First of all, the restaurant is located very conveniently in a little plaza at the corner of Cordova and Lake in Pasadena. I like coming here because it is not usually very crowded, and it is possible that it's because the pricing of the food is usually on the higher end. That being said, the food is reasonably good. The seaweed tofu salad has a nice kick to it. The black pepper beef was cooked well and the seasoning was not overwhelming. The crab fried rice tasted good, but the flavor of the crab was not as prominent. The dumpling was solid, but certainly overpriced for five pieces. The Dan Mein with chicken was a solid dish, but probably could get similar dish at the Chinese restaurant in San Gabriel Valley. Parking is easy, on the street or in the parking lot behind the restaurant. You can also park in the parking lot behind the Jamba Juice, which is located south of the Cordova Street. The servers were excellent, very attentive, extremely friendly, and definitely helpful. Would definitely come back, but knowing that it is on the expensive side. For seven dishes, pretty standard ones, it was approximately $150 after including tax and tip. The ambience was definitely immaculate, very clean restaurant, and the food was pretty solid. read more

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Food was bomb. Mapu tofu with pork is spicy, but a good spicy, we didn't have to add any additional spice to it. Service was friendly. Dan Dan noodles were too mushy for me and it was mainly because of the peanut sauce. I thought the sauce was too dense. The black pepper beef was tender and super flavorful. Restroom score 6/10 - could use more TLC. I would take a dump in there if I had to. I would recommend but for small groups. The space is charming and small - not good for large parties IMO. read more

dan modern chinese - black pepper beef - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

We weren't that hungry, but craving some noodles. I wanted to go here because of their half portions. They mostly offer half portions for their dumps and some noodles. We got their Dan Dan noodles. It sure had a kick to it. However, it was pretty tasty. This was a reg order so if you're ordering for yourself then it would be enough or even a little less. The oxtail noodle soup was not bad. It had a few pieces of oxtails. The noodles were ok. It was kind of bland. The broth was pretty clear. Soft noodles. Portion was very small for the price. Not sure how a full size bowl would be lol The scallion pancakes were good. Since the oxtail noodles were bland, I ate the meats with the scallion sauce. Yummy! Overall, it was an ok experience. The restaurant was clean and neat, but it was pretty empty. Meter/street parking read more

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Dan Modern is hitting my list for good reason. Yes, besides the prices being premium, you can taste the quality! I'll pay the difference for the quality. 1. Shrimp and Pork XLB 5 Pcs 2. Pork and Dungeness Crab XLB 5 pcs 3. String Beans 4. Short Rib Lo Mein 5. Shrimp Fried Rice 6. Pork Cutlet Look, wait times aren't as crazy and there is free parking across the street. It's slowly becoming my go to for satisfying my XLB cravings. read more

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This past Saturday, my husband, our little girl dog and I visited the area and decided to make a to go order for lunch here at Dan Modern Chinese. Tucked away in the corner, right across from Philz Coffee, it is an easy miss if you don't walk into this hidden area of restaurants and businesses. My husband made the order inside while my little girl and I sat at one of the tables outside in the courtyard. My husband ended up ordering: Dan Dan Noodle With Pork, $10.50 prior to tax- My husband ordered this one for himself. He liked this dish and had said that even though the portion size looks small, he felt satisfied and full. Sesame Noodle With Pork, $10.50 prior to tax- I liked the chew of the noodles. I also liked the sesame sauce that I poured in (not all of it because I don't enjoy a really saucy soupy type of noodle). The pork was fine but minimal on the portion. ---------------------------------- (Total= $23.20 after tax) Wait time was about 10 minutes, which is fine and reasonable for take out. I like that there is outdoor seating and also numerous of tables out in the courtyard so that we can dine outside with our little girl. I would consider coming back in the future to try other dishes. read more

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Got Doordash since they were having a promo of BOGO pork Xiao long bao (pork dumplings)! Such a good deal since it's usually $23.40 (for 5 pieces) but I got it for $11.70 and it came with 10 pieces! My order arrived pretty fast - less than an hour The Xiao long baos were a bit cold when I got them but it's not a big deal! Normally, it should have sizzling hot soup coming out as soon as the first bite is taken! However, it was slightly dry since majority of the soup most likely dried up. Other than that, the pork dumplings was very flavorful and delicious! The dumplings were a bit small but don't underestimate the size because it was stuffed with plenty of pork! Overall, I felt like I really got the bang for my buck since my entire order of 2 Xiao long bao dishes (including tip) was a little under $18! What a deal! read more

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They were packed on a rainy Saturday evening at 7pm. Although we waited a while, I didn't mind so much because I knew this meant the food was good. When we were seated, our server immediately handed us menus and took our drink orders. We ordered the mapo tofu with crab (spicy but so so so good), the pork and rice, pan fried dumplings and soup dumplings. Everything we had was lovely. I am very curious now about that mapo tofu with crab...I must return to experience it again! We ate everything and were surprised by the reasonable prices (especially given this economy). It was $99.75 for 3 people - not bad! I can't wait to bring folks here now that I know it's a restaurant that provides excellent value for money, great service and just the best Chinese food. read more

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Visited: November 2025. Saturday ~2:00pm. Wait Time: None, but that might've been because of the rain. Food/Drink: - Scallion Pancake ($8.50): Crispy and flaky. I needed to dip it in the soy ginger dipping sauce for flavor. - Crispy Vegetable Dumplings, 5 pcs ($10.75): The crispy layer was impressive. Flavor was lacking. Needed to be dipped in sauce. - String Beans with garlic, half order ($9.50): Good. Had a nice bite to it. We asked for extra garlic and liked it that way. - Shrimp Dan Mein Noodles ($19.25): The noodles were cooked perfectly al dente. The mushrooms added even more texture to the dish. The sauce was savory, but too mild for me. - Egg Fried Rice ($14.25): Standard. Delicious with their chili oil. - Sapporo ($7): Good. A beer is a beer lol. Served in a bottle and I was given a glass to pour it into. Service: Excellent! The server was attentive and pleasant. I was especially impressed because the staff scooted a second empty table next to ours so that we'd have enough space for all the food we ordered. Parking: There's a parking structure directly across the street from the restaurant on Shoppers Lane. The rate is $2.00/15 min with a max of $16. Convenient but steep. Alternatively, there appeared to be metered street parking and other paid lots or parking structures nearby. Next Time: I'd come back if someone else wanted to, but it's not something I'd personally crave. I'd get the Scallion Pancake again and would try the Mapo Tofu and Popcorn Shrimp. read more

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Another visit to Dan modern cuisine and again a great experience. Food is always so fresh. Well prepared and fantastic service. You have to return because they do change up the menu from time to time. Today they added thin noodles as well as a chicken roll Love the sides. String beans were crisp and when you enter you can experience the aroma as they prepare the food. To me it's the spices as well as their mixture of seasonings. Well balanced and truly the star. The food is never too heavy One is in no danger of being disappointed here read more

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The staff at the Pasadena location are incredibly friendly and attentive. It's nice to see the food being cooked through the windows to the kitchen. The dumplings were delicious, I would especially recommend the crispy style. The Dan Dan noodles were very good too. read more

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Honestly, everything was good and above average. We stumble upon this restaurant on a Friday night around 8:30pm. It's was fully seated but we waited for less than 5min. The servers were really really nice, they checked in on us often and were very patient since this was our first time. What I love about this place is you can order half portion instead of full so you can try a wide variety of things even coming as a smaller party. First off, pork xlb - it was amazing, juicy, full of umami. Then, spicy oxtail noodle soup, exactly what I needed that night, comforting and flavorful, the noddles had a nice chew. We also ordered the short rib fried rice and it genuinely surprised me how good it was, every rice kernel was coated with flavor, the dish was well balanced. The short rib was cooked to perfection, tender and with burst of flavor. We also had green beans, chili oil pork and shrimp dumplings, and brown sugar milk, all of them were delicious. Definitely a place I would come back. The interior was simple and mid-sized restaurant with open kitchen concept where you can see the kitchen behind the glass. Overall, a great experience. read more

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The food ambiance and the service were outstanding me and my family really enjoyed our dinner thank you! Eric, the runner and our hostess were top notch. read more

Dan is a hidden gem into this little plaza filled with AMAZING food. Dan fits RIGHT IN: I cannot stop thinking about the flavors and how delicious everything was. We got mapo tofu, green beans, and cucumbers as sides. The cucumbers are a must: they are crisp and soooooo good. We also got a soup, some rice, and we were in heaven. Parking can be manageable, depending on the day. The service was a 10/10, and we never had to ask for anything. They were very accommodating. read more

dan modern chinese - pickled cucumber - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

Really nice ambiance and service with delicious Chinese food. The food is authentic and delicious. I especially enjoyed the fried noodles and soup dumplings. Their menu is friendly to English and Chinese readers, but the food is still authentic and delicious. I also appreciate the vegetarian options. So this place is good option for my family due to their variety and good quality food. The service is phenomenal. Eric was our server and he was so attentive and polite. He definitely made it a great dining experience. read more

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Got 3 things to go. Popcorn chicken, potstickers and brown rice. The portions of chicken was minuscule, undercooked and not flavorful. Potstickers were good but the sauce was insanely salty and not saying a lot! You expected to be a little salty because of the soy sauce, but this was almost inedible. The brown rice was good. They seal each container with scotch tape that's on some tight that in order to open it you have to tear the flap and can't reseal the food. I paid $30 for three things that weren't very good and would barely feed one person. Overpriced and underwhelmed. Update: after contacting customer service without asking for it because I really wasn't asking for my card was refunded. Hopefully they get things squared away because it's in a great spot and I've heard great things about it before. read more

The food is pretty good but pricy. An order of 3 dumpings will cost about $6-7. I got the Pork and Dungeness Crab Soup Dumplings and they were really delicious. I also got the Pork and Shrimp Dumplings in Chili Oil - flavorful! The Short Rib fried rice was pretty good, the meat was very tender! There's a lot of seating, and the space is bright and clean. The staff are attentive and friendly. They also give a generous amount of ginger and vinegar! read more

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I was hoping to have some authentic Taiwanese fusion food but i was overhyped when i entered. The entrance is a bit confusing so it's best to walk around the other corner entry to come into the restaurant if you are walking on Lake Ave. Clean and open space window entry to make the place look bigger with an open kitchen to see the dumplings being made. We ordered Xiao long bao and beef rolls and spicy cucumber and were shocked to see the undercooked XLB. I immediately brought it to the managers attention and said it isn't cooked all the way. She did mention to the waiter to comp the item and she will have the team redo it. Once we got the dumplings back it is Still not cooked thoroughly. I would stay away from the steam dumpling items and go for cooked or fried dumplings. Overall I am not pleased with the fusion food but I am glad for the service of acknowledging to redo the items. Save your tummy ache from eating raw dumplings. read more

dan modern chinese - Xiao x pork raw after re-steaming - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Dan is a great place for family dinners because they have an extensive menu that has at least one dish everyone will love. We ordered enough to have a mini tasting session. The table favorite was the crab fried rice and all the xiao long bao. We ordered three different fillings (pork, pork and Dungeness crab, and chicken and shrimp), and each of them came with five. My mom also loved the snow pea leaves with garlic. My personal favorite was the beef roll though because it was stuffed generously with beef and it came with sweet hoisin sauce on the side so that you could dip it if it needed more flavor. We came during Saturday dinner hours and there were plenty of tables available. Our waiter was also kind and attentive as was the manager, Vince. read more

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Oh my. What an amazing meal! I'm seriously in love with this place. Came for my birthday with family and the price was very reasonable for a party of 8. We had dumplings, dungeness crab fried rice(yum) plus chicken fried rice, garlic green beans(yummy tasty and crispy) plus noodles . I tried to take pics but it was so tasty I ate it before I could get the camera out! Do yourself a favor and try it out. The staff was attentive and I will def be back here for round 2! read more

Dim sum, but with a glow-up vibes! Refreshing to see innovation and modernization with traditional foods and being able to maintain the essence of the cuisine. Think about this, handmade dumplings, scratch-made noodles, and wok-fried everything that's fresh, flavorful, and fancy without trying too hard. Many of the dishes were made with fewer ingredients and every dish lets the food do the talking. If you know me, you know I always love drinks with my food. They have a clean selection of imported Asian beers to pair real nicely with you foot without overpowering it. Why did the soup dumpling go to therapy? It had too much emotional baggage! read more

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One of my favorite spots. Some compare this spot to din tai fung. I prefer this place. Less of a wait and tasty quality food. Small spot with modern interior. Great service. read more

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Eric was our waiter and has some good recommendations after I asked what are the most popular dishes. Had the pork And shrimp dumplings pan fried, which were perfectly crispy and not too greasy! Then have the Dan Dan Noodles with short ribs, which were not shredded pieces of meat, but cubed, similar to a the taste and texture of a ribeye steak-Yummy! Lastly, had SLB with chicken and shrimp. The bao was a perfect size & soup was perfectly heated and didn't burn my tongue, plus the ginger mixed with soy and vinegar made the perfect dipping sauce. The only thing that I would ask for next time is to have it cooked a little longer because the top was a little tough and maybe needed a little bit more steaming. All in all, Eric was the perfect host and made us feel welcomed and would go back again to try other things. read more

dan modern chinese - Dan Dan noodles with short ribs - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

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6/10 Got the cucumber salad, scallion pancake, and pork xlb dumplings. I did get the food to go, but for the price I paid it was pretty mid. Not bad by any means but there are better places for the same price. Pork xlb was the best out of the three for sure. read more

Popped in waiting for my car to be fixed nearby. Carlos greeted me and made sure I was welcomed and comfortable. I ordered the Dan veggie noodles, chicken soup, and spicy tofu with jasmine hot tea. Friendly service and prompt. Give Carlos a raise because he's too good to stay as a server. read more

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First of all, the Xiao long bao dumplings are DELICIOUS. All of the food here is 10/10, the menu has no misses at all honestly. I also got the thai tea boba (which im always hesitant about because a lot of places have hard or nasty boba) BUT THEIR BOBA WAS SO SOFT AND A LITTLE WARM, SOOO GOOD!!! I can confidently say it's way better than DTF, no questions asked. The staff is extremely attentive and always making sure everything is perf. Overall, the food is bomb and the experience is great. 10/10, definitely visiting again read more

Great service and food came out quickly and was very good! This is one of the few places where you have options to eat gluten free chinese food, like mapo tofu. They even have a dedicated fryer to avoid cross contamination. The xiao long bao is delicious (not gluten-free). The dumpling skin is thin but still holds the soup well without breaking. I like that I can order chicken for the filling too which is pretty rare to find. I also like being able to order half or full orders of the veggies. The snow pea leaves always comes out consistently well cooked. read more

Delicious fare and excellent service. very cute, modern and clean inside. You can pay for parking or park on the street (also paid, unless after 6p). In the same plaza as Philz and Sugarfish. We'll be back to dine again! read more

My daughter recommended that we go and try this place and I'm glad that we did!! Located around other restaurants. When we entered, they weren't busy so we got a table right away. Before we left, the place was PACKED!! We were lucky to beat the crowd. Many types of yummy food to choose from and it was ALL GOOD. We ordered about five dishes and we finished EVERYTHING. It was the perfect amount for us. The soup dumplings, spinach, beef, noodles all tasted amazing. The waiter was on point. Our food came real fast after we ordered. Nice sitting area inside. I would definitely come back. read more

dan modern chinese - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

It's my second time here but I still prefer Din Tai Fung for their XLB Soup Dumplings. The skin is thinner here but less flavorful. The Short Rib Dan Mein was really good though and we could see that every table ordered some form of the Dan Mein. And their string beans are better though than DTF - seems much more fresh, the garlic taste is stronger. The mapo tofu was a bit bland...although it seemed like a very popular dish. The food all took some time to come out so we could tell the dishes were well prepared. It got pretty packed on a Friday evening. Service was good overall but we noticed each server did things differently- no one offered us hot sauce but the table next to us was. Thought that was a bit weird. read more

dan modern chinese - Green string beans, mapo pork, dan mein short rib - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

Eh I've had better. This definitely is for white folk. Just look at all of its locations. That's being said, service was super friendly, warm and helpful. Our food came super fast and it was affordable. read more

Wow. Such diverse, and very clean flavors the definitely satisfy the palette. Chicken three way, Short rib noodles, spicy pork soup dumplings, and spicy chicken dumplings. Staff was great and friendly read more

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I ordered pork soup dumplings and string beans via delivery service and they were delicious! They packed it so well and they were still warm when they arrived. Everything was so tasty and it definitely makes me want to visit in person and have it straight from the kitchen. read more

We have passed by this place many times before and have always wanted to try it. Went in on a Friday evening, and was able to get the last table before the waitlist started. Service was excellent. The staff was extremely attentive to refill drinks and check on us. Having eaten at places like Din Tai Fung and 101 Noodle Express or Mr. Dragon Noodle House, the food wasn't anything to write home about. Almost all of the dishes paled in comparison and were quite salty for our taste. It's a very clean and modern dining room, so service and ambience was what made up for the experience. I don't think we will be going back. read more

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Second time ordering from Dan Modern Chinese, and still just as obsessed. Everything tasted super fresh, which we always notice and love. The Three Cup Chicken was full of flavor, so tender, and honestly just comforting in the best way. The Dan Mein Chicken noodles were fresh and rich with that perfect balance of savory and sweet. Loved every bite. The fried dumplings were also really good, crispy and satisfying. And while the fried rice was a little plain on its own, it totally came to life when we paired it with the Three Cup Chicken. That combo was so good. Overall, everything felt high quality, flavorful, and thoughtfully made. Definitely one of our go-tos now for delivery. read more

This place is BOMB If I didn't live so far I'd be here all the time. The service was fast too read more

My manager highly loves dan modern chinese so we got lunch here while she was in California. It was my first time and her second time dining. We were seated right away and food came out quick. We both ordered the lunch portion of the short rib dan mein and xlbs. All the food were delicious and each dumpling did have a good amount of soup. I still prefer Din Tai Fung for xlbs. The lunch portion was a bowl of noodles but it was filling. The noodles had a sweet yet savory soy sauce flavor. read more

dan modern chinese - Short rib dan mein (lunch portion) - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

sesame noodles were delish and XLB were soupful! beef rolls were a delight, originally the hubs was not wanting to order them but then after we finished them we ended up getting a second order lol. and MIL took home the sauce she liked to so much. kids enjoyed the fried rice and onion pancake and noodles so that was a win! place is impeccably clean and nice playlist. service was excellent. read more

I keep coming back for the veggies. The green beans and the seaweed with tofu is the best. Their knife-cut noodles with mushrooms have this fantastic smoky flavor--though the portion is a little small. Thankfully, you can swap in brown rice if you prefer. The Salt & Pepper Tofu is a standout--crispy on the outside without being overly breaded--and the Spicy Pork Dumplings are just the right level of heat. Pro tip: Parking is easier across the street if you're cool with a short walk. Downside: They can be a little understaffed at times read more

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My lifelong search for XLB equivalent to or better than Din Tai Fung is now done. It took a long time...like 10+ years. The soft, thin wrapped XLBs here are flavorful, structurally sound, and have a good amount of soup in them. Got the 3 piece order to try and ended up doubling up. I also like that Dan is solo diner friendly with half order options. Good service to round out. Would give 5 stars but need to try more other dishes here first. Will be back soon! read more

Run, don't walk to this place! It's incredible! Cute location with decent amount of seating in a bright atmosphere including an open concept so you can see the team working on your delicious food. (Also shared patio seating outside). We sampled 12 dishes as this was my first visit. They are known for their dumplings and noodles - all handmade. Every single dish we ordered was tremendous. Here are the details...Tried two flavors of XLB, the pork+crab as well as the chicken+shrimp. The skin is appropriately delicate and broth super tasty. Filling ratio perfect. Dare I say, rivals DTF? Then moved on to two different dumpling types - one chili chicken wontons. Absolutely delicious with a balance of savory and sweet. Tried the crispy pork+shrimp dumplings. Super unique and I've only had them done this way once in another state. Small plates were fantastic: the pickled cucumber, seaweed & tofu salad (incredible recipe), salt and pepper tofu (one of my favorite dishes of the day and different than any other place I've had this), scallion pancakes and super unique pork belly bun (also another favorite, and was done with a unique crispy bun, filled with three types of vegetables which complimented the perfectly sliced pork belly). For mains we sampled the short rib dan mein and the Dungeness crab fried rice. Superb. Of course had to get some veggies and the sautéed garlic pea shoots were perfect. One unique feature of this restaurant is that they serve half portions for so many of the options - so if you like to do more small plates, family style eating, this enables you to try so many of their goodies. Service was impeccable and the staff worked as a team, extremely attentive and responsive. So appreciated the modern twist on classic recipes for so many of my favorite dishes. Highly recommend!!! You will not be disappointed (and by the way they have several locations across the geo). read more

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