Tian Jin Foods

Food is so good and they are so nice, thank you

Easily some of the most authentic and best tasting Chinese food I've had in the Ithaca area. Most of the food is handmade and not frozen, so it tastes great. Food is not quick, but the wait is worth it.

Saw an elderly lady making dumplings from scratch, rolling the dough and filling the dumplings. So I tried it out. It was really yummy and love the chili sauce!! Even the soup I had was great!! Slight wait as things are made to order and it was with an elderly couple.

We ate here during Wizarding Weekend recently & the soup dumplings were incredible! Worth the wait, so be patient! Also don't throw the bamboo steamer dish in the trash for goodness sake, bring it back & order another round of dumplings. Excellent broth too, yum. Can't wait to visit again!

Amazing restaurant, I've been going here for a few years now. The couple that runs it have great personalities, are charming, and are extremely kind people in general. The food is amazing: I have had the beef noodle soup, xiao long bao, and several other dishes from this place, all of which I recommend heavily. The food here is so incredibly good, affordable, and quick and its being served by two of the kindest people I've met in this town. This place is amazing, especially for those feeling homesick and looking for food that perfectly captures the appeal of Chinese food. I'm part Chinese and have travelled to China to visit family many times and believe me, this food is just as good as most Chinese restaurants I've been to in China and across America. It's a real gem.

Heard about the place from some friends claiming it served pretty authentic food. We tried the pork buns, fried dumplings, and chive pancakes. I think all of them were perfect with the chilli oil and soy sauce they have at the counter. The food was served quickly at the counter as soon as each item was ready. The lady was generous to offer us a free homemade drink which looked like some sweet soymilk drink but she found it hard to explain, so we just tried it. Definitely going to return for the soup dumplings next time.

Super nice couple! Amazing food!

Ignore the reviews about the attitude and what not. If this “hole in the wall” place was in NYC it would be viewed as quirky. Bottom line: the food is legit. I’ve been to Tian Jin city myself and the food is authentic and great.

most authentic chinese food with the best price i've found so far in ithaca. the fried dumplings are really crispy and delicious and love the beef noodles as well with nice broth and tangy noodles. everything is handmade and makes me reminiscent of the food back at home in Tianjin. had a nice chat with the owner as well about Tianjin, not sure why there's other negative reviews here. don't come here with prior judgment and u will get the quality food u pay for!

My friends and I love to come here after class. Never had a bad experience and the food always tastes great. Highly recommend trying their fried dumplings and pork buns!

Incredibly kind service, and the best dumplings I've had in years. A must try when in Ithaca and add it to your favorite spots if you're a local, I'll definitely be going back soon.

Good veg dumplings. She gave us a snack and a hot tea also.

Very authentic Chinese buns and dumplings. It’s hard to make great pork buns but Goubuli pork buns here are awesome. I’m so glad we have this place in Ithaca, otherwise I might have to buy frozen buns. My 5 favorites: - Goubuli pork buns - Chicken wonton soup - Beef sandwich - Seafood dumplings - Chive and pork pancake 伊萨卡超好吃的包子铺，推荐狗不理包子和云吞！ The owner was not like an easy-going person for my first visit, but after a few more visits I actually found she’s a nice person and made tasty food. Sometimes the place gets busy on weekends but it’s okay on weekdays. Definitely recommend it if you are a big fan of pork buns and dumplings.

It isn’t often you find good, quick and simply soup dumplings and noodles in Ithaca, but this is the spot! Delicious hand-pulled noodles with savory melt in your mouth beef and plenty of other delights!

The food is super good and healthy! Authentic Chinese Food!

Jingjin

Very authentic Chinese buns and dumplings. It’s hard to make great pork buns but Goubuli pork buns here are awesome. I’m so glad we have this place in Ithaca, otherwise I might have to buy frozen buns. My 5 favorites: - Goubuli pork buns - Chicken wonton soup - Beef sandwich - Seafood dumplings - Chive and pork pancake 伊萨卡超好吃的包子铺，推荐狗不理包子和云吞！ The owner was not like an easy-going person for my first visit, but after a few more visits I actually found she’s a nice person and made tasty food. Sometimes the place gets busy on weekends but it’s okay on weekdays. Definitely recommend it if you are a big fan of pork buns and dumplings.

William Henderson

It isn’t often you find good, quick and simply soup dumplings and noodles in Ithaca, but this is the spot! Delicious hand-pulled noodles with savory melt in your mouth beef and plenty of other delights!

gao jennie

The food is super good and healthy! Authentic Chinese Food!

K Z

Super super friendly owner!

The lady who took my order was a delight! She didn't speak a word of English, but she pulled out a handwritten paper menu and asked me to point. She was all smiles, very sweet. After I ordered, she gave me a complimentary cabbage fritter while I waited for my food. The beef noodle soup was an absolute work of art. The meat was tender and flavorful, the broth was beautifully balanced, and the noodles were delicious. I am eager to return.

This place is as authentic as it gets. They make all our their products on site, including Youtiao (savory crispy donuts), dumplings and buns. The soup broths are rich and flavorful. Prices are very fair so its great value. If you like Chinese food, its a must try.

Stopped here on the drive home from Ithaca. Wish we got more food because it was so good and very affordable (being from Philly at least). I thought the service was great, even though I don’t speak Mandarin, they were able to get my order and execute it perfectly! They also gave us a few freebie chive pancakes for the confusion in ordering and the less than 10 min wait. We were appreciative of this even though they did nothing wrong on their side but it just goes to show how hospitable they are. The food is definitely worth trying and very clearly homemade. Glad we stumbled upon this place and ate their delicious dumplings and buns!

The new owners are some of the nicest people in Ithaca! Especially the lady who always wears red; she has the sweetest smile and always gives out free fruit at the counter. The food is delicious and affordable.

Soup dumplings are so legit! Pork buns are very nice also. I haven’t had buns as good as this outside of homemade. Noodle soup is a little bland so dont get that one. Very wholesome shop!

I don't know what the reviews on customer service is about! The family running this place was so warm and friendly! One of the rare places in Ithaca to find cheap homemade Chinese food, had 4 pan froed dumplings for $4!

Literally the most authentic Chinese food in Ithaca (coming from someone who grew up in Beijing). The lady owner is 70 years old and doing everything herself so she might seem rushed but literally the best person ever from just one conversation getting to know her. Saw her prepare loads of fresh vegetables the night before and ate her food in the morning and it was so fresh. She hand makes EVERY dumpling/bun with her own hands. Absolutely love this place!!! Thank you for providing Ithaca with authentic Chinese food! Makes me so so happy!!!

Amazing handmade food for great prices. Yes, the owners can be rude if you have questions, but if you’re clear and polite they’re perfectly hospitable and it’s well worth it for the food. My go-to anytime i’m downtown!

So good! Definitely the most authentic Chinese street food I’ve had in downtown. The wontons, beef pancake, dumplings, noodles and buns are all amazing — tastes just like home!

Please ignore the comments about the owners being rude! They are the sweetest family and the food is always amazing and freshly made. It's been my go-to place for years!

SUPER FRIENDLY owners! They were so kind, gave me lots of samples. Food was authentic and fantastic!

This was my first time eating here, and the food was delicious, and the people were very friendly and kind.

林Winnie

This was my first time eating here, and the food was delicious, and the people were very friendly and kind.

Joshua Diaz

Soup dumplings are so legit! Pork buns are very nice also. I haven’t had buns as good as this outside of homemade. Noodle soup is a little bland so dont get that one. Very wholesome shop!

The Sticks

This place is as authentic as it gets. They make all our their products on site, including Youtiao (savory crispy donuts), dumplings and buns. The soup broths are rich and flavorful. Prices are very fair so its great value. If you like Chinese food, its a must try.

Steven Diao

I don't know what the reviews on customer service is about! The family running this place was so warm and friendly! One of the rare places in Ithaca to find cheap homemade Chinese food, had 4 pan froed dumplings for $4!

Lara La

Best Chinese food I had in the US. They have several vegetarian options if you ask them.

Colin Kelley

Amazing handmade food for great prices. Yes, the owners can be rude if you have questions, but if you’re clear and polite they’re perfectly hospitable and it’s well worth it for the food. My go-to anytime i’m downtown!

Patricia Loi

Please ignore the comments about the owners being rude! They are the sweetest family and the food is always amazing and freshly made. It's been my go-to place for years!

Nicholas Oldham

SUPER FRIENDLY owners! They were so kind, gave me lots of samples. Food was authentic and fantastic!

R Day

Stopped here on the drive home from Ithaca. Wish we got more food because it was so good and very affordable (being from Philly at least). I thought the service was great, even though I don’t speak Mandarin, they were able to get my order and execute it perfectly! They also gave us a few freebie chive pancakes for the confusion in ordering and the less than 10 min wait. We were appreciative of this even though they did nothing wrong on their side but it just goes to show how hospitable they are. The food is definitely worth trying and very clearly homemade. Glad we stumbled upon this place and ate their delicious dumplings and buns!

LIJUN WANG

So good! Definitely the most authentic Chinese street food I’ve had in downtown. The wontons, beef pancake, dumplings, noodles and buns are all amazing — tastes just like home!

Beverly Tan

Literally the most authentic Chinese food in Ithaca (coming from someone who grew up in Beijing). The lady owner is 70 years old and doing everything herself so she might seem rushed but literally the best person ever from just one conversation getting to know her. Saw her prepare loads of fresh vegetables the night before and ate her food in the morning and it was so fresh. She hand makes EVERY dumpling/bun with her own hands. Absolutely love this place!!! Thank you for providing Ithaca with authentic Chinese food! Makes me so so happy!!!

The hand made fresh soup dumplings were very good and priced well, only 10$ for 8 of them. The woman who was working there very rudely scoffed at us several times, unfortunately. I’d like to eat there again but don’t want to be put in a bad mood by grumpy staff.

Unfortunately the dumplings we received were barely warm on the outside and still cold on the inside.

They treat us as if we owe them money…I don’t get why they put such a strong attitude towards us. When some other male customers order soy bean milk they ask if they want to add sugar or if they want it iced or hot. But when we order soy bean milk they didn’t ask us nothing.

The food was okay. We order about $50 dollars of food and the lady behind the counter was somewhat rude to us. She didn't want to give us any plastic utensils other than chopsticks (we are a family with three kids). The food is only mediocre compared to authentic food in NYC. But there is not much choices for good authentic Chinese cuisine in that area.

The food is decent, but the service is horrible. Their system for tracking orders is very disorganized. This becomes a huge problem when things get busy. You will often see them argue with customers as a result of slow orders or errors in some orders. To add to the problem, they are rude and often blame customers for their own errors. I vowed to never go back to that place, even though I think their food is decent and authentic.

Scott Nguyen

Unfortunately the dumplings we received were barely warm on the outside and still cold on the inside.

The owner was rude when I tried to speak with them, and the service came with attitude. I ordered five buns and they legitimately pulled it directly from a fridge, heated it in a microwave, and handed it to me. It came out soggy and unappetizing. For the price and setting, I expected something fresh. This was disappointing and unprofessional.

Jameson C

The owner was rude when I tried to speak with them, and the service came with attitude. I ordered five buns and they legitimately pulled it directly from a fridge, heated it in a microwave, and handed it to me. It came out soggy and unappetizing. For the price and setting, I expected something fresh. This was disappointing and unprofessional.

Eric Pers

The hand made fresh soup dumplings were very good and priced well, only 10$ for 8 of them. The woman who was working there very rudely scoffed at us several times, unfortunately. I’d like to eat there again but don’t want to be put in a bad mood by grumpy staff.

First of all, bad service. Rude owner. We were told to use our own chili sauce at home when we tried to get some from them. We were also told the containers are expensive and we shouldn't use two, one for chili sauce, one for vinegar. Second, food is ok but definitely not authentic. We tried gou bu li, chive pancake, and pork pancake. Non of those are even close to authentic. I don't understand why they have good reviews. We were visiting Ithaca, and feel very bad that Ithaca people have to stand with such kind of service.

The egg pancake was not authentic at all. The woman did not wash her hands after touching the money and went on touching the food. Both the man and the woman were very rude to us and kept on interrupting us. We sat next to them and observed them serving other people. They were surely discriminating females because they had a much greater attitudes to male customers. We both ordered soya milk, but they checked with other male customers whether they would like it cold or hot and offered them sugar, which they didn’t do that to us.

Service is utterly horrendous and off putting. The lady at the cashier is extremely impatient and refuses to answer any questions about the menu. When requested, her response is that the customer either order immediately or she will no longer serve the customer. The other male staff is even more aggressive and in our case demanded our group to leave the premise despite it being a public space inside the mall. All these interactions transpired because the merchant is unwilling to provide any form of receipt, not even a written one, even when the order price ways exceeds the $20 threshold per receipt complaint policy in the state.

I went there because I happened to see good review for the food, after this 1st trial, I will no longer go there. I was trying to order some food, there are only one people ahead of me, and another customer after me, but the lady was very rude and impatient, when I tried to ask question, she just said that I am too busy, if you do not want to buy, just leave. The foods are just so so, the fired dumping tasted bad, not even compatible for my home made fried dumping. The food is so so, price is high and owner is rude, there is no value to go

Average quality food, but the old lady is extremely rude and mean. - She's not willing to offer any utensil (unless you ask). - She will not prepare your order until she sees you in person (she assumes people who order over the phone won't actually come). - She even charges you the credit card transaction fee. Also, avoid speaking with her because she will yell at you at any time. She also has crazy supporters in her group that are like brainwashed and will help her brainwash others: - if she yells at you, it's definitely your fault - if you do not visit frequently, they say you are not qualified to judge - if you do visit frequently, they say you should leave rather than complain - you should be grateful to receive food from her (as if she's not paid) - anyway the lady is old and busy so she deserves respect (and you don't)

I was appalled by the abysmal customer service I received. The lady who served me acted like she was doing me a favor by even acknowledging my presence. She was rude, dismissive, and belittling throughout the entire process. When I asked a question about the menu, she rolled her eyes and snapped at me. She made me feel like my question was stupid and like I was wasting her time. I left the restaurant feeling completely disrespected and humiliated. I cannot believe that a business would allow such blatant mistreatment of their customers. It is unacceptable to be treated with such disdain and lack of professionalism.

Ziyan Wang

I was appalled by the abysmal customer service I received. The lady who served me acted like she was doing me a favor by even acknowledging my presence. She was rude, dismissive, and belittling throughout the entire process. When I asked a question about the menu, she rolled her eyes and snapped at me. She made me feel like my question was stupid and like I was wasting her time. I left the restaurant feeling completely disrespected and humiliated. I cannot believe that a business would allow such blatant mistreatment of their customers. It is unacceptable to be treated with such disdain and lack of professionalism.

I went here quite often a few years ago when I lived in the commons area. Food was good at that time. Service was not good - the lady owner was very rude, but I didn’t care too much. In my last visit, I found prices had increased so much! The beef noodles soup was less than $10. Now it’s almost $15. What’s really cannot acceptable is they charged $1 more for takeout FOR A LID!!! Even for dine in, they still use disposable container. If you say takeout, you will be charged $1 more and you will get a plastic bag and a lid. Isn’t this horrible, ridiculous and disgusting? Will never go again.

Alex Y

I went here quite often a few years ago when I lived in the commons area. Food was good at that time. Service was not good - the lady owner was very rude, but I didn’t care too much. In my last visit, I found prices had increased so much! The beef noodles soup was less than $10. Now it’s almost $15. What’s really cannot acceptable is they charged $1 more for takeout FOR A LID!!! Even for dine in, they still use disposable container. If you say takeout, you will be charged $1 more and you will get a plastic bag and a lid. Isn’t this horrible, ridiculous and disgusting? Will never go again.