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!

We were served two small bowls of cucumber at the start of our meal and assumed it was a…read morecomplimentary side (similar to what a lot of Korean restaurants do). We didn't question it and started eating. Midway through our meal, the manager came over and said it was actually a mistake - that the cucumbers were a paid item. He gave us two options: keep eating and get charged, or have it taken away and not be charged. At that point, we had already eaten about half. Of course, we declined the extra charge since we genuinely thought it came with our order. What happened next is what lost me as a customer. The manager took the dish and immediately dumped it in the trash right behind me, where I could hear it. It felt unnecessary and honestly a bit disrespectful. A better way to handle it would've been to acknowledge the mistake and just comp the dish this time. Instead, it turned into an awkward moment over what couldn't have been more than a few dollars' worth of cucumbers. Not a great experience, and not a place I'd return to based on how this was handled.

I've been coming here at least once a week for the past five months, and this place continues to…read moreimpress every single time. The service is consistently great... attentive, efficient, and genuinely welcoming. Fair warning for anyone new to Sichuan cuisine, the dominant flavor is "spicy". That said, the dishes are not just about heat... they're layered, aromatic, and incredibly well-balanced. Every dish I've tried has been outstanding, both in flavor and presentation. If you're a fan of bold, authentic flavors and reliable service, this spot is definitely worth visiting. Tip - If you're new to the cuisine, I strongly recommend getting everything MILD spicy. I've been told by some of my colleagues that MILD spicy is still pretty spicy, so be warned. With that said, strongly recommend the dishes below. Lamb with Cumin 11/10 - My favorite dish here by far. Aromatic, flavorful, and the spices are just on point. Dan Dan Noodles 9/10 - Solid and consistently good. The sauce is properly seasoned and truly compliments the perfectly cooked noodles. Shredded Cabbage with Pork 9/10 - Not to be confused with twice cooked pork. This dish is so simple and bland looking, but it's packed with flavor... so good! Garlic Pork Belly 8/10 - This is a cold dish. The meat was perfectly cooked and properly coated in chili oil. Solid and consistently good. Kung Pao Chicken 8/10 - In my opinion, it's an elevated Kung Pao Chicken. Solid and consistently good.

This place is crazy good. When you think of Szechuan food you're probably thinking SPICE, but you…read morecan adjust the heat of most of the dishes here so you're not frying your tongue off. It can get really busy, though, so expect to wait or just call in your order and take your food to go. I recommend the soy sauce tofu with beef dish. It's fire. Massive W. Gen Z words. Good.

There's the best ramen, there's my favorite ramen, and the crossroads where those meet is at…read moreTatsunoya. I've been going here for years and found they have perfect balance of depth of flavor and consistency of it. Amazing food + Attentive service + jazz playing overhead = Great time and chill vibes. Here's what I recommend: Appetizers: Tatsunoya roll ($9.50): Best app in the biz. Seasoned rice, chashu, avocado topped with kewpie and seaweed. Teriyaki chicken wings ($9): Juicy, crispy with a deep sweet-salty soy flavor. Honestly the best chicken wings I've ever had. Asian Tortilla Chips ($5.50): Crispy wonton wrappers with a kimchi-mayo-chashu dip, loved it. Ramen: Jun Tonkotsu ($15.80): The classic. Perfectly balanced as all ramen should be Koku Tonkotsu ($16.80): The my go-to. Garlicky, rich umami and bold fatty flavor.

Short, 10 min wait on a Sunday evening. Service was very fast (almost too fast... once you sit they…read moreimmediately ask if you're ready to order and come back every minute or so until you're ready). We decided to try the highly recommended gyozas but they were quite mediocre- I would skip. Ramen was very tasty. Good, thick broth. The pork was outstanding!! And the egg was perfectly jammy. Toppings that come included are plenty. I also really liked that for $2, you can refill on a sizable amount of noodles for your remaining broth.

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

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

My favorite ramen in Pasadena. The broth is rich and delicious, the pork is perfectly cooked and…read morethe egg is delicious. I also tried their gyozas and they were delicious. Ambience is great, never too packed. Service is quick.

I enjoyed their yuzu ramen. It was very interesting. It was definitely not the usual ramen youd…read moreexpect. It was citrusy and very light. The chashui it came with, you can taste the charred. I also got the chawanmushi and they provided soy sauce with it. It wasnt bad but id prefer to get their karage chicken instead. The karage was lightly battered and very crispy. They also had parm cheese on top of it. Would need to come back to try their other items. There is street parking and also parking structures you can park at. Sadly both requiring payment.

Came here after seeing it all over social media, and honestly... it lived up to the hype. Be…read moreprepared for a wait, especially during peak hours, but the turnover is pretty quick. We ordered the pork soup dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, and beef roll. The soup dumplings were the highlight -- thin skin, super juicy, and packed with rich broth. Just be careful because they come out really hot. The pan-fried dumplings had a crispy bottom with a juicy, flavorful filling, which I loved for the texture contrast. The beef roll was also really good -- flaky on the outside with tender beef inside, and a nice savory sauce that ties everything together. Portions are generous and prices are pretty reasonable for the quality. It definitely has that busy, no-frills SGV dumpling house vibe, but the food is what you're here for. Overall, I'd come back when I'm craving comfort food and dumplings done right.

I love Mama Lu's so much. It's my go-to comfort spot. I came here with my friends who live in the…read morearea and I've never been to the Pasadena location before. We ordered some of my favorites: -Crispy pan fried noodles with seafood -Beef Chow fun -yang chow fried rice -seaweed fish -ha gow -sauteed green beans You can never go wrong with the crispy fried noodles. They're so flavorful and crispy at the same time. and it comes with so much seafood and bok choy so you're getting your veggies in. The beef chow fun was addicting I couldn't stop eating the noodles. The flavor was just too good. I also was very surprised at their yang chow fried rice. The pork meat was so good and the rice was perfectly cooked. If you haven't tried the seaweed fish it's a very unique dish I recommend if you like fried fish, this is a very tasty fish. It's green but it tastes so good. I love ha gow, you can never go wrong with a shrimp ball steamed in rice paper. And always gotta get the green beans in for that veggie dish. The green beans are flavorful and crunchy in the right places. I had a really great time. It's honestly really fun to come here with a big group of people to enjoy a really delicious family style Chinese meal. They also give free peanuts for appetizer and serve jasmine hot tea which gave me so much energy for my dinner! The service here is also really nice the waiters and waitressses are so friendly and helpful. You can always get a refill on your waters and tea. There are also a selection of drinks to choose from. I'm on a no sugar diet because I've been having too much sugar lately or else i would have ordered more! ALSO park across the street! There is a lot for $1 for 2 hours and addition $2 for another hour I think. I ended up only paying $3 for 2 hours and 15 min. Had too much fun at my dinner.

Drinks: -Mango smoothie $5.5…read more-Diet Coke Appertizers: -Chinese burger beef $7.99 -smashed cucumber $5 -beef tendon $7 -pig ear $13 -scallion oil chicken $13 -braised pig feet $13 Entrees: -beef chow mein $17 -sweet and sour chicken with rice $10 -xiao long bao $14 -shrimp fried rice $15 -Lan noodle $16 -dried mixed with beef $17 If noodles had a personality, Lan Noodle would be that overachiever who makes everything from scratch just to show off. You walk in thinking, "I'll just grab a quick bowl," and suddenly there's a noodle master stretching dough like he's training for the Olympics. Their Lanzhou-style noodles? Fresh, chewy, and honestly a little too good--they'll ruin instant ramen for you forever. The Lan noodle soup is so rich and savory. The died mixed noodle feels like a warm hug... if hugs came with chili oil and a kick that sneaks up on you. It's a small, busy spot, so yeah, you might wait--but don't worry, the line moves fast. Plus, it gives you time to emotionally prepare for choosing your noodle shape. Thin? Wide? Triangle? This is not a decision to take lightly. One wrong move and you'll be thinking about it halfway through your bowl like, "I should've gone wider."

I like how they have expanded their menu with additional options other than simply noodle options…read more We tried their pork pan fried dumplings (3/5) since the skin was overpoweringly thick, but the filling was decent. They have a small and large sweet and sour chicken rice plate. I had gotten the small size just to try it out, but it was surprisingly good (5/5). The pork sandwich bun was decent (4/5) since the beef was tasty but the sandwich bun could be better. We also had the traditional beef noodle soups with either the wide flat and triangle ones. You can't go wrong with these freshly made pulled noodles, and they are very hearty portions. Flavor is good and the beef is very tender. The smashed cucumbers were decent also (4/5), but nothing spectacular about them. Service is very quick, attentive and pleasant. This is a good go to spot for a quick meal. The dining room doesn't seat a lot of people so try not to come during busy dining hours on weekends to avoid a long wait.

This is the perfect spot if you're a hot pot lover. One thing I really appreciated is that you can…read morecustomize your own bowl exactly how you want it. Sometimes traditional hot pot can feel like too much food, but here you can choose the perfect portions for yourself, which is perfect when it's just you! I got the spicy broth and everything was delicious. The meat and veggies were fresh, and the sauce/condiment area was very clean and well maintained. You can tell they care about quality and presentation. The service was fast, and the atmosphere was peaceful and comfortable, which made the whole experience even better. I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend if you want a clean, customizable, and high-quality hot pot experience.

PROS: free street parking, complimentary passion fruit tea…read more CONS: meat was basically all fat, very limited options on everything, didn't have the tofu I liked (they only had the spongey one), slow service, soup didn't have much flavor

What the Seoul? It's a bit of Koreatown in Old Town Pasadena in a warehouse-sized bar/restaurant…read morewith 200 TVs! This pocha (Korean-style pub) has got it going on. Super friendly staff will find you a great table and, from there, you are on your own. All ordering by tablet! Soju and Cass beer of course, and bring your appetite. Bar food galore which is actually pretty good. Must gets are the corn cheese, tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes in spicy sauce), steamed egg, fried chicken and seafood pancake. This place is perfect for groups or just a date for two. Dang, I could eat a whole tray of that corn cheese. City lot right across the street for hassle-free parking; that's one thing about the "real" Koreatown you won't miss.

This place was bumpin! We ordered the creamy bulgogi risotto, kimchi spam fried rice, and pork…read morebelly with scallions. It was all super yummy, but the risotto was the winner. It's definitely loud but great for groups. Good music was playing, and it even though there were a lot of people there it was still intimate. You order on a tablet and staff is super friendly, but you won't be hounded every five minutes on how your food is. They know what they've got and it's good.

I've visited HiroNori a few times over the past few years and brought several friends as well, who…read morehave always enjoyed it. The menu has changed a bit since I was last here (sadly no more black garlic ramen!), but the quality is just as good. A newer (?) addition is the Spicy Cold Dipping Noodles, which I got and thoroughly enjoyed -- great balance of heat and texture, and a nice option if you're not looking for a hot bowl. Definitely worth a visit if you're deciding between a few places on Lake Ave. :)

Was craving a warm bowl of ramen with this cold front, so I stopped by Hiro. Friday night, 7pm, no…read morewait (yay!!). I opted for their veggie ramen and added chicken because I wanted to get a big bowl with veggies. It was good ramen. Not great. It was actually lukewarm and not very hot, and the broth was missing flavor. I will say it was a sizable portion. Service was fast.