Mama Lu’s Dumpling House — Restaurant in Alhambra

Don’t judge a book by its cover. I found Jiang Nan Spring in Eater for a family/birthday get together for 11. The exterior could use some improvement, kinda worried me since it was our first visit. They had plenty of free parking which is nice these days. When you walk in, we were very impressed compared to exterior. - simple yet elegant decor. It was like walking into a nice boutique hotel. As soon as we sat down the service staff was on it with tea and water, followed by drink orders. I took on the task of ordering. Thank goodness for those pictures because when you need to order for 11 it really helps with the decision making. It may seem tacky but all we care about is whether the food is good or not. The staff came by several times while I was trying to pick things to order. Once I got a base order, the server was helpful in making suggestions and making sure we had enough food. We did pretty good, everyone was full and not enough leftovers to make it worth taking home.

The food was spot on. The xiao loong bao, green onion pancakes, hot & sour soup; crab with rice cake;; pork with pepper salt; lions head stew; string beans; crispy noodles; beef with onions; Shanghai short ribs; probably forgot a few. It was all good. I don’t want to call it basic but it was really good go-to Chinese dishes. There have been many times we have been disappointed with the simplest of dishes at other restaurants.

The service was great. The food came out at a good pace. The servers kept our drinks and tea pots filled. They even changed out our plates several times and took away the dirty plates (these simple things are not done at other Chinese restaurants, a pile of dirty plates is not appetizing). Plus, new clean plates is so nice when you have so many different dishes you are eating family style. They even had candles we forgot for the birthday cake we brought from Portos. They cleared our table set up the cake. Even asked if we were ready for staff to sing happy birthday, we said no but the gesture was appreciated.

The only price I asked about was the crab with rice cake, it was $60, which I thought was reasonable and what we got was more than fair. The xiao loong bao was $14 which I think is about the same as Ding Tai Fung. Nonetheless, the restaurant deserved to charge whatever they wanted because they checked the boxes for a nice restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised when the bill came it was only $350 total including 18% tip they totaled for me. A few of us had beers and soda too. Anyways, I was ready to pay $500 and would have been happy to. I have paid more and not been this satisfied.

At the end of the day, Jiang Nan Spring served tasty food at more than reasonable prices for the ambiance and great service they provided. We found a new spot and...

I've always heard people talking about how great Jian Nan Spring was and was even more curious when I learned that they were on the Michelin Guide. This review is for my dining experience in September 2022. They have an extensive menu, which can be good or bad depending how you look at it. It definitely took me a while to review and pick which dishes I wanted and hope that it's one of their signature dishes. Pricing was definitely a bit pricier than other surrounding Chinese restaurants in the area and we didn't even get to try all their signature dishes. Service was pretty quick, which is so rare to find in Chinese restaurants.

|| L O C A T I O N / P A R K I N G || -Located on the corner of E Main St and S Granada Ave. -Private parking lot attached to the restaurant. You'll park and walk towards the street as the entrance is facing the street -Came around 4 P.M. on a Saturday afternoon and parking was pretty easy.

|| F O O D || #2 Beef & Maw Szechwan Special Sauce ($17.95) - hefty portion of beef and maw. Not as spicy as the ones I've had from other restaurants

#47 Dong Po Pork ($26.95) - so tender and didn't taste super fattening. It did taste a little sweeter than what I'm used to having.

#50 Pork Chop with Pepper Salt ($17.95) - classic dish that we always order from Chinese restaurants. Perfectly fried, didn't have that old oil taste. I liked how they cut the pieces for you so you're not stuck with a few large pieces to share with the entire table.

#52 Flaming Pig's Intestine ($19.95) - generous amounts of pork blood and intestines. Pairs super well with rice. You can substitute the pork blood for duck blood for an additional $3.00.

#60 Beef w/ Green Onion ($18.95) - generous amounts of tender pieces of beef. You know a restaurant is stingy if there is more onions than beef, which was the case here

#69 Seaweed Flavored Fried Fish ($20.95) - had something similar at Mama Lu's, but their batter tasted different here. The batter was similar to New England fish and chips and it was so crunchy. I definitely enjoyed this even when the fish got cold, still as...

Buckle up, my fellow flavor adventurers, for I've stumbled upon the kaleidoscopic vortex that is Jiang Nan Spring. This place isn't just a restaurant; it's a sensory safari that catapults your taste buds into the throes of a gonzo culinary expedition.

From the moment I sauntered into Jiang Nan Spring, it was clear that I was about to be whisked away on a gastronomic escapade like no other. The air was thick with the mingling scents of bubbling broths, fragrant spices, and an aura of mystique that seemed to hang in the air like a secret only the palate could decipher.

As I perused the menu, each dish seemed to taunt me, beckoning me to delve into the uncharted territory of Jiang Nan cuisine. The servers, dressed in enigmatic attire, floated amidst the crowd like culinary spirits guiding us through this daring voyage.

With each bite, it was as though I had unearthed an ancient treasure buried deep within the folds of dumpling wrappers. The delicate dance of flavors—sweet and savory, tender and crunchy—transported me to a realm where ordinary taste was left far behind. It was a masterful exploration of the interplay between tender greens, succulent meats, and velvety sauces. Each morsel was a brushstroke on the canvas of my senses, painting a portrait of flavors that defied convention.

Dear gastronomes, Jiang Nan Spring isn't just a restaurant—it's a passage to an alternate dimension of flavors, a playground for the audacious palate. I implore you to grab your forks, your insatiable curiosity, and your wildest appetite, and dive headfirst into this organic, unfiltered...