Dumplings were pretty good, not going to complain about that. However, the dude at the register was rude/not willing to work with me-- I wanted a plain bun (for my 2yo), was even willing to pay full price... just didn't want the meat and veggies inside-- would do it. Wish I tried the ramen!
Steve Lones
I had the kimchi rice with beef short ribs not as spicy as I was hoping for in fact it really didn't have any spice at all the pork and leek dumplings were really good price was about what you expect to pay some place maybe it's slightly higher large portion and flavorful next time I'll see if I can get it extra spicy
Katheryn E.
I loved the taste of the dumplings, I would pay for more, $10 (4). I hint of spice. The steamed bun was okay. The chicken was extra crispy, almost too crispy. The sad part was there was no sauce to go on it, but I had some extra from my dumplings that I dipped it in which helped elevate the taste! I would like to see some more dumpling options, especially with the name, if they had a platter with a variety of dumplings I'd buy it! I'm loving the new places coming to the garage!
Kelly S.
What a yummy spot in The Garage Food Hall! I tried the dandan noodles, which are made vegetarian (you can add meat if you like). They come with bok choy, sprouts, peanuts, cabbage, mushrooms, egg and hot oil. I had them leave off the egg and mushroom. Make sure you mix everything up really good as that savory soy sauce is at the bottom of the bowl. Loved the handmade noodles and the peanuts and will definitely go back to try some other dishes! Note: they give you chopsticks to eat this with so be prepared if you prefer to eat with a fork.
Sophie A.
I went to the Garage Food Hall yesterday to have lunch with some friends. 2/4 of us ordered from Lil Dumplings. We ordered 2 Daily Bun and 2 ramen. There was a lady waiting on her food when we ordered. In order it was her, my friend, and then me. So, I was expecting a ~10 minute wait... wrong, I waited for more than 20 minutes and I had people who came after me received their food first (2 Daily Buns and a bowl of ramen). I let it go thinking my food was next. Again, I got surpassed by another order. At this point, my friend already received and was eating his food. I finally asked the cook when my food would be ready and he said, "it'll be ready next." The food was okay, probably will not go back and try it again though. The price was not cheap compared to the portions. Overall, giving it 4/5 stars is me being generous.
Rachel M.
I had never tried authentic ramen before lil dumplings, but I was super pleasantly surprised with this dish! It was loaded with everything. I was stuffed and still had leftovers. The location in the garage is really great as a whole. They were pretty busy when I went, but they were keeping up in orders pretty quickly.
Karen M.
If you miss Rook, Lil Dumplings offers a salve for your soul. Spicy. Succulent. Scrumptious. The Dan Dan noodles are still the standout. And the dumplings are delicate. The only down side is the time gap from order in to order up is ample enough to pen your memoirs. Somebody needs to buy the staff a case of Red Bull stat. My 98 year old grandfather moves faster than these folks.
Kim P.
Was really excited that there was a new place opening up for Ramen in downtown as part of The Garage. Maybe I'm a stiffler for good ramen, and that is most likely an unassuming strong yes, I will name my bias now. I got their Pork Belly Ramen which is essentially their version of a Tonkatsu Ramen, which is typically known for silky pork broth and pork belly chasu. I had high hopes as the noodles looked good, the egg looked perfectly jammy and actually marinated with soy sauce. But then I actually ate the soup and I kid you not there was a very thick layer of fat between the actual broth and the surface. The ratio of soup to noodle didn't help and it felt like I was eating noodles with a thick pork fat sauce as it some how thickened. I was pretty disappointed and made the ramen not easy to eat for a price point of $18. Maybe it was a bad day for them, or maybe I got the wrong item - I'm not dismissing them completely but was definitely expecting better.
Brooke H.
This place has been on my radar for a long time and after making it to The Garage, I knew I had to try it. The menu is small with a few starters and noodle options. I was tempted between the Veggie Noodles and Dumplings. The cashier said if I'm not starving, definitely do the dumplings and it was worth it! It comes with 4 dumplings for $10. The outside noodle is so fresh and silky and smooth. The inside had pork and leeks, the top had a sauce and cabbage and some sort of green onion. It was savory and absolutely worth the hype. The prices aren't cheap for the portion, but for the quality it makes sense. Somebody else I was with ordered the Duck Duck Noodles and although they said they were good, he said they were EXTREMELY salty. I look forward to trying the noodles next time to see what I think, but the steam buns (someone else ordered and went back for more they were so good!) and dumplings were a hit!
Jonathan “Dr. Jon Bright” B
Just had the dan dan noodles, and I have to say one of the best dan dan noodle dishes I have had! Veggies are fresh, wonderful flavors and just the right amount of spice. Looking forward to trying other dishes, but it will be hard to not order this again next time at the Bottle works garage.
This was the perfect comfort food for a cold night. The broth was very flavorful and warm. The pork belly was cooked perfectly as was the egg. There were a good amount of sprouts that were added too. I love garlic, so garlic flavor was to die for. It wasn't overbearing though! Just enough garlic kick. I do wish there were some other veggies other than green peppers and sprouts. I felt like there was a good amount of broth and noodles, which is something I noticed was a reason they had negative reviews in the past. It seems like they got the ratio right! It was $19 for a bowl of ramen, which ended up being greater than $20 after tax. Everything at The Garage is overpriced, but $20 for ramen felt like a lot in comparison to other places in town and was also one of the pricier meal items at The Garage in general.
Joshua F.
I had high hopes and ordered the Pho, but what a disappointment. It was luke warm and was basically water and noodles. I took it back and asked them for flavor and they said they forgot the broth flavoring. The staff added the broth and I added hoisin and sriracha, yet it was still terrible. A friend ordered another item and it was subpar too. Lastly, for a name like Lil Dumplings you would expect more options with dumplings. They only had three choices , but out of two.
Bridget K.
I don't know why but I always get a bad vibe when I come here. The staff have never been friendly with me and it's off putting. Also, I must choose horrible times to come because they are always out of everything. I wish they had boa buns and more snack/appetizer options. As far as the ramen goes, it was okay. I found the broth flavorful but too salty for my liking. I tried the ramen with the crispy chicken. I'm not sure what the name is. The chicken was cooked incredibly well. It was seasoned beautifully and very crispy. I loved that! The soft boiled egg was also excellent. This is not my favorite place to have ramen but it's a good option if you're visiting the garage and in the mood.
Joanne Y.
Short story to tell: I loved Rook and the last time I was there, I wanted to try the Dandan Noodles the next time I went, but Covid happened and I live on the Northside so I wasn't able to make it in before they closed permanently! But now they have Lil Dumplings (the ' latest concept from entrepreneurial local chef Carlos Salazar' - Garage website). I was finally able to try the Dandan noodles! Beware, if you can't handle spice at all, I'd opt for something else. I didn't find the dish spicy at all, but my friend (who is also used to spice) found it too spicy. I had it yesterday, but I'm still thinking about it (if only it was closer to me). Overall, if I'm ever at the Garage (or in Fishers), I'd like to order it again. It seemed a bit pricy (but everything at the Garage is), but I think the price is similar to what it was at Rook so I'll still order it again. Hopefully they'll have the Jalapeño Spam on their menu some day!
Leandro D.
There was a pre-pandemic rumor that Chicago's Furious Spoon ramen chain would open its first Indy location at the Garage Food Hall. The ramen spot that would end up taking its place is better. I went to Lil Dumplings on two separate occasions, ordering their pork belly ramen and shio ramen. Both were very flavorful. The broth was on point. The only nitpick that's holding me back from giving the 5/5 is the serving size, which is where Furious Spoon has them beat. Regardless, I highly recommend Lil Dumplings. I'm very grateful to have this quality ramen spot downtown.
Dumplings were pretty good, not going to complain about that. However, the dude at the register was rude/not willing to work with me-- I wanted a plain bun (for my 2yo), was even willing to pay full price... just didn't want the meat and veggies inside-- would do it. Wish I tried the ramen!
I had the kimchi rice with beef short ribs not as spicy as I was hoping for in fact it really didn't have any spice at all the pork and leek dumplings were really good price was about what you expect to pay some place maybe it's slightly higher large portion and flavorful next time I'll see if I can get it extra spicy
I loved the taste of the dumplings, I would pay for more, $10 (4). I hint of spice. The steamed bun was okay. The chicken was extra crispy, almost too crispy. The sad part was there was no sauce to go on it, but I had some extra from my dumplings that I dipped it in which helped elevate the taste! I would like to see some more dumpling options, especially with the name, if they had a platter with a variety of dumplings I'd buy it! I'm loving the new places coming to the garage!
What a yummy spot in The Garage Food Hall! I tried the dandan noodles, which are made vegetarian (you can add meat if you like). They come with bok choy, sprouts, peanuts, cabbage, mushrooms, egg and hot oil. I had them leave off the egg and mushroom. Make sure you mix everything up really good as that savory soy sauce is at the bottom of the bowl. Loved the handmade noodles and the peanuts and will definitely go back to try some other dishes! Note: they give you chopsticks to eat this with so be prepared if you prefer to eat with a fork.
I went to the Garage Food Hall yesterday to have lunch with some friends. 2/4 of us ordered from Lil Dumplings. We ordered 2 Daily Bun and 2 ramen. There was a lady waiting on her food when we ordered. In order it was her, my friend, and then me. So, I was expecting a ~10 minute wait... wrong, I waited for more than 20 minutes and I had people who came after me received their food first (2 Daily Buns and a bowl of ramen). I let it go thinking my food was next. Again, I got surpassed by another order. At this point, my friend already received and was eating his food. I finally asked the cook when my food would be ready and he said, "it'll be ready next." The food was okay, probably will not go back and try it again though. The price was not cheap compared to the portions. Overall, giving it 4/5 stars is me being generous.
I had never tried authentic ramen before lil dumplings, but I was super pleasantly surprised with this dish! It was loaded with everything. I was stuffed and still had leftovers. The location in the garage is really great as a whole. They were pretty busy when I went, but they were keeping up in orders pretty quickly.
If you miss Rook, Lil Dumplings offers a salve for your soul. Spicy. Succulent. Scrumptious. The Dan Dan noodles are still the standout. And the dumplings are delicate. The only down side is the time gap from order in to order up is ample enough to pen your memoirs. Somebody needs to buy the staff a case of Red Bull stat. My 98 year old grandfather moves faster than these folks.
Was really excited that there was a new place opening up for Ramen in downtown as part of The Garage. Maybe I'm a stiffler for good ramen, and that is most likely an unassuming strong yes, I will name my bias now. I got their Pork Belly Ramen which is essentially their version of a Tonkatsu Ramen, which is typically known for silky pork broth and pork belly chasu. I had high hopes as the noodles looked good, the egg looked perfectly jammy and actually marinated with soy sauce. But then I actually ate the soup and I kid you not there was a very thick layer of fat between the actual broth and the surface. The ratio of soup to noodle didn't help and it felt like I was eating noodles with a thick pork fat sauce as it some how thickened. I was pretty disappointed and made the ramen not easy to eat for a price point of $18. Maybe it was a bad day for them, or maybe I got the wrong item - I'm not dismissing them completely but was definitely expecting better.
This place has been on my radar for a long time and after making it to The Garage, I knew I had to try it. The menu is small with a few starters and noodle options. I was tempted between the Veggie Noodles and Dumplings. The cashier said if I'm not starving, definitely do the dumplings and it was worth it! It comes with 4 dumplings for $10. The outside noodle is so fresh and silky and smooth. The inside had pork and leeks, the top had a sauce and cabbage and some sort of green onion. It was savory and absolutely worth the hype. The prices aren't cheap for the portion, but for the quality it makes sense. Somebody else I was with ordered the Duck Duck Noodles and although they said they were good, he said they were EXTREMELY salty. I look forward to trying the noodles next time to see what I think, but the steam buns (someone else ordered and went back for more they were so good!) and dumplings were a hit!
Just had the dan dan noodles, and I have to say one of the best dan dan noodle dishes I have had! Veggies are fresh, wonderful flavors and just the right amount of spice. Looking forward to trying other dishes, but it will be hard to not order this again next time at the Bottle works garage.
Restaurantji Recommends
This was the perfect comfort food for a cold night. The broth was very flavorful and warm. The pork belly was cooked perfectly as was the egg. There were a good amount of sprouts that were added too. I love garlic, so garlic flavor was to die for. It wasn't overbearing though! Just enough garlic kick. I do wish there were some other veggies other than green peppers and sprouts. I felt like there was a good amount of broth and noodles, which is something I noticed was a reason they had negative reviews in the past. It seems like they got the ratio right! It was $19 for a bowl of ramen, which ended up being greater than $20 after tax. Everything at The Garage is overpriced, but $20 for ramen felt like a lot in comparison to other places in town and was also one of the pricier meal items at The Garage in general.
I had high hopes and ordered the Pho, but what a disappointment. It was luke warm and was basically water and noodles. I took it back and asked them for flavor and they said they forgot the broth flavoring. The staff added the broth and I added hoisin and sriracha, yet it was still terrible. A friend ordered another item and it was subpar too. Lastly, for a name like Lil Dumplings you would expect more options with dumplings. They only had three choices , but out of two.
I don't know why but I always get a bad vibe when I come here. The staff have never been friendly with me and it's off putting. Also, I must choose horrible times to come because they are always out of everything. I wish they had boa buns and more snack/appetizer options. As far as the ramen goes, it was okay. I found the broth flavorful but too salty for my liking. I tried the ramen with the crispy chicken. I'm not sure what the name is. The chicken was cooked incredibly well. It was seasoned beautifully and very crispy. I loved that! The soft boiled egg was also excellent. This is not my favorite place to have ramen but it's a good option if you're visiting the garage and in the mood.
Short story to tell: I loved Rook and the last time I was there, I wanted to try the Dandan Noodles the next time I went, but Covid happened and I live on the Northside so I wasn't able to make it in before they closed permanently! But now they have Lil Dumplings (the ' latest concept from entrepreneurial local chef Carlos Salazar' - Garage website). I was finally able to try the Dandan noodles! Beware, if you can't handle spice at all, I'd opt for something else. I didn't find the dish spicy at all, but my friend (who is also used to spice) found it too spicy. I had it yesterday, but I'm still thinking about it (if only it was closer to me). Overall, if I'm ever at the Garage (or in Fishers), I'd like to order it again. It seemed a bit pricy (but everything at the Garage is), but I think the price is similar to what it was at Rook so I'll still order it again. Hopefully they'll have the Jalapeño Spam on their menu some day!
There was a pre-pandemic rumor that Chicago's Furious Spoon ramen chain would open its first Indy location at the Garage Food Hall. The ramen spot that would end up taking its place is better. I went to Lil Dumplings on two separate occasions, ordering their pork belly ramen and shio ramen. Both were very flavorful. The broth was on point. The only nitpick that's holding me back from giving the 5/5 is the serving size, which is where Furious Spoon has them beat. Regardless, I highly recommend Lil Dumplings. I'm very grateful to have this quality ramen spot downtown.