There’s a new dumpling destination settling into the plaza at 853 N. Mayfair Rd.  And now that they've had a few weeks to acclimate, it's a good time to try them out.

The first location outside of Florida for Serious Sanji, a fast-casual dumpling house, made quite the splash when it softly opened in late October. In fact, for weeks locally-owned franchise was mobbed with guests eager to try out its menu of dumplings, appetizers and select soup and noodle dishes.

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Fortunately, the restaurant has begun to hit its stride, making it a great time to pay a visit if you haven’t had the opportunity.

Created to satiate the dumpling boom that began on the coasts and has quickly traveled to the Midwest, Serious Sanji focuses on freshly made dumplings – created with the assistance of high-tech equipment and streamlined processes – so that they can be made quickly and without the need for chefs with specialized training.

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The restaurant itself has a simple modern vibe with burgundy walls, wooden planters and accents and casual, sit-down dining in burgundy booths or at four-top tables.  The semi-open kitchen offers a view of dumplings being built and steamed and various other menu items being cooked.

Service is provided by a combination of traditional servers, who take your order and attend to special requests and details, and robot servers who deliver the dishes to your table along with a happy little tune. (Note: the robot servers may not be used if the restaurant is particularly busy, as they cannot navigate effectively through tight spaces.)

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As for the menu, it includes a fairly diverse selection of appetizers including edamame, scallion pancakes, cucumber salad and wontons with chili sauce. Dim sum classics like spring rolls, siu mai and both Peking Duck and BBQ pork buns rond out the offerings along with a few soups and noodle dishes. 

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Highlights from the menu included the salt and pepper wings (four for $6 or eight for $10.99). They’re beautifully crisp on the exterior with just the right combination of spices and tender flavorful chicken. They're served with a sweet and sour sauce that pairs well. 

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But the star of the show is definitely the dumplings. The fried pork and chive dumplings were particularly good: savory and herbal and served alongside a soy-based dipping sauce (eight for $9.95). They were my favorite of the bunch.

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The namesake sanji are also tasty. These larger, round dumplings come with a variety of fillings including pork, beef and chicken (five for $9.95). The pork were delicious, but I’ll be back to try the striking pink beef-filled sanji next time.

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Should you be looking for a meal on the go (or just a large serving of mini dumplings), order the tub of mini sanji ($15.99). The mini sanji can be purchased with boba tea or with a drink of your choosing for $19.99. 

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And yes, there are also xiao long bao (soup dumplings), which are available as traditional Shanghai-style dumplings (filled with pork), filled with chicken or a combination of pork or crab (pictured).

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Pro tip: The easiest way to eat soup dumplings without burning yourself is to place the dumpling into the provided dumpling spoon. Feel free to add a spoonful of black vinegar for flavor. Then poke it gently with a chopstick to allow some of the liquid to escape. You can slurp the liquid out of the spoon and then eat the dumpling as it cools.

Serious Sanji is open Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.