This dumpling spot is a gem in South Pasadena. Every time I'm in the area, it's a must-stop for me…read more The dumplings are consistently flavorful, fresh, and perfectly prepared -- you can truly taste the quality in every bite. The ambiance strikes the perfect balance between modern and cozy, with a clean, relaxing atmosphere that makes you want to linger a little longer. Service is equally impressive -- the staff is attentive, welcoming, and genuinely hospitable without being overbearing. Overall, a standout experience from start to finish. Highly recommend if you're craving top-tier dumplings in a comfortable, well-run setting. They are great for takeout as I did for this nice rainy evening.

I was in the area and found this place on Yelp. Turned out to be a good find. Parking looks like it…read morecould be a little rough at busy times, but we showed up a little after lunch and found street parking. We were seated right away. The place is clean and bright. No one was playing anything on their cell phone speakers, which is something that I will leave a restaurant for immediately now. I think restaurants should be mindful of the atmosphere for their guests. The menu was fairly broad, lots of choices of things that were vegetarian. But there was a real lack of dumplings, which the place is named for that didn't contain beef or pork. There was really only one chicken choice, and one veggie. We ordered the Dan Dan noodles which were really good, but the serving size was skimpy. We also ordered the chicken soup dumplings which were very good and the shrimp wontons also really good in a chili oil and soy sauce. The Szechuan spicy chicken was uninspired. Deep fried nuggets of chicken with some szechuan chili powder sprinkled on them. I wouldn't order it again. The scallion pancakes were also good, but were not served with any kind of sauce. Perhaps this is authentic, but I'm used to them having hoisin sauce on the side. Service was attentive and fast. Everything arrived quickly and was hot and well prepared. I would definitely return and try some new things.

I visited Star Leaf for lunch on 5/14 for the first time and I loved every bit of it. I started…read morewith a lychee martini and 2 appetizers: the bakka salmon in Thai vinaigrette ( I wish I ordered another one of these) and the Saigon summer rice paper rolls. Both were very refreshing, and I really loved the sauce on the bakka salmon in combination with the mint leaves. Since I'm a huge seafood lover, I ordered the Thai royal curry with lobster tail, lime steamed Chilean sea bass and the royal crown fried rice. This was my first time trying curry and I found it delicious, I'd love to visit Star Leaf again specifically for this dish. I really enjoyed the texture of the fish roe on top of the fried rice - I've never had something like this before. I also ordered the truffle wok seared noodles with beef (I liked the mushrooms in this dish). For dessert, I had the Vietnamese coffee flan and the pink mekong. I loved the presentation of the pink Mekong, and the various fruits were yummy. As for the atmosphere, it was very cozy and I took a lot of nice photos in the front of the restaurant by the pond. This restaurant would be perfect for a romantic date night or a lunch with the girls. The service was great - everything was very timely and detail-oriented. Everyone was kind and attentive, I felt very welcome.

And to think - my husband and I were going to cancel our reservation because of a food influencer…read morethat could not have been more wrong about their assessment of this restaurant! The food was tasty and not overly salty as previously mentioned by others. The portions were generous, more than enough for a party of four. The service was excellent! Thank you to Conner and his team that served us during our meal. The price is affordable! We've been to other places that have charged more for less. A good option for large groups, they have plenty of space! My main goal for this review is to encourage giving this place a try for anyone that is on the fence! I know when we were reading/watching reviews, it was mixed but we gave this place a try anyways and we enjoyed it! Hopefully folks are pleasantly surprised!

Once the fried bun is bitten open, there is a lot of juice. The deep-fried dough sticks are…read moreglutinous and crispy. The lion's head is also very tasty. Eat well! Very unique to Shanghai, come and taste it! The service attitude is also very good!

I love the food here very delicious and great quality. The service here is nice and very well…read more Highly recommended to my family and friends very likely to visit again.

Tugged away in South Pasadena, a friend told me about Shiro a legacy contemporary French Japanese…read morerestaurant that's been serving delicious fine dining for over 40 years! The decor is very classy and elegant, soft lighting with background piano music but you can still have conversations. They have daily fixe menu specials for Thursdays as well as their regular menu. First timer so we had to try a variety of dishes to get a good feel of their cuisine. Wine and cocktail options: had the Shirotini which is a twist similar to a lemon drop. My friend had the pink crane which is bourbon based. Both cocktails were well balanced and tasty. Appetizers: Their famous ravioli: had very creamy sauce over 4 wobton skin ravioli with plump shrimp inside topped with shiitake mushrooms on top. It's a mini meal in itself! Also tried their grilled octopus, cooked perfectly with a nice crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. The main star was the fried catfish sitting in what tasted like a ponzu sauce and please is big enough to feed 4 people! Also had the scallops which were delicious but truly the catfish stole the show. *The main dishes come with a medley side dish of broccoli, carrots and scalloped potatoes. Dessert was the crepes with strawberries and glazed pecans for the filling. The wait staff was attentive but also the owners were there to check in with all the guests to ensure everything was top notch. Learned that the co-owners are best friends. The original owner/chef was Shiro and his niece is one of the co-owners while one of is staff became the other co-owner. What a unique story. Definitely happy to support a legacy business and hoping others will too from this review.

I didn't realize Shiro was still around. Boy did this bring me back down memory lane when I passed…read moreby during my week long stay in So Pas. I had to make a reso before we left So Cal and it was available for the next night. So happy we came bc WOW. I remember why I loved this quaint restaurant over 2 decades ago when we used to come for every special occasion. If memory serves me correctly, it's the same host. She was so hospitable and made us feel right at home. Our server was amazing. Gosh, I forgot his name. Tall skinny guy. Nightly specials. Truffle ravioli with spinach ricotta. Delicious. Had to share as it was a bit rich for a starter. Shaved truffles and blanched spinach. 5/5 Chilean Sea Bass 5/5 light and flaky Crème Brûlée with berries and bananas I didn't know I needed until I had the very first bite. Wow. So good and full of vanilla bean specs. Chocolate soufflé was more of flourless chocolate chocolate. Not too rich. Scoop of bold coffee ice cream. I just needed a tad more ice cream to finish the cake with. I didn't get it to try the crepe special since nephew ate most of it. Crispy wonton with poached pear. Raspberry sauce and orange custard was so unique and tasty 5/5 Both Hubs and Bro ordered the Mary's chicken and absolutely loved it. Well seasoned and garnished well. Filet was perfect cooked and seasoned even for an 8 yr old to finish on his own. DD ordered the salmon. It was so tender and fork soft. Her broccoli was so full of flavor and not overly creamy. I remember even saying out loud that this was a more decadent experience than TFL and Per Se without feeling so overstuffed and heavy feeling upon leaving. So glad I found Shiro again. Will definitely return again.

Make a reservation or you will not be a happy camper for dinner. This place is great and it shows…read moreby the fact that you really want a reservation. Bone Kettle is in Old Towne Pasadena. It is a beautiful spot to have lunch, dinner or brunch. We have tried all, but we do love their dinner menu the best. Parking can be a pain, but you will be fine. The place is super clean and new looking, although we have been coming for a few years now. The service is great, from the Hostess to the servers, all were on their game as was the kitchen. Our food was perfect and we have zero complaints. You must try Bone Kettle. It is worth it. It is Asian food and boy is it great. It is upscale Asian and you can taste it in every bite. Their Beef Ribs which is a Bone Kettle signature dish- also has fried shallots, scallions. It is so tender and juicy. I am not in love with their Oxtail dumplings, but they were very good and my grandson is in love with them. They are juicy and just so fresh tasting. Their Rendang Carbonara is a must try. It is 24hr braised shredded short ribs, fried shallots, chives, micro cilantro, parmesan cheese, bell peppers, noodles, bacon and poached egg. You can add bone marrow for about 12$. Do that. Finally, and we love all the food, but the Seafood Char Kway Teow is a must if you like fishcakes. It is rice noodles, pork lap cheong, prawns, fishcake, clams, mussels, calamari, bean sprouts, egg, fried shallots, green onions and great chives and chili oil. The oysters in the shell are also great. Have fun.

Come for the delicious brunch menu!! The bone broth pho is a must. It was so delicious I wish I had…read moremore room in my stomach to finish the last bits of it. So flavorful and savory. Perfect for a cold rainy day. Friend got the steak and eggs. It came out on a sizzling platter and was juicy upon cutting into it. Flavors were also delicious as well. Can't wait to try other things on the menu.

5 Stars - A Hidden Culinary Gem in Alhambra! I brought some…read moreold friends to Sage Bistro in Alhambra once again, and we were treated to another incredibly satisfying feast. I am genuinely thrilled to have such an upscale, quiet, and relaxing restaurant right here in my neighborhood. You can truly taste the chef's passion and dedication in every dish. Every time I bring friends here, they are absolutely amazed and delighted by the flavors. We ordered quite a few dishes today. The highlight was the Chilean Sea Bass. The chef served a massive, beautifully thick cut--which is actually the hardest to execute. If overcooked even slightly, Chilean Sea Bass becomes dry and tough. But the timing here was absolutely perfect. It had a gorgeous, golden-brown exterior, while the inside remained incredibly moist, tender, and delightfully springy. The seasoning was spot-on and never overpowering; it wasn't too salty, perfectly preserving the natural, fresh flavors of the sea. We also had the Chicken Bowtie Pasta. I typically avoid chicken dishes at restaurants because they often turn out dry and lack the rich aroma you get from beef or lamb. However, Sage's chef elevates chicken to another level. Rather than using the traditional Cantonese technique of quickly flash-frying in oil (which yields a smooth texture but sacrifices the natural meat aroma), the chef here expertly pan-sears the chicken over extremely high heat for a short time. This creates a deliciously crisp exterior that locks in all the juices and rich flavor. Tossed with perfectly cooked bowtie pasta and cheese, the result is so flavorful and well-balanced that we simply couldn't stop eating! Another great thing about Sage is their incredibly generous portion sizes--we left completely satisfied! We finished our meal with a great cup of coffee and the chef's handmade Tiramisu, drawing a perfect, sweet close to our evening. Highly recommend!

Finally got to try this spot and it didn't disappoint. Excellent service and good food. We went on…read morea Sunday for lunch for a party of 3 and got seated right away. We ordered the following items: - deviled eggs - garlic bread - butternut squash soup - shrimp pesto pasta - spinach pasta with chicken. The food was really cooked well but a bit saucy for me. I would definitely come back.

After a long day of walking around, we decided to warm up at Noodle St. Being able to check-in with…read moreYelp was super helpful and gave us a good idea on wait time. Once we were seated, we were met with a friendly server who offered recommendations to our party depending on spice levels. I tried their beef fried rice and the portions were huge for the price! I had to get a braised egg and it made for such a great combo. I also tried their chili oil and loved how spicy it was. I wish there was a Noodle St. close to my city!

My friends and I decided to try this place out after reading the wonderful reviews & seeing the…read morepictures of their dishes. I was also craving soup so this was the perfect option! We ordered their chicken wings, garlic string beans, spicy beef noodle soup, scallion pancakes, & beef scallion roll. The food came out within 10 minutes of ordering, which I appreciated since I was starving. The soup was packed with so much flavor & had a generous amount of knife cut noodles. The beef rolls had a nice light flavor to it & wasn't dry at all. The garlic string beans were PACKED with garlic, which was delicious. The chicken wings were a bit dry but nonetheless still pretty good. My friends really liked their scallion pancakes & devoured them all. Overall, I would definitely come back if I was ever in the area again. It definitely satisfied my cravings for Chinese food.

The food and service were great here! Parking wasn't a problem. They have their own parking lot…read more Restaurant looks great inside! The lights were low lit and it looked very classy inside. We got the House Chicken Salad, Mongolian Beef, Sauteed Choy Sum, and Golden Creamy Baked Shrimp. All of the dishes were great, but the House Chicken Salad was the standout. I recommend getting their House Chicken Salad if coming here. There were so many different textures going on with the vegetables, crunchy things in it, and the chicken. The sauce they used for the salad was soo good too.

Not sure what is going on with Kue's. I noticed for a while that they've been closed. Stopped by…read moreand saw a note posted saying they'll be making some renovations, so only time will tell. We usually enjoy stopping by for the laid back vibe in the bar area and enjoy their happy hour drinks, small bites and friendly customer service from the bar staff. It was once again becoming a regular hang out spot like the old diner so I hope that don't stay closed for too long.

When i want to eat healthy, this is where i go. This would probably be the healthiest food id eat…read morewillingly. Their brussel sprouts are soo good. I love the sauce they give. I will always get this and end up packing the rest to go for later. Poke with x2 salmon is always good. I decided to get the imitation crab instead of the spicy tuna this time. The eel bowl was really good as well if i want to eat rice. Parking is pretty easy. Theres always parking at the place witht he ramp. At least all the time ive been there were space

Delicious food and large portions. The space was bigger and nicer than I was imagining from the…read moreoutside. Tonkotsu Black ramen had a nice combo of flavors and ingredients (the crunchy kale and onion was a great addition). The Green Bean Tempura dish was good, larger than expected, and came with kabocha chips. The only aspect that wasn't great was the service was pretty inattentive, even though they weren't that busy. We had water glasses that remained empty and I had to ask for various things.

Service: We joined the waitlist remotely and was given a 70-110 minute wait estimate. We ran some…read moreerrands while waiting and I missed the text that our table was almost ready. Once I caught it I called them to let them know I missed the message and that we're still interested in dining. They were extremely accommodating and made sure we had a table when we arrived. The staff were all so welcoming and friendly we had a wonderful experience with the team. I also noticed they explained the ingredients in each dish they brought out which was such an elevated experience. Parking: plenty of parking in the lot behind the store and street parking. Food: we ordered the breakfast plate and the yang's set meal, both incredible options. The pickled veggies were so fresh it was my fav. We also ordered the mochi pancake wish was amazing with the entrees.

We came early for breakfast/brunch. There are only 3 outdoor tables (we brought a dog) so we didn't…read morewant to have to wait. All outdoor tables were rotatingly occupied with people with doggy, so much doggy love in dt Alhambra! The staffs were nice and friendly. Immediately offered doggy bowl for my golden & provided plate, bowl, tiny utensil for my toddler. Inside is nice, spacious, have great vibe & decor, and bathroom is clean. I got the set meal with chicken. Everything was tasty. Chimichurri not very strong and provided great flavor overall. My toddler likes simple but tasty flavors. The portion isn't overly big (normal eating size). We shared the mochi pancakes for the table. It's huge, thin, yummy. My toddler loves it. Great finger food for him & taste even better with the house-made whipped cream. Light, airy, and not overly sweet. Blueberry was plump and fresh. The hubby got the breakfast plate with hangar steak. The scrambled is soft scramble. Steak was nicely cooked, that's about the only thing I tried. He devoured everything else without sharing, so I'm guessing it was good. Our niece got the sesame noodles with chicken. It came in a big plate (probably because it's on the shareable menu). She immediately said it was good. So, pretty much you can't go wrong with anything on the menu!