3.5 : If I come back here, it would either be to get their passion fruit green tea (loved it!) or to try a different menu item. I visited on a Saturday afternoon, and there were only about three other tables occupied. There was nice natural lighting which I personally like. My order was taken and served quickly. The spicy beef noodle soup was good, but it felt like the broth was missing something I couldn't quite pinpoint. It definitely needed stronger spice, but the noodles were great and the cilantro was a bit overpowering. read more

Dumpling Tops - spicy beef noodle soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

Yummy little Chinese restaurant in south Pasadena that offers more than just dumplings! I was quickly seated when I entered (around when they opened so not too many customers yet!). Their menu offers noodle (stir fry and soup based), fried rice, and platters of stir fry protein and greens! I came here with my friend and we were able to quickly place an order for the steamed soups dumplings and pan fried potstickers as we know those items usually take a bit longer. After we studied the menu, we place the rest of our order and the timing was perfect. The stir fry dishes and beef noodle soup came out so quickly! It has a nice decor that offers customers to have conversations while enjoying delicious food. I think the portions are reasonable. The flavor profile was great for all the dishes- I would come back here to enjoy a meal with my friends again! read more

Very friendly service. They even offer kid menu and cute character buns which were perfect for families with kids. Noodles were tasty but their house made soup dumplings were the true stars. You can even see into the kitchen where the staffs are hard at work making them by hands! read more

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Dumpling Tops is probably our favorite Chinese restaurant in Pasadena. Their noodles are especially delicious here and so are the xiao long baos! I highly recommend this place! read more

Dumpling Tops - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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Wow. This place is legit for South Pas. Finally somewhere that actually has good food and Asian nonetheless. Went in for a solo lunch to get my beef dumpling soup craving satiated. Again, I'm very surprised on how authentic it tasted for a little small town. The soup was rich and had a delicious umami taste with a kick of spice. I think the broth is taste easier than Joy or Pine and Crane. They only have the thin noodle option would be nice if they had the thick noodle option and the mustard green option. A little more cilantro on top would make it great also. But to not have to make the trek all the way to Corner Beef or Dai Ho is awesome. Cucumber salad was crisp, garlic, and yummy. Remember, prices are much better if you go and dine in versus order online Will definitely be back with the family to try all the other yummy options So happy to have this as a go to Asian option in South Pas! read more

Dumpling Tops - spicy beef noodle soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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Love coming here. Food is always great and the staff is friendly and patient. Designated parking in back. read more

Dumpling Tops - Beef rib noodles, cucumber salad, beef noodles, beef and broccoli. We love beef! - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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My first time here and the manager or owner was very nice and suggested some good food. Definitely I want to come Back and try other things! This was a great lunch stop for me and as I was in a hurry I appreciated the quick service and delivery of good food! Yay read more

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Finally got to check out dumpling tops last night. I wasn't very hungry but the pork shrimp and chive potstickers were so good that I ate them all lol The soup dumplings were good too. The green beans were ok but I wished they were a little bit crunchier. The restaurant is nice and clean and wasn't too busy. There is a small parking lot in the back (parking lot entrance is on Hope Street) but you can also find street parking if you go back a block or two read more

Dumpling Tops - sauteed green beans - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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This is a family staple! Soup dumplings are delicious as is the Dan Dan noodles. Amazing assortment of teas as well!

I went here on Feb 16 for a late lunch with my mom, grandma, uncle and aunt. We ordered bunch of food. It was very good. We left feeling full. Servers were great, they checked on us frequently and refilled our glasses. Not that many people dined in. My favorite dish was the garlic pork ribs. They were so tasty, a bit crunchy and juicy. The eggroll was crunchy and hot. I love the ambiance, there was K-pop music playing. It was well lit and clean. read more

Dumpling Tops - Garlic pork ribs - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

Solid 4.5 star! Came here right when it opened at 11 on a Saturday and got seated right away. I got the xiao long bao with pork as well as braised beef noodle soup (asked for mild). Food came out pretty quickly! I like both dishes - the xiao long bao does have soup in them (so be careful since it's hot) and you pair them with the black vinegar. I wish the beef in the noodle soup was more tender since it's a bit more on the chewy side. Overall, a pretty solid place offering authentic Chinese food in the area. Staff were really friendly! There's a public parking lot across the street behind the buildings and there are street parking nearby. read more

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Great customer service and very delicious food. I definitely recommend stopping by I like the dan dan noodles and the soup dumplings. The food came out fast too. We also got the cucumber salad. Overall, 4/5 read more

Dumpling Tops - Dan dan noodles - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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Amazing staff! My girlfriends and I had a longgg yap session after church and they never rushed us at all. Always refilled our cups before they were empty. Super attentive and friendly people. The food was equally amazing so it was money well spent. Highly recommend read more

we recently visited this establishment and was very pleased with the quality and service provided. we ordered my favorite live seafood like the lobster with ginger and scallion as well as the big mouth bass - very fresh and delicious! and we also enjoyed the steamed chicken,arctic surf clam,fillet mignon,etc.,so yummy! the customer service was also excellent. Highly recommend the filet mignon with asparagus and the steamed chicken (my go to orders), as well as the arctic surf clams. Very tasty and such a pleasant atmosphere . read more

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Came here last week for the first time and thought that everything we ordered tasted great. Food was served hot and was flavorful. My husband loves dumplings and he said he really enjoyed his soup dumplings. The service was extremely fast and friendly, the prices are very reasonable and the portion sizes were great. 5/5 recommend. read more

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We had the pork and Napa dumplings, fried beef udon noodle, and the spicy beef noodle soup. All 3 dishes were 10/10. Nice staff, food was out quick, and clean restaurant and bathroom. Amazing place we will be returning! read more

Family is out of state, so 3 of us chose Dumpling Tops for Christmas dinner! I had reservations and they did not disappoint. It was busy and sat us right away. The food was delicious. We ordered the 1. pork pot stickers (my new favorite) 2. house special filet mignon cubes (delicious!) 3. cucumber salad and egg rolls 4. beef noodle soup 5. green beans 6. sea bass 7. for dessert, red bean sesame balls (surprisingly good) Service and quality were top notch! read more

Updated review to say: After three months, this place gotten nothing but even better, if that's possible. Valentine lunch date for us and we decided to try some new (for us) items: *Cucumber salad - okay, yes. We have these *every* time we come because they're flipping delicious alongside the *Dan Dan Noodles - each time we order, they're better than the last time. *Fried calamari - tender, well seasoned. Coating is a bit too thick for me, but delicious none the less. *Shrimp, pork and chive dumplings - This is the one you see featured in the front window that looks like it's covered in pancake lace. SO GOOD. Tender, juicy filling inside a light and crispy dumpling skin. Dumpling Tops now offers a frequent customer program (free) that earns points. Spend $100, get $10 off future purchase. Our lunch today was $45, so it's not going to take us long to get our $10 rebate :) read more

This is my go to place anytime I come to the neighborhood. The food is always top-notch, cooked to perfection, flavorful, the right textures, and of course with friendly service to boot. There's a parking lot in the back off bustling Fair Oaks Ave. My favorite dishes include the shrimp and zucchini dumplings, the vegan noodle soup (worth noting I am not vegan and it's delicious), crispy tofu, any of their stirfry vegetables, and don't forget to top off your meal with the delicious red bean sesame balls! read more

Let me preface this by stating I'm a chronic "order in" type and I've not had the opportunity to dine in at this restaurant so I can't speak towards the ambiance. With that being said, the dumplings are delicious. My boyfriend and I were going through a dumpling phase from May-June and would order in from here a lot. Their pork soup dumplings and the shrimp pork dumplings are our favorites. Fully packed with flavor. We also had the spicy dumplings which were also super tasty. He ordered the beef roll and really loved it. I honestly would suggest dining in, only because the soup tends to evaporate from the dumplings when you order in especially since my place is a 20-25 min drive from here so the dumplings aren't always very soupy or juicy. read more

Here is my honest take: When ordering from any restaurant - prioritize eating inside if you can. Takeout should be a second option... my reasons? Keep reading. Ordered to go - and ordered the following: -Orange chicken: Bland and needed to be refried at home. Even then, it was a big miss. -Dan Dan Noodles: Didn't have the same touch - tasted more like spaghetti noodles with brown sauce. -Kung Pao Shrimp: 10/10! This was amazing! -Cucumber Salad: was just cut up cucumbers with water and sugar. Was so underwhelming. -Brussel Sprouts: This was the item that set me off. Was terrible seasoned and seemed like strawberry jam was added. It was, in my opinion, the worst dish I have ordered. Please keep in mind that I ordered to go - so perhaps the preparation was different. I truly believe the staff are nice and so kind - but... we come to these types of places for the food, not necessarily the people. I do not recommend this place, unless you dine in. read more

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I decided to take a break from the usuals and try something new yesterday. Dumpling Tops in South Pasadena caught my interest one day so I told myself to give it a try. It did not disappoint-first off the owner introduced himself and shook our hands and told us a lot of people who come here become regulars. That was a great sign. The ambiance of the restaurant was very clean and well up kept and we felt welcomed and comfortable going in. I told him that we were going to order several items to get the feel of the food available. The beef rib noodle soup was off the chart, you guys! Fall off the bone tender and perfectly spiced! We ordered siu mai and my wife loved them. The "beef pancake roll" was super tasty (although I do admit I ate that at home as a leftover because I was full) and I also got the pork soup dumplings because I love pork soup dumplings--they were excellent. They didn't have Tsingtao beer at the time so I settled for Kirin which was fine. We were very impressed with the place, they had ample seating and service was on point. 5 star definitely recommend, and we are absolutely going to be regulars now! read more

Dumpling Tops - pork soup dumplings (disappearing) - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

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The service was frustrating. It was very busy during lunch time, and I can tell they were overwhelmed. I ordered the chicken stir fried noodles but they kept on giving us the combo stif fried one even though I told them and they took back the original wrong order. They gave the wrong order the second time. It tasted okay though. Also, it took them at least 15-20 mins to just bring out a rice bowl. Despite the food tasting okay, the service just added a sour taste to my mouth. read more

Having a bowl of hot, flavorful Asian noodle soup is a perfect dinner on a rainy, cold evening. Dumpling Tops is the restaurant to find that soup. We enjoyed the Beef Rib noodle and the chicken tonkatsu noodle soups with an order of scallion pancake. Service was professional. We were seated quickly on a Sunday evening. Restaurant is clean with small tables and booths. read more

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Everything here was excellent. It's a small unassuming place and a legit DTF dupe. Everything fresh and delicious. Service great. Here's a list of what we had. Cucumber salad, scallion pancakes, filet minon and asparagus ( a steal for the price), sauteed green beans, pork dumplings, combination fried noodles, and vegan udon. No notes. Everything delicious. They have wine and beer and Diet Coke. Just in case. read more

Whose up for a little Chinese take out on Xmas ‍... Found this place on Yelp! And thought to give it a go...wanted Kung Pao Shrimp and found this place had dumplings and garlic string beans... Food was all really good and tasty...Kung Pao shrimp was good and only needed a but more kick for me, but chili oil helped that and green beans..soup dumplings were nice...I found this to be a good alternative to other more expensive spots and just good food all around...I'll be back... read more

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My food took 50 minutes to come out. I ordered online and when I got there, 5 tables were sat, ordered their food, and had it come out before my food was ready. The staff seemed totally clueless as to what was happening with my food and barely acknowledged the near hour wait I had for a takeout order. It would be one thing if the food was good, but this was the blandest meal l've had in a long time. Happy to never come back here. read more

DT and DTF are at a close tie at the Top... get it haha! Their Tender Shrimp Scrambled Egg is up there and DTF doesn't even have it! Went there on a Saturday evening and Service was the Top as they would even pour my hot tea for me! The food came in fast, hot and fresh! At DTF I would have to eat some shredded ginger for half an hour while waiting haha! The Pork and Cabbage Dumplings, Beef Stir Fried Noodles, and Orange Chicken (again DTF does not have) are the go to's. BTW DTF is Din Tai Fung Lol read more

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Casual gem with cozy vibes, great food, and friendly customer service. I recommend pork dumplings, green beans with shrimp, and definitely try the cucumber salad. Tried plenty of other dishes here so you can't go wrong. read more

The food was great. We especially liked the cold beef roll. Service was excellent. The manager/owner there was on top of things and made sure to ask us how we liked the feed. I'm not Chinese, so I won't comment on authenticity, but the food was well made and tasty. Nothing was run-of-the-mill or over-sauced. Parking was easy in the lots behind the restaurant. I wish the interior was less spare. read more

Got some take out. The beef rolls were pretty good, the scallion pancake was flaky. Won tons were great, good sauce and not too spicy. Overall tasty food read more

I had a fantastic birthday meal here! All the dishes were delicious while John provided friendly and attentive service. Dumpling Tops is one of the better Chinese restaurants in the immediate area! read more

Dumpling Tops - Lobster, filet mignon, soup dumplings, beef roll, mixed vegetables, cucumber - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

It's is a very nice place with a good vibe, good food and hardly any wait. All the staff are really friendly I Will rate 5 stars. Recommend for someone who likes good food and calm vibes. read more

Not good. Ordered takeout: - Sichuan spicy chicken - Sautéed Broccoli - pork shu mai - pork and cabbage dumplings - Scallion pancake - sesame balls - potato shrimp (free add-on) Even grading on a curve for takeout, this wasn't even as good as reheating frozen stuff from H-Mart (or Vons). read more

I wanted to like this place, who doesn't love dumplings? The dishes I enjoyed were the bbq pork buns and the Dan Dan noodles. The beef roll was just okay, nothing special. We also got a fried tofu dish, just subpar and lacked flavor, then we ordered pork xlb. The pork tasted old and couldn't even go in for a second one. I found the interior to be clean and the service good, but ultimately it was the food that disappointed me. read more

Dumpling Tops - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

We've been craving dumplings lately and Dumpling Tops definitely hit the spot! Ordered both of their chicken & pork soup dumplings which were filled with lots of soup and meat. They paired perfectly with the ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce. We had to get their classic dim sum options as well like their bbq buns, har gow, and shu mai. This spot also doesn't use peanut or eggs in their dishes plus they have so many veggie & vegan options. Don't miss out on their happy hour specials! read more

Their dumplings are delicious. I also ordered the rice cake but it is not to my liking - perhaps it was a takeout and the quality affected after a few hours. Will be back to try out other items. read more

Food: Chili sauce was pretty good, but slightly too sweet and not enough filling. Pork soup dumplings' skin were very well wrapped and skins were nice and thin, but not very much filling and a little heavy on the white pepper. Pork and Napa dumplings were decent, but nothing special. Dumpling sauce they gave in the side had good balance of sweet, salty and sour. For the price I would've liked more filling. Service: good and fast service with staff being able to speak English and Chinese well making it feel both accessible and authentic. Parking: street parking that was difficult since it's on a pretty busy street read more

Dumpling Tops - shrimp wontons, Pork Soup Dumplings (4 Pieces), pork and napa dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - South Pasadena, California

It's very tasty. Cucumber salad was refreshing. Pecan shrimp was delicious with bits of fresh pineapple. Combo fried rice had lots of protein - shrimp, beef, chicken and egg. Everything has a very fresh feel to it with good quality product, easy on the usual flavorings like garlic and sesame oil, focus on the main ingredients. Actually have not tried the dumplings yet but all the stir fry dishes are so good. And reasonably priced. read more

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We finally made it out here to check it out. I believe they have been open for a month or so. We came for an early Tuesday night dinner - just me and my son, and got a booth. The service was attentive at first but as people continued coming in more staff people were attending to people, which had its pros and cons as I like having a designated person to our table so there's less miscommunication. I'll get into that. First, I asked our server if there were any dairy, eggs, nuts in the following dishes: pork xlb, green beans, tonkatsu ramen, cartoon red bean bun which were the dishes my son would be eating and he has severe food allergies (I didn't ask about the mapo since that was just for me and I have no food allergies). She came back to report that all these dishes were safe to order. As soon as my son took a sip of the tonkatsu broth and ate some of the noodles, he told me he felt strange. I told him to stop eating right away so I could double check the allergies. Thankfully he only had a small bite because if he had anymore we would have had to leave the restaurant and go immediately to a hospital. When the server came back I asked her to please double check on the ramen because my son is reacting. She came back apologetic and told me that there was a small amount of dairy in the broth after all and offered to replace it with a different broth ramen. We decided to skip since we had plenty of food for two people and she assured me the rest of the dishes were safe for my son. I appreciated that she checked on the other dishes again for me. My son's reaction subsided thankfully, and he was able to enjoy the rest of his meal. The green beans were perfectly wrinkly, the xlb were good, though at a higher price point per dumpling than dinner tai fung it was hard not to compare (dtf dumplings are smaller and the dough is thinner but they have more flavor and it's cheaper by a little bit). My favorite dish was definitely the mapo tofu. I would probably come back here just for that and to check out some of the other dishes like cashew chicken and crispy tofu. At some point when a ton of people started coming in, a male server started helping out but didn't ask what drink my son was drinking and assumed it was water and poured water into his cup of sprite. I told the server it was sprite so he gave us a new can (but that's also a loss for the them and could have been avoided). I also like getting water with my paid drink since I wasn't getting a refill but halfway through the meal with no beverage I had to ask for a cup of water. They did refill the water a couple times and I didn't have to ask. When we were finished with our meal they offered us sesame balls because of the allergy situation which was a nice touch. We did have to wait a bit for it but it came piping hot so the wait wasn't in vain. The service was attentive but slow as they're still trying to figure out some internal system. I saw a bunch of people coming in for take out so if you live close that may be a good option. I liked eating there overall and will likely come back to try different things. read more

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