Mama Lu's Dumpling House — Restaurant in Pasadena

Nestled in the heart of Old Town Pasadena, Mama Lu gracefully preserves the elegant ambiance of the former Chef Tony restaurant while introducing a delightful fusion of Monterey Park's favorite comfort food to the area. The transition from Chef Tony's to Mama Lu has retained the establishment's classy vibe, with only menu alterations hinting at the exciting changes within.

Our culinary journey commenced with a flavorful exploration of the pork chop in Mandarin sauce—a definite highlight, boasting a tantalizing taste that left a favorable impression. However, while the onion pancake and potstickers made an appearance, their execution seemed to falter slightly. Unlike the authentic oil-fried potstickers and green onion pancake known for their rich flavors, these renditions erred on the side of being overly oily and failed to capture the expected essence.

Further, the chow fen experience left us wanting. The noodles, unfortunately, lacked the desired texture and fell short on taste, tending towards a disappointing soggy state instead of delivering the anticipated chewiness synonymous with well-executed fried noodles.

On a brighter note, the service was notably amiable, and the efficiency in serving the dishes was commendable, contributing positively to the overall dining experience.

Mama Lu's venture into Pasadena's culinary landscape adds an intriguing blend of Chinese comfort food to the predominantly Western dining scene of Old Town. While some dishes may require fine-tuning to meet the expectations set by their traditional counterparts, the restaurant shows promise in offering an engaging amalgamation of flavors.

If seeking a balance between elegance and comfort, Mama Lu holds the potential to become a standout destination with a bit of refinement in their...

Update: October 2025 Casual Chinese tasty food at a reasonable price! Every time I arrive with friends, we only waited a few minutes to be seated.

Service is just okay. We usually had to look for staff and flag them down, but they all work hard and were prompt, once we asked for something.

A pot of jasmine hot tea with salted peanuts arrived promptly as we were seated, complimentary.

We shared the crab and pork soup dumplings which was super tasty! I will order these again. The garlic green beans were stir fried perfectly, with a crunch. The beef chow fun was really good!

Finally we shared the Green Onion pancake. It was crispy and good, but a bit greasy for my taste.

We ate until we were full and there were leftovers for us to take home!

The noise level was a bit loud. I loved Mama Lu's Dumpling House the first time( 2 weeks ago), so I came back a week later with another friend!

My friend who lives in Pasadena suggested Mama Lu's a week ago and we tried a few dishes and shared them. Food came out FAST, DELICIOUS, and Heavenly! Check out my photos. The service is okay. The staff works hard and apologies if I needed to ask for more water. The noise level is okay, bustling!

Interior space has high ceilings, chandeliers. The building must of been a bank or something and the restaurant conversion is nice.

This is the place for tasty Chinese dumplings and food!

Restrooms are downstairs, along with another dining room.

Parking: we parked in the parking structure on Fair Oaks, just south or Colorado: $1, for the...

I had the best time at Mama Lu's in Pasadena with my friends! We usually hang out at the Chinatown spot, but we decided to switch things up and give this one a shot - and wow, what a treat it was!

We dug into all our favorites like the beef wrap, spicy wontons, and crab and fried scallop fried rice, and they were absolutely sensational. The House Special Fish Filet is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and just bursting with flavor.

The Egg Tofu with mushrooms - it was so saucy and savory, with the tofu melting in my mouth like butter. We popped in on a Monday night thinking it would be quiet, but the place was buzzing with good vibes and great food.

The casual yet classy vibe, the quick and friendly service, and the steamy hot, delicious dishes made Mama Lu's feel like a home away from home. The servers were super sweet and made us feel so welcomed.

I can't wait to go back and try more of their menu. Mama Lu's is the kind of place where you can kick back, enjoy some amazing food, and make memories with...