

Nibin Purushothaman

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

Vishu

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.

Jay

I ordered fried pork and chives dumpling, pork and prawn dumplings, sweet pancake, smoked pork pancake and beef fried rice. Pancakes were good. Especially smoked pork pancake, I want to try them again. It was sweet and salty flavor with crispy pancake and delicious meat wrapped inside the pancake. Fried pork and chives dumplings had plenty full of meats inside and it tasted good however they were not fried thoroughly so they were more like boiled dumplings which was meh Pork and prawn dumplings were so juicy and they would have been so nice if they were not too salty. They were tooooo salty that they numbed my tongue. Fried rice was a disaster. I am certain that it was not fried more than 10 seconds. It felt like they mixed rice, frozen vegetables and fake beef meats that you can find in an instant noodle in a soy sauce. It was soggy and didn't taste good so I didn't bother to finish it after I had one try. This place has been one of the best metro cheap eats place and has become very popular even among non-asian community. However, I think the owner is certainly not taking care of food quality control. They will lose customers if they keep it that way.

Try_something_new

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!!

Nathalie

Dined here for lunch and place was packed but we managed to get a table. Have always wanted to try their dumplings (beef cabbage) was a little let down, very average (similar to the ones you buy at the supermarket) the filling didn't have much flavours. We did however tried another dish sweet and sour pork and that was nice crispy strips of pork with sweet and sour sauce (would order that again). Overall the place was okay and service was slightly slow. For two people we paid $37 (dumpling dish, main and two bowls of rice). which was "average" price wise. Probably will not go back as there are far better places that is more traditional.

Charmaine

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.

Emily Gill

I was very disappointed with my experience at Barilla Dumpling in Balmoral. First of all, the staff were very rude and pushy, we had 3 staff come over within 2 minutes asking us if were ready to order after just sitting down. Once we ordered, they just shoved the plates on the table and knocked us to get through, without telling us what was in the dumplings. I ordered the vegetarian fried noodles, I also had a beef dumpling. Both were saturated in oil and afterwards my stomach did not feel good. I then woke up in the early hours of the morning that night, feeling very ill, followed by constant vomiting for 3 hours. I was vomiting the noodles and oil. I highly do not recommend this place, as I am now quite ill as a result.

Sim Bong

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.

Jason Yang

Been a supporter for sometime but not anymore. Food is average. Service is always slow and disastrous. Waitresses and waiters show no manners. They frown more than Mcdonalds employees. Ordered pork dumplings and they came burnt to the crisp. Ate unsafe charcoal. Noodles came long after our dumplings.

Sid

When I went to this restaurant. The food was really good and the staff working there were really friendly. The dining area is nice and clean. The restaurant is really full so I recommend booking. The negative point is that I saw was some bad treatment of staff, by who I can only assume to be the boss. Other than that overall a good restaurant.

Jenz

The food was great, however the customer service was appalling. Therefore making my food experience less enjoyable. Would recommend for the food but not the service.

Rachel Hui

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.

Benz Chan

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.

Oksana Zhang

We ordered the Pork with Water Chestnuts dumplings and Chicken with Onion and Mushroom dumplings and a Double Cooked Sliced Pork between two. The double Cooked Pork was a bit confusing; we thought it was sweet and sour pork fillet instead, because it was essentially what it tasted like...we thought it was more of a braised dish but never mind. The Pork slices were coated with fried batter--but when you bit into it you could mostly only taste the fried batter as opposed to meat. This also made it a bit greasy. Meat slices can be more generous. The dumplings came, and the two fillings actually tasted very similar...I had previously ordered these before and it was a lot more enlightening. They also didn't put as much water chestnuts in; a bit disappointing. They are very filling though, we had a few dumplings left over. Good to go with groups for filling and inexpensive meal. Price: 8/10 Food: 7/10 Ambience: 7/10 Service: 6/10

Vikranth Madabhushi

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?

Annie Ren

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!!!

Annaliesa Jeffs

I've eaten at Barilla heaps before, but I think their quality of dumplings has definitely gone done. My latest visit, not only did they forget our order, we were waiting for over half an hour for something that usually takes 10mins. Then they overcharged us when we went to pay. :/ only discovered this after we left and decided it wasn't worth going back for. I'm pretty disappointed, but I suppose I'm not surprised.

Darryn Amisola Chua

We always eat here, the food was good. But the service was crap today! Waited 30mins for shaomai. Ended up being served in the wrong table. And waited again......if you're starving look for another place to eat!!!! The staff upstairs was so rude, dragging chairs loudly without care that it was full of paying customers.

Mandy C

The food here is dreaming amazing! Dumplings are worth 10/5 stars. However, the service from the staff is always rude and rushed (don't blame them Cus they're always busy). Even though Food is so amazing, the service puts me off coming here regularly.

곰정안

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.

Neelam Chandra

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.

Leo Dilshan

Ohk 3 weeks ago, I gave 4.5 stars. And today at 2:40pm we visited the place again and this waitress just completely changed my rating instantly! We were about to order and we asked her what's best ? Fried or steamed ? For dumplings . She just got annoyed and said "I'm the waitress . U r the customer so u choose. And then took the menu and flipped it open aggressively and all the chopsticks went flying ! We just got surprised by that act! We were thinking to ourselves like sit down , be humble 🎶 Honestly that's just stuffed up ! Worst customer service ever in my life . If I could give minus stars , I would. Not to mention the dirty fork in the photo

S

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.

Feifei198667

I went there today for lunch with my family, how damn the service is! The waitress was talking on phone since we came in and she looked angrily when we asked about menu. Very rude! I rate 1 or less for the service. We order the seafood buns that takes like leftover food. The lamb dumplings is ok. By the way, too much MSG! I rate 2 for the food.

Aarush David

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.

Dina Na

Disappointed experience today, we have been there few times before and felt they were not bad. Today we waited for quite long time for our food and people who got there after us got their order way earlier than us. Finally we got our three plates of dumplings ( they come out nearly 10 mins apart) I saw most of the dumplings were opened which means it's not been cooked very well, felt like to ask for our money back ! Not happy

Mahima Shah

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.

Vivien @ KJAS Blog

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.

Coffeeomg

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.

Ashleigh Michelle

Had the chicken and mushroom dumplings, they were nice and juicy. However, bad customer service today. Ordered two lots of dumplings for takeaway, asked for chilli oil inside the takeaway box and waitress clearly understood. Got food to the car, but there was no chilli oil. No big deal, but went back to Barilla and asked the same lady if I could grab some chilli oil. She looked at me very angrily, did not seem to even recognise me and asked what I want/ordered before banging the oil down on the table for me to grab. Very rude.

Karen B

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

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

LilMiss Foodie

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

Austin Ibarra

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!

Selina

Had dumplings there today and the waitresses were VERY IMPOLITE. She complained we were looking for a table for two people and urged us to leave by taking away the food we haven't finished yet. VERY RUDE!!!!! Terrible experience and would not come again.

Kristal Mendez

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 ;).

Jono

Our first meal came out quickly. But we had to wait over an hour for dumplings. We asked 10 times when would the dumplings be served. Only to be told 'soon' every time. Rubbish service. We got sick of waiting and walked out. I'll never eat at Barilla again.

Nicholas Mans

Terrible customer service. Phoned to get takeaways which they apparently do, and the person was not willing to take my order and had no explanation for doing so.

Jb Buen

Worst experience ever!!! Ordered a chicken dish and dumplings, we already finished the chicken and the dumplings is still not ready?!! Why would they serve the chicken 1st knowing the other food will still take ages?!! Asked the waiter how long to go, he said it's coming. But it's been 40 minutes and still no dumplings?!!! I can't wait anymore so went down and told the man infront how frustrated and annoyed i am, he just said steamed dumplings are really long to cook. He said around 30 mins. Wow 30 mins for steamed dumplings. In other restaurants, it normally comes 1st. And if it will take 30 mins, you should inform the customer from the beginning and ask if willing to wait. I will never ever ever come back and will NOT recommend this place to others. Terrible!!!

Tavita Milford

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.

Bryan Chan

Classic Chinese service (Hard & Fast)Dumplings are good especially for the price!Love the variety of dumplings available. Good classic ma & pa kinda taste.

Rown

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.

Jimon007

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.

Jayden Campbell

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?

Daryl Calderon

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

MoFoZed

Overrated! Huge servings but highly disappointing. Service was okay, ordered three different kinds of dumplings but MEH.

Picky Pete

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).

Disha

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.

Holly D-T

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!

Michelle S

Food was reasonably priced and was yum but the service was absolutely horrible!!! We waited an hour and half for our shao mai to come and when it didn't we just left. It was not worth the wait and by the time it was ready we were already paying and full. Would not recommend this place at all!

Lemongrass

Food is ok but terrible service. I took my school principal and 2 students who are learning Chinese to experience some Chinese culture. After we sat down, they asked us to move to a different table of the same size 3 times. On the 2nd time, I asked if we could just stay, and the lady said no. They delivered the fried rice but didn't bring us the bowls, when I went to ask for it, she told me to go back to sit down. We ordered the dumplings steamed but they were just boiled. Definitely won't bring any other non Chinese here again, it is embarrassing.

Raymond Tiong

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.

Ezzz

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.

Peter Dingle

I ordered beef fried rice, there was no beef, at all. There was a huge amount of fat though! Rice was OK. Would not recommend.

Angela Zhang

Rude staff, consistently charging more than the menu and if you tell them otherwise they throw a tantrum. Especially the man up front. Will never go again.

I_like_pickles

Have been here a few times, they have definitely improved since they opened. It can get really busy here during peak hours so be warned, you may have to share a table with strangers if there is only you or a couple of you. The dumplings are plentiful and very affordable. You can choose to have them pan fried, boiled or steamed. You can also choose from an array of dumpling fillings. My favourite flavour is beef and onion. Service isn't the best but it's not a big deal.

Dee Nagar

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

Kishore Mitra

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.

Asti Webb

Tonight I made an order for dumplings takeaway (have also done in the past with no problems) the lady said it would be ready in 10mins but when we turned up the man serving said they don't do takeaway and wouldn't serve us?! So gutted. Looking forward to some dope dumplings but now we have to find somewhere else to eat :(

Jade Lim

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.

Hugo Herrera

This place is not the same place it used to be,I will say that once they got a good reputation then they did not care more about food quality and specially about customer service as if you ask for something,they will take ages to bring it and specially if you ask to the manager or the owner place. definitely not a place if you are hungry as you will end angry :-(

Shannon Em

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

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

MyselfSAVI

This place is getting worse and worse. They use to serve my favorite dumplings but no more. There customer service was never good and now there food too.

Andrean

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...

Ayaan

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...

Grace Sifa

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

Taryn Kitchen

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.

Himanshu Bhaskar

Ordered a takeaway and customer service is ridiculous at this place... I have literally never seen a person behind the counter shouting at a customer in front of all their customers.. and that's what happened with me when I asked to pack some chilli sauce in a small container with my dumplings takeaway.. I mean I understand that they are busy but to shout at the customer and ask them to do it themselves is just pure idiotic behaviour.. used to love the food but would never go there again because of this incident. The worst customer service that I have experienced in Auckland.

Anne Tupou

Foods good - service is average Love the golden Chinese bun with condensed milk and the pork and onion bun. Mapo tofu is quite yummy too - great flavours! Dumplings a good too

Kate DEatz

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!

Alwayseating

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!

Romi Agrawal

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.

Bernice Yap

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 :)

Alix Mckenzie

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

Charlene Weaver

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!

Jason Tan

You don't come here for the service but was particularly bad tonight. Food was good but quite put off tonight and don't think I'll come for a while.

Eeceel Aev

Just got moved from a table with my son and hubby (while hubby had gone)and told to move and share a table cos there were a bigger group behind us. Got told they were cleaning a table for us to share and it was a table of 4 with 3 people already waiting for it. appalling service at the lowest. Never going back to this place. doesnt even deserve a 1 for customer service.

Stephy_NakiGirl

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.

Gemma Leigh

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.

CrazyCatLady_EmmaC

Great service and authentic dumping! Some dishes are a little oily for me. Would definitely recommend combination fried noodle and steam dumping.

Foodathon

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!

Ryan Wong

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.

Aabhas Dole

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? - 👍🏼👍🏼

Thegreeats

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 😀

Michelle Hwang

They offer a wide range of Chinese dumplings and cold mixed dishes with acceptable price. Personally, I like their cold mixed dishes more than dumplings. The taste of dumpling could be better if the quality of stuffing could be improved.

I'm Hungry

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 :)

Sang Yeoun Lee

I am in the new branch right now, and I ordered 3 foods. First one came in 10 mins, the second one in 30 mins and the last one came in 40 mins. It was sure they gave my foods to wrong table, so we complaint it. They said they ordered fried dumpling and we ordered steam. That was why my food came late. But they were having steam one. Food is fine but service is the worst

Sarah Leakey

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 !

David C

Barilla Dumpling new branch opposite Countdown. Decor and staff much nicer than the original place. I found the dumplings there merely pleasant (compared to the Balmoral Branch) But my friend was much more complimentary.

Ivan Koay

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

I Am Hungry

Barilla new branch ...near countdown....Food is good food is 4/5 ...HOWEVER very Poor Service and attitude, 3 people serving a packed restaurant.... long wait times ..and serving times......unbelievable....came in the restaurant stood at the gate for 10min finally a lady arrives...asked us..did u come before..these...pointing at others who are waiting as well...she then took us to a table and gave us the menu...then we waited 20min before she came back and take order..another 30min and we got the food....between meals if u want anything u have to go to the counter and ask the cashier...he will just point at the direction and say help urself....me -can we please have spoons -"there in the wooden rack there.. behind that counter...help urself".... me - can we please have water - " in the fridge, help urself"..... me- can we have glasses for water " ok wait" after 10 min..me- "we were waiting for glasses" he- " under the spoons..help urself "........ ..dumplings are good and so is the fried rice...parking off street...Also saw people who took takeaway helped themselves to pack the sauces and bags....pathetic

Agnes Yuen

The dumplings is good value for money. Enjoyed the melon and meat ball soup. The fried bread is really yummy. My partner and I have been here many times. With only 2 of us we can't order too many items so we know what we pay for. However last week there were 6 of us and we ordered several items. When settling the bill I was given only the total costs, I enquired and was shown a slip of paper with hand written Chinese words of the items ordered with no breakdown. I trust there were correct and settled the bill. Before leaving I took a copy of their give-away menu and recalculated the cost at home and realised we were overcharged. Pays to add up your bill before you pay.

Priscilla Khang

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!

Sambhav

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.

Sabrina Chae

Barilla is famous for their dumplings but I do find them bit too salty most of the times. The dumplings are always juicy, which us good but I would prefer if they used a little less salt. I ordered bok choy which was nearly inedible due to high salt content. Little disappointed since they are so famous

Ben Ch

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.

Amie Kim

Experienced the most horrible customer service experience in my whole entire life. Next to my table, there were an old couple who were eating dumplings. They were having TWO plates of dumplings. (as you can see in the photo). Soon later, waitress brought them one more plates of dumplings and the old couple told them that it's not for them. Told them they only ordered two plates. Things got ugly after that. A guy with strip T-shirts (seems like a manager) came and said "Didn't you guys order three plates of dumplings? I asked you twice that you want pork and cabbage dumpling or not and you said yes and now you don't want it? You guys cannot just lie about what you ordered because you guys feel full and don't want to pay for it. That is just disgusting." Old couple tried to explain what they ordered very politely. Then, i found that they speak Cantonese and not a Mandarin speaker. Even they tried to explain and clarify the situation, waitress cut their words and continue. "You guys seems old enough to do this kind of stupid thing right? I not sure that you guys just don't have a clear sense of morality or what." He was pretty much yelling and talking very rude in Mandarin. Everyone was watching him telling off this old couple. That was the time when i stood up and said "no matter what is truth here, you cannot say and yell things like this to elders. Also, they are customers here and you are very rude right now." Then he walked away but didn't forget to say "****" to old couple. I was shocked by his action and horrible manners. I mean...seriously????? Well, I don't know what is truth here but In my opinion, i really don't think they actually ordered three plates. Their portion is pretty big. One plate=around 20 dumplings. I think they had simple communication problem because old couple speak poor mandarin. Who knows....Even though their dumpling taste good, i won't be going back there anymore in my life. I'm afraid i can be the next target of get yelled and told off.

Anushree Sen Gupta

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

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.

Kat

Can't go wrong with pork and chive fried dumplings!! Love this for a cheap dinner with friends. Definitely one of the better dumpling places in balmoral. Their new outlet in mt Eden is also great and more restaurant like. Being byo is also a plus!

Sophia O-W

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!).

Eric

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!

Elizabeth Wong

I love dumplings but the wait for them from this place is so long! I think with the expansion they haven't been able to keep up with demand. The dumplings are nice but I think I will go somewhere else. Also got overcharged and didn't realise till I left cause it was so busy and so many people queuing to pay/order.

A Little Fancy

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 😀

Natasha

I loveeeeee dumplings! Been here twice and have gotten dumplings both times. Think the first time got pork and chives and chicken curry dumplings, second time got pork and chives (they're really good!) and the lamb shaomai. Only reason I'm rating it a 3 is because both times I've been here I've had to wait a really long time for food. First was around half an hour wait - only three other tables occupied at the time so didn't understand. Second time waited 40 minutes - restaurant still wasn't super busy. Even other people that came after us got served in that time we were waiting. Had to speak to waitress three times to get food.

Kieran

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.

Charles Deng

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.

Sam Oh

Went there last night with a group of friends. Ordered some dumplings, fried rice, fried noodles, a hot and spicy chicken dish, a braised pork belly stew dish, and deep fried beans. Not much to complain about the food except braised pork was very chewy. Dumplings were quite good and everything else was just okay. Service on the other hand was awful! They messed up one of our orders and cooked something entirely different, and the floor staff knowingly brought it over and persuaded us to take it and charged us in full for it! No apologies or amicable remedy for their mistake were offered. What really got me crossed was when we were paying the bill. The total was $174 and there was 14 of us splitting the bill. Because we were paying by EFTPOS, one would expect a reasonable round-up of the number but to my surprise the girl at the counter charged us $12.50 each instead of $12.43. When I pointed this out to her, instead of acknowledging it and apologising she looked at me with disgust and tried to shame me by making a snarky comment saying that I was "unbelievable!" Her response was truly shocking and "unbelievable!" I will never visit this dishonest restaurant ever again and don't recommend it to anyone, either!

Josh Law

Came here for a second lunch on Sunday after popping across the road to the Western/ Uyghur-Chinese place. Im pretty big on my dumplings and this place is an Auckland institution. We had the pork and chive boiled and the chicken curry fried. The dumplings were only so so. Thumbs up for the variety of flavours though. The meat inside wasn't as tasty as I've had in other places. The chicken curry dumplings were fried nicely but the curry wasn't that strong. If it was a little more concentrated,it would have been epic. Shaolin kung fu noodle dumplings across the road are by no means perfect....But are better.

Rojas

Came here for dumplings with friends and went home with food poisoning. Never again! The dumplings weren't fresh, they had an excessively thick skin and the table was dirty and sticky even after being "wiped down". Would not ever visit.

Payal

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.

MNA

Horrible service, flys everywhere. Waited over an hour for dumpling and when they did arrive there was a hair in our food. Was so disgusted we left. Will not return or recommend!

Mezza

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.

Katrena

Had pork fried rice today. It was very oily and hardly any pork....pork is cheap.....very disappointing. Wish we had just had a stale sandwich at home. It was takeaways so didn't feel like taking it all the way back. I think the carrots and peas were frozen from the packet. Will never have it again. Have had dumplings before, tasty but very fatty. Definitely not recommending Barilla to anyone. Could not even finish the meal, in the rubbish......

Dennis Zhang

This used to be my favourite place to go for weekend dumplings in Auckland, but after the last few experiences I'll be visiting a lot less. The food nowadays takes 20-30 minutes even for simple dishes, something always seems to be left off our order and tea refills are a rarity. I used to love all the different flavours of dumplings, whether steamed, boiled or fried. But for some reason they just don't taste as good as they used to. Guess it's time to venture to find a new favourite dumpling place.

Hseoun Lautner

Claimed closing at 11.30pm but being told rudely they have shut down while I visit at 10.45pm and just want to do the takeaway! If you are closing at 10.45pm then say it clearly, consider people may travel from far distance. Annoying service.

Mana Katsukawa Otimi

The good thing about this little restaurant is the Delicious dumplings, they are the best $12 for 20 dumplings. Also $10 for 10 pork buns we combined this with beef brisket with brown sauce and rice . The brown sauce with the pork buns gave it a extra kick and was so yum. The dumplings are so delicious when steamed i will guarantee you a full stomach when you come here and I also promise you that it will not cause a dent in your wallet as everything is so cheap. Bad thing about this place is the service is appalling, i just don't understand when I come into some restaurants and I come with my son who just turned one and they don't offer a high chair. Everything that I needed for him that night I had to ask and I hate asking staff all the time what I need as to me it sounds like I am nagging but simple things like "can you please get a high chair for my baby" "could we please have some water" "could I please get a spoon for my son" for common sense you would get a small spoon for a baby but they gave us a big soup spoon ? I had to ask twice for a spoon this time to specifically say " a teaspoon please" Another let down is the flys many flys and other insects around the place it got annoying . The staff seem like they don't know their food info properly every question I asked about the meal they said "ahh I don't think so" if you don't think so why don't you ask your boss to double check ? All their answers were "I don't think so" or "I don't know" That was the downfall but the food is still yum. Maybe next time we will just get takeaway 👍🏽

Benedict Uy

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.

FOODFANATICJIMMY

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.

Nidhi Ojha

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.

Tip Varnakomala

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.

Dinigianti Eliezer

4 of us had dinner last Saturday and we had a really bad experience. We came about 10 pm but we were unsure their closing time and when when we ordered, the waitress did not mention that they about to close. So, we thought that they will open until midnight since it was weekend. The food came and we said thank you but the waiter did not reply anything, then we asked for extra plates as we shared the food and the waitress did not happy about it. Next, while we were eating, the other waitress came and asked us to pay it straight away as they want to close. So, I went and paid the bill, but after I paid, I just realized that they over charged our bill and asked them to recount the total bill, but they were angry to me and said that "I ordered the steamed dumplings so it will be extra charge.". Then, I replied that "Yes, I ordered steamed dumplings but still, the total bill was wrong." Finally, they realized that they counted wrongly and gave it back my money without any apologizes. Then, we continued to eat as we have not finished our food, but we did not realized that we were the last customers. so what happened was there were 3 waitresses are waiting beside us and looking to us while we were eating. Once we just finished our food, they just took our plate straight away without asking us whether we have finished or not or even said 'excuse me' to take the plates. We did not expect that we got such of services for a popular restaurant in central city. So, guys please check carefully your bill before you pay and be ready for unfriendly and rude waiters and waitresses.

Sarah Malcolm

Normally love the food but my work mates and I went on the weekend and 3 out of 4 got quite sick the following days. The one who wasn't sick was the only one who didn't eat the prawn and pork dumpling. The plain pork and chives dumplings were amazing and really good value But the prawn and pork ones were disguising! The prawns tasted really off and had a strong fishy smell + taste to them, obviously not fresh or not stored properly. We would have said something but the service was so bad we couldn't be bothered trying to get anyone's attention/ trying to explain it to the people who work there. We also got some beef dumplings that I swear were just pork cooked in beef stock because they tasted/ looked/ smelt/ same texture as the pork ones. Would normally rate them higher but the grossness of the prawns, how terrible the service is, and how sick we were the next few days I have to give them a 1. Would not reccomend

Stango

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.

Ky

Barilla dumpling has some fairly good dumplings I had the pork and chive and Prawn and pork Shao mai. The table was nice and clean the down side was the customer service it was not great and was what let the place down.

Hannah Gear

After hearing amazing things about Barilla, my sister and I decided to have lunch there. We ordered the chicken fried rice, chinese greens in garlic and pork and chive dumplings. The fried rice was way too oily, would find better at my local takeaway. The greens were ok, not enough garlic on them. The dumplings that everyone raves about were burnt and not very good. Go down the road to New Flavor, much better!

Jasmine

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.

Candii Cao

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.

Vitale Eti

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

L G

The food was good. the shu mai did not taste processed like the ones in yum chas but was homemade. The service was rather poor and unwelcoming. Price wise it was worth the money

Anna Daley

The side dishes here are average and SO variable. One time the dish is bland as ever then next it has had a seriously bad run in with some horse radish. The dumplings here don't do it for me either. They never seem to have that (new) flavor.. I'll stick to my all time favorite just down the road.

Sonia.bhagirath

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!!!

Prem C

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.

Dee

Tried this place coz a friend said it's worth the try. We sat at a round table with two other couples. It was awkward at first especially not knowing if they were going to be a tidy eater or a messy one. Since the place were so full, we decided to take the seats and looked through the menu and ordered the dumplings and fried rice. Luckily the other couple were very nice people and that was the highlight of this experience. The food itself not so much. Dumplings were not that great. They tasted similar to the frozen ones from the asian shop. A bit dissapointed really. Definitely not coming back as I have already found the best place for dumplings!

Shradha Khiani

I ordered vegetables and egg dumplings with seaweed salad, it was yum and very well satisfied! Definitely recommend anyone who is hungry!

Leticia Andrews

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.

Ed

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

Sarah Parke

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

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

Helena Chen

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.

Louisa Vickers

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!

Charlie

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.

Chloe-Mae

Came here one night after a long drive from back up north as every one was talking about it (prior to the bad press) any who it was not my choice but the boys wanted to go... First impression there was ear buds on the floor, dirty looking and stunk... Anywho ordered some Dumplings they tasted ok.... But upon going home that night I was as ill as one thing.... Food poisoning. And it was def what I ate hear as i hadn't eaten anything apart from fruit that day .

Sharan Dhanala

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.

Lauren

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.

Vincent Warner

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.

Sheena

Barilla is only good for their dumplings. They have so many choices with their dumplings and they're super cheap as well, around $12-15 for 20 dumplings. I like getting them steamed, which is $1 more and so worth it. The pork and chives are the classic dumpling filling we get, and I also like the three fresh delicacies filling as well. Also tried the chicken with green peppers which wasn't too bad. Service isn't great here, and neither is the rest of the food. The fried noodles that I have gotten here were oily and didn't taste that great either. The hot and sour soup came with a large portion but they used spam which I didn't expect at all, and didn't like at all. Overall, good dumplings and I'll be back for them.

Betty Diao

the dumplings were quite nice, we got the beef and celery one and one plate was enough for 2 people. however the place was very busy so we had to wait 40 mintues for the dumplings.

Kelsey Quine

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

Vicky Fletcher

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.

Summerlee Fataoui Schick

Spontanious dinner night out with friends. barilla was very busy so that is normally a good sign. However the service was super average. The food was very very oily and the lamb dumpling meat just tasted like lamb fat. We mentioned this to the waiter but he didnt seem impressed of our review. I prefer dumpling ace based in northcote anyday

Shelly

Ohhhmygod the dumplings are so amazing here!! Portions are good, well priced. 2 points for service - but its not a place id expect amazing service at anyways because of the type of restaurant it is. On a bad note, my tea cup was dirty and greasy. Keep a look out of your utensils!

Paul Evans

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!

Larissa Edwards

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.

Lucille Sia

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.

Tanz

Back here 2nd time and it would be last time for me. I ordered of course the beans, beef noodle and fried dumplings. Beans and noodle came first, 30mins later dumplings were served when we finished other 2 dishes and were so full. If this place is so famous for the dumplings, they should cook them faster than this. I can see many tables have more than half of their dumplings left and other dishes are empty. This is not right at all!! Review from my 1st visit; - Fried pork and chives; classic dumplings and they were alright. - Fried lamb and carrot; not too bad - Fried beef with something (I didn't order this one so I'm not sure about the name); they were not our favorite - Steamed prawn dumpling with pork shaomai ; they didn't look like shaomai at all. They just looked like BIG dumplings and tasted like other dumplings we ordered. 12 of them were big like 20 dumplings - Fried rice; you know...just normal fried rice - Braised pork belly with clear noodle (I have no idea what it's called as I didn't order it); the pork melted in your mouth and was really delicious. I like this dish. - Last but not least and it was highlight of the meal...I recommend everyone to order this dish 'Fried French Beans with Spicy Salt'. They deep fried the beans first then mixed with their spicy salt that is not spicy but salty and sweet.

Lara Custance

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.

Jeremy Tacon-Heaslip

Not great unfortunately. Not that busy as we went earlier in the evening. Non existent service. Very slow. As they got busier the older "owner/family elder" was yelling at the wait staff and apologizing to customers in Chinese. We weren't afforded this courtesy however. Had to ask three times for water then a plastic jug was dumped on the table with no tumblers to use ( we had to use our green tea cups ) Food was ok at least. Not great though. I wouldn't go again. There are far better Chinese/yum cha/noodle/ dumpling places in Auckland

Genie @ BunnyEatsDesign

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!

FoodLoco

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

Porvi Fomra

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!

Katerina

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.

Maize Dang

I came here once then really liked the pork and chives dumplings so i came back the 2nd time, but the 2nd time was the most disgusting and horrible experience i have ever witnessed. My partner bit half into the dumpling and we saw a curling hair which could either be from the hygiene the cooks have or .. you know what. I would not recommend this place to anyone at all, imagine what else couldve been in there without anyone knowing. Disgusting.

Monique Porteous

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!

Fare Henry

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.

Joanne Lim

wasnt bad，but the service need to be improve..left the restaurant few times with incomplete order .doesnt make or else ,don know,about the reason..end up need to go to other place for second meal ...that sad

HJ

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.

Godfather

This place got most terrible service I have ever received in any restaurant . We ordered some food and food was not even warm , we told the staff that food is so cold not even warm, she said we can't do anything, if you want to eat then eat!!!!! How rude was that!!!! Will never come again

Iamcii

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

Libby Jane

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 :)

Eden OBrien Ford

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.

Lenka Veza

Apparently these are the best dumplings in town. I would have to disagree. First of all the service was terrible. Our "ten minute wait" turned into a forty-five minute wait with no apology. I didn't feel to hot after eating here either. I went with the pork and cabbage steamed dumplings and I'm not in a hurry to go back

Keri

The NZ Herald raves on and on about this place on how good it is so I went to see what the fuss was about. Never have I been so dissapointed at a resturant that gets great reviews. Herald, you have no idea what Asian food is supposed to taste like do you? The dumplings were so oily as soon as you bit into it the oil from the meat just floods out and by the end of the night you are left with a very oily plate. Just shows they use really cheap meat, which is reflected on their prices. If you grew up in an asian home and is familiar with that yummy dumpling your grandma or your mum makes at home these dumplings are a cheap joke. Don't go here if you know what real asian food is. Service was horrible as well. The restaurant was full so I understand the slow service but it took 30 mins to get 1 dish out, and another 20 mins to get another dish out meaning we had to wait about an hour to get our food. By the time the 2nd dish arrived our first dish was cold when we wanted to have it together. If you are after a cheap asian meal, go ahead and eat at this place but keep in mind, with cheap dumplings comes a cost of them using cheap meat that goes into our body.

Mat

This place has become our late night food destination when we are feeling peckish for dumplings. We usually order the chicken or pork dumplings and most times the food has been good. The downfall of this place is the service - it's absolutely horrible as you would expect from a busy Asian restaurant.... Despite this, when the food arrives you quickly forget about it! :)

Damien Jake

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

Thomas Albertson

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!

Kirstie

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!

Renor Kay

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.

Dawn Tetauru

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.

Gianina Castro

I love the food but the service is just absolutely horrible. The staff are really rude and make you feel like any request you make to them is such a huge burden. The place is quite icky as well. So I suggest getting them for takeaways so you wouldn't have to deal with the staff as much.

House Of Eats

If you love dumplings, well dumplings is what you will get. Its a business that produces what seems masses worth of tasty little balls. However the hostess is extremely rude and makes you feel every request you make is such a hassle such as asking for another drink etc.... Staff barely talk or make eye contact with you which I find quite rude, it doesnt take long to learn how to say Hello and smile. I wont rate this high no matter how good the dumplings are, if the service is poor. Perhaps takeout is a better option.

Charlie Wu

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.

Steph Wells

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.

Richard Tran

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.

Cheap Cheap Foodie

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

Khoa Le

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.

Lee V

I have mixed feelings about Barilla. The food was really yum but the service was subpar and it took ages to get our food. It was crazy busy though, but still, maybe get some more staff? At the very least, have a dedicated person on the counter taking orders. We had to wait a really long time just for someone to take our order, and then the waiting time for food was even longer. Usually spicy house just a couple of shops down is my go to for yummy asian food. And they are super quick too. Hence the mixed feelings - both places have yummy food, but one has way way way longer wait times and unfriendly staff. I will have to try Barilla again and see what kind of experience I have, but for now, it's fairly neutral.

Rhiannon Baldock

After a long day at work, the idea of delicious, warming dumplings on a chilly night was a extremely tempting one. After little convincing, a friend and I popped to Barilla dumplings for a catch up over some tea and a few too many plates of food. We arrived at around half six, and the place was PACKED. My friend managed to score us a table, and we were seated really quickly, followed by a complimentary pot of steaming hot tea and menus. Pork buns were an obvious choice (I am a sucker for them), which we shared along with pork & cashew dumplings, beef shao mai and a chicken & cashew main dish. Starting with the pork buns; the dough was light and perfectly steamed. The filling was that of a tight pork mince mixture rather than a BBQ pork filling, but it lacked the flavour that you get with the BBQ pork buns. We ate ours with soy which was a very much needed accompaniment to give it some extra flavour. The pork and cashew dumplings were delicious and extremely juicy, but like the buns, they just needed an extra kick. When ordering the shao mai, I had the vision of delicious, tightly wrapped shao mai I had eaten at Yum Cha in the past. Although the flavour was similar, these were really difficult to eat, especially when you have slight chopstick butterfingers like myself! The wrappers barely held to the filling, making it quite difficult to pick up. On a positive note, they were really juicy and weren't dry in the slightest. Last but not least was the chicken and cashew main dish. This was my least favourite of them all, I tried so hard to like it.. But with no success. Slightly dry chicken breast sat amongst diced carrots and cooked cucumber (something I've never come across!), covered in an overly congealed sauce that reminded me of aloe vera? I would be hard pressed to want to order this again. I will definitely come back to Barilla, the atmosphere is busy and authentic, but next time I think I'll be sticking to dumplings, pork buns and the delicious tea.

Aucklanders

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...

P L

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)).

Trin

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!

Garry Graham

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.

Megan

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.

Joseph Mavumkal

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

Sweet Mama M

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.

Crumpet King

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.

Marcella

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 :)

Super(･_･;Phoebe

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.

SS

Barilla has given me some good ish experiences. Not great, but they've always been okay. I was quite happy to know they've renovated and had got rid of the fluro green and orange walls. The previous time I dined here, which was a month or so ago, there was a long strand of hair on my plate. It wasn't on my food and humans make mistakes so I didn't bother complaining. Just bad luck I guess. Tonight, appalling service. No serviettes, no chopsticks, no tea, and last but not least, there was a fine plastic-y elastic string within the pastry of my dumpling. How can you serve your customers plastic?! Wouldn't even come back if they paid me. Mandah

Hiro Omigawa

Worst place on dominion road for service. waited an hour to be served, only to be given the wrong order. Staff ignored our table all the time, gave us weird looks when we asked questions. Food was too oily and didnt taste clean, ended up having diarehha. Would avoid

Flemo

Pricier side of dumplings.. Not to mention the lady serving was noticeably grumpy she then couldn't count and got the price wrong #awkys. When I asked her why she was grumpy she said mee naawt gumpy

S. Joberg

I don't understand the hype. The dumplings were SO oily. They tasted fine otherwise, but nothing particularly amazing. A couple of the dumplings were overcooked. Didn't eat them all due to oiliness and the slightly burnt wrapped of a couple of time. Unlikely that I would go back there. Getting really sick of the low level of quality on Dominion Road now, time to move on I think. Gets points for price. Probably pretty good for Uni students etc just wanting a real casual, cheap feed. You can share a couple of plates of dumplings between a larger group. If you just want a decent amount of food, for a pretty reasonable price and you don't care much how good it is, or the service, then this is the place for you.

Kenji

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.

Amit Tripuraneni

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.

Shari

I had high expectations ("best dumplings in Auckland" ringing in my ears) and I was disappointed - I have certainly had it's mediocre equal and have been lucky enough to stumble across significantly better. I don't care about service, it's all about the food (though getting the right food in a timely fashion does help!) and with better tasting dumplings on offer from others along delicious Dominion Rd I won't be giving Barilla another try.

Scha

Was here a few days back with friends and since the very next day, I have been sick. I have been here before and personally have experienced their horrible service (plus i reckon the other joints on Dom rd have excellent dumplings too at a much cheaper price), but was forced to go with friends. The service was less than average as usual, the dumplings oily but tasty. And now my best friend is the toilet. Thanks Barilla.

Jason

Dined here last week as I was craving dumplings. I ordered pork dumplings and two bowls of noodles. Me and my mate waited 45minutes for 1 bowl of noodles to arrive and then when it hit 55 minutes we got the dumplings. Holy cow the service was atrocious and absolutely appalling. They have about 10 staff running around and they just forgot about us like they're blind. We constantly reminded them that our food hadn't come but they would nod and run away. Further the restaurant wasn't even packed. In particular this young lady with a long ponytail completely ignored us on multiple occasions and when she finally gave us the food she gave us the evils. Far out all we wanted was a quick feed after gym but got ignored and that death stare. The dumplings tasted alright just lacking juice but the noodles were sloppy, oily and old , tasted like something 5 days old. The meat was those cheap hot pot pork slices you get frozen in those Chinese supermarkets. Would not recommend, Think all they care about is $$$$ not customers FFS.

Bulking Steerco

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.

Manic Diner

Dined here today with a friend. The pork & chives dumplings were delicious if a tad oily, the diced chicken with green peppers in chilli sauce was nice and the xi an lamb pancakes were flavoursome but the food just cannot make up for the atrocious service.

Laura Hunt

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!

Bill Chien

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!

Penelope Chua

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.

Faroe3456

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.

AngeLi

Okay. Their dumplings are really amazing! But the staff?! So rude!!! I don't think they're too happy being there. Ruined meal due to awful service.

Arpita Mandal

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.

Tessa Hall

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!

Jungmin Ji

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.

Kathleen Joyce-Reweti

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

Dave White

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).

Jacob Daniel Stevens

Be careful with your valuable possessions when eating at Barilla Dumpling. My 7 year old accidentally left his ipod touch on the table and we came back 2 minutes later and it was gone. No one was sitting at the table where he left it. The workers had just finished busing the table. I asked the server if he saw an ipod there and he tells me yes then goes back into the kitchen to get it and says its no longer there and it was a miss understanding. Meaning one of the workers elected to keep the ipod and there is nothing we can do about it. Food is good but I won't be going back because I don't want to give money to people who would steal a 7 year old's ipod.

Kiwi Foodie

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.

Candy Boy Food Journey

Horrible service, ok food. Don't get why there is always line to get in. They found animals in kitchen last year and it had E rating for some time.

Jazz Wilson

This place makes me humorous..service is terrible but its very cheap and pretty tasty!!! Would be awesome if they were licensed

Vinmanrules

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.

Debbie Goldsmith

Very busy and the service is terrible, add that to the recent D grade for hygiene and thats why I give it a low rating. The dumplings are cheap but taste average.

Jonathan Falconer

Was looking for a quick and easy feed on the way to the airport and remembered reading about this place in Metro's Cheap Eats. Went on Sunday night. Was super busy and the staff looked over run so didn't expect quality service. Usually the case at cheap Asian joints. But $12 for 20 pork and chive dumplings compensated for the fact. Also had pork and onion buns and the prawn & pork dumplings. Overall taste was good. But if you've been to high end Yum Cha they really don't compare. Price to portion ratio great. Quality a little more than ok. Service terrible but amusing. Nice place for quick easy food.

Heartshrooms

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.

Amy Webb

Some friends invited me out to dinner tonight to Barilla, and after reading the reviews I was very intrigued. The ratings seem to be quite extreme! Although I can see why. The food is awesome. We ordered the bok choy, sliced potato in vinegar and spring onion pancakes to start. Highlight was definitely the pancakes, very savoury with excellent pastry. The potato serving was massive and we probably didn't need it as it filled us up quite a bit before the dumplings came out. We ordered the vegetarian, chicken & mushroom and pork & celery dumplings, all fried. Such massive servings! I really think this place was great value considering it came to $82 for 4 people. The service is really as bad as people say it is! The staff members actually look like they are completely hating it and never once smiled even when I tried talking to them. Barilla was extremely busy tonight, seems to be quite a popular place, I figure service can be ignored for such tasty, cheap food.

J.T547

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.

NYNB

Food, average. Customer service, 100% crap. Aside from having had a D grade and being publicized in the newspaper/online a while ago, we finally ventured into this place after getting sick of our usual Dominion road restaurants and because it had an A grade again. The first time I came with a group of friends and we ordered steamed dumplings, sweet & sour pork (x2), lamb with cumin, chinese veges and some spicy chicken dish. The food came out in an okay time frame (5~10min) during the early dinner rush; my only issue is with the service because they gave us 2minutes before checking if we were ready to order then it ended up being a mission to get their attention again when we were ready to order. The waitress that day also got my order wrong and gave me squid with cumin, and when we said its not what we ordered, she came back and tried to tell me that it is what I ordered - squid and lamb isn't even under the same category on the menu!!! The food was okay, decent and pretty standard for Chinese food. We came again today because we couldnt decide where to go, and since the food was okay last time we just took the chance. Biggest mistake ever. We ordered our meals and it took the usual 5~10 mins for each of our dish to arrive but they didn't give us the rice until the 2 dishes I ordered arrived (lamb with cumin and fried cabbage with vinegar) which doesn't make sense. The rice was hard and dry, day old and reheated. The fried cabbage was more or less boiled cabbage and cooked with vinegar. The most irritating thing was, after waiting 10minutes we realized my friend's dish still hasn't come out - he went to go check and they kept saying its being made (whilst looking at the order dockets); another 5 mins later the lady comes over with sweet & sour pork which wasn't what he ordered and then asked if its okay? We said no and she said it'll be 5mins and we waited for another 10..... Then another lady comes out with sweet & sour pork without the sweet and sour sauce (essentially deep fried pork)??? When we asked what it was she got the menu and showed us it's what we ordered, the 'fried pork fillets'.... Anyone and everyone knows that's not what a 'fillet' is or looks like. Then 2mins later she comes our with the salt/pepper to dip the 'pork fillets with'. Not only did we have to wait a long time for that last dish, they tried to give us a different dish, we didn't get an apology and we had to ask to exchange the bowl of rice because it had gone cold and hard. Barilla needs to review their waiters/waitresses (in terms of english speaking customers making orders), their menu (because their description doesn't match what food they cook) and their service! Its appalling and we won't come back.

Miss Kiki

Dumplings are really tasty and reasonably priced. The dishes other than the dumplings are OK. Nothing to rave about.

Fleur Peps

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.

Mike Mazerolle

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.

Jane Saunders

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.

Evian

a. Long wait both before seating & waiting for foods b. Uncomfortable atmosphere. c. Terrible Service (waiting staffs, cashiers etc) The very famous crowded restaurant terribly disappointed me even after first visit. Waited 20 mins and almost hunted to grab a seat by myself. I ordered foods and waited about 40mins and realised other people came after me had their foods first. Why wait 40min? This place hardly gives you a chance to talk to waiting staff. Felt something wrong asked the manager what's going on. They tried to hide they mistakenly didn't even place the order yet but keep saying they'll check so just wait. Look, it's ok for a mistake. Imagine that busy restaurant with hundreds of orders could be mixed up sometimes. But if you realise the mistake, the treatment, sincere apology etc should have been made. But all of above were missed and I couldn't waste another a second at the place. All other local Chinese restaurants in your town would be either similar or better than this place. So why would you border even visit this place? My curiosity on why this place is so crowded, left me just pain and disappointment. I will never ever go this place again. Remember, You're dining out not just because of food.

Chloë Leonarda

Food was pretty tasty - service was terrible - the waitress was rather rude

Joanna Grabowski

I ordered fried chicken dumplings, when they finally arrived they were swimming in fat. Staff was busy and not really welcoming, had to ask for serviettes. While eating, I discovered 2 of the dumplings were pork, when I tried to tell it to the waitress, she didn't understand much English and just walked away. The taste wasn't anything spectacular and rather blend. Wouldn't recommend this place and definitely won't go there again.

Josephine Lim

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.

Tayla Reynolds

Worst service I have ever experienced. Dumplings were bland and boring and tasted like the ones from a supermarket and rest of the food bland. Wouldn't even waste your time as the servers look annoyed that someone just walked through the door anyway. Won't be returning!!

Greg

Can't see how they got an award for their dumplings- way too much MSG, very high fat content and taste like their seasoned with salt. Compared to overseas these dumplings wouldn't rate a mention I'm sorry to say.

Tina Cheung

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.

Sue Lee

Had lunch at Barilla Dumplings this afternoon with a party of four. Never again! With some 5 employees milling around and two other customers in the restaurant, we waited quite a while for our food to be served. I wish we had walked out at that point! Pork Fried rice was dried leftover Sunday pork roast (if you could find it in the mountain of rice) cut into julienne strips that had the texture of leather boots. It wasn't fried but had some colouring sauce to disguise the remains of leftover steamed rice. Beef Brisket dish was 3/4 steamed rice 1 tablespoon of actual beef and the remaining space on the plate was the cutoff from chunks fat tissue from the beef. Oh! and three bok choy leaves (The only highlight of the dish) Save your money. The dumplings may be nice, but not worth the food standards of the remaining questionable menu. The new A grade rating can't save this place if the main dishes are E grade.

Sherryl De Ocampo-Arias

A friend of ours took us there for a dumpling treat last sunday lunch. We liked the dumplings and taste really good so I have bought 2 dozen of frozen prawn dumplings for takeaway. The packaging is just in a plastic bag so I did not bother checking the quantity of it and I thought they are nice staff. I got disappointed when I went home and found out that I missed 3 pcs of dumplings. It is a ripped off considering their dumplings are $14/dozen.

Philip

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.

Nicole Collins

Even though it was D rated (wtf) but who cares, went for the food anyways. The dumplings were so good! Especially when fried. Their small sides dishes were juicy and tasty too :) Ignoring the service and the hygienes, everything else was great. So I guess a 3 star rating would be reasonable as the food pulled it up!

Vikz

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! ;)

Sacha Jasmine McLairdy

The staff are so rude and seem to have a real disdain for their customers. When we went here the food took sooo long, and the woman at the counter decided to make (not take, actually start dialing) a phone call in the middle of taking our order and was about as friendly as a sack of dead fish. The dumplings are alright, but honestly, I think it’s just the hipster cool-points factor that keeps drawing people back there. There are better places to get dumplings along Balmoral with higher food ratings that treat their customers with actual respect (or at least care enough to pretend/smile!).

Jane Mason

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.

Marlee Craig

Mmm wasn't impressed with this place. Took ages for the dumplings to come out even tho the restaurant wasn't busy or full. Staff are just doing their jobs, so no smiles or friendliness from our waitress. Was not impressed with the dumplings, I've had better. With every bite of a dumpling water squirted out onto our clothes. The pork buns are nice tho that's why I have given this place two stars. I really wanted to like this place. But all in all this place is a typical substandard restaurant.

Amber-rose Sampayo

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!!!

Mon Maharaj

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.

Wanderlust

I know a lot of people feel that these are the best dumplings but we didn't have that experience. This place is suggested by Metros cheap eats, but sometimes they get them wrong. Yes they are OK and come in large portions, but we were so disappointed because we were looking for the best. Comparing them to Melbourne's Chinatown is ridiculous - not even close. Easy, cheap bustling place. Poor service, but hilarious to watch. But not amazing. Great place to go with friends after work x

David Boshier

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.

Keith

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!

Tony Howat

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!

Rao

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.

Matt Smith

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!

Josie B

always packed, I'd recommend not going at peak times. Looking a lot better after renovation and also more room now. Food is yum, don't expect good service though.

Allister Yan

Great dumpling place. We also like chilli long beans and squid

Warren Bruce Muller

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!!!

Amanda Pavese

If you have a craving for amazing, authentic Chinese food then this is definitely the place to go. They are most famous for their delicious and very reasonably priced dumplings but I never tried anything there that wasn't absolutely tasty. I was also excited because there were a lot of things that I have never seen before so I had a great time experimenting with new dishes. You can even buy their dumplings frozen and take them home for later. Amazing! The down side is that there is absolutely no ambiance or customer service. The second time we went there they lost our order and we waited over an hour for our take away. It was chaotic and absolutely packed with nowhere to move. This was partially due to our poor timing (my boyfriend and I went during their weekend dinner rush) so I would highly suggest you avoid weekend evening hours and go during the week sometime. If I could give a star rating for the food it would be a five but I would rate their customer service a one. Still, It was one of my top places to go because the food was great so just plan your trip accordingly.

Nikki S.

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 :)

Lena Kodaira

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!

Robert Perry

The dumplings were good - service really poor. For places this cheap I don't expect anything other than a smile, greeting. However, waitress was unsmiling, wearing something really inappropriate (basically a see-through shirt) and when one of our party discovered a large hair cooked into a dumpling there was no apology, just "do you want me to replace it?". Disappointing.

Anna

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 :-}

Regan

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.

Elle Lim

The dumplings I had were burnt so that the dumplings on the bottom were literally black. Asked the waiter if it could be changed and was blatantly told no and this was normal. Being Asian, I know that that is not the standard for pan fried dumplings. Customer service on top of that was terrible with three of their staff members causing such a commotion that the dumplings were not burnt, whilst the restaurant, full at that point in time was watching us, while not understanding the conversation in mandarin. The next lot of dumplings that was brought out to another table was not burnt and I requested that they make it to that standard but once again the request was refused. My mother decided that she would not eat the burnt dumplings and told the waiter if we could change it we would stay and dine with them. The waiter then proceeded to say in mandarin, "if you don't want to eat it, just go!" To me this was terrible customer service and the standard was terrible. I fully do not recommend Barilla Dumplings unless you are looking for bad customer service and burnt dumplings for dinner.

Eric Han

The Dumplings had heaps of MSG in it, it felt very yucky afterwards, the dumplings flavour was average, I was expecting more since it was recommended by Metro.

Tom Pine

Dumplings were mostly pork fat with lots of MSG and salt. Can't believe it was recommended by Metro. Felt ickky afterwards and just wanted to eat fruit to make up for the unhealthiness I had just consumed. Sorry :(

Jay

You wouldn't come here for the decor or chirpy staff but this is a really nice cheap place to have a meal at where you are almost guaranteed to be full after eating their dumplings. We tried the pork and chives dumplings (pan-fried) and soup noodle with spare ribs for lunch today, and they were both tasty for their price. It's $1 extra to have the dumplings fried however it was only on one side so I'll probably just get the normal one next time as it didn't really make a difference. Would definitely come here again to try other fillings in the dumplings.

Kepa Tairua

Came here on the recommendation of a friend and from the way the place was packed I had high expectations! We ended up waiting close to 20 minutes for a table, but I don't fault the place for that. We looked at the menu before we were seated so there wouldn't be a huge wait between then and when we actually received food. There is an insane amount of options you have to choose from, so we basically chose some random options that seemed good. The dumplings we chose were pork with chive, and chicken with celery. Both were pretty average. Not much seasoning, but an ample supply of soy and chilli oil are available. They just didn't rock my world We chose a bun with three-delicacies which was really nice, actually. Our second favourite thing of the night. The texture was good, although the filling had shrunk a lot inside the bun. Lastly we had the fried french beans which we got because we saw everyone else getting them, and they were AMAZING. I know they use cumin on them, but there's a sweetness as well, and the crunchy coating just makes it all better. When you go, GET THIS. You will not be disappointed. I spoke with a regular while waiting in line, and they said if you don't want to wait it's best to come before 6.15pm, or after 8pm, and sure enough when it hit 8pm there was no more line. As someone mentioned, the staff aren't really there to have a good time with you. They're there to make sure your table is clean, make sure your food comes out as fast as possible, and make sure you can pay. Next time I think we'll go with our friend so they can order for us, but we will definitely be back.

Noms Burger

The place always looks a bit oily and you question the hygene rating. However the food is great, with a large range (especially dumplings) and reasonably priced. The dumplings have some authentic fillings as well as alternative, plus you can have it boiled, steamed or pan fried, which is options a real dumpling house should alway have!

Jamini Pulyadath

Love the food here! The dumplings are juicy and full of flavour. Don't expect royal treatment but just wish the staff here were less grumpy.

Foodie101

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.

Lisa V

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.

Samantha Lines

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.

Ben MacLaren

5 for takeaway/dumpling awesomeness and price, 1 for decor... Nothing like a fluoro green/orange motif

Henry Chiang

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!!

Auckland Food Tours

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.

The Incredible Edible

This place was a hit on Metro cheap eats, then a few months later the hygiene rating was widely publicised - but what can be worst than mainland China. It was still Asian food. This place has been overrated but if you're not a dumpling connoisseur then you will enjoy it. It's cheap and tasty. With the amount of competition on Dominion road it is managing to survive so it must be good. Found the dumplings were lacking but still should be tried

Madicattt

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?

Maggie G

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.

Rebecca Warren

Although Barilla do make tasty dumplings, there's plenty of places in the area that also make good dumplings and don't have cockroaches in them, or have bad hygiene standards!

Callan Knowles

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 :)

Vivian Luui

I found a boiled COCKROACH in my food while eating in barilla dumplings. I was sitting there crying and shacking for I don know how long! but after i realise i need to take a photo of it the stuff has already took it away and dumped it. People are STILL EATING THERE FOOD AFTER I FOUND THE COCKROACH IN MY FOOD!!!!! This is 25 Dec 2013! On a Christmas Day! Thank you!!!

Dog Eats World

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.

Two Honest Truths

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

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

Lillian

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 :)

Daniel Wang

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.

Lucy Eats

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

Rebecca Smith

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.

Cheap Eats

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/

Review Barrilla Dumpling - Mount Eden