Auntie Qiu Kitchen 裘家生煎 — Restaurant in Alhambra

Auntie Qiu Kitchen - Alhambra

Auntie Qiu Kitchen is a new branch of the original spot in Arcadia, specializing in Shanghai street foods, which definitely caught my attention as a noodle lover. Having roamed the alleys of Shanghai in the mornings, I’m familiar with these flavors and textures, so I was excited to try them out here. However, I have mixed feelings after my visit.

The decor is a great nod to the past, recreating the vibe of Shanghai’s 1980s street food scene, which really adds to the authenticity. They offer a wide variety of dishes, including noodles, xiao long bao, and other street food staples that are a nostalgic throwback for anyone who’s been to Shanghai.

That being said, I found the flavors and textures a bit off compared to what I’m used to. For instance, the lotus root with sticky rice in Guihua syrup was overcooked, and the syrup didn’t quite hit the floral note I’m familiar with. The fried fish was hard and much saltier than expected—it’s typically fried to a crisp and then marinated with a sweet sauce, but that balance wasn’t there. Even the tea egg leaned on the salty side.

I noticed many diners were there for the xiao long bao and noodle dishes, which seem to be the main attractions. While my experience wasn’t perfect, I appreciate the variety of authentic street foods they offer, and the decor definitely brings back some good memories. The customer service was friendly, though a bit slow.

Overall, I’m giving Auntie Qiu Kitchen 4 stars for the effort and the nostalgic street food atmosphere. While the flavors may not fully match what I’ve experienced in Shanghai, it’s still a great spot to explore if you’re craving some classic Shanghai...

Whoa. This place is so good. I’ve been excited for them to open for the last few weeks and since I’m moving out of the area, i decided to drop in for dinner. I’m so glad I did because I think this is my new favorite dim sum place! Atmosphere: very cute and unique. Makes you feel like you’re out on the town while being chill and pleasant where you can relax while you eat. The music is nice. People chat and talk here happily as they eat, but it’s never too loud where you have to raise your voice. The neon signs are also atmospheric! Service: really fast, easy, and kind! I was a bit confused on how to order when I first entered, and the waitress was super nice to inform me how to be served (for dine in! Unsure if you order at the counter for to go yet). She even gave me a paper menu to look over but explained you use the QR code on the table to look over the menu, order, then request a check! All the staff was really nice and made sure to check on everyone and let people know if their food needed to cool. Food: wow. So good. It’s really filling, and i ordered too much but it was also such a great price!! I got the wonton soup, pan fried pork dumplings and steamed too! I also got the Walovi herbal tea which was a bit sweet but paired really nicely with the food too! :) super delicious!! I can’t wait to try the rest...

Came to Auntie Qiu Kitchen last Wednesday night with a friend. We were hoping to try the hairy crab with noodles, but they didn’t have it that night. So we went with a few other dishes to see what they had to offer.

The pan-fried pork bun was the standout. It was juicy, kind of like a bigger cousin of xiao long bao, with a crisp bottom and way more soup than we expected. Most places serve these pretty dry, so this was a really nice surprise.

We also got the crab and pork xlb soup dumplings. These were excellent. Honestly, I think they’re better than Din Tai Fung’s. The wrapper had a nice bite to it, and the filling was rich and flavorful.

The wonton soup was just okay. I still prefer the Hong Kong style over the Shanghai version. Same goes for the scallion noodles with braised pork chop. Both were fine, but not something I’d go out of my way to order again. We only got them since the hairy crab noodles weren’t available.

Service was attentive, but since it was our first time here, I wish the staff had guided us a bit more through the menu or offered suggestions when certain items were unavailable.

Parking can be a little tough, but there are free public parking structures nearby if you don’t mind...