The idea of quick and freshly served fried dumplings or steamed buns was enough to hook me. Buns & Dums is an Asian fusion restaurant located at 2709 S Diamond Bar Blvd and is currently under soft launch. Despite its narrow menu, the restaurant exhibits decent dishes as a sufficient meal.
Though I had a track meet the next day, the black tea boba ($5.75) looked too appetizing to not order. Considering the size of the drink which came in a 20 ounce cup, I found the price reasonable. The black tea had the perfect tapioca pearl to drink ratio but the texture of the boba itself was inconsistent; some pearls would be too soft while others uncomfortably chewy. As for the drink there wasn’t anything crazy about it except for its pleasant floral aftertaste.
I also got one order of steamed buns with pork filling and one order with beef filling ($10.95), each coming with eight buns. The skin of the buns had the perfect texture; they didn’t break easily when I picked them up with chopsticks but were also not too chewy. Disappointingly, the pork steamed buns didn’t have a lot of filling and the flavor of the pork was underwhelming.
On the other hand, the beef steamed buns outshined the pork steamed buns in every aspect. From the presentation alone, the size of this dish was significantly larger than the pork steamed buns and had a rich, savory taste. I enjoyed the beef steamed buns a lot more and would definitely recommend it if you wanted more food out of your money.
Though the combination of salty and sweet flavors of the pork golden fried dumplings ($10.95) was better than the pork in the buns, I didn’t like the texture at all. The consistency of the dumpling made it feel like I was a type of noodle instead of the crispy, fried dumpling I was expecting. Still I would give the dish another try as the pork’s flavor made up for its awkward texture.
This restaurant is very easy to access for a quick bite as they offer online ordering and even a drive-through if you don’t feel like leaving the car. There’s a good amount of seating inside and an area where you can see your food being made in front of you. The staff was nice and the order came quickly after it was placed.
I will definitely tell my friends about this restaurant and look forward to what new menu items they have coming soon. Buns & Dums expects their grand opening to be in about two months and I can see myself coming here for a late night dumpling or steamed bun craving.
