I came here for lunch with my bosses. It's Wednesday noon and there were plenty of tables. We ordered the Xiao long boa, pork and chive dumplings, sautee green beans and the beef roll. The green beans were on the salty side. The Xiao long boa's dough I was thin and overall juicy and good. The pork and chive boiled dumplings were no different than the one you bought from the Chinese market. The beef roll was ok. The beef was tender and it tasted good with the cucumbers and hoi sin sauce. However, I still like the wrap not fried. The fried roll made the beef roll more greasy. I never had Mama Lu's and this was my first time. Maybe I will try other locations and determine if the food standard is the same in other locations. read more

mama lu's always hits! they have a big and spacious parking lot in the back, which is great. located next to the bank. the food is always phenomenal, offering authentic chinese flavors and textures and freshness. the biggest highlight for us was the portion size too. 3 dishes fed us for 3 meals for 2 days lol. so value! the restaurant is clean and modernly decorated, perfect for large groups or date night or even solo eating! my fav activity here is practicing my ordering in cantonese! the staff know english, canto, and mando which is always great. shoutout to their serving staff of seemingly all women / aunties! come here for authentic chinese food!! they wont disappoint. if you like din tai fung, give mama lu's a try forsure :-) read more

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Was expecting this new location to be just as good as the other ones but it was a bit disappointing. Service was good but food was so so. Flavor is a bit off, especially the seafood fried noodle. It was quite bland and the seafood items were scarce. The decor is modern but I believe the renovation was from the previous ownership/restaurant. Large parking lot in the back. read more

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We came on a Friday night. This place was pretty packed, but we got seated right away! The food came out FAST. They take your order on an iPad and we got most of our food in less than five minutes. It's a little bit of a red flag when we first got our orders. But I had no issues with the food. It was all delicious. The place itself was kind of cramped. The tables were kind of close together. The inside is very big and the decor is pretty nice. I also like the plates!! Parking is also kind of hard to find. read more

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Came here for lunch on a Saturday, and honestly the experience wasn't that memorable. Maybe I just have way fonder memories of the dumplings, especially the frozen ones in bulk that I used to eat all the time, but I agree that it doesn't seem like this place matches up with the Monterey Park branch. The noodles were a bit bland, and felt lacking in the quantity of meat. We had the steamed sea bass which wasn't bad, but wish there was more of it especially given the price. Finally, the pan seared buns had good meat on the inside, but the outside can be a bit on the drier side. Overall not bad, but this place needs a lunch special for a average meal, and/or improve the food, otherwise I wouldn't be coming to this location very often in the future. read more

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We were so excited with Mama Lu's opened in Arcadia. My aunt got their food months ago and said it was just OK, but I chalked it to their new opening. So when we were thinking of where to eat for dinner, we decided to give it a chance. We placed the order and they said it would be done in 20 minutes. When we got there, we were annoyed to find out that they said that they don't have our order. 5 mins later, they found our order, but it was still take another 10 to 15 minutes. Now, let's get to the food and see if it was worth the wait. Let's just say, it wasn't worth it. The wonton lack flavor. The seaweed fish and seafood pan fried noodle was just okay. The only thing I liked from this location was the xiao long bao. I think if I ever crave Mama Lu's again... I'd rather drive to Monterey Park location and get the food from there. read more

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Lady told us to sign in for 3 and wait by the bbq area. Few mins later, couple walks in, another lady seats them. Ummm so why am I signing in for? Useless sign in sheet. Theres no 5 guest ahead waiting, we're only the ones at #74. Some couple walks in and says "for 2" and got seated on table for 4. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Useless sign in sheet - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Lots of parking options for this spot. It's quite big too so I'm sure you'll be seated and served super quick. The space is comfortable and had average decor. Service was quick and friendly. On to the foods. We ordered shrimp fried rice, which lacked any flavor. House special fish which was sort of sweet and odd tasting. The house special pan fried noodles and the Chinese broccoli with preserved fish saved the day. Those were good. Hit and miss I'd say for this spot. I couldn't figure out if it was Chinese or Taiwanese??? Not sure. Ok to try though. read more

The food is amazing and all the employees are so nice and attentive. The spicy wontons are sooo delicious. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - #1 juicy pork dumplings(10) #2 #16 spicy wontons pork - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

For years, I've been hoping Mama Lu's will come to Arcadia, so it's a nice surprise to see them open a new location less than 10 minutes away. The interior is larger, brighter, more contemporary than their original on Garvey in Monterey Park. The service is prompt and efficient. The staff is always moving at a fast pace to get the turnover moving along. The food came out hot and fast. The flavor however, although good, isn't great like the OG location. Seaweed fish: Hot, crispy and tasty. Served with salt/pepper for dipping. Use it sparingly because it's very salty. 4/5 Sautéed string beans: Crisp fresh beans in garlic. Pretty good. 3.5/5 Beef Roll/Wrap: Generous amounts of sliced beef, but it's bland. The beef doesn't taste marinated, nor are these made with a slightly sweet sauce like many other places. I probably wouldn't order these again. 2.5/5 Eggplant in garlic sauce: Heavy for a veggie dish, and can use a bit more pork slices in here. There are some places that make it better. 3/5. XLB: Not bad. There's a bit of juices in here but not where it can fill a soup spoon. These took the longest to come out. 3/5 Chicken fried rice: It's on the lighter side, as in it can use a bit more salt/seasoning. Also, the chicken is lacking, but it has a nice fragrant wok taste. 3.5/5 Food overall isn't bad. Service is quick, but not very personable which is to be expected from most Chinese restaurants. Other info: There's a shared parking lot in the back. Many closer spots are reserved for Wells Fargo, but you should find one a few steps further away. The rear entrance from the lot leads you to the BBQ takeout station. This also serves as the area where people wait for their tables. For weekends, I'd say after 12:30ish is when the line gets quite long. This location does not sell the frozen dumplings and wontons like the MP location. So I would occasionally have to still drive out there to pick some up. For me, from the first visit, it's a 3.5 rounding up to a 4 because I'm just happy they're in Arcadia now. read more

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Mama Lu's has opened another location! I've been too a few and the quality in Arcadia definitely stands out then the other locations. The seaweed fish was a standout. For being a fried fish, the batter wasn't greasy and actually felt light. Soup dumplings and pan fried dumplings are always a must get. Although we didn't order and noodles or rice, we saw our neighboring table order them and the portions were huge!! Also, this location has a bbq takeout section like Sam woo which is quite convenient! read more

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Servers were nice and inside was clean. Plenty of parking in the back. Wait was 20 minutes for 1:30 PM on Sunday. Back door leads you to the BBQ place. Spacious seating. Non-dunpling Food is mediocre compared to many other similar types. Their wontons are good . Wouldn't recommend udon noodles. Deep fried dough with condensed milk is very good. Beef wraps - 101 makes it better. read more

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SUPER excited that another Mama Lu's location has opened up! I've always been a fan of their soup dumplings, and they're just as good here if not better--juicy, flavorful, and perfectly wrapped. The beef rolls are really good too and perfectly crispy but not too heavy. I also tried the sautéed pea sprouts which were pretty good too--not the best I've had but the big portion size made up for it! Service is great overall. The place does get pretty busy, so be prepared for a bit of a wait. Absolutely worth it though in my opinion! read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - juicy pork dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Mama Lu's is a chain, this review is for the Arcadia location. The portions are huge, the prices are fair, and the food is consistently flavorful. Some of my favorites like the house fish, bok choy, fried rice, and French style tenderloin make it easy to share a family-style meal. Service is fast and friendly, and having parking in the back makes it convenient. With its generous servings and authentic flavors, this Arcadia spot has become a dependable go-to for hearty Chinese comfort food. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Complementary Tea - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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I was really excited when Mama Lu opened in Arcadia. I went here on a Saturday night and this place was packed. I went towards the back parking lot entrance where the BBQ items are. There was no one to help get me a ticket for a table so I had to walk inside the restaurant until a waiter saw me and gave me a number. I had about 3-4 tables ahead of me and he said waiting time would be quick. I waited about 30 mins for a table and more people started to come in after me waiting for a table but there was no one in site to give them a ticket. FYI, just walk inside the restaurant and have a waiter give you a ticket instead of waiting for someone. I ordered the : Pan-fried dumplings: 3/5, they were ok, looks like they just toss in a pan Beef Roll: 3/5, the cucumbers are sweet, the meat kind of taste like pho, wish it had more sauce. Crab and Pork Dumplings: 5/5 juicy and my favorite out of the dishes Spicy Wontons: 4/5, it wasn't spicy but a sweet taste to it. I really like the filling. Maybe because they are still new, the food doesn't taste the same as the Monterey Park location, some of the food seem like its lacking some flavor. I will definitely come back when the place is more settle down. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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"There's nothing quite like the feeling of stepping into Mama Lu's Dumpling House and ordering too much food. it's pure comfort. Whether it's their signature Juicy Pork Dumplings, the comforting wor wonton soup, or their original hot and sour soup, every bite is perfect ! If you haven't been to this place, this is place to be highly recommended! read more

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Man... tbh this location is such an huge disappointment.... We've been long time patrons to Mama Lu's for a long long time. I was just at the Pasadena location in Dec and it was great. So when this location opened up we were sooo excited cuz it's so close by to where we live. It's where Monarch used to be and they spent a lot on interior decors so the ambience is pretty nice. However it feels kind of like a warehouse inside where there's a lot of ambient noise so you gotta talk louder even to the person directly next to you. Food was ??????.... Seafood fried noodles 6/10, there was no flavor whatsoever, and we could tell they didn't actually fry the noodles, they bought them as is and only poured the sauce over it. Chives pockets 8/10, okay these were pretty decent, but a bit too oily for my taste. The skin of the pocket is chewy though which is nice. Fried seaweed fish 7.5/10, the breading is too thick, but the fish is pretty juicy. Honey Pork chops 8.5/10, these were pretty good. No complaints. Black bean clams 4/10, the dish didn't have too many clams to start with, and we found that a bunch of the clams were dead and didn't even open. When we were about half way through the dish (that's when we found out about the excessive number of unopened clams) and brought it up to the manager, she said "oh you guys should of told us earlier we could've redone the dish for you" and walked away. Think we'll stick to the several other locations... not coming back to this one. Pure disappointment. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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This space used to be Tasty Garden around 10-15 years ago, then Monarch over the last couple years, and now Mama Lu's. I came with family during opening week and it wasn't too busy. You can tell they've tried to incorporate some of the Monarch's decor and furniture into their restaurant. We ordered the XLB, beef noodle soup, beef rolls, and a fried rice dish. Although the food itself was cooked well, everything seemed to lack a bit of flavor. I guess I was expecting more of an explosion of flavors like I've experienced at the MPK location but the lightness and blandness was unfamiliar to me in terms of restaurant food. The complimentary fried buns were a nice touch. I will probably have to come back in a few months for a fair review. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Complimentary during opening week - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Very clean and plenty of seating. We ordered: juicy pork dumplings, spicy wontons, sautéed string beans, and beef udon! We enjoyed everything that we ordered. read more

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Good food, and authentic. Recommend BLACK PEPPER BEEF TENDERLOIN STIR FRIED UDON Came here a few times. Overall food is pretty good, and service is acceptable. Got seated pretty quick and ordered pretty quick. Food is authentic and server could speak Cantonese/Mandarin. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - #46 crab with dried scallop egg white fried rice , #8 beef wrap(6) - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I love to come to this restaurant . The food is always fresh and yummy . They recommend to try different plates if you ask . Parking is a bit of a problem since the main entrance in on a busy street . Overall is clean and the waiter was nice and attentive . read more

Opened six months ago. Ordered pan fried seafood noodles- large portion with shrimp, with fish, fish cake, Bok Choy, mushroom, sliced carrot all in gravy sauce. Very tasty and more than filling. Ice water and tea offered with small plate of salted peanuts to nibble while waiting. Also ordered fried pork bun-quite impressed with its flavor, texture and size. My son ordered just udon with shrimp (forgot to add broccoli) stir fried in light soy sauce. He loved his dish. We will surely visit again. It also has a separate section for dumplings, sui mai, roast duck, etc with side dishes - suitable for a quick lighter fast meal. It's next to Wells Fargo and U.S. banks, so convenient for us. Clean, spacious with fast courteous service. Much nearer for us than its sister branch in Monterey Park that we previously frequented. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Interior seatings - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Pan Fried Bun: Not what I expected. It looks nice and crispy from its appearance, but it has a soggy, thick bun inside and meat that is kind of "dry" because all the juices have soaked into the bun. Beef Roll: Crispy skin, tasty inside, but other stores like Noodle Street are better. Pan Fried Noodle with Beef: Just OK, it is overpoweringly salty from the soy sauce flavor. Plenty of tables, bright environment, fast service Parking is kind of hard to find. Most of them belong to Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America customers only. read more

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This was my first time visiting, and I left completely satisfied. Everything tasted amazing, the staff was very friendly, and the restaurant was spacious and comfortable. You can tell it gets busy during dinner time, which speaks to its popularity. I would definitely recommend it. The duck and juicy dumplings were my favorite! read more

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Zero stars should exist for places like this. We thought we'd try a new Chinese restaurant instead of our usual favorite, more expensive, restaurant. We ignored the bad reviews in Yelp. Big mistake. Food was greasy, heavy, bland, and just bad! Plates and utensils were dirty. You might find a dirty plate or spoon at a restaurant once in a while, but we got at least three dirty items!! Made us wonder how things are in the kitchen. Service was bad. We barely ate half the food. We were forcing ourselves to eat some so that it's not a total waste. We left feeling nauseous and disgusted. I had a terrible heartburn that night and it took me two days to feel better. It was THAT bad! It might be cheaper than other restaurants, but I'd rather pay double or triple for good food than totally wasting money on bad food and then feeling sick. Some friends said that other locations are not as bad, but the experience here made us not want to try this chain ever again. read more

Past few experiences were pretty good. Dumpling and shao long bao are delicious. We ordered beef stew noodle today and was a disappointment. Noodle came dry and we asked chef to fix it and the soup flavor is not traditional Taiwanese beef stew noodle. The meat is hard, dry, and soup tastes like Chinese BBQ flavor. We returned the noodle because it was just awfully bad and still came up in our check. Not to mention their pancake is super and greasy oil. If you are up for pork dumplings it's worth to try. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Tastes like BBQ Beef and nothing close to traditional Taiwanese Beef Stew Noodle. The taste of it is awful. - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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The salt and pepper wings were easily my favorite dish. The wings were excellent with a perfect crunch and tender, juicy chicken inside. The hot and sour soup was flavorful, the fish was well prepared, and the rice was tasty. Both the beef and chicken dishes were solid and satisfying. Service was friendly and fast. Overall, a delicious Chinese food spot! read more

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Have eaten my way through smoky hawker stalls, back alleys, and banquet halls. I know what Chinese food is supposed to taste like--bold, soulful, unapologetically alive, humming with tradition and regional swagger. Which is why Mama Lu's Dumpling House in Arcadia doesn't just miss the mark--it feels like an act of culinary vandalism. The food here is so offensively bad, it's as if the cooks in the back are all deliberately squatting over 5,000 years of Chinese culinary tradition just to see who can take the biggest, steamiest, and greasiest pile of shit on it. Let's get something straight -- I used to like the original Mama Lu's. Many did. But this location? Whether it's a bootleg operation using the name, or a franchise run by people who've never tasted their own food, this place is a farce--a counterfeit version of what Chinese food should be. It does to the cuisine what wax fruit does to hunger: fake, lifeless, and vaguely insulting. The crispy seafood noodle was a culinary war crime. No squid. No scallops. Just limp bok choy, low-grade fish cakes, and flavorless filets that taste like they'd been thawed in a sink next to a dirty mop. The noodles were soggy, not crispy. The only thing crunchy was the rising irritation. Then came the pork chops. "Fried," they claimed. In reality: soggy, limp, and so depressingly underwhelming they could've been steamed in someone's armpit. Flabby and joyless, like the B-side of a karaoke ballad in a dying dive bar. And for this masterclass in mediocrity? I dropped a hundred bucks--and walked out feeling like they should've paid me for choking down the garbage they had the gall to plate. It felt less like a meal and more like culinary assault. By the time I left, I was half-convinced I'd just been forced to gargle the chef's balls--and genuinely considered filing a police report afterwards for being forced to endure this cultural travesty. This isn't Chinese food. It's a hollow, microwaved echo. Even Capital Seafood--yes, that Capital Seafood--can manage something vaguely presentable. Mama Lu's in Arcadia doesn't even show up to the fight. It's a blight on the San Gabriel Valley food scene and a slap in the face to every chef who ever picked up a wok with pride. Avoid it. Burn the receipt. Then go somewhere that actually respects the food. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I've been going to Mama Lu's in Monterey Park for years, so I was super happy to see them open a new spot in Arcadia. This location's got some cool additions like BBQ pork and ducks, which you didn't get at the original. They've taken over the old Monarch restaurant space--fancy vibes replaced with awesome dumplings! The menu still has all the classics that made Mama Lu's famous, like XLB and onion pancakes, plus Cantonese stuff like beef chow fun. We've been a few times already and loved the BBQ pork ribs and the steamed Chilean sea bass--both were seriously tasty. The service here's been great, but parking's a bit of a pain since the lot's shared with two banks that hog most of the spots. Still, I'm excited to keep coming back and try more dishes and the prices are very reasonable. read more

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Food comes out so quickly and hot! Everything we ordered was really tasty. Portion sizes are generous. We got house special fish fillet, salt and pepper chicken wings, French style beef tenderloin, roasted pork, shrimp dumping, scallion pancake, yang chow fried rice, and Shanghai style chow mein. There were no misses! Rose grape purée drink was excellent. Service was quick but I will say that this is a no frills restaurant. read more

My brother invited me to go to this restaurant. He's not a big foodie so I did not expect much and was a bit reluctant to go. I was completely blown away by the service and the food. I read several negative reviews about rudeness of the servers and some issues with the food, but I must say that was not my experience on this date . The servers greeted us with smiles and were very attentive. The salty pork shops were very tasty and authentic. Although the sweet and sour chicken did not come with the usual pineapple, onions and bell peppers, it was perfectly tossed in a delicious sweet and sour glazed sauce (must have been the Tawanese twist). The green beans with garlic sauce were amazing and the chicken noodles were outstanding. The prices were reasonable and the portions were above average. Definitely coming come. Note: Bathrooms are not kept very clean and are outside the restaurant, likely because they are shared with several other businesses in the shopping center. This seems to be more of a building management issue. read more

Delicious food and wonderful service. We ordered a total of five dishes, which is the sweet garlic, pork chop, egg, seafood, fried rice, tofu, mushroom, vegetable stirfry, filet mignon with mushrooms, pork dumplings. Excellent service and relax the ambience. I would come back again with my family and enjoy the delicious Chinese food here. Plenty of free parking in the back lot. read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Delicious. Fast service even when crowded. The food was really good and tasty. Clean. Would recommend.

Waited for 50 minutes for take out! Because there's no reservation system.... 10-15 people groups walked in unexpectedly and the waitress were overwhelmed plus not enough people working in the kitchen to cook large amounts of orders !!!! One of the head waitress acted unprofessionally and rude! read more

The restaurant is nicely designed with the perfect table separation and decor. This is the first Mama Lu's that had a deli connected to it, which is really nice to pick-up on the run. The ducks hanging from the glassed warmer is such a nice look for a Chinese restaurant. The service was spot on and ready at five o'clock for pick-up. The food quality was just average though, so I was not able to make it a perfect five. I'm hoping to dine inside one for lunch to see whether the food is better for dine-in. read more

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Great Mama Lu food in Arcadia! My family has always enjoyed Mama Lu in Monterey Park. We're very excited to have this new restaurant in Arcadia. The restaurant is much cleaner here and has more parking. The food is excellent as ever. Side note- theres no annoying background music in the restaurant. Highly recommended ! read more

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Amazing place for Chinese food, especially their Xiao Long Bao (XLB/soup dumplings). Their other dishes like the fillet mignon and mushroom egg tofu are also delicious! The taste of all the dishes are exactly the same as the one in Monterey Park, even some staff are the same. The price and menu are also great as usual. This place is huge and has so many tables and looks more modern yet Chinese at the same time. I used to have to wait 45-1.5 hours for a table at the Monterey Park location but even at 6 PM on a weekend, there was no wait. This location even offers BBQ (roast duck, char siu) but I wouldn't recommend it since it's very expensive compared to other BBQ places but their roast duck and char siu are very delicious and tender. There's also free hot tea :) I will definitely be coming here every week or two! So happy they opened up a large location in Arcadia. Don't let the negative reviews convince you not to come, this place is truly one of my top restaurants in Arcadia/SGV. read more

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Amazing service, servers are very friendly. Only thing to improve would probably to let people know to keep walking inside to the cashier to get seated. Food was very good every time we've been here. Serving's are generous. We'll definitely keep coming back here! read more

Mama Lu's Dumpling House - Yang chow fried rice, #72 kung pao chicken with beef and Siu Mai - Shanghainese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Yay a new Mama Lu's location! FOOD: - Xiao Long Bao ($9.99): Loved it! The skin was thin but still chewy, and the juice didn't feel too oily. - Fried Pork Bun ($10.54): Sesame bottom was unique and made the dish very fragrant. - Green Onion Pancake ($5.99): Very thin and crispy. - Beef Wrap ($11.54): Wasn't too salty, and the exterior paired very nicely with the tender meat. - Shanghai Rice Cake ($13.99): Rice cakes were super chewy, and I liked how this dish wasn't overly oily which I sometimes feel at other places. - Deep Fried Prawn ($16.99): Definitely a heavier dish since the shrimp is fried and there's quite a bit mayonnaise, but I still really enjoyed it. - Fish With Seaweed ($15.99): Batter is on the thicker side for my preference. - Portion sizes are large! Great to order multiple dishes and share amongst your party, and everything comes to the table piping hot. SERVICE/AMBIANCE: We were seated without wait for a Friday lunch, and the dishes arrived quickly after ordering. I believe the previous tenants fully remodeled the interior since Tasty Garden closed, so it looks great inside and the dumpling wallpaper is a cute touch. PARKING: Lot available OVERALL: I'm definitely coming back soon to try out some other dishes! I've seen other reviews stating that this location's food isn't as good at other ones, but I didn't feel like that was the case for me. My family and I enjoyed everything we ordered, and the prices are great for the portion sizes considering how all food is expensive nowadays. read more

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The food is awesome I love the filet of beef french style. We got town orders and it was almost gone. We got two pork chops and it was a lot of left overs. The pork bun was good but I think that I wouldn't order that here again. I like the sweet and sour chicken although it looks like orange chicken to me. The Shanghai noodles was okay not as good as I remove it to be. We order so food check out my ohotos read more

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