DUMPLINGS
Everything starts from scratch. We make our dough in small batches, roll each wrapper individually, and fill every dumpling by hand. The goal is simple: build dumplings that feel substantial enough to be the meal, with fillings that are bold, balanced, and worth eating on their own. We focus on texture, freshness, and deep savory flavor, then cook everything fresh for service.
Chicken Thigh & Shiitake Mushroom Dumplings
Green Bean, Shishito Pepper & Gan Lan Cai Dumplings
Our chicken dumpling is built around juicy chicken thigh processed through a meat grinder, dried shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated for extra umami), green onion, and fresh ginger. The shiitakes add depth and richness while the ginger and green onion keep the filling bright and aromatic. It’s savory, juicy, and intentionally simple.
Our VEGAN dumpling combines green beans, shishito peppers, gan lan cai, and garlic. Gan lan cai is a Chinese olive vegetable condiment with a deep, salty, umami-heavy flavor that gives the filling most of its character. The green beans add texture, the shishitos bring a mild pepper flavor, and the garlic rounds everything out.
Pork, Kimchi and Chinese Garlic Chive [NEW]
A bold, savory dumpling built around juicy ground pork, fermented kimchi, and Chinese garlic chives. The kimchi brings acidity, heat, and funk, while the garlic chives add a fresh, aromatic bite that cuts through the richness of the pork. Familiar flavors, packed into a handmade dumpling that’s rich, tangy, and just a little spicy.
typically served as...
Plates are typically served as pictured below: 5 freshly steamed dumplings on a bed of white rice garnished with green onion, roasted sesame, chili oil crunch and sriracha mayo.
Pork, Kimchi & Chinese Garlic Chive Dumplings
$14
Chicken Thigh & Shiitake Mushroom Dumplings
$12
Green Bean, Shishito Pepper & Gan Lan Cai VEGAN Dumplings
$12
Additional Side of Fancy Rice
$4
GET NOTIFIED
Cause we're just getting started.
New Pop Ups
Menu Updates
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Yao Gun is still taking shape. Join the list to hear about upcoming pop-ups and dumpling nights, new merch, special events, and whatever else we’re working on next.
No weekly newsletter. No inbox filler. Just an occasional heads-up when there’s something worth showing up for.
BOOK ONLINE
Private "Make Your Own" Dumpling Nights
Learn to make dumplings without leaving home. We bring the ingredients, dough, fillings, and know-how to your kitchen for a hands-on dumpling night. Everyone learns to roll, fill, fold, cook—and most importantly, eat—their own dumplings.
Starting at $60/person · 4-person minimum
Public Pop-ups
Bring Dumpling Night to your venue. Yao Gun sets up and cooks handmade dumplings fresh on-site while guests order directly from us. Built for breweries, bars, markets, music, and community events around Santa Barbara.
Guest-paid service · $12/order
Private + Catered Events
Handmade dumplings for the whole crowd. We bring our cooking setup and serve fresh dumplings on-site for private parties, corporate events, weddings, productions, and more. Prepaid service is priced by the number of orders, so you know exactly what you're getting ahead of time.
Starting at $10/order · Event minimums apply
STORE
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ABOUT YAO GUN
摇滚饺子 (Yáo Gǔn Jiǎozi) pronounced “Yow Gwin Jeeow Tzih,” translates to “Rock and Roll Dumplings.” a name that represents more than the blending of music and food. It speaks to the overlap of culture, identity and connection that has shaped me.
Everything about Yao Gun is, in some way, borrowed. I have spent time in China, studied the language, and wrote my thesis on Chinese rock and roll—but I am not of Chinese descent. I have played music since I was fourteen, writing songs, covering what inspired me, performing when I had the chance—but I am not a professional musician.
What I am, is someone who has been shaped by these things. And rather than draw hard lines around what is or isn’t authentic, I’ve come to believe that most of what matters exists somewhere in between. The world is full of purists and contortionists—hose who cling to tradition and those who chase reinvention—often locked in a constant argument over what is real, what is valid, what belongs. I have no interest in that fight. Yao Gun is not an answer to that question. It’s a rejection of the premise.
The goal of Yao Gun is to live in that grey space. To be something that is constantly shifting, constantly renegotiated. Not a fixed idea, but a shared one—shaped by the people who engage with it. Built on a foundation of respect, curiosity, humility, and a genuine appreciation for the things that bring us together.
At its core, Yao Gun is built on a simple understanding: food and music are both universal languages. They don’t require permission. They don’t demand explanation. They create space—for people to gather, to express themselves, to connect without needing to agree on everything else.
If this becomes anything meaningful, it won’t be because it perfectly defines itself. It will be because it creates room for others to step in and find something of their own within it. A moment, a conversation, a shared experience that feels real.
- Morgan
Contact US
Whether you’re planning an event, interested in carrying Yao Gun, looking to collaborate, want to host a pop-up, have a question about the menu, or just want to say what’s up, we’d love to hear from you. Send us a note with a little context and we’ll get back to you with the right information, whether that’s availability, pricing, wholesale or partnership details, menu questions, or something completely different.
