we ordered pan fried buns, wonton soup and kasu bento. The pan fried buns piping hot so be careful. It was good dipped in the wonton soup. I love wonton! Katsu had that crunch as katsu should. It is the little things that add to this small shop. As we were ordering, a contracted fridge maintenance person was there working on the shops equipment. As he was finishing up, a table was set for him with the same pan fried buns that we ordered, soup, and a drink - for him. You could hear his response "for me?". His job usually goes invisible in the background. They took the time to say thank you in the best way possible. A small shop mindful of those they serve, and those that serve them. I commend you on your generosity and thoughtfulness. This is the kind of shop i like going to. THANK YOU! read more

House special pan fried buns: Everything was great except the meat. I loved the texture of the bao and the crispy bottom. However, the texture of the meat was incredibly disappointing. The inside of the bao was juicy and flavor was great, but the meat, which is central to the dish, was tough and dry and flavorless. Mini fried bun with cup drink: The fried buns were okay. It's the same issue where the meat is just tough and grainy. The drink, though, I did not enjoy at all. I ordered the jasmine soy milk and there were just free flowing jasmine tea leaves inside the drink. It was like getting a mouthful of tea leaves each time I wanted a sip. This would have been much more enjoyable if they had filtered out the leaves before serving the drink. read more

Little Pan in Santa Ana was a great find! Everything we tried was packed with flavor, and I'd definitely come back. We started with the Thai cups topped with dumplings, which were such a unique combo. The beef chow mein was delicious, and the shrimp rice hit the spot too. But the pan-fried buns were probably the highlight for me. We tried both the pork belly and the shrimp & leek, and they were crispy on the outside, soft inside, and so good. If you're in Santa Ana and craving some tasty Chinese food, Little Pan is definitely worth checking out! read more

Little Pan - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

fried dumplings and noodles were 5/5. Crispy, delicious, broth was tasty. Noodle sauce flavor was very well balanced. Bento box was a good deal, less than $20 I believe for lots of food but the pork ribs weren't my favorite. Too much bone/bone marrow and very little meat with them. Service was quick, pretty much self seating and order through QR code. Staff was attentive. Yummy food, have came here more than once and always a pleasure:) read more

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The menu had a lot of variety which I liked. The most unique dishes were the Chinese version of the bento box. Food review will be in the pictures. We ordered from the app and food came at a good time. They were very quick to come if we needed something so service was great. The decoration was minimal but seating were comfortable. read more

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Updating my previous review, Little Pan is still cooking. I wasn't hungry enough for a bento this time so I got the Mapo Tofu buns and a free side of spicy cabbage thanks to their rewards program. I didn't know the Mapo Tofu buns were vegan so I was shocked when the insides were just diced up tofu that looks like crushed peanuts but tastes like nothin'. It's my own fault. The bun tasted fine. For a vegan dish, I think it's excellent but in comparison to all the rich, meaty, soupy buns they have it's definitely last for me, but I like meat. Also deserving of 5 stars is the excellent service from the gentleman that was my waiter. The cabbage (kimchi) is perfect and going home with me to make some kimchi fried rice later starting with bacon fat! Get the vegan out of my system. read more

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The food here is surprisingly good! It's a smaller, more intimate restaurant, but they really deliver where it counts. ​The XLB (soup dumplings) were nice, hot, and packed with flavor. But the absolute star of the show was the chow mein--it is a total must-order if you visit. ​Service was just okay, nothing spectacular, but the quality of the dishes more than makes up for it. Definitely a solid spot if you're craving some great food in a cozy setting. read more

Little Pan - Menu - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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This spot is known for their pork pan-fried buns, and they do a great job keeping them juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. However, they coat the bottom half of the buns with something to maintain that crunch. It ended up tasting a bit like solidified peanut oil or something similar, which gave the buns a slightly off-taste because it didn't really seem fresh. The texture and juiciness are definitely there, but that frying oil flavor holds them back from being great. Also got the Dan Dan Noodles, which was just ok. read more

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Had lunch plans with a friend and we were debating on where to go. She was craving something new and came across Little Pan on her tiktok. The video looked inviting so we went for it. She got a bento box with katsu chicken, rice, etc. Ordered egg rolls as side too. Sadly she didn't seem impressed. Barely ate half of the box, one egg roll, and then said she is ready to step away. I didn't try any of it, but it looked simple and good. I got the egg fried rice and beef chow mein. I was quite happy with my plates. Good mix of flavors, perfect texture to both. The portions were larger than I anticipated, so I had some to take home and it all reheated well. Service was good. The young folks working were very attentive, checked up on us regularly, and kept our water dispensing bottle full... This little strip of small businesses is in a nice area, very close to the 55 freeway. Easy to access, decent amount of parking, and has an "active" security guard walking the grounds regularly. read more

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Stopped in for a quick dinner with friends. I do like the ability to order from the table vs ordering at the front. It was a little tricky for my friends who sat at the same table because when they each scanned the QR code to order, it ended up putting them all together and any edits made actually affected the other people's orders. I was not involved in that thankfully as I used a different QR code at the tables we all sat at. From order to receiving our meal, everything was delicious, don't be like me and not realize how big those pan fried bao are... I ended up having so much left over to take back and share with other friends I was meeting up with that evening. The bao were absolutely delicious! Stuffed to the brim of filling and perfectly toasted on the bottom. The mapo tofu was so comforting as it's a dish I typically make at home. The cheese corn was so cheesy, but didn't have as much corn as I thought, but none the less also amazing! The star was the braised pork belly. Absolutely loved it and could easily eat those all the time. Definitely worth checking out read more

Little Pan - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

We actually came to this plaza for another restaurant but the wait at that restaurant took forever and we were starving so we came in here instead. I appreciate how clean and spacious this place is and after ordering food through the QR code on the table, the food came out really fast. We enjoyed the pan friend buns combo which consisted of pork buns, curry buns and leek buns. My fav out of the 3 flavors is the original pork buns. Shrimp wontons in seaweed soup was comfort food during the night. It was warm and hit the spot. The free appetizer we got for signing up as a member was the wood ears and it was very fresh tasting with a good crunch. Dandan noodles have a good Mala flavor without being overly spicy and the texture of the noodles was just right, very chewy. Finally the xlb was juicy and it was exactly what satisfied my hangry son at the moment. read more

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Still my favorite pan fried buns. We love it so much that tonight after we finished dinner elsewhere, we brought our friend who's never had it just to try an order of the original pan fried buns. She agreed with our assessment of how yummy it is. We also tried their house made Thai tea which is pretty good and not too sweet. The restaurant was clean and the service is super friendly. I love watching the chefs freshly making the buns. They are running a promotional game right now but how it works is a secret until you pay. Good luck! read more

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Orange chicken is sauced generously, but not so much it makes it soggy. The breading is soft, but not overly chewy and the chicken is very yummy and tender. Chow mein is yummy and the egg is so delicious! The dumpling where so savory and juicy read more

Little Pan - Orange Chicken, Vegetable Chow Mein, and Pork Dumplings. - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Still the best pan fried buns in town. Didn't care as much for the beef wrap. Seems to have shrunk in content. However the sides were amazing and very generous portions! Still one of my favorite restaurants. read more

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Nice spot to visit to try their pan fried buns. We got the mixed buns with different flavors. The buns were crispy on the bottom and juicy inside paired with some Dan Dan noodle. You will order at the counter and the staff will deliver the food to the table. There were plenty seating inside, good for groups to come in to grab dinner. read more

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Food: i ordered mini pan fried dumpling (beef). I would not recommend. The fried dumpling has no broth inside, the meat was dried, the skin was chewy and you can smell and taste a little bit of old oil. This is my second time try out this restaurant. To my standard, if you enjoy din tai fung, seven grams, or paradise dynasty, then you would not like it here. Service: decent service for fast food style chinese restaurant. Atmosphere: clean and modern, friendly design. read more

Little Pan - Mini fried dumpling/mini Mini Pan-Fried Bun In Chili Sauce (4 Orders) 拇指生煎（牛/猪/鸡） (4 Orders) - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Hands down one of my favorite places to get dumplings. Came here a while back with my best friend and we tried a few things. I recently came back for my favorite though: the cup of mini pan fried angus beef buns with a jasmine soy milk and it was as delicious as I remembered, definitely a favorite of mine. I recommend getting them with a soy milk of choice (preferably the jasmine) to soften the spice and add a little creamy, light sweetness to mix. We also tried the rainbow dumplings which were also very good. Certain colors were our favorites but we can't recall which was which. Either way, they are worth a try! The pan fried pork buns and xiao long bao were also delicious and highly recommend. I'm always looking for a place with great dumplings/ soup dumplings and this is absolutely one I always recommend and pick up if I'm in the neighborhood. There are also a bunch of cute places in this center I wouldn't mind trying either. If you have time, sit inside and enjoy the quaint and adorable ambiance. The young lady who helped me was so sweet and helpful. I'll definitely be back to pick up my faves and come with friends! read more

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I was craving juicy dumplings, so my boyfriend and I visited Little Pan. It's a small restaurant but it has tables and booths for large or small parties. The service was also great and attentive. The mini pan fried dumplings in chili sauce were delicious-- Definitely my favorite dish. However, the Lunar New Year buns... those were SPICY. If you can handle the heat, then these are the buns for you. Unfortunately for me, my tongue was on fire. I really liked some spicy buns from a different restaurant so I thought that I'd love these ones too. I should've stuck with the original. read more

Little Pan - Mini Pan-Fried Bun In Chili Sauce - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I ordered the 6 pc beef pancake, and they were absolutely delicious. The ingredients are few including braised beef, cilantro, and their house sauce. It was a good mixture of something heavy and savory and something light and refreshing. When my family and I had first entered, we were told to sit down and scan the QR code to order but all of our phones had issues ordering so we had to go up and order instead. I wish someone had been more attentive with refilling our water or giving us a new pitcher since the first and only pitcher they provided was only good enough for our party of 3. Other than that, the environment is great and clean. read more

Little Pan - Beef pancake - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Came to Little Pan to get the pan fried pork buns. For $11.99, you get six buns. They were decent. The dough is on the thinner side and the buns aren't too greasy. My favorite item turned out to the pickled cabbage - I'm not a huge kimchi fan but loved this dish. The sweet and sour cucumbers were decent, not too spicy. The hot and sour soup was more peppery and not sour. The restaurant was empty when we first got there but filled up as prime lunchtime hit. If you're getting food to go, you can order online or on the tablet in front. read more

Little Pan - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Pork fried bun is my fav 5/5 Shrimp and chive isn't bad Mapo tofu is nice if you're looking for a veggie option pork dumpling 2/5 was not good. The bottom was fried and soggy, inside filling wasn't flavorful. Chow mein $17 5/5 Is fabulous. Lots of shrimp, incredibly flavorful noodles with a slight chew. I would be happy with the veggie variety! My first time ordering chow mein not at a takeout spot, and it was amazing. Will be seeking chow mein at other spots when I go out now lol read more

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This was my first time trying this restaurant after seeing a lot of videos on social media and I was not disappointed! The buns were perfectly tasty and the bottom was super crispy and tasted like fried mantou. I also tried the beef dumplings, which was a nice twist since I don't usually see a lot of places use beef in their fillings as they usually use pork or chicken. Definitely worth stopping by! read more

Little Pan - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

First impression is that the place is a great spot for family and students alike. The food really packs a punch. It can get busy with people visiting form airport and family coming here. The staff really are dedicate to getting your food asap. They have a wide selections of pan fried buns filled with different type of meats, flavors and veggies. You can get from shrimp and pork to curry flavor buns that are pan fried to crispy perfection. The juices inside these buns are just insanely delicious. They have a sauce bar for customers to build their own dipping sauce. What we ordered: house special pork, shrimp and lean pork and curry buns. We also ordered mini pan fried buns that come in a bowl that snaps onto your soda cup. This makes it convenient for anyone to carry it while eating and sipping on your favorite soda. They also have a variety of other dishes and noodles to choose from. Pro-tip: don't sleep on their pancakes and peanut noodles. These are arguably the best I've had. The parking can be difficult. The place is bright and chill. read more

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Little Pan is a casual dine-in restaurant specializes in pan fried buns. Owner Vicky Liu first moved to the United States in high school and graduated from UC Irvine with a business economics degree. She started by running a food-delivery company and eventually got into pan fried buns after receiving positive feedback from her customers. Currently this is the flagship location with another location near USC. [Parking]: Easy and free plaza parking, but the lot was surprisingly packed and I took the last available spot at 7:15 PM on Saturday. [Ordering]: Customers can pick any available tables and scan the QR code to place an order. They do have laminated menus upon requests. [Menu]: For Shanghai Pan Fried Buns, they offer three main flavors - House Special Pork, Curry Pork, and Shrimp/Pork & Chive. Don't know which one to get? Customers can order assorted (2 buns for each flavor mentioned) for $13.99. They also offer special flavors like Mapo Tofu and 24k Gold Black Truffle. Other top Yelp highlighted items include Beef Roll (Beef Pancake as listed in the menu) and Dan Dan Noodles. *** Wonton Soup with Dried Small Shrimps ($12.99): This soup really hit the spot with savory broth and solid wonton. It had tiny shrimps which enhanced the umami flavor, but those shrimps did make the soup a tad salty toward the very end. Assorted Pan-Fried Pork Bun (6 Counts $13.99): The three flavors are House Special Pork, Curry Pork, and Shrimp/Pork & Chive. These buns were piping hot so make sure to (1) poke a hole first and (2) pour soup to the spoon to drink it. Crispy bottom with solid fillings. Dan Dan Noodle (fresh noodle, stir-fried pork, bok choy, five-spice sauce, and peanuts - $13.99): The noodle had right amount of spicy level and peanut sauce was not overly salty. *** A solid 4.5-star on food. A good spot for a casual lunch or dinner for local residents, who's craving for relatively decent Chinese food, but I personally wouldn't drive out of the way just for their pan fried buns. read more

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We saw this place on tiktok and were super interested. The restaurant itself is nice and clean and does the typical online order you'd see at other modern Chinese restaurants. The staff brought out our food quickly while also periodically clearing our table. We ordered the house special pork buns as well as the curry buns and were delightfully surprised by the flavorful soup inside. The rich broth complimented the buns well as it kept the buns from being too bland. The meat inside was solid, but not the best we've ever had. The house buns were pan fried well and had a crispy bottom, but the curry ones were a bit chewier. The mini pan fried buns were a little disappointing as the sauce was bland and so were the dumplings. The texture of the dumpling was alright as the crispiness helped keep it a little interesting. The dan dan noodles were severely lacking in flavor as it just tasted like peanuts. After adding a decent amount of vinegar and chili sauce, the flavors mixed well together. Overall we would come back again, but only for the house special pan fried buns. read more

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I didn't know what to expect from a place called Little Pan until my friends told me it's really good 生煎包、eg Shanghainese style pan fried potstickers/buns. So my friends took me to try even though we just ate dinner in the same plaza! The original house special buns with pork were juicy and hot, better to eat 'em there right when they're hot and add vinegar before indulging. The place is small but it is modern and clean. It's under the same ownership as 949 Grill lounge two doors down. Sherry was super friendly and helpful, and we can't wait to go back! Thank you! read more

Little Pan - House special buns w pork 生煎包 - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Super fun that the buns are pan fried. Cucumbers were good. The corn cheese pan was mostly just cheese in there. Vegetarian spring rolls were not vegetarian as they seem to have meat and when I checked with the cashier, they confirmed with person in the back that there was no meat in there...‍ read more

Little Pan - Apparently this is shiitake vegetarian spring roll but it tasted like meat - confirmed by other meat eaters... - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Amazing! Today was my first visit, the food was for take out and was prepared in a very beautiful and thoughtful way. That was just the start of an amazing experience at Little Pan. The prices are affordable and the food is absolutely delicious! We tried several items and all were so yummy, we will be back. Stop in you will be sure to enjoy this little gem! read more

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Got a notice from Facebook with a coupon. Went fairly early around 4pm. A few patrons with delivery people dropping in every 15 minutes. Parking was easy. Food was okay. The pork dumplings was great, but you get filled up right away - because this dumpling is the size of a puffy squash ball. The stir fry beef chow mein was great; a little oily. We took home the mapo tofu, pork belly dumplings, one egg roll. Like I said, very filling food. read more

If you're around the area - this spot is a must try! The buns are crispy at the bottom, yet soft all around. We came around a weekday lunch time and it was quite busy. They were quite understaffed, but everyone was so sweet and helping one another. It was great to see. We tried their variety of buns and I loved the curry one! My friend really enjoyed the shrimp and chives. Of course we had to try the cucumbers which were refreshing and flavorful. I need to come back and try the rest of the menu. Overall, 4.5 stars! read more

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Been wanting to come here to actually eat but kinda blew up in social media so I haven't had a chance to eat here. So time I've gone here it's been so busy that I leave lolz Will say this is only based in the online order as I just wanted a little appetizer! It said it was due at 11:07 and it took a little bit longer but wasn't a biggie! The inside has lots of seating and seemed very clean!! So that's is nice. I ate it outside since it was kinda cold inside for my taste lolz. I got a cup of mini angus beef pan-fried bun in chili sauce. I will say I give it a 8/10. Maybe I thought the chili sauce would be more spicy and would have a bit more flavor! I will say this is just based in this item itself and will make another trip to eat more food!!! read more

Little Pan - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

came to little pan with my friends for their famous pan-fried bun !!! they are getting fancier now with mini bun cup with coke and weekday special!! WOW!! Ok, started off with dumplings. And love to watch them making it fresh too! Shanghai pan fried bun! Just so stuffed and juicy inside! Then chinese beef rolls crispy and crunchy with quality meat inside Can't wait to come back and try their weekday special IG: socalhkfoodies read more

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i got the assorted pack of 6 which i liked because you can try different flavors. the buns themselves were soft and looked really good, but honestly the filling wasn't as juicy as i expected. it was a bit on the drier side, so it didn't hit the way i wanted it to. overall still decent, just wish there was more filling and moisture inside. i'd come back to try other items, but this one was just okay for me. read more

Little Pan - assorted pan fried pork buns - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Delicious! I have tried the one near USC as well but in my opinion this one is the best spot due to being able to get parking at the right time and dining inside is more spacious. The service is top tier and it is the perfect place for family to gather and enjoy a filling meal. Highly recommend! read more

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I've only done take out twice now, but each time, my food has been AMAZING. The order has been correct and well packaged. The interaction with the staff, though brief, is nice and helpful. The space looks clean and like a nice place to sit and eat at. I've tried the stir-fried French beans, braised pork noodle soup, fried rice, sweet and sour pork, shrimp chow mein, Pan-fried pork bun, and wonton soup. Again, this was split between two orders, two separate time. Also for a group of three. We had plenty of leftovers, even after having decent portions of the food. Each item was fantastic. My favorites have been the stir-fried French beans and the sweet and sour pork. The pan-fried pork bun was great too. Again, it's all amazing. I wish I took photos, but I was busy enjoying the food. I highly recommend this restaurant. I can't wait to try more of the menu!! read more

Little Pan - 09.10.25 - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Food tastes really good, but I found a plastic piece from one of my bao... it ruined my meal read more

Little Pan - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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My wife and I saw this place the last time we were in Santa Ana but ended up eating somewhere else, so when we returned a few weeks back we decided to come and check this place out for lunch. This cool little restaurant looks nice and sat us right away when we arrived. The menu has a bunch of different noodle and bun options as well as a super large catering menu if that's something you are looking for. For my first time I kept it simple by ordering a personal favourite food of mine, an order of the Dan Dan Noodles as well as an order of the House Special Pan-Fried Pork Buns since those seem to be what they are known for. The food came out pretty quickly and man oh man, it all really hit the spot. The Dan Dan Noodles tasted really good, though it was hard to be an adult and wait for them to cool down instead of burning my mouth like the dumb little idiot I am. The Pan-Fried Pork Buns were super good as well, though a tad overshadowed by my love for the noodle dish. They were crispy on the outside and the meat on the inside had very solid flavour as well. Overall, Little Pan was a great lunch spot and definitely gets a thumbs up from me. I really enjoyed my food, the staff was great, and the restaurant itself was nice as well. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good lunch spot in Santa Ana. read more

Little Pan - Dan Dan Noodles. - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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The assorted pan fried buns were pretty good, the wrapper is really thin but I liked how crispy they were. I liked the original pork the best but the curry one and the shrimp chive were good too. The beef roll was okay for the price, not the best wrapper but I liked the sauce read more

My first time back in a few years and Little pan still hits! We got the combo with 4 pan fried buns + sweet and sour cucumber ($12.99) which is a good deal, as compared to ordering them individually. I loved the cucumbers and appreciate the decent portion size. Tasty meal, and the perfect amount for me and my husband. read more

Little Pan - Chinese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I've been to Little Pan a few times and each visit is better than the previous one. Their food is delicious, the dinning room is bright and inviting. I always visit at off times because the parking lot is small and shared between a few different restaurants so at peak meal times parking can be challenging. read more

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