Independent site. Not run by Ugly Dumpling. Details were compiled in October 2026; confirm hours, prices and availability with the restaurant.
A sample order for a birthday table, priced
If you want a number in mind before you sit down at Edison, start with this order, priced from the full menu with prices.
| Pork and black truffle soup dumplings | $17.25 to $18.40 |
|---|---|
| Ugly bao buns: pork belly or roast duck (2) | $10.35 |
| Orange chicken or sweet and sour chicken | $18.40 to $19.55 |
| Egg fried rice | $9.20 |
| Chocolate chip lava cookie or cheesecake | $12.65 to $13.80 |
| Approximate total before tax and tip | from $67.86 |
What the first menu looked like
At launch the menu was organized by type of dish. Dim sum included chicken, vegan, and pork and shrimp dumplings, pan-fried pork buns, and pork with sticky rice in lotus wrap. Appetizers ranged from cucumber salad and scallion pancakes to sweet and sour baby back ribs, soy garlic wings, hot and sour soup and spicy beef with tripe.
The xiao long bao section had Kurobuta pork, Kurobuta pork with shrimp and cucumber, Kurobuta pork with truffle, and chicken. Wontons came spicy or in soup, with a vegan version of each. There was also pork chop fried rice and a drinks list with bubble tea, milk tea and lattes. Menus change, so treat this as the concept rather than today’s list.
New Brunswick is a short drive south on US-1, and it has no listed restaurant of its own, so Edison is the closest restaurant for Rutgers-area diners.
The Bao Lab and why it matters to a diner
The Edison restaurant introduced the Bao Lab, an open area where you can watch the dumplings being made. Marketing head Margaret M. Farrell described the idea as tapping into the historical Shanghai street food movement. For a diner, the practical upshot is that you can see how fresh the product is before you order.
The company behind the first restaurants was Vertex Hospitality Group, the same group behind KPot and Kinya. Edison is also in the middle of the state, so it is a sensible meeting point if friends are coming from Linden or from the Monmouth County restaurant in Holmdel.
How the original menu maps onto today’s prices
The Edison launch menu included Kurobuta pork soup dumplings, chicken soup dumplings, pork and shrimp dumplings, pan-fried pork buns and the vegan wontons. On the compiled menu, today’s equivalents are priced at $13.80 to $14.95 for classic and chicken soup dumplings, $8.05 for pan-fried pork buns and $11.50 to $12.65 for spicy wontons.
The truffle soup dumplings ($17.25 to $18.40) are the premium item. The sampler sits at the same price, which makes it the value pick if you want to taste several fillings in one basket.
Questions about Ugly Dumpling in Edison
Is Edison the first Ugly Dumpling?
Yes. It opened in 2023 and was the concept’s first location overall and its first in New Jersey.
What is the Edison address and phone?
561 US-1, Edison, NJ 08817. Phone (732) 317-8396.
What should I order at the original location?
Start with a soup dumpling variety and a dish from the dim sum list. Our ordering guide has a full plan.
Does Edison have the same menu as newer restaurants?
The structure is the same. Call (732) 317-8396 to confirm specific dishes.
Sources
Address and phone come from the restaurant location list, checked October 29, 2026. Prices and hours come from our compiled menu, confirmed by the site owner on the same date. Opening and background details come from these reports: