Hidden Gem Restaurant in South Pasadena’s Upscale Neighborhood 🥢

Hi everyone! 👋 I love spending time in South Pasadena—it has such a cozy, quiet, and classy vibe. This time, I followed some local friends to this Chinese restaurant, and it was really impressive! The decor rivals that of restaurants in Chinese-centric areas, with a touch of Hollywood flair. 🎬 🥟 Dumpling Tops 📍 800 Fair Oaks Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030 🅿️ Free parking available behind the restaurant 🍗 Organic Chicken Xiao Long Bao The term “organic” already sounds premium—and they were delicious! Each dumpling is individually served with care. Having grown up in Nanjing, where chicken soup dumplings are a classic, seeing chicken Xiao Long Bao served with ginger and vinegar won me over instantly! +1️⃣ for authenticity! 🦞 Lobster Tails, Cantonese Style The restaurant has a live seafood menu 🦀, but those require advance orders. The lobster tails are readily available—stir-fried Cantonese-style, fragrant and not fishy at all. If I had to nitpick, the flavor was a bit light—could’ve been saltier, and the lobster meat didn’t fully absorb the seasoning. 🍤 Seafood Udon Stir-Fry I highly recommend this udon dish! It’s the first time I’ve had a seafood noodle dish where there’s more seafood than noodles! The seasoning wasn’t too heavy, so it wasn’t greasy—just fresh and flavorful. 👌 🥟 Vegetable Steamed Dumplings The wrappers weren’t too thick, and the filling had finely shredded mixed veggies. Very healthy-tasting, almost like a vegan version of steamed tofu rolls. 🥬 🍳 Pan-Fried Three Delicacy Dumplings The bottoms were super crispy, and they looked great! I personally prefer the open-ended style, but these hit the spot for a quick craving. 🥒 Cucumber Salad This dish is super popular online—I saw every table ordering it! They call it “cucumber salad” 🥒, but for us Chinese, it’s a classic side we can whip up anytime! If you’re near South Pasadena and craving Chinese food, this is the spot! It’s also great for introducing non-Chinese friends to authentic, refined Chinese cuisine. 🥢 Have you been to Dumpling Tops or have a favorite Chinese restaurant in a surprising neighborhood? Share your own go-to spots and delicious discoveries below! 👇💬 #LAFood #LADiscoveries #LAEats #SanGabrielEats #LALife #SGVFood #SGVEats #SouthPasadena #PasadenaEats #LAXiaoLongBao #LALobster #ChineseCuisine #UpscaleDining #HiddenGem #DumplingLover #SeafoodFeast #CozyVibe #HollywoodStyle #AuthenticFlavors #FoodReview #MustTry #ComfortFood #FreshIngredients #CantoneseStyle #VegetarianOptions #PanFriedGoodness #CucumberSalad #FoodieFavorite #LocalEats #ShareTheMeal