Full Steam Dumpling — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

I love full steam and have been a customer for many years now. My only complaint is missing delicious items that have rotated off the menu! But I respect that they are always innovating, creating new dishes, and keeping things fresh.

Their various fried chicken apps are always SO delicious. I can’t even keep track of all the amazing ones I’ve had over the years. The Taiwanese popcorn chicken sticks out in my mind. The current general tso’s chicken is wonderful and addictive.

I always enjoyed their ramens. Dumplings are delicious. I do miss the crystal dumpling options since I am now technically gluten free (ish) for health reasons. So bringing in some more gluten free options like the crystal dumplings would be awesome for us unfortunate people who have dietary restrictions.

I super appreciate that they use high quality ingredients, produce and meat from local farms, and make everything from scratch. I’ve seen some reviews on here complaining about the prices - if you’re looking for a cheaper option there are other places you can go. But, honestly all food is pretty expensive these days, and I think their prices are reasonable given the quality of the ingredients, and the high cost of living in this town. I am happy to support their business and their focus on quality is actually what makes me want to dine here.

I know Andy and the staff work hard to make this all happen and I am so grateful for this wonderful addition to our...

Located next to After Hours(had a negative experience here), Full Steam was awesome. Probably the best bowl of noodles I have ever had! The service was awesome as well!

Grok says:

Full Steam Dumpling is a dynamic, chef-driven pop-up turned permanent fixture in Santa Cruz’s vibrant food scene, specializing in handmade dumplings, ramen, and seasonal Asian-inspired dishes with a focus on Sichuan, Chinese, and Japanese influences blended with local flair. Founded in 2019 by chef Andy Huynh—a Los Angeles native who honed his skills at over a dozen local Santa Cruz spots— it began as a pandemic-era pop-up but found a steady home in 2021 inside the Santa Cruz Art Center’s communal kitchen (now part of the “After Hours” hub, sharing space with 11th Hour Coffee, Chubbs Chicken Sandwiches, and After Hours Cocktail Bar). Huynh’s experimental crew emphasizes from-scratch prep using organic flour, seasonal/local ingredients from farmers market partners, and family traditions reimagined with curiosity—think frilly shu mai, fat bao, or gyoza stuffed with wild-foraged or ranch-sourced fillings. It’s a sustainability-minded operation that rotates menus with the seasons, hosts pop-up events like Vietnamese brunches, and even spun off a bánh mì side project (Back Door Bánh Mí, now at farmers markets). The vibe is communal and artsy, fitting its Art Center locale, making it a go-to for creative comfort food...

So I went there and it was really expensive...I was given a plate that could only satisfy an ant, or a similarly sized, small creature and then was promptly charged 24$ for it.... The ambiance is basically a Bernie Sanders Rally Pre Game with out of place fedora hats and young UCSC students, whom certainly cant afford the food, that dress like transients. Full steam DUMP-lings really is a steamy pile of DUMP-lings in this fine city. I would honestly recommend Panda Expresses' Orange Chicken, which tastes better and you get more than 5 noodles all together for $27. You have to love full steam DUMP-lings, recently responded to a similar 1/5 star review by saying they work really hard in the kitchen and thus should be respected however, that's not factual since they are only open WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY. HAHA. Kind of lazy. Then they have the nerve to charge you 27 dollars for a few small noodles inside some flavored water. Thankfully there is a steady flow of UCSC students all hopped up on cannabis and their parent's hard earned money to keep them going. Please save your money, and spend some more time studying and try to make your...