O V E R A L L Great discovery and new eats to add to your…read morelist of restaurants to try. Small, cozy, intimate vibes~ I do have to say, this was my first restaurant after coming back from an Asia trip... so my standards and expectations are sky high still. This made most of these taste more underwhelming or something that tastes like I could have had it anywhere else. O R D E R Crispy Tuna Rice (5/5) -- Pretty good, def order this! Fatty Tuna Brioche (4/5) -- Such a missed opportunity in getting better quality toast or putting a bit more thought there... currently feels like an after thought. Tempura (5/5) -- Nice and crispy without excess batter! Ine noodle (+ sea bream) (3/5) -- Underwhelming and the sea bream was such a tiny piece. The bonus here is the quantity of noodles felt generous but I don't think this was worth the price point. Ine hand rolls - Hokkaido scallop - Hokkaido Uni - Sweet shrimp - Toro All the hand rolls were refreshing and I love how they served it. I don't think it's anything more special than other experiences I had... it is good but not one of a kind. The toro was not as fatty as I would have hoped. Servet ice cream - I forgot what we got but we tried two. Both were delicious! S E R V I C E They are so packed! Must make a rsvp to eat here. The chef or owner noticed that we were waiting for a while and offered us this complimentary fish that was actually the highlight of the meal. We appreciate the attention to detail and awareness in their own business. O T H E R Parking is assssss just find street parking and don't risk it at the plaza next door.

Will give a 3 star because the food was decent. Will talk more about that in a second…read more From the moment we walked in no one really acknowledged us, and we stood waiting to be seated and for someone to come up to us for at least 5+ minutes. Once we sat down it took a bit for our server to come back and take our order. Once our order was in, it took another 30 minutes or so before food actually started coming out. At first we just thought they were backed up, but a table was seated directly to our right 35-40 minutes into our dining experience, and we essentially received our food at the same time they did. Our water went unfilled for the majority of the meal, and there were only a few check ins to see how everything was. The least of the experience was one of our dishes being forgotten, and with the already slow service the experience felt extremely drawn out and long. The way the courses came out was a bit all over the place and to me personally felt like it didn't have a purposes and they were just bringing whatever they saw waiting in the window without understanding where and when it fits into the dining experience. For the food we ordered the following Crispy rice Tempura platter Uni sweet potato Oysters Tomato Salmon Mushroom Scallops Salmon belly handroll Uni handroll Scallop handroll Salmon skewer Scallop skewer Toro skewer Kurodai skewer The crispy rice was great, although there wasn't any actual crispy rice, the crunch was the seaweed wrap it was in. Tempura platter was very tasty. Not your traditional tempura more of a tuna tartare that you place on yummy leaves that are cooked in tempura batter. Sweet potato Uni was good. As someone who eats Uni frequently, it felt that it was missing something to bring it all together. But overall a great bite, my wife who does not eat Uni actually enjoyed this one and had a couple of bites. I feel as though the sweet potato washes out the Uni flavor a bit here and makes it almost unnoticeable. The oysters were nothing special. Just literally red wine vinegar with 2 pomegranate kernels, the vinegar overwhelmed any sweetness from the pomegranate, I was expecting a more complex taste in the palate but it was an ordinary oyster genuinely. Tomato salmon was good, although I am not sure how the tomato played into this dish, it was tasty. The mushroom hotate/ scallop was fresh and enjoyable. Again I am not sure how the mushrooms came into play here but it was refreshing. The salmon belly handroll had a bit of a fishy undertone. Not fully sure if it was the seaweed they were using or if it was the fish but my wife declined eating hers. But the dipping sauce they put out instead of soy sauce made it enjoyable for me. Uni handroll was okay, I like this a bit more than the Uni sweet potato as for some reason you could actually taste the Uni here, but I would not say that I was wowed with it. Scallop handroll was eaten by my wife with no complaints. The 4 Skewers were honestly just okay in my opinion. The best was the kurodai with the toro or scallop being a second for me. One piece of the toro I had melted in my mouth and the other had a fishy taste, but the one that melted in my mouth was amazing. Salmon was not worth getting in my opinion maybe too over cooked but the scallop one actually had a good blend of flavor and had a sear on top which was enjoyable. We did not go for dessert because the whole thing took close to two hours for us to get through, which would be okay if it was a tailored dinning experience that was meant to last this long, but it wasn't. Restaurant has a cute Korean/ Japanese blend of decor atmosphere.

My friend had tried this spot a few times--he lives a bit closer--and he recommended it as a…read morereasonably priced place to try for our weekly dinner. So off we went, trying to get there on the early side, as it's small (25 seats) and we'd heard it can fill up quickly. We arrived somewhere around 5:45 and were one of only two tables, but maybe a half-hour later it was completely full. The staff is super friendly, the ambiance is cozy and clean, and I like that the spice levels can be adjusted. We opted for the cucumber salad, dan dan noodles, dumplings in chili oil and the mapo tofu (which my friend wanted to try, since he hadn't yet). Food came out quickly, and while I realize that's not uncommon, I wouldn't have minded just a little more spacing. Still, it wasn't so quick to be a problem. My favorite items were the dan dan noodles, which were addictively delicious, and the dumplings in chili oil, which are longer and flatter than some and more flavorful than most. The cucumber salad was also excellent and a nice palate cleanser between other items. I was probably a little less enamored of the mapo tofu. It was good but not quite at the level of the other dishes for me. I still remember the mapo tofu served at the late, great Ricebox in DTLA, and theirs had much more flavor punch. But all in all, Mala Class was excellent, and I'd be happy to return to try more of the menu (and maybe repeat a few faves!).

mala class has been on my list for ages but Highland Park is a bit of a stretch, so I came with a…read morefriend on a Thursday for lunch. Parking was pretty chill at that time (snagged a street parking spot in front) and there was no wait. The dan dan noodles had a nice chew to them and the flavoring had the perfect hint of spice against the peanut sauce. The wings were a little too overseasoned -- we had to shake off all of the peppercorn on the top and it was still pretty salty and peppery (but not THAT spicy). They were perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, though. The dumplings and chili oil were probably my favorite bite. They're like wontons except they didn't do the last fold, and the sauce they are in is very well-balanced with a strong hit of acid against sweetness. The mapo tofu needed some sugar to bring out the flavor of all of the spices because otherwise it felt like there was no real flavor, where there were a million spices working against each other. I would definitely pass on this one but everything else was pretty good. The interior is very classically Highland Park-esque and our server was super nice! I would come back to try other dishes.

loved the interior and the vibe!! would go back for drinks or din just for it…read more asian peruvian fusion- super interesting and works. the scallop crudo was rly good (best ive had in a while), dan dan mien was good, si yao chicken and fried rice was fine.

3.5 stars. Outdoor ambience was very cute and felt like an escape from the city. Food was good but…read morenot great. Went with a group of four and we tried a variety of dishes: cucumber salad, Dan Dan noodles, veggie dumplings, roasted chicken, lomo saltado, and okra. Everything was good but nothing stood out as exceptional. The protein dishes were priced a bit too high for only coming with fries, but again, they were tasty. Service was friendly but a bit slow. It's a large outdoor space (with some indoor seating too) and they didn't have enough staff to accommodate. Overall, it was a decent experience but don't know that I will be rushing back any time soon.

My daughter surprised the hubs and I with dinner and brought us to this awesome Ramen place!…read more Very quaint restaurant with chill vibes. We ordered chicken wings, egg rolls, Brussels sprouts, shoyu with pork and original modan with chicken. The Brussels sprouts were delicious! Crispy and flavorful! The egg rolls were so yummy! The chicken wings were so crispy and tasty! My shoyu ramen was delicious! The chicken broth was flavorful. Ramen was cooked perfectly. The pork was absolutely delicious! This place will definitely be on my favorites places to come back to. A must try!

I like Modan Ramen since they had opened in South Pasadena location. I was sad that they are no…read morelonger in South Pasadena. Now, the place is located in Eagle Rock. I like Black Ramen and add combo I pick that comes with salad and spicy tuna rice bowl. Spicy ramen is also tasty. Service is good and friendly. The place is small but still good for dine in or take out. Thank you for still opening a good ramen place. Definitely always go there when craving ramen.

The food was amazingly delicious…read more Wife and I came to try the brunch as wife has been wanting to come. The appetizer we opted to get bone marrow. Let me tell you, this place has beautiful selection of bone marrows. The bone marrow was fatty, buttery, and melts in your mouth with the sliced baguette. I would recommend getting the rendang omelet. The rendang packed inside omelet crossed my mind as weird initially as I am more used to eating it with rice. But the flavor profile worked and loved every minute of it. Park in the raymond parking structure nearby, easy parking.

We were walking around Old Pasadena looking for a late lunch spot on Saturday after 1:30pm and…read morestumbled upon Kettle Bone. It seemed quite popular, so we decided to give it a try. ​To start, we ordered the Bali Chilaquiles (Asian-style nachos). They came out pretty quickly and were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend those if you go. ​Unfortunately, the rest of our experience completely went downhill. We also ordered the Passion Orange Guava French Toast, but it never arrived. While we were sitting there waiting, three different hosts came by to check if we were still waiting for something. After a long 30-minute wait, we just couldn't wait any longer and decided to cancel it. ​When we told our server to cancel the French toast and just bring us the check, he suddenly rushed out with the French toast immediately. It was obvious it had been sitting around because it wasn't fresh or hot. We asked for a to-go box, but the biggest shock came when we looked at the bill, they had already automatically included a 20% tip. ​Even though the nachos were amazing, the terrible service wait time and the automatic gratuity for a party of two left a really bad taste in my mouth. I won't be coming back.

This dumpling spot is a gem in South Pasadena. Every time I'm in the area, it's a must-stop for me…read more The dumplings are consistently flavorful, fresh, and perfectly prepared -- you can truly taste the quality in every bite. The ambiance strikes the perfect balance between modern and cozy, with a clean, relaxing atmosphere that makes you want to linger a little longer. Service is equally impressive -- the staff is attentive, welcoming, and genuinely hospitable without being overbearing. Overall, a standout experience from start to finish. Highly recommend if you're craving top-tier dumplings in a comfortable, well-run setting. They are great for takeout as I did for this nice rainy evening.

I was in the area and found this place on Yelp. Turned out to be a good find. Parking looks like it…read morecould be a little rough at busy times, but we showed up a little after lunch and found street parking. We were seated right away. The place is clean and bright. No one was playing anything on their cell phone speakers, which is something that I will leave a restaurant for immediately now. I think restaurants should be mindful of the atmosphere for their guests. The menu was fairly broad, lots of choices of things that were vegetarian. But there was a real lack of dumplings, which the place is named for that didn't contain beef or pork. There was really only one chicken choice, and one veggie. We ordered the Dan Dan noodles which were really good, but the serving size was skimpy. We also ordered the chicken soup dumplings which were very good and the shrimp wontons also really good in a chili oil and soy sauce. The Szechuan spicy chicken was uninspired. Deep fried nuggets of chicken with some szechuan chili powder sprinkled on them. I wouldn't order it again. The scallion pancakes were also good, but were not served with any kind of sauce. Perhaps this is authentic, but I'm used to them having hoisin sauce on the side. Service was attentive and fast. Everything arrived quickly and was hot and well prepared. I would definitely return and try some new things.

After a long day of walking around, we decided to warm up at Noodle St. Being able to check-in with…read moreYelp was super helpful and gave us a good idea on wait time. Once we were seated, we were met with a friendly server who offered recommendations to our party depending on spice levels. I tried their beef fried rice and the portions were huge for the price! I had to get a braised egg and it made for such a great combo. I also tried their chili oil and loved how spicy it was. I wish there was a Noodle St. close to my city!

Great quick service. It was a chilly day so we wanted something soupy…read more You get options from appetizers, noodle soup, and rice dishes. There's an option to choose what type of noodle you want: round, flat, triangle, or knife cut. No matter the type, the noodles were very fresh, you can even see them making it through the large clear room in the back. I ordered the signature beef noodle with triangle noodles. The soup needed a tad bit more seasoning but it was good, especially the noodles. Temperature was perfect. Great quick place to drop by if you're shopping in Pasadena. I would probably come back and try the other items in the menu.

Decent food but poor service and atmosphere. We had to wait quite a while before being shown to a…read moretable without clear indication of where exactly we were supposed to go. Our waitstaff were a bit standoffish and slow to provide our menus and cheque. I don't think I would come back.

Came with a coworker because I owed her dinner for taking me to the airport :) It was happy hour…read more(5-7pm daily) when we arrived. FLAVOR (4.8/5): 1. CHICKEN LIVER PATÉ: The paté was good! I liked the pickled veggies that came with - they helped balance out the creaminess of the paté. Would definitely order again. 2. GREEN CHOP SALAD: I liked the chop salad! Flavorful, great mix of textures, and a great addition to all the savory shareable plates. Since we came during happy hour, they had a deal where you could order this and the Onion Noodles for a discounted price. 3. HAMACHI CRUDO: I've had too many hamachi crudos to count, and to be completely honest, they all start to blend together. This is a good one. Great appetizer choice, especially if you're ordering other dishes on the heavier side, like the chicken wings and onion noodles. 4. CHONG QING CHICKEN WINGS: I loved the chicken wings. Nice, crispy skin, but still tender and juicy inside. Other chili wings can be too oily, but these were perfect. I couldn't stop eating these. 5. SHANGHAI TRIPLE ONION NOODLES: Yummy! I loved the texture of the crispy onions paired with the noodles. This felt like a dish that could go well with anything else on their menu. 6. BLACK SESAME BROWN BUTTER RICE KRISPY TREATS: Of course we had to make room for dessert, and these were delicious. The stone fruit balanced the heaviness of the black sesame, which, if you've had before, you know can easily overpower a dish. SERVICE (5/5): Service was great. I like that you can order a beer for the cooks. In my head, it feels like I'm (hopefully) contributing to a fun environment back there. AMBIENCE (5/5): Good for dates or casual hangouts. I like their outside patio, especially when the weather is nice. PARKING (3/5): Street parking. TAKEAWAYS: I think a strength of The Airliner is how well the dishes all complement each other - the wings paired with the salad and the onion noodles hit everything you would want in a meal. The noodles are a good staple, while the chicken wings give you that extra oomph of flavor and crunch. The salad gives you a little break, and the paté you can snack on in between bites when you get a little bored. I would love to try their other dishes, like their curry crispy rice! Would definitely come back again. I was pleasantly surprised.

Tugged away in South Pasadena, a friend told me about Shiro a legacy contemporary French Japanese…read morerestaurant that's been serving delicious fine dining for over 40 years! The decor is very classy and elegant, soft lighting with background piano music but you can still have conversations. They have daily fixe menu specials for Thursdays as well as their regular menu. First timer so we had to try a variety of dishes to get a good feel of their cuisine. Wine and cocktail options: had the Shirotini which is a twist similar to a lemon drop. My friend had the pink crane which is bourbon based. Both cocktails were well balanced and tasty. Appetizers: Their famous ravioli: had very creamy sauce over 4 wobton skin ravioli with plump shrimp inside topped with shiitake mushrooms on top. It's a mini meal in itself! Also tried their grilled octopus, cooked perfectly with a nice crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. The main star was the fried catfish sitting in what tasted like a ponzu sauce and please is big enough to feed 4 people! Also had the scallops which were delicious but truly the catfish stole the show. *The main dishes come with a medley side dish of broccoli, carrots and scalloped potatoes. Dessert was the crepes with strawberries and glazed pecans for the filling. The wait staff was attentive but also the owners were there to check in with all the guests to ensure everything was top notch. Learned that the co-owners are best friends. The original owner/chef was Shiro and his niece is one of the co-owners while one of is staff became the other co-owner. What a unique story. Definitely happy to support a legacy business and hoping others will too from this review.

I didn't realize Shiro was still around. Boy did this bring me back down memory lane when I passed…read moreby during my week long stay in So Pas. I had to make a reso before we left So Cal and it was available for the next night. So happy we came bc WOW. I remember why I loved this quaint restaurant over 2 decades ago when we used to come for every special occasion. If memory serves me correctly, it's the same host. She was so hospitable and made us feel right at home. Our server was amazing. Gosh, I forgot his name. Tall skinny guy. Nightly specials. Truffle ravioli with spinach ricotta. Delicious. Had to share as it was a bit rich for a starter. Shaved truffles and blanched spinach. 5/5 Chilean Sea Bass 5/5 light and flaky Crème Brûlée with berries and bananas I didn't know I needed until I had the very first bite. Wow. So good and full of vanilla bean specs. Chocolate soufflé was more of flourless chocolate chocolate. Not too rich. Scoop of bold coffee ice cream. I just needed a tad more ice cream to finish the cake with. I didn't get it to try the crepe special since nephew ate most of it. Crispy wonton with poached pear. Raspberry sauce and orange custard was so unique and tasty 5/5 Both Hubs and Bro ordered the Mary's chicken and absolutely loved it. Well seasoned and garnished well. Filet was perfect cooked and seasoned even for an 8 yr old to finish on his own. DD ordered the salmon. It was so tender and fork soft. Her broccoli was so full of flavor and not overly creamy. I remember even saying out loud that this was a more decadent experience than TFL and Per Se without feeling so overstuffed and heavy feeling upon leaving. So glad I found Shiro again. Will definitely return again.

My partner and I stopped here by quick chance after such a hard hike near the area. This was such a…read morepleasant surprise. Authentic Vietnamese food. We started off with spring rolls the tofu combination was my favorite over chicken and veggie, pair it with the peanut sauce for a lovely pairing. I hate filet mignon and the cut was beautiful! The flavor was there, the right tenderness, flavor, top tier. Kudos to the chef!!! My partner grabbed the Lemongrass chicken with vermicelli noodles and it was so delicious. No wonder it's such a popular dish. There were other items I wanted to try- specifically the pho tacos but I'll come back again. The restaurant was clean and slow paced and top tier service.

Food was delicious and offered a great take on modern Vietnamese cuisine. While the pear salad…read morewasn't quite my favorite, everything else we tried was full of flavor and thoughtfully prepared. Shout out to our gracious host and server, Charlene--she was absolutely delightful and made the experience even better. Would definitely come back to try more of the menu. BB