Dumpling Tops — Restaurant in South Pasadena

We visited for the first time on Valentine's Day, and I think it's going to be our go-to spot for date night dumplings and shrimp. We went for the gusto as a treat to ourselves and purposely ordered a lot so we'd have leftovers.

We started with the crispy brussel sprouts, which were utter perfection. Delicate, melt in your mouth, packed full of flavor, with a balsamic glaze finish.

Next were the pork soup dumplings, which absolutely did not need any added accoutrement like chili oil or soy. The flavor of the soup and the pork filling was standalone delicious.

Then came the pecan shrimp, which is the cousin of honey walnut shrimp, only made better by the addition of pineapple and toasted pecans. The shrimp was light and crispy and the sweet sauce made this my new favorite.

The sweet and sour spareribs came out piping hot, with a substantial portion of meaty ribs, and the sauce had the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

Lastly, we had the dan dan noodles. My recommendation for the noodles is to toss them in the sauce a few times and then let it sit for a few minutes, until the noodles soak up all of the sauce. You will not be disappointed! One fun note: these noodles are SO LONG, like comically long, and I'd love to see someone attempt to slurp these noodles without cutting or biting them off.

Now onto the service- to say the staff is attentive is an understatement. Our water glasses were always full. About every five minutes or so, someone came by to check on us. When we were finished, a woman whom I think may be the owner, approached the table and offered to box up our leftovers. She made conversation and asked what our favorite dishes were and we discussed the brussel sprouts, which she told us was her recipe and she was very proud of it.

For all of the food we ordered, a glass of Moscato (9 dollars a glass) and a beer (8 or 9 for imported), the bill was 82 dollars.

I cannot recommend this hidden gem enough. We will...

This restaurant is called dumpling tops but I think their noodles are the best dishes to order. I had the lobster tail noodles, which was only $20 a bowl but it has a lobster tail, well-cooked vegetables and a real lot of noodles. The broth was very thick, it’s the tonkutsu-style thickness. Noodles are very chewy and yummy. It's better than most noodle places.

I had XLB and buns too, but I think they’re average. Half of the 8 XLBs I had had their soup leaked onto the steaming plate. The bun's filling was a small portion. The veggie dumplings were quite good, though. It's fresh and delicious.

Friendly and very quick service! Good vibes in the afternoon. They have parking at the back on Hope St passing a small alley (not the parking lot on...

A newly opened restaurant in the neighborhood. The place used to a Korean restaurant but eventually lost its charm because of its food quality. This time seems a winner.

The service is good, warm and helpful. The location is very convenient but you do have to find street parking with a little bit of luck some times. It was a bit of noisy when we were there but maybe due to lots of small kids among the patrons at the time. The food was good. It is a normal popular Chinese menu. I wish it could come up something unique in the future. The price is also average for its portion.

By all accounts, we sure...