Dan is where you go when you don't want to wait for din tai fung. I love their short rib noodles are sooo good! You can't go wrong with any of the soup dumplings and don't skip on the mapo tofu! Check it out if you're in the area or if you go to sugarfish and realize you don't want to wait, dan is a good backup for a date night! read more

I would recommend: - seaweed & tofu salad - short rib dan mein - dungeness crab fried rice - string beans with garlic The food here is good enough for when you're craving Din Tai Fung but don't want to wait in line there. They have similar items on the menu, such as their XLB, string beans, and even their seaweed & tofu salad. Honestly their seaweed & tofu salad feels like an exact replica and tastes just as good. On the other hand, I prefer DTF's XLB a little more. The chicken noodle soup here was something you should definitely NOT order! Their handmade pan fried dumplings were also pretty good. However, parking is a bit annoying as the closest lot charges you to park there. If you are willing to walk across the street, you can park at the South Lake Avenue Parking Lot and get free parking for 90 minutes! read more

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I want to start off with how great the service is here. Every single person working was so kind and attentive. We never had a dirty finished plate on our table and our drinks stayed full. The location is cute but a bit small. The design is very modern, personally not my favorite, I love character. Now the food, the food is delicious and carries such deep flavors. The dan dan noodles are so thick and delicious. The only thing is the prices. I believe the prices are pretty expensive. This would be a reason I wouldn't return as often. There are so many other places just as great and much more affordable. If money or the price isn't an issue for you, this place is for you. This will definitely just be my date night out restaurant. Food is delicious and i definitely recommend trying this place out!! read more

So good! Food and service were top notch. Even at the weird hour that we went in. Would totally recommend and absolutely go back.

Delicious food and friendly service, I'll return when I'm in the area! We ordered everything except noodles (dungeness crab fried rice, string beans with garlic, pork XLBs, mapo tofu, and pork pan fried dumplings). Portions are generous for their prices and service was friendly and fast. They don't validate parking at the structure across the alley, so it cost us close to $20, but I'm sure there are more affordable options nearby. read more

As an East Coaster, whenever I'm on the West Coast, I'm always excited for some good Asian food. This place delivered for sure. They had a lot of great options for appetizers, dumplings, and main courses. I'd recommend going with a group and ordering a bunch of dishes for the table to try. There wasn't anything that we ordered that I didn't enjoy. I will say, I'm not a big fan of fried food, so some of the fried options like the scallion pancakes and beef roll were a bit on the greasy side for me. The real hero was the soup dumplings. I wasn't expecting the chicken ones to be so flavorful, but they didn't disappoint. I also really enjoyed the dan mein noodles, which were pretty much saucy udon noodles. I liked them a lot more than lo mein noodles. Extra points for the pickled cucumbers, which were delicious as well! Just note that it can get busy, so it's a good idea to write your party's name down and then come back before your table is ready. read more

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I came here around 6:30 on a Friday night and was able to sit down right away with no wait. They have soy sauce, brown vinegar, and ginger on the table. Service was quick. They recommend 3-4 dishes for 2 people. We ordered chicken and shrimp soup dumplings, three cup chicken, brown rice, and green beans. The food came out quickly and was all delicious. The vinegar paired really well with the dumplings. Not too expensive either. For two people, we paid $60 which is much less than if we had gone anywhere else. read more

It's great to see a nice Chinese restaurants in Pasadena. It is located in the middle of a cluster of other restaurants like Lemonade, SugarFish. Free parking in the back or you can pay at the structure. Friend and I went for lunch and we were seated promptly. Crispy veggie dumplings - not crispy at all. The skin was almost rubbery and the fillings were so bland. Garlic string beans - tasty! Scallion pancakes - very good and flavorful. Nice and crispy and had a yummy dipping sauce. Vegetable dan mein - I found this to be soo salty. They went a little overboard with the soy sauce. Everything was drowning in sauce. Seaweed and tofu salad - very light and yummy! We also ordered ginger ales with our meal. Service was very slow. read more

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Din Tai Fung was highly recommended to us by a few friends but when we saw how far it was, we needed a closer option. This place was delicious!! The garlic baby bok choy was delicious - add some of the chili dumplings sauce and it was perfect! highly recommend the pork soup dumplings! read more

Peaceful dumpling restaurant for a nice hangout. Parking: The location of this restaurant is in a hip part of Pasadena. It's been a while since I've been in this area and it was refreshing to come back. Parking can be found across the street at The Commons for a fee, but I parked a block over for 90 minutes free behind Veggie Grill. Wait Time: I was expecting Dan to be super packed since many people compared this place to Din Tai Fung. Din Tai Fung is notorious for their long wait times, but Dan had absolutely no one inside except for my friend and me. The time it took to prepare the dumplings was kind of slow, or maybe I was hangry. Either way, the quality is there and with delicacies like their xiao long bao, it's worth the wait. Food: I enjoyed the xiao long bao at Dan and would compare it to Din Tai Fung's because of the price. I would rate it higher than Din Tai Fung, in the xiao long bao category, and would strictly order xiao long bao when I come back again. They held up well and were filled with a lot of soup, which is very comparable to the ones I've tried in Shanghai. This is definitely a quality item and the star of the meal. We also ordered pan fried dumplings and crispy dumplings, but I prefer the crispy dumplings over the pan fried. I love the sound of a crispy, crunchy dumpling. I also ordered the short rib dan mein which had a balanced amount of short rib. The noodles were savory, slightly sweet, and full of flavor, but the texture of the noodles had more chew than I was used to. The portion doesn't look big, but it did fill me up. With the quality of the meat, I think $20 is fair for this dish. Overall, I would come back for the xiao long bao and the crispy dumplings. I'm resistant on giving this a 5/5 because the portions are kind of small and you'd probably see me running back to Mama Lu's to take my money. read more

This place was fantastic! Chicken Xiao Long Baos (XLB). Pork and crab XLB. Beef rolls. Dumplings. Dan Dan mian. Fried rice. Handmade! I am so glad this place opened. This is the ONLY dim sum place I've found that has chicken XLB. The other items on the menu are just staples for a place that serve XLB, but they all taste fantastic and authentic. Comparing this to Din Tai Fung... Taste between the two are comparable. Dan's gives you 5 per serving while Din Tai Fung give you 8, but Dan's seems to be a bit bigger. I really wish Dan's had some dessert XLB's, or buns. I truly recommend this place, delicious and not overhyped like other Dim Sum Places. Plenty of seating. Parking was a bit annoying as this spot is in The Commons (right next to Philz). Great service. read more

dan modern chinese - Chicken Xiao Long Bao. 5 per order - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We love this place for soup dumplings (XLB) and we've tried most places known for them in Southern California. The price and quality is similar to that of Din Tai Fung, but without the amusement ride wait. They did raise their prices and I haven't tried many other dishes but would also recommend their pan fried dumplings. Now when will they open the Long Beach location!?! For more socal eats: @grace.loves.adventures @danmodernchinese read more

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

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We came on a Saturday night and was seated quickly. We got the mapo tofu with pork, pork soup dumplings, garlic string beans, short rib fried rice, and shrimp with crab sauce. Everything was good and flavorful. The short rib was not tough at all and cooked well. The portions were also decent! read more

I'm wondering how this place got such high ratings. I was looking for an alternative to Din Tai Fung and this place is not it. Chicken XLB: Nothing special Pan Fried Chicken dumplings: It was okay, I liked the crispiness of it but nothing special in the hoisin sauce they give you or the stuffing of the dumplings. Green beans: Oh this was the highlight of the night. It was good but was not the best stir-fried green beans we ever had. Crab fried rice: I liked it. It was good. Fried tofu: No, no. Popcorn chicken: No, no Vegetable dumplings: This was okay and we would probably eat it again. Service: I can't say it was bad but it wasn't very good either. Ambiance: Very casual and nice for a quick bite. read more

My go to Taiwanese spot in Pasadena. Not many places make their pan fried dumplings the way Dan Modern make it. It has the perfect crunch to the fried dumpling. And on the other hand, their xiao long Bao is the perfect juiciness and temperature. If you do come hungry, their spicy beef noodle soup is a must. read more

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After working out came in here. No wait, I'm so happy!! Love love love everything single think we ordered. I think I like pork xiao long bao here than ding tai fung. Beef roll are huge and filling. If you're getting handmade dumplings I recommend to get the crispy. It's very enjoyable to eat crispy dumpling, you can hear the crunch. Also, don't forget to get vegetables. My all time favorite is string beans with garlic. Overall food was delicious, it's a bit salt still delicious. Service was great, fast and friendly. read more

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The food and the service are absolutely excellent. The lighting inside the restaurant is way too bright. I hope management sees this review and figures that out. I'm sure they're wasting a lot of electricity. No one wants to be in such a bright restaurant. If the lighting was better, I would give them a five read more

Loved everything, but not the vegan dumplings (a bit flavorless) I'd go back to get the salt and pepper tofu, any of the garlic veggies, the cucumber salad and the scallion pancakes (I was the only one that liked these). Service was quick and there wasn't a two hour line which as great. It's tucked away in an inside corner of the plaza and a bit hidden, but it's there, you'll find it. I'd go back and add some noodles or rice to this order. Happy Munchies, aVeganAndHer read more

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I've only ever gotten take out from here but every dish I've ordered has hit the spot. From the string beans to the dan mein. The best way to describe the food is elevated Panda Express. So if you're looking for some greasy, not entirely Chinese food, you've got to try this spot! read more

Pretty good alternative to Din Tai Fung if you don't want to drive to Glendale and wait in line. We came here on Saturday for lunch and the place was pretty crowded. The location is central with popular places such as Phil's Coffee. We were greeted and seated immediately. We ordered quite a few things. Pork xia long bao, pork and shrimp chili dim sum, scallion pancakes, braised oxtail soup, crab fried rice, and garlic green beans. Dim sums were okay. I think Din Tai Fung has better dim sums. However, other dishes were actually better than Din Tai Fung IMO. Braised oxtail soup and crab fried rice were the stars of the show. Service was very nice as well. Servers and the manager were always on it and food came out fast. Would be back. read more

Good food. Tried the 3 cup chicken and pork shrimp dumplings. Will definitely come back.

10/10 would recommend. My boyfriend and I wanted to try something new and stumbled upon this place on Yelp. I've been craving dumplings and this place had a nice variety of options when it came to dumplings. The modern look on the inside was rather refreshing. It was extremely clean and intimate inside. They do have outdoor dining but I would rather sit inside. I will say it was a little difficult to find the entrance, but was greeted immediately once we got there. I am assuming the gentleman that greeted us was either the owner or manager. Asked if we have ever been and what they were known for. They are known for their hand pulled noodles and freshly made dumplings. Let me tell you they did not disappoint. Ordering was fast and efficient at the time we went which was around 1 to 1:30. We were seated near where the food items would come out and they smelled and looked amazing. When I saw reviews saying they were small portions I was expecting maybe less than 8 oz for the noodles. I think they are under priced in my opinion because of the freshness you get with each dish. I find that yes they might be a little smaller but it gives more of an opportunity for people to be able to sample everything. Most places I've been too that do have dumplings on the menu are about $9 for 5 dumplings pan fried and typically greasy, store bought dumplings. Would much rather buy $9 for fresh dumplings that are bigger and have more flavor. There was a little mix up in the kitchen in which we had to wait about 30 minutes more for our dumplings, but was well worth the wait. I took a bite into the dumpling and you can see the pieces of shrimp that went into each dumpling. The broccoli was a nice soft texture without being mushy had enough gralice without being over powerful. The shrimp noodles had great flavor to them the shrimp were not rubbery or chewy. The white rice was not overly sticky and extremely fluffy. Definitely going to be bringing friends with me next time I go. read more

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The wife and I are usually on the same page when it comes to food, the we just cannot for a Chinese restaurant that we both like. Until dan modern. We ordered a hodgepodge consisting of noodles, dumplings, beef rolls, and popcorn shrimp. Despite a 30 minute delivery time when the food sat in a car, it was still fantastic. The soup in the dumplings was still warm! The noodles had excellent texture and not overly greasy. The beef roll and popcorn did get a bit soggy and lost their crunch, but I assume eating in the restaurant will solve that issue. This place is a bit pricier than others, but the different is definitely worth it. read more

When it comes to xiao long bao, I expect a soft skin and delicous broth. Dan does just that. Their xiao long bao is thin-skinned and steamed to perfection. I love the pork and pork & dungeness crab fillings, but my friend loves the spicy pork filling. Their crispy dumplings are also great. Although these cost a little more, it's completely worth the try. Other than dumplings, they also have good short rib dan mein. These handmade noodles are thick and chewy. It is stir fried with lots of flavor. The only dish that could have been better is the mapo tofu. This was not bad, but it was missing the spiciness that I typically like. It comes with a nice bowl of rice, which is a must for mapo tofu. read more

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If you want soup dumplings in Pasadena this is the spot! There's a paid parking structure in the back of the restaurant. A good spot for solid food. The place has a nice modern feel to it and plenty of room to sit and enjoy your food. The Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) are some of the best I have had. Highly Recommend: Pork and Dungeness Crab Soup Dumplings Chicken and Shrimp Soup Dumplings Short Rib Dain Mein (Noodles) Veggie Fried Rice read more

dan modern chinese - Short Rib Noodles - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I love they have Dungeness crab fried rice. Most food is good. The service is awesome. I didn't bring the food fast parking available on site in a structure the parking building, pay parking read more

dan modern chinese - dungeness crab fried rice - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

I loved the fried rice and XLBs here! Clean ingredients. Perfectly cooked every time. :) It is a little on the pricier end so I come more to treat myself! read more

Talk about a delicious meal! I came here based on reviews found on Yelp and was craving to try a restaurant different than Din Tai Fung. I was not disappointed. We ordered the bok choy, crispy dumplings, oxtail soup, and XLB. I kid you not, everything was perfection in my honest opinion. The dumplings were ever so crispy. There was a layer that made it so crunchy when biting into the dumplings. The XLB was juicy and very comparable to the ones from DTF. The oxtail in the soup was melt in your mouth delicious, and the bok choy was seasoned to perfection. The wait time was not too bad either. I'd 1000% come back to eat here again! The place was super cute too. read more

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Absolutely amazing. The garlic string beans are just amazing. It's such a great addition to a meal. The pork XLBs are rich and flavorful. They have soy sauce and other toppings on the table. The real star was the short rib dan mien. It's hands down a meal that comes back into my memory every once in a while. Dan modern Chinese is definitely a stop you should make when you're in the area. read more

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I had high hopes that Dan Modern Noodles in Pasadena would be a great place to enjoy dumplings and noodles. Those hopes faded when I ordered 5 items online. Situated in the Commons in Pasadena, this is the perfect location for enjoying dumplings in a serene setting. However, the food did not meet our expectations. Ordered the following Chicken soup dumplings. Noodle skin was nice and delicate. Chicken filling was good. Slightly salty. Green beans. Soft, mushy and overcooked. No taste. Mapo tofu. I liked it silky tofu. Lacks the spicy taste. Chicken Dan Mei. The homemade noodles were cooked Al Dante. It needed one more minute to cook it perfectly. The chicken was nice and tasty. Chicken fried rice with brown rice. Lacks flavor. No taste to the chicken. The chicken were the size of pellets. DJ's rating 2.35/5.0 Would I come back? Maybe once to see if they improve the execution of the dishes. I really like to see this restaurant succeed. read more

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To be honest at first, we were going to the restaurant next-door, but the wait was too long. We ended up going to Dan modern Chinese cuisine and I'm glad we ended up there. Everything we tasted was fantastic. The service was top-notch thanks to our waiter, Eric. Definitely try the green beans, the 3 cups chicken and the thick noodles. Can't wait to come back. read more

I don't know why it took us forever to try this place. It's probably the best thing after DTF or if not maybe better! This location is very roomy with both booths and regular tables for option. Service is amazing! Everyone is super friendly and attentive. It's located next to Phil's Coffee (a plus for after!) Their xiao long baos are AMAZING 5/5! The soup is so tasty that it makes my mouth watery just thinking about it. It is the perfect flavor. And dipped in soy sauce and vinegar- YUMM! We tried both the pork and spicy pork. My husband absolutely LIVED the spicy pork. It has a very spicy kick to it! I must admit I couldn't hang with the spice but it's not to say it wasn't good. It's my hubby's fave. We also tried the dumplings in steamed, pan friend and crispy. They all tasted amazing! 4/5, my hubby loved the crispy vs the pan fried for me. It just didn't have the soup yeh xiao long baos have. Also came with a sweet sauce. The short rib Dan mein is 5/5! O.M.G. These were so incredibly delicious!!!!! The short rib were tender and the noodle perfect! We also had the chicken fried rice 5/5 and garlic string beans 5/5. Our waiter suggested we we get it with extra garlic. Extra delicious!! Needless to say, this place is deliciously AMAZING! Go go go!! read more

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Their soup dumplings were delicious along with their homemade noodles. The portions are consistent with what you would expect of a dim sum place. The service was very good. read more

Excellent service and good food at decent prices. The vibe is casual but the service is still top-notch - very Los Angeles. I got recommendations from the server and was pleasantly surprised by the short rib noodles which exceeded expectations. I would pass on the three cup chicken which was only "so-so". This time, I ordered the pea shoot greens and highly recommend those. (I have gotten the sauteed snow pea greens in the past and loved those as well). They were nice enough to "forget" to charge me for hot green tea. It was appreciated. read more

Food is good overall. Service super slow. You gotta hire more people!! Chicken Dan mien: I loved it. My husband thinks it's too sweet. It kinda reminds me of the flavor of drunken noodle. Shrimp fried rice: love it! I'll order this again and again. Pop chicken: I don't recommend. They're not scripts enough and the flavor is weak compared to the authentic ones. It tastes like worse Japanese Karaage. read more

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The most overrated and bland food I've had at a Chinese spot in a long time. The Dan mein was the best item we had- tastes like a Mongolian beef dish with noodles. The soup was bland, needed to add lots of chili and soy sauce just to get some flavor, only redeeming quality was that the oxtail was soft and succulent. The XLBs were also not very flavorful, the dough tasted undercooked. Overall wasn't a great meal except for the noodles. For a minute drive to Pasadena, it wasn't worth it for the price. I'd probably been better off with some Panda. Service was really slow, had to get up to twice to grab the attention of the service person, took us 18 minutes to get out of the restaurant. I'd doubt I'd ever want to come back. read more

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I really enjoyed Dan!!! Everything tasted delicious, the service was great, and food came out pretty fast and very fresh. We really loved the Dan Mein and Scallion Pancakes, so flavorful! The various dumplings we got were very good too, but our favorites were chicken in chili oil and pork soup dumplings. The cucumber salad was unique and flavor as well, great starter. Overall, I loved it and can't wait to go back! read more

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This place was good, not fantastic but a solid spot without a wait generally. We got a range of items including: the green onion pancake (7/10) veggie dan dan noodles (7.7/10) veggie steamed dumplings (5/10) Garlic green beans (8/10) Pan fried pork dumplings (didn't eat but others enjoyed) Pork soup dumplings (didn't eat but others enjoyed) Overall if you want something to scratch the soup Dumpling itch, Dan can get it done for you and I'd come back for sure. read more

REVIEW FOR TAKEOUT EXPERIENCE ONLY Ordered their $14.50 vegetable dan mein noodles for takeout at 5:37 PM on a Wednesday. It was surprisingly yummy! I loved the thick mein noodles and how flavorful it was. Only -1 star because both my friend and I tried ordering online, but it didn't work for either of us... and when I called to order on the phone instead, we were informed it was a 40 minute wait for the food. Parking was difficult at the site, given it is downtown. Otherwise, no other complaints! Their menu/food is more pricy than your usual Chinese restaurant, but it definitely seems more modern/upscale. Would still come back again!! Maybe next time dine-in and see how that experience is! read more

dan modern chinese - vegetable dan mein noodles ($14.50) - Dim Sum Near Me - Pasadena, California

First time here and it was a great experience. The prices were decent and able to feed a family of 5 with all the great selections they have. Our favorite item on the menu was the soup dumplings. read more