Lexington dumpling restaurant to close, with a big menu change planned

A Lexington Chinese restaurant is closing but plans to reopen with a new menu and cuisine.

Dumplings & Noodles at 3695 Nicholasville Rd., Suite 120, announced on social media that it would be closing permanently on Nov. 16. The restaurant, which features a menu of handmade bun dumplings, noodles and bone broth, fried rice and Chinese entrées, is offering a 20% discount to customers who come in before it closes.

Dumplings & Noodles opened in 2023. According to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website, owner Youngfeng Yin plans to change the name of the business to White Tiger Indian Restaurant and Bar.

The restaurant, in response to a message, said the new menu will be Indian and Nepalese food. It’s unclear when it will reopen.

The owner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Previous issues with health department

Dumplings & Noodles had been closed by the health department in August 2024 after failing inspection with a score of 52 out of 100. Restaurants that score below 60 are automatically closed. And in this case, the inspector also noted the presence of insects.

Dumplings & Noodles Inc. was ordered to cease operation and request a conference with the health department within five days or its permit would be suspended. The inspector found 30 areas of violation, according to the inspection report. Among them:

• Person in charge didn’t demonstrate food safety knowledge;
• Employee beverages and food improperly stored;
• Hands not washed after touching raw product;
• Bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (a server was cutting fruit without gloves);
• Hand sink not accessible, with no paper towels and water not hot enough for sanitizing;
• Food stored improperly in walk-in cooler including food contaminated by condensation drip, food with lint and hair on it and food stored uncovered;
• Improper sanitizing;
• Food not kept at safe temperatures (sauces that required refrigeration were left at room temperature, sweet and sour chicken not kept cold or hot enough);
• Food not date marked for discard;
• Unapproved combination of cleaner/disinfectant in use; Pesticides in use within the establishment;
• Improper thawing (frozen packaged noodles left at room temperature, meat left in standing water);
• Fayette County food handlers’ cards expired;
• No hair/beard restraints where required; Knives and tongs store on unclean surfaces;
• Soiled gloves not properly disposed of;
• Not enough hot water/water not hot enough to meet sanitizing demands, among other issues.

The restaurant also failed re-inspection on Aug. 23 and had to stay closed. It eventually passed inspection and was allowed to reopen. On an inspection in February 2025, the restaurant scored 95.

Janet Patton

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-379-5233

Janet Patton covers restaurants, bars, food and bourbon for the Herald-Leader. She is an award-winning business reporter who also has covered agriculture, gambling, horses and hemp. Support my work with a digital subscription