This is the perfect spot for family style Chinese food. Portions are big enough to share and try a little of everything. I personally loved the sesame chicken and the cucumber salad. The house special chow mein was also good with all three shrimp, chicken and beef. The staff was friendly, quick and attentive. Super clean and big inside. Nice little hidden gem in Pasadena. Worth eating there! read more

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The food was so yummy and the prices were very reasonable and the portions very big. I definitely will be back. Love love loved it

I had the BEST Chinese food in a while! The ingredient are fresh, their meats (beef, seafood, barbecue pork, chicken, amazingly tasty, I love their dumplings juicy and delicious! They make them here... true flavors. What I love the most about this nice restaurant is that I taste freshness in their dishes, it's not overwhelm with artificial ingredients, if you like to eat authentic Chinese food, visit this restaurant, [[HIGHLIGHT]]it has a calm atmosphere, very clean, and they provide excellent service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Oh, and their dishes look just like the pictures in their website! How about that! Enjoy it! And YES! I think this is THE BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN PASADENA! read more

I love finding new places through Yelp and find that star score & reviews are pretty right on. This restaurant scores 5 stars and having stopped there tonight I can see why. Food was delicious and warrants the 5 stars. Met the young owner Jessica who is very sweet and gracious. Mongolian beef, sesame chicken and other dishes were excellent. We'll be going back for sure read more

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Food was delicious with large portions!!! Schezuan-style popcorn chicken was authentically tasty, walnut prawns were so crispy and deep fried well, and fried rice was great! Friendly service. Would highly recommend!! read more

Their food was so so delicious and the service was great, I definitely will come back again Joe read more

3.6 stars for J's. The food overall is tasty. We really like their garlic green beans, walnut shrimp, salt and pepper fish filets and the Chongqing fried chicken. I would pass on the orange chicken and eggplant because they are a bit too basic and too saucy for my liking. Portions aren't too big so order more if you're hungry. Just be aware that the wait for dine-in can be a bit long. Perhaps they need to hire more cooks in the back to keep up with their takeout and dine in orders so that dishes don't just come out one by one. Overall, a good option if you're craving Chinese food in Pasadena but don't want to drive to SGV. read more

We had a delightful time at J's Chinese cuisine! Such friendly service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]And the restaurant is bright, clean and extremely cheerful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were especially impressed with the garlic mixed vegetables, of all things: a beautiful, large , perfectly cooked, colorful heap of bok choy, broccoli, carrots, cabbage and snow peas in a light, garlicky sauce- delicious! The shrimp n the shrimp fried rice were large and succulent and our crab ragoon and green onion pancake appetizers were a great starters. All that for under $50 bucks! Our server was mentioning how slow business is these days since the fires :-(. Go check out J's Chinese Cuisine either in person or order take away; you won't be sorry! read more

3.75 stars overall Very happy that this place serves Southern chinese, sichuanese food. Ecstatic to know that they serve my favorite chongqqing chicken dish. It is a classic! If you like spicy fried stir fry chicken, this is the dish for you! Got the eggplant stir fry which was very delicious but can be a meal on its own. If you're looking for more of a complimentary veggie dish to go along with your protein and rice then this is not it. I would recommend going with the leafy green vegetable instead for that. Also got the crispy salt and pepper fried shrimp and was not a fan of that dish. It was pretty plain. I like my shrimp well seasoned and spicy with shell & tail on. The breaded shrimp is not my style. The customer service can be better. It would be really helpful if they had a sign by the door that greeted diners & informed on whether to go to the counter and order then sit or to wait there until the hostess comes over or if it's self seating... Both times we came here, they never saw us at the door so they never came over to greet us. The counter is not close to the front door so we have to walk past diners and tables everytime to go over to the counter to get their attention which feels awkward... Would also be nice if they had a bell or ring at the door when folks walked in so that they can hear and see us when we come in without us having to walk over to get their attention. The ambiance is casual. Seems to have a diverse clientele due to the location of the area which is a good thing... when they do provide direct attention and service, it is sufficient. But they can still improve as I mentioned. Probably wouldn't come here to dine-in again but wouldn't mind this place for take out or pick up if I'm craving my fav dish... otherwise back to SGV for (relatively) better dine in experience and wine, etc. read more

J'S Chinese Cuisine - Eggplant... yummy but a bit too saucy for my liking... - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Items Ordered: Hot Spicy Green Beans, Mapo Tofu (spicey), & Orange Chicken. This placed has been open for about 2 months & it was just after Thanksgiving so we didnt expect it to be poppin. The two servers that night were very nice and attentive (though it was just us at one point). Nonetheless, very nice people. Grew up in Alhambra my whole life so when I moved to Pasadena, I wanted to find a spot closer to us so we could get our chinese fix that comes by pretty often . This place is very clean & spacious so nothing like your typical Chinese restaurant, which was a nice change. Green Beans (spicy) was probably our favorite. We asked for mild so it wasnt as spicy. Their added pickle thing (forgot the name) was a good touch. Mapo Tofu (spicy), again asked for mild was a bit oily but also pretty good. The spice was a bit too much for me & imo used to mapo tofu with a bit of minced beef (but thats just a different style). Orange chicken was really good! The sauce & crunch made it. I know we all compare it to Panda, but its not the same as pandas . So you will get a bit different taste, but would def get again. Hope this place sticks around! Prices weren't too bad either. read more

J'S Chinese Cuisine - Spicy MaPo Tofu, Hot Spicy Green Bean, Orange Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The best and freshest Chinese food I've had from all over SoCal. This is the closest I've had to NY Chinese food since I moved to LA!!! Everything is made fresh and the flavors are crazy good! Jessica was really amazing and took great care of us. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is very clean and welcoming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This will be my go to spot from now on! It doesn't matter what you get, it is going to taste amazing! read more

Only a few weeks old and still in their soft opening, J's Chinese Cuisine is a true, authentic Chinese food gem. Mainly focusing right now on Szechuan, this truly turned out to be a tremendously tasty experience. The owner is incredibly friendly, as was the other waitress/server. And the owner's husband is the chef working the magic. I guess this was a fairly popular Chinese restaurant in northern Pasadena known as Ming's Tasty until about a month ago, when it was sold to the new owners. I really hope they do well, because this is one of those Szechuan restaurants you want to see succeed and flourish. Just for the record, there is free parking in a small parking garage in back of the corner building they are located in, as well as street parking. The place is not huge in size, but is decorated nicely and has two large tables for bigger parties. Most refreshing was that the owner and chef's wife was actually eager to discuss the food and what we thought of each dish, looking for any constructive criticism we could offer. We didn't have much to say. Right now, because it is a soft opening, the choices on the menu are limited, but they will be adding more and more dishes as business picks up and they get a sense of what locals like and don't like. I suggest you stop on the way in to look at the large menu picture on one of the windows, because there were many dishes listed on it that were not on the menu handed out. However, if you ask, they will take requests or make dishes they are prepared to make but haven't listed yet. For instance, we got the Farmer's Style Pork (belly), which is not on the menu yet. We've had this dish at many places around the SGV, and to be honest we wish the dish was made with something other than pork belly because pork belly is so fatty. However, every place uses pork belly. The taste though was terrific, and it was one of the best versions I've had in the SGV. Also fantastic was the Chong Qi chicken. This dish is a must order, but if you order it at it's top spice level, prepare for spicy. We love spicy, so we were stoked. The taste is also much better than some places in the SGV and not greasy or oily at all for fried chicken. The kung pao prawns were great as far as taste and also had a kick, but it could be spicier. They said they would make it spicier for us next time. I also wish there were more peanuts and a few more shrimps. The dish didn't have enough shrimp and was over packed with large chunks of onions. Still, it tasted great. We were given some complimentary veggie spring rolls which were very good, the sweet and sour dipping sauce being a stand out. The only dish that maybe wasn't as up to par with the others was the pan fried pork and cabbage dumplings. They could use more filling. Also, the side that was not pan fried seemed oddly wet or oily in texture. And, while we were assured it was pork, it had that sort of bland flavor of chicken dumplings. The dipping sauce was a knock out, though. They're not bad at all, but could use some work. Anyway, obviously we really enjoyed the restaurant and our pleasurable time spent chatting with the owner/chef's wife and the other server, who is maybe family, as well. Please do yourself a favor and give them a try ASAP! You won't regret it! read more

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The food was delicious especially the spicy eggplants and the price is reasonable. Parking is covered behind the restaurant. The staff is attentive. We'll definitely return! read more

J'S Chinese Cuisine - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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WOW! J's is soooo good! Jessica, the owner, and her husband the chef are doing a fabulous job with reopening this Chinese restaurant in a nice off-the-beaten-path location in north central Pasadena. We were so happy to see them reopen this location under new management but with keeping the exceedingly high quality of meals as we had come to love. We just had the spicy eggplant and spicy green beans with white rice on the side. So perfectly cooked and seasoned! Yum. We ordered the chow fun pan fried wide noodles with chicken dish and spicy green beans a couple weeks ago - also delish! As another reviewer observed, we also thought the portion sizes were larger than the former restaurant, so yay!!! We can't wait to order some of their other dishes. Vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike will find plenty on the menu to love! The service was friendly and attentive, but not at all oppressive or obsequious. We really enjoyed chatting with Jessica about her excitement at opening a new restaurant, and it was fun meeting her sister too who was helping out. :) This is a medium sized space with a clean, modern minimalist feel. Not at all overcrowded. it was quiet and calm, but I imagine when it fills up, it might feel much busier and noisier. There is plenty of space and I doubt it will fill up very often as it is fairly large for the neighborhood. Speaking of the neighborhood, it is mostly residential and there is currently plenty of street parking. Given how good this restaurant is, there is just no reason for anyone north of the 210 freeway seeking Chinese food to venture to old town or south Lake. read more

My first time trying J's. The food was excellent (egg rolls, orange chicken, combination chow mein and broccoli beef). 5 stars for food. Taking one star off for the 15 minute wait at pick up past the time promised. Also, no fortune cookies? But maybe that's not a thing here. read more

Had the Walnut Shrimp and loved it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I like the atmosphere of this place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Fortunately, it's very close to my home so will probably be going back quite often. read more

Came for the fried chicken in dry chili- It was very yummy Had the cucumber salad-delish! Will definitely be back read more

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Our family has been coming to J's for a year or more, and it's consistently the best Chinese restaurant in Pasadena. This is a legit family business with real home cooking (no joke, the mom is making the dumplings in the kitchen). Try the spicy cabbage, the Mongolian chicken, the stir fried eggplant, the egg flower soup - you can't go wrong. And they are so nice. They do a lot of take out, but if you dine in, the service is great. I could go on. It's a special place. I eat out plenty, and I can't think of another restaurant I can truly say that about. read more

Was craving Chinese food and found this on Yelp. Food was really good! Generous portions. Fast service. Will be coming back!

It's been over a year since discovering this place, and we have not stopped ordering food to go. The owners are very professional and kind; ensuring you have the best experience. Our orders are always ready on the estimated time given over the phone and packaged so neatly and nicely that I hardly ever worry about items shifting in the bag. The quality of the food has always been exemplary. Never oily nor too salty. You can tell they always use quality ingredients. We also like that they've introduced other dishes than the usual Chinese fare so it encourages us to try other dishes on the menu. This place never disappoints and the food always hits the spot. read more

We regret ordering plain noodles to go with our spicy beef and mapo tofu. The food was not bad and the service was good by the waitress but the pricing just wasn't right. We order "plain" noodles that had nothing on there and it's only 1 dollar cheaper than regular house noodles with all the other ingredients. Bizarre! read more

J'S Chinese Cuisine - Plain chow mein with nothing on it for almost $13? - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

[[HIGHLIGHT]]An underrated hole in the wall, this is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I really like the shrimp chow mein, orange chicken, and their Chong Qi fried chicken (which I order extra spicy). I also like how they are generous with the wontons in the wonton soup. This is one of the three best Chinese restaurants I've been to in my life, the others being Newport Seafood in San Gabriel and China Moon in Laguna Niguel. read more

Wow! Delicious! Tried this new spot based off of the stellar reviews and they are spot on! The food is fresh, good quality, and generously portioned. We usually go to Alhambra for food and we are so excited we no longer need to do that for great Chinese food. We tried: the orange chicken (not soggy and all white meat) with a delicious crunch and sweet sauce that didn't over power. The chicken fried rice was amazing without oozing oil and had a great flavor. Kung pao shrimp had a gentle heat to it and had a lot of big shrimp (idk why someone complained it was lacking shrimp). Crisp vegetables and a very flavorful sauce. egg rolls -- good batter and nice size, though no meat, just veggies. Would be yummy with pork or shrimp wonton soup - so many dumplings!!! Other places literally give you 4 with some watery broth. The dumplings were a great combo of soft and firm and filled with lots of meat. Nice clear broth, too. Great flavor. We will continue to make this place a go to from now on and we hope nothing changes! Excited to try the chow mein and the walnut prawns next! read more

Legit Chinese food in Pasadena? Yessssss please. This place is 100% on par with real Chinese food from San Gabriel/ Monterey Park area without the long drive. Came here during Saturday lunch, and it was empty?!?!?! Yet the food was never the less delicious! As much as I'd like to keep this place to myself I'd like to see them stay in business more cuz Pasadena sure as hell needs a few legit Chinese food places. read more

Highly recommend this excellent Chinese restaurant!!! My wife and I take our daughter and friend for special occasions and we have never been disappointed! Food is consistently excellent, service is friendly and quick! Since we're semi regulars we always get a warm greeting from the owner! Portions are generous and delicious! Can't wait till our next visit! read more

One of the best Chinese restaurants I have ever had. The family style portions are generouse. Every dish was delicious

Super food. Not greasy. Chicken moist. Reasonable prices. Good portions. Bye bye China Express. read more

There food it's bomb the quality and taste is amazing We had the privilege of talking to the owner she was lovely this restaurant it's own by her and her husband, her attention to us was amazing we felt like home. Now my taste buds are already blown away and every time I think of Chinese food I think of J's amazing dishes I will definitely go back when i am around Pasadena this is a must try read more

Decided to give it a try today since it was on my route home. Ordered the farmer style pork and green pepper. It's not the usual fatty pork you'd get from other chinese food places, but it's delicious either way. Less fatty, but still full of flavor. Portion is what you paid for. Spicy level is true to what spicy is all about. Will come again to try their mapo tofu and kungfu boiled beef since from this simple dish alone it does look promising. read more

I gave it 3 stars for the awesome pricing! But the food? My spicy eggplant was not spicy, no flavor, swimming in a pool of grease. I would eat it if I wanted to have a heart attack The vegetarian chow fun had just a couple pieces of broccoli and a baby bokchoy. And swimming in...grease. Take a roll of paper towel to absorb the pool of oil before putting it in yer mouth. read more

If there were 10 stars, I would give this place 10 stars. I am absolutely blown away with the quality of food and flavor from this place. Friendly, kind diligent staff. The eggplant dish is to die for. I also tried the dumplings as well as the cumin lamb, and the quong qui chicken (forgive my misspelling) are all phenomenal. Also don't forget to try the Mongolian beef. Spice is up to your discretion. This is the best Chinese food I have had in the last three decades. read more

Food was fresh and the service was great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very clean restaurant![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Parking is free on the street or in the garage below. read more

The food is so good, and the staff are really friendly and nice. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself is super cute and comfy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had the garlic green beans, orange chicken, and wonton soup. All of it was really tasty, and big portions. read more

What a treat to Pasadena to be honored having this wonderful family owned restaurant, husband and wife team, met Jessica today and she was so lovely and accommodating. Through October order $35+ and get complimentary egg rolls! They could not be kinder, motivated to help in any way, and cooking with most healthy ingredients. Jessica mentioned her new restaurant leans more towards Cantonese cooking and favors steaming veggies and fish. Btw, I forgot to not eat all my steamed veggies with garlic sauce before posting so I'll just say that it's a new staple of mine!! It'll be a packed restaurant in no time so wanting to spread the good word! Delicious, healthily prepared & most welcoming new owners, what's not to love? Dine in, pick up, or delivery via DoorDash! I'll save you a spot since I'll be a regular here! read more

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A friend of ours recommended this little joint to us when it was brand spanking new. By now, we've been there multiple times, food is always on point. It's like we are in the SGV all of a sudden. It's not the Chinatown Chinese food, this is SGV style, iykyk. All their signature dishes are definitely try worthy. For now, it's still easy to get seated as it keeps growing its fan base. read more

Met up with a friend for dinner here. Parking is limited. You can park on the street or across the street. There is what looks like an underground garage, but it's probably for the apartments above as it is closed off. The restaurant wasn't full as it seems many get takeout. So, there were plenty of available tables for a Friday night. We tried the cucumber salad, corn soup, wonton soup, green beans, and walnut shrimp. Everything was good, and we agreed that we would be happy to return. The cucumber salad was super garlicky which is okay by me but might be a bit much for some. The walnut shrimp was good, but I have had better. If you are hoping for super crispy shrimp, this is not it. Service was fine. There is a self-serve area with containers and sauces if you need to take your leftovers home. read more

The food was fantastic. I decided to visit after seeing an endearing tiktok video from the owner about her and her husband starting their new restaurant. I ordered the sizzling beef plate and it was fantastic. It was better seasoned than the same dish I order at Pepper lunch. I only wish there was an option to put cheese on it! The service from the owner was top tier-- she was very kind and checked in on us often. I'll definitely be back. read more

Where do I begin with this place? Stumbled on this little gem looking for something open on Thanksgiving. We got the house special chicken which totally blew my taste buds. Unbelievably delicious. Equally delicious was the cucumber salad, spicy green beans and the house special fried rice. The space is warm and welcoming. The owner came out to speak with us and couldn't be more gracious. Can't wait to go back and try everything else and get the chicken again which I literally think about everyday. read more

Came here to have lunch on Christmas. It was our first by one and we were not disappointed. The space is clean and bright. Service was good and the food was excellent! We started with an order of the wonton soup that was plenty for 2 adults and a child. Next we had the salt and pepper chicken wings followed by Mongolian beef and BBQ pork fried rice. The mild spicy definitely has some heat to it, more like what I'd expect of medium. It they warned me when I ordered it and it was amazing. Excellent fried rice and the chicken wings were perfectly seasoned. Can't wait to come back and try the Kung Pap chicken. So glad we tried this place, we will definitely come again. read more

My husband and I came here regularly when it was Ming's Tasty and were shocked when we found out that the restaurant had been sold. We thought the place was doing reasonably well. We hoped the new owners were going to keep a similar menu and gave it a try last Monday. Yummm! The cumin lamb was more tender with a nice crisp exterior and just the right amount of spice balanced with the szechuan peppercorns. The spicy eggplant was spicy, sweet and delicious. The portions were bigger than we were served when it was Ming's Tasty. The seating is still the same, clean, comfortable and spacious. There are new money trees in the entrance for luck. The new owner, Jessica, gave us complimentary hot and sour soup and cucumber salad. So nice and friendly. We'll be back very soon to try something new...maybe next week. read more