Star Leaf is a new Southeast Asian spot in Pasadena, which is their first U.S. outpost of this chain with multiple locations throughout Asia. Our group of 4 (plus a dog) sat in the lovely, covered outdoor patio, which was perfect for a relaxed meal. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive, giving us solid recommendations. We loved the egg rolls, Royal Crown Fried Rice, Ikan Bakar (a delicious fish dish), and the Soft-Shell Crab Thai Curry--each was flavorful and well-executed. The only miss for us was the Crying Tiger salad, which we found a bit bland. For dessert, you have to try the Pink Mekong--it's more than just a dish, it's a culinary experience! However, if you're thinking about ordering cocktails, I'd recommend going elsewhere. We found them pricey and not really worth the cost. Overall, a solid 4-star experience, and happy to have tried it! read more

Fernando was amazing! The food slapped. The waiters here are amazing but epically Fernando. The vibes are nice. Would come here again. W Fernando read more

My family and I really enjoyed the good food. We loved the noodles, curry, and sea bass. We also really loved the friendly staff!

I consider myself a foodie but words cannot encapsulate how awesome this experience was. It was a 20/10, exquisite fine dining experience that literally transports you through Asia, soothes your soul, and makes you realize what the restaurant industry is really about: FUN, PASSION, and ART. Every single dish was a HIT HIT HIT. I highly recommend the whole fish dishes, thai royal curry (we got the lobster, omg), night-market tofu, spicy tom yum, and the PINK MEKONG for the grand finale (to be shared with 4+ people). The Pink Mekong was from our Willy Wonka dreams. We laughed, we cried, we were OVERJOYED!! We met the owners and they were so kind and lovely - that's why we gave them the 20/10 rating. This place is a hidden gem that's absolutely not going to be hidden for much longer. ENJOYYYYYY! A special shout out to Evan, our awesome waiter who made our evening (and my birthday) extra special! read more

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Decided to take a risk and try a new restaurant to celebrate my best friend's 30th birthday. We came on a Sunday night and had reservations for 8 PM. The restaurant was relatively empty, but nonetheless the staff were very attentive and friendly. Our server Marissa was very kind and gave us all the suggestions on the menu, here's a breakdown of what we got: Strawberry pandan lemonade: 2/5 Listed as one of their mock tails, I was excited to try this drink as I love pandan flavor. Upon arrival, the drink is visually stunning however flavor wise it tasted like a basic strawberry lemonade and for the $13 high price point as a Mocktail I expected a lot more. Our server was kind enough to offer a regular lemonade refill which we did not take advantage of since I didn't end up finishing the drink until the end of the meal. Papaya salad 4/5 Very tasty a little bit more liquidy/saucy then I'm used to, but it was still delicious nonetheless. Definitely comparable to bone kettle, another Asian fusion restaurant in Pasadena. Would order again. Green beans 4/5 Green beans were sautéed with chilies, strong garlic, and onion flavor, which was tasty. The texture was perfect, not overcooked and had a good crunch to it. Pork collar 5/5 We almost didnt order this and we are so glad that we did. The pork meat was juicy and flavorful and not too greasy or fatty. It had a light layer of some type of seasoning or glaze on it and was served with lettuce cups, cucumber, mint leaves, papaya salad, and some tart sauce. This was my favorite dish of the night and will definitely order it again. Lobster curry 3/5 The quality of the lobster meat was high, and the texture of the meat was perfectly bouncy. However, the meat was a bit salty, and it was served with eggplant which I'm personally not a fan of. The dish was served with sliced baguette, which was an interesting twist to the typical rice side that most curry dishes are served with (they did also bring out a serving of Jasmine rice). As someone who prefers Japanese curry over Thai curry, I do not regret trying it, but don't think I will get it again. Chef's special prime ribeye 4/5 Our server advised us that there was a special of the night of a prime ribeye, and we had to jump at the opportunity. We ordered it medium rare, and it was truly delectable. It was served with green sauce and a mild green curry, as well as mango slices, broccolini, and pickled radish. Coffee flan 3/5 I'm not a coffee fan so this review is a bit biased, but the flan was tasty and had a very subtle drizzle of coffee flavoring on top. The coffee flavor was not overwhelming, but as a complementary dessert, I couldn't complain. Mango sticky rice 3/5 I had higher hopes for this dessert. The mango was fresh, and very sweet and the best part of this dessert. There were three different "flavors" of sticky rice: original, butterfly pea tea, and dragon fruit. I believe that the blue and pink rice colors were purely for the aesthetic and not necessarily for the flavor as I couldn't really taste the butterfly pea tea or dragon fruit. it is served with a cup of what I believe to be coconut milk which was not as sweet as the typical sweet white sauce that is served with mango sticky rice. This definitely fit the " not too sweet" Asian dessert category and if you are looking for a healthier option, I would recommend this for me last night, the missing sweet white sauce made me not as satisfied with the dish. Closing notes/thoughts: -Dishes I plan to try next time: lamb chops, egg rolls, spring rolls with softshell crab, panna cotta. -love that during the week they have happy hour and lunch specials, unfortunately, I am not really in the Pasadena area during the week. -I made a suggestion to our server that if a guest orders handheld starters that they should serve wet wipes after clearing or upon serving. She agreed and advised that they used to serve it upon arrival and immediately brought over two neatly rolled up wipes poured hot water on them. -the to go packaging is very cute but there is no notations on the box if it is microwave safe -we were kindly gifted a branded tote bag and notebook at the end of our meal -Overall, great experience and ambience, I look forward to my next trip there read more

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My girlfriend and I came for a last-minute dinner had so many great dishes. We loved our waiter Jonathan and we will definitely come back.

Great food and good service. Our server was Sebastian, wonderful and delightful personality, made our experience delightful. I had his version of old fashion with a peach liquor twist. My wife had a whisky sour and she liked it. We sea bass, super soft and yummy, also got the supreme curry with soft shell crab , will be coming back again. read more

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We had a fantastic night. We have been looking forward to celebrating our girlfriend's birthday here. The royal crown fired rice was a bomb! The prime rib had just the right touch (we had it medium rare, the green sauce is whoa!) Customer service by Justin and Nelson made us feel very special. The Mekong river dessert was phenomenal presentation. read more

Star Leaf - Asian Fusion Near Me - Pasadena, California

AN AMAZING DINING EXPERIENCE! This newly opened restaurant [Spring 2024] boasts gorgeous, inviting Asian décor and an atmosphere that perfectly complements an amazing dining experience. The creative dishes, a fantastic blend of Asian flavors, along with impeccable service and attention to detail, make this a MUST-VISIT for food lovers. I can't wait to go back! read more

The environment here is simply great, and the decoration is very Thai. The service is very good, Curry lobster reminds me of the taste when I traveled to Thailand! I was really full. The food was so delicious. I ate a lot I have forgotten that I am controlling my diet By the way, the chicken is really special. The skin is crispy and chewy, and the chicken is so tender. I was so surprised. The last dessert we ordered was children's favorite. It contained ice cream, red beans and mango... we finished all of it read more

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We came here for dinner 2 nights in a row. The food is delicious - every dish we ordered was unique and flavorful. The restaurant's interior is beautiful. The dark brown and green theme runs through the entire restaurant. The atmosphere is refined and relaxing. The service is also great. Everyone is friendly and polite. Wichita, the manager is extremely hospitable and welcoming. We will definitely be back to try other dishes! read more

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Our son and family took me here for my birthday. The fried rice,egg rolls ,short ribs and the soup was amazing. Marissa and Bella were outstanding and the beverages and desserts were beyond belief. When you walk in you immediately feel you have been transported away from Colorado Blvd. We all just loved everything and everyone here. We shall return! read more

My recent dining experience was quite a mix of highs and lows, but I guess more on the lows. While the restaurant excelled in the decoration department and hospitality, offering top-notch service and accommodation; however, the food itself left much to be desired. First off, the presentation of the dishes was undeniably impressive, showcasing meticulous attention to detail. However, when it came to flavor, it certainly fell short. The papaya salad was decent, but the overpowering nuttiness overshadowed its overall appeal and authentic taste of usual tangy/ sour and tamarind taste. The dish itself needs to make you drool just by smelling it. The tropical mango fish showed promise, with well-fried fish complemented by a delicious sauce. The royal crown fried rice was a major disappointment, lacking any discernible flavor. It felt as if it had been prepared without any seasoning whatsoever, like my little brother with no cooking experience could make better fried rice. Such a stark departure from the vibrant and flavorful fried rice one would expect. Similarly, the Malay captain curry chicken failed to deliver on its promise. The curry is another version of Yellow curry, and the distinct flavors of curry were sorely lacking, leaving the dish tasting bland and uninspired. Despite the culinary letdown, one shining aspect of our experience was the exceptional service provided by Sue. She was the epitome of warmth and hospitality, going above and beyond to ensure our comfort. Sue's sweet demeanor and understanding nature elevated our dining experience, and her ability to engage with us in a genuine and accommodating manner was truly commendable. We appreciated Sue's table side left over packing our dishes away and reviving a tote bag. I think that the restaurant certainly excelled in ambiance and service, but it needs a huge significantly room for improvement in terms of culinary execution and flavor. To me personally, as of now, it is a disrespect to Thai dishes. No matter if the foods are fusion or not. Aside. From the dishes the on the house thai tea with coconut ice cream was exciting. However was another letdown! No sugar, no flavor, no Thai tea smell like I was so confused and distraught from this experience I just am so confused. As well as every mango dish we. Received the mangoes were insanely bland too. Side note: we were sitting facing the restaurant so we could see everything from entrance to the kitchen and bar. We noticed a table in across us had ordered Soup or something and were served a serving each then the whole left over soup or whatever it was seemingly disappeared ?!?!?! Like do they not get fed what they bought? That's so upsetting and unfortunate??? The price did not match the quality whatsoever. The kitchen needs more authenticity and better cultural understanding of the cuisine. How much more feedback and improvement does this place need for it to be worth the price range and quality???? read more

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Just had an amazing dinner party at Star Leaf last night, super friendly and helpful staff, delicious Thai food in great portions. They even had made special Polaroid photos with birthday card sleeves for the three birthday girls we celebrated with. Definitely gonna come back more often! read more

Pretty disappointed by my experience here. We came with a large party so we were able to try a decent amount of dishes but there wasn't much that stood out. The papaya salad, while refreshing, didn't taste authentic. I wonder if, being in Pasadena, they toned down the flavors to be more palatable to non-Asian customers because the salad was bland. Where was the fish sauce and lime??? The summer rice paper rolls were also underwhelming/bland but that was kinda on us to order vegetables wrapped in rice paper because what did we expect lol. The royal curry was probably the most disappointing because it tasted purely of coconut cream with no curry flavor or spices. The royal fried rice and pineapple fried rice were also bland, which seems to the common theme in a lot of the dishes. That said, not everything was unsalvageable. The tom yum soup, pork collar, and string beans were solid. Mussels were just ok but sausage was so salty. However, at around $50 per person, there are so many better and more affordable options in 626. read more

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This upscale Asian restaurant is a must-try. This is the first Star Leaf in the USA and it did not disappoint. Upon entry we were greeted by the host, likely a lead. The restaurant is aesthetically pleasing and stylishly embellished. For starters, we had the Saigon rice paper rolls and the night market tofu, and salmon. Both were delicious. The silken tofu was wrapped in a tasty crust. Because this is a family style restaurant, we shared the sea bass, pineapple fried rice, Royal crown fried rice, crying tiger salad, pork collar, soft shell crab curry, and vegetable curry. For dessert, we shared the mango and sticky rice as we brought a cake to celebrate a birthday. Note that there is a $10 cake fee, which is a fair price. We ordered some drinks that were inventive flavors so give it a try. Parking is available in a nearby structure and we were fortunate to find street parking in the front. The service was excellent, Cameron was warm, friendly, and effective. read more

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Our server Cameron was amazing! He offered us free desert just because we told him our dog just had his birthday last week. He's super friendly and caring, the food of course was delicious, the best experience we've had so far! Definitely would come back, thank you Cameron! read more

Star Leaf - Asian Fusion Near Me - Pasadena, California

I give this restaurant a100000/10. Everyone is super sweet , ambiance is a vibe food is amazing meat is sooo tender AND the mango sticky rice my absolute FAV ‍ read more

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Food: flavorful and tasty. I really enjoyed the Ikan Bakar, and shrimp egg rolls. Thai tea was creamy and delicious with its scoop of coconut ice cream on top. Service: Lee was very knowledgeable and amiable. Wonderful showmanship in preparing the Tom Yum soup. Ambiance: The decor in the front of the house matched the theme /cuisine. Bar has a fancy tropical feel with its wood accents read more

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This is a great place to take ur family and friends for some fine Asian fusion Thai cuisine with an twist. This is not the normal Thai restaurants. All the dishes has a different twist to it. All the food are tasty with a different Thai twist to it. The price is on the high side, but the ingredients justified for it. The dishes does not use cheap ingredients. Plus it has a nice French wine list to goes with the food. read more

What a beautiful restaurant, classic look. I ordered the Tai Pan salad and the Siam Beach egg rolls. The Tai Pan salad was delicious, very fresh loved it, light and citrus flavors popping in my palate. The spring rolls were full of crab the chili sauce that comes was sweet and not to spicy so yummy. I loved the vibe and the food. Definitely fine dining experience. read more

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Deja was the absolute BEST server. She was SO accommodating to all of our allergy request. We had shell fish, spice levels and had so much to work with. She made sure every single dish was edible for each of us! Will come back 1099000%! read more

I don't know that I can say too much about our experience. The ambience was wonderful, the food scrumptious, and the service was personable and it felt like we were treated as honored individuals - kudos to management for putting together a team that reflects the delectible menu. Would recommend, and WILL come back (likely tomorrow). read more

Star Leaf - Crown Royal Fried Rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Pasadena, California

We went to Star Leaf today with friends, and everything our server Cameron recommended was absolutely amazing! Every dish we ordered was not only delicious but also beautifully presented and sophisticated. We were truly touched by Cameron's kindness, warmth, and attention to detail. read more

High-end Asian restaurant in the heart of Pasadena that has a great atmosphere (formerly Roy's) and great service but suprisingly mediocre food and drink for my personal taste. It started with the cocktail. I asked for a vodka lemonade and to my surprise the lemonade tasted either like instant lemonade or out of a can (Minute Maid -- very artificial taste). On top of it they charged $4.00 for the lemonade in addition to the drink cost. If it were real homemade lemonade I might understand but not something they dispense out of a can or fountain. The food was suprisingly flavorless for the majority of the dishes, but had a great presentation. Almost everything needed salt or something else to season it or the seasoning they used just didn't work for me. Tried the softshell crab in curry (too bland, too much shell which I hate in my food), branzino (whole fish did not look appetizing--lime flavor was nice but the spiciness overpowered it), fried prawns were good but needed salt or another seasoning, pork collar was ok but wasn't blown away, noodles with scallops were ok but again not overly impressed. Ice cream dessert was just weird--have no idea what (fruits, nuts, etc.) was added to the ice cream, but it was awful. Prices aren't cheap either--and are more than I am usually willing to pay for Asian food. Sadly it won't be a repeat unless for a group gathering for which I am not the planner. read more

Food was delicious and our server Daeja was a complete delight. We will totally be back. read more

Daeja Lee C was great!!! Happy hour here is so worth it! the food was delicious. try the mango sticky rice!! read more

10/10 food 10/10 service 10/10 ambiance We were one of the first public customers and we loved every second of our experience. We celebrated our 8 year anniversary here on opening day and had some of the best drinks and food we've had. The Hello from Hanoi, Espresso Martini, was one of the best we've had. We highly recommend trying the Thai royal curry with soft shell crab. Phenomenal. Servers and staff were all so nice, especially Athena. read more

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This restaurant thinks far too highly of itself considering the quality of service and food it provides, along with a bizarre time limit. 1. Our party of 3 made a reservation in advance. When I was finally seated, (after waiting a while for the host to stop ignoring me), we were told that there is a *90-minute time limit*, starting when the first guest arrives. Since he arrived and was seated early (but not told about the limit), it was now more like 80 minutes. The server shared this news in a condescending and dismissive manner ("You'll be fine!" etc.). 2. Back to the host -- Please acknowledge the patron who just approached you and if you're busy, tell them you'll be right with them. He wasn't on the phone but ignored me for so long that I wondered if I was at the wrong place. 3. The seat (booth/bench) was way too far away from the table and could not be moved, so I spent the whole dinner in a weird lean forward to reach my food. I'm average height at 5'4". 4. We got hand-cut rice paper rolls and other Asian dishes, but there were no chopsticks in sight. After struggling with our hands and forks and taking forever to flag someone down and ask for chopsticks, they gave us some but complained that patrons steal them. 5. Some of the dishes looked nothing like the photos -- the tom yum soup was pictured full of head-on shrimp, but what came was an aggressively average tom yum soup. 6. Between the rushed courses, the server wanted to change my plate but I wasn't finished, so instead he *stuck his thumb into my plate* to slide out a shrimp tail. So unhygienic :( 7. All the food was just average. Absolutely nothing special to warrant the prices or uppity vibe. read more

Food was EXCELLENT, FRESH and DELICIOUS SERVICE was great, they are very friendly AMBIANCE is beautiful, and comfortable read more

The Food! Every dish - from the salad through the unique mains - beautifully flavored and fresh and attractively presented. The Location - lovely spot in Old Pasadena featuring a marvelous patio dining space. The Service - considerate snd genuine and attentive from each and every staff member. Special shout out to Jason Charlebois!!! read more

Such a Beautiful place with great service but most importantly excellent food and drinks. It's definitely a must try place. The food was of such high quality and amazing flavors. The drinks were beautifully presented and tasted amazing. We will be back regularly. Wow. read more

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Horrible service. Never will eat there again, the staff is rude and disrespectful and very dismissive terrible customer service the whole staff needs customer service training! Good wasn't even worth the price. read more

Amazing lunch. Loved the rice and curry with soft shell crab. Also great flan. But above all service was perfect. Marissa made us feel at home and was super friendly professional and knowledgeable. read more

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Food was excellent. Service with Deja was perfect. Enjoyed the magic show at our table. We had vegetarian curry and lobster curry. Wonderful. Flan was amazing. Really good drinks. Will definitely be back. read more

The ambiance of this place is spot on! The service is unbeatable. However, the food for the price is not worth in my opinion. This place is good if you're having a celebration but not necessarily for a casual dinner. There are better tasting, more affordable Asian cuisine especially in the 626 area! read more

Star Leaf - Thai royal curry with shrimp and royal crown fried rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Food: Absolutely flawless, a perfect 10/10! Service: Impeccable and attentive, another solid 10/10! Ambiance: The atmosphere was nothing short of enchanting, earning a delightful 10/10! read more

My friend and I came here for dineLA on a Friday night. After we got seated, we waited 20 minutes for a server to offer water and ask for beverage orders due to some "mix-up." We ordered the Thai iced tea, which was delicious. For appetizers, we shared the Mamasan's shrimp cake skewers, Thai som tum salad, tom yum soup, and malacca sambal. Out of the four appetizers, the skewers were the best one. Even though the menu stated that the som tum salad, tom yum soup, and malacca sambal were spicy, they were not spicy at all. Even my friend who has a lower spice tolerance than me could not taste the spiciness of these dishes. For the entrées, I got the Thai royal curry with soft-shell crab and my friend got the Malay captain's curry with beef. My royal curry was supposed to come with a baked baguette, but it came with rice instead. Seems like this was another mix-up because we noticed that other tables who ordered the same curry as me received the baked baguette. The curries were ok, but they definitely could've used more spice. Again, even my friend couldn't taste any spice in the curries. Halfway through our entrées, our poor server came by our table to inform us that they ran out of the Vietnamese coffee flan even though he had put a hold on it for us. This was very disappointing because how can you run out of a dessert on a busy Friday dinner service. They were trying to comp us with Thai ice cream, but we requested to exchange it with mango sticky rice. For dessert, my friend had the tropical panna cotta coconut cup and mango sticky rice. My friend got the panna cotta first and we waited 45 MINUTES for my mango sticky rice. It should not have taken 45 minutes to make mango sticky rice. My friend also thought it was odd that there were cashews in the panna cotta. Both desserts were just average. After dessert, we waited for at least 20 minutes and still didn't get the bill, so we had to get up and ask the hostess for it. We customers shouldn't have to do this at a higher end Asian restaurant. Overall, we felt terrible for our server because he had to be the messenger of bad news and these issues were out of his control. Our dinner took 3 hours, which honestly was too long. The kitchen staff and food could use some major improvement. read more

Overpriced for what you get. Recommend the laksa and sea bass. We also ordered the fried rice which is definitely a skip. The lemonade with pandan did not have much pandan flavor. But the pandan ice cream was great. The Thai iced tea was decent. Would choose Janejira over here any time. The interior is really nice and the service was good. read more

I'm usually not a fan of Asian Fusion but Star Leaf has become the exception and is now one of my favorite restaurants. Our server was Deja and she was super nice and attentive, couldn't have asked for better service. We started with the Bakka Wild Salmon and I was shocked by how good it was. The fish was super fresh and the salsa Verde with the mint and garlic was such a beautiful pairing. The ingredients complimented each other so well, enhancing the whole dish without one ingredient being too overpowering. As mains we got Malay's Captain Curry with Angus Beef, Pineapple Fried Rice, and the Ikan Bakar. I was pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes and immediately felt better about the prices after seeing the size of the dishes and noticing the quality of the ingredients they must be using. The beef in the curry was so beautifully tender and had a good balance of meat, potatoes, and veggies in my opinion. plus plenty of sauce which you bet I took home to finish every last drop! I usually am not a fan of pineapple fried rice because it's too sweet, but they balanced that well by having small pineapple chunks within the rice itself and leaving large pieces on the side making it great to me and my boyfriend who likes a lot of pineapple. The grated Parmesan on top sounded strange at first but really complimented the dish and helped make it less sweet. Everything was good, but the Ikan Bakar was my favorite. The fish itself was great, but adding the slaw and dipping sauces to it made it addicting! I did not want to stop eating. We ordered the Slow Drip Vietnam Coffee Flan for dessert but had to take it to go since I was too full to eat it right away. Wasn't as great as leftovers but still enjoyed it enough to finish every bite. Finally, I want to point out that I'm gluten free and everything I could eat was clearly labeled on the menus and they had so many options! I can't remember the last time I could eat fried rice at a restaurant. Definitely will be coming back. read more

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