Great food, sweet staff, clean environment. I'd love to see…read morethem make it in a city where restaurants are closing right n left. We had friend rice, filet & asparagus, a variety of dumplings & the sautéed veggies. Everything was delicious!

South Pasadena doesn't have a ton of Chinese food options, so I was excited to find an authentic…read moreShanghainese spot in the area! We stopped by on a weeknight without a reservation and had no problem getting a booth right away. The staff greeted us as soon as we walked in and our waiter was sweet and attentive throughout our meal. We ordered the following: - BBQ Buns - 4 - Pork Soup Dumplings - 4.5 - Beef roll - 4 - Beef Noodle Soup - 4.5/5 The food came out fairly quickly, and everything was fresh and flavorful. The soup dumplings were the highlight--packed with a flavorful broth and wrapped in a delicate, thin skin. The beef roll had a flaky exterior with tender beef inside. The beef noodle soup was another standout, with a rich broth, perfectly cooked thin noodles, tender beef slices, and bok choy. Every dish felt like it was made with quality ingredients and attention to detail. I wasn't expecting much when I came here but left genuinely impressed. We'll definitely be back to try more of the menu, and I can easily see this becoming one of our regular go-to spots!

Atina And Connor best waiters. Super kind and helpful when it came to ordering. Really enjoyed the…read morefood

Star Leaf, in Pasadena, is a wonderful Thai restaurant that has a unique and attractive menu. The…read morefact that they were participating in Dine LA was a trigger, to make another visit there for lunch. I tried to invoke the dinner menu, but they were not willing. Not a problem, the lunch menu was equally enticing. A 2-course offering for $25. I started with the Thai Prawn Ceviche. This course was wonderfully balanced, not too acidic, also a nice touch of sweetness and plump flavorful prawns. For the main, my selection was the Beef Truffle Wok-Seared Noodles. I was delighted that they were round noodles and they arrived at my table stirred in a dark sauce with sliced beef pieces on top. A small porcelain decanter was also supplied, containing the truffle oil. I poured it over my noodles. The beef was tender, moist and could be cut with the usual provided table knife. The whole dish was a winner, from start to finish. Service here, as expected, was well executed. Need to be aware of the parking though. There is a public garage around the corner that is advertised for this establishment and a few others. Problem is, that Star Leaf validates only for 1-hour, while their neighbors do so, for 2-hours. I addressed this issue with the manager at my last visit and this time too. The answer I got was not convincing to suggest that they care, or will do something about it, anytime soon. Oh well.

Service is good and food tastes good and the inside of the restaurant is clean and cool!read more

Auntie Qiu Kitchen has a warm vibe, created by the table setup, the wall decorations, and the…read moreambiance from the music. The menu has illustrative pictures that show you what you're getting, even before you slice into the dishes. I also love the lighting of this space. It brings into light an old nostalgia.

Upscale French-Japanese fusion restaurant in South Pas. Menu changes every day, posted at 3:00 PM,…read morebut they usually keep a lot of the staples. Intimate vibe, service is super attentive and the staff are experts at what they do. Apps: - warm yellowtail carpaccio w/ ginger, shallots, mixed greens: zesty, fresh fish. - squash blossoms tempura filled with shrimp mousse and served with herb sauce: lightly fried, plump shrimp mousse - shiro's wonton ravioli filled with shrimp mousse and served with shiitake mushroom cream sauce: thin wonton wrappers filled with shrimp mousse, cream sauce was really flavorful and not heavy. Mains: - mary's chicken breast pan-roasted with bacon, scallion, natural au jus: juicy chicken breast!!! skin was crispy and expertly pan-seared. scallions were juicy and flavorful. favorite of the night. - whole sizzling catfish with house ponzo and cilantro: flaky and delicious. huge portion. Dessert: - Tiramisu: really really yummy, but not the best i've had. - Creme brulee: god-tier creme brulee. I don't even love creme brulee like that, and this almost brought me to tears. Please come to this establishment! The staff are so passionate about what they do, the food is amazing, the menu is curated with such care and love for food and seasonal ingredients. This place is an institution. There is no lack of flavor here, and you really get the sense that it's French/Japanese fusion rather than skewing too far one way or another like a lot of places do.

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 love this restaurant and its food concept. Everything is served family-style, so for two, we…read moreshared the Wagyu Dumplings, Garlic Prawns, and Beef Ribs. The Wagyu Dumplings are a must. Warm, tender, and juicy, with a sauce that had a nice tang and brought some brightness to the dish. The Garlic Prawns were very garlicky, and the flavor was definitely there. That said, they were quite salty on their own, especially since I don't usually eat my meals with rice. I'm also not a huge fan of shell-on prawns, but the taste was still enjoyable. My favorite dish of the night, though, was the Beef Ribs. Probably some of the most tender and juicy ribs I've ever had. The ambiance is dark, moody, and cozy, which made the whole dinner feel intimate and comfortable. Service was also so attentive throughout the night.

Food was probably a 3.5, but dining experience knocked it down to a 2…read more We came here for our anniversary with two little ones. We asked our server if the Nasi Goreng was spicy, she said no. We inquired further, pointed at our toddler, and asked "So he can eat it?" She said "Yup"! Well, as you'd guess it.. we gave it to our toddler before we tried it ourselves (oops), and he immediately reached for his water and said "SPICY!!" I think our server had gone on break, so another one came over when we raised our hand. We said we were told the Nasi Goreng was toddler-friendly and not spicy. She said, "Oh yeah, the Nasi Goreng has a kick." Then she went and brought over a gentleman, who we presumed to be the manager? And he apologized and offered us WHITE RICE and added, "That's the best we can do." THE BEST YOU CAN DO?? No, the best you can do is take the Nasi Goreng off our bill, or offer to make us a non-spicy, toddler-friendly dish. Even a simple egg fried rice would have sufficed. If our toddler was allergic to peanuts, and we asked if a dish had peanuts, assured that it didn't, and were then subsequently served peanuts.. would you offer to bring out white rice and then still charge us for the peanuts? (Okay, maybe not the best analogy, but you get my point.) For a place in this price point, customer service has got to step up. Will not be returning.

Step into a European bistro just like the celebrity reality shows where they open restaurants. The…read morepasta dishes are top notch, the fettucine was perfectly al dente, and the sauces were so aromatic. Over the years, we have tried almost everything on the menu! Yep, we have been here that many times. It seems to be a family business, and the owners are friendly and nice.

Pros -food came out on time…read moreCons -seafood pasta had seafood that tasted old and not fresh -pricey at $33 for pasta -the garlic bread was stale Rating 2/10

Noodle Street has always been one of my go-to places for comfort food and a good noodle dish. This…read moretime, I had about an hour to kill while waiting for my appointment at the Apple Store in Pasadena. I was walking around thinking about what to eat. The I saw the Noodle Street sign. Of course, I went in because I already know the quality of their food. I always find their noodles fresh and chewy, and the dishes are rich in texture and flavor. But this time, since I was by myself, I didn't order a noodle dish because I was just by myself. So, I ordered the beef roll, which is also to die for! Just really enjoy their food overall. If you've never tried Noodle Street before, definitely check out their menu and give their noodles a try. This particular location was clean, the staff was nice, and the wait wasn't long when I arrived. I would definitely come back again! I'd like to add one more detail. While I was waiting for my food, one of the staff members, possibly the manager, Justin, came over and asked if I'd like to have a small bowl of broth on the side. I said yes and was impressed by that offer. Why? This young man understood that I had ordered only the beef roll, which is a dry dish. Having a little warm broth on the side made it much easier and more enjoyable to eat. I had water, though, but I personally never drink water before or after my meal, so the broth was definitely a perfect complement to the beef roll. This is the first time in my Noodle Street eating history that I've been offered something simple to enhance my dining experience. A small gesture that I think is worth mentioning, as it showed that he was attentive and had very good common sense when it comes to customer service. Thumbs up to him, and an extra star from me for this location.

Old Town, Pasadena Super fun and comfortable Korean noodle and rice dishes place. It advertises…read moreitself as an Asian fusion noodle restaurant. Most of the dishes are Korean and Korean spiced versions however so be prepared. I expected the food to be much spicier and more pungent. They are not -- they are modernized slightly lighter versions of Korean noodle dishes. I'm addicted to the cold noodle salad with kale, carrots, and you can ask for it with tofu as I'm not eating beef for the next six months due to the beef recalls nowadays. Love the modern simple setup. There is a crew of chefs in the back cooking behind the glass. The staff are attentive and they take Apple Pay. I cannot believe the prices here. They are very reasonable. Why go to a fast food restaurant? End of Yelp.

Not sure what is going on with Kue's. I noticed for a while that they've been closed. Stopped by…read moreand saw a note posted saying they'll be making some renovations, so only time will tell. We usually enjoy stopping by for the laid back vibe in the bar area and enjoy their happy hour drinks, small bites and friendly customer service from the bar staff. It was once again becoming a regular hang out spot like the old diner so I hope that don't stay closed for too long.

4 stars Kue's has…read morebeen open a little over 1 year ago and, today, my family and I got a chance to try this restaurant. I remember when it was the Diner on Main and, since then, the interior has been remodeled. The interior is comfortable, clean, and the lighting makes the place quite intimate. As for the food, I thought it was very well-seasoned without being too salty. These were the dishes we got: Chicken Salad ($28): A cold chicken salad with fried taro strips, pickled peppers, shredded carrots, cilantro, and sweet pickled onions. I thought this would be very bland, but it turned out to be my favorite dish because of how refreshing it is. The chicken is boiled like hainan chicken and seasoned with a light, tangy sauce. Everything went well together. 4.5/5 stars Orange Chicken ($18): This is a pretty typical orange chicken. I don't think it wow'd me, but I liked that it wasn't overly breaded. 4/5 stars Black Pepper Filet Mignon with Mushrooms ($25): I'm not a huge mushroom person, but I really liked the mushrooms here. It was a combo of oyster mushrooms and button mushrooms with cubed filet mignon. The beef was also really tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth. 4/5 stars Shrimp in XO sauce ($25): This dish was slightly spicier than I expected, but it was also pretty good. The size of the shrimp was huge and the vegetables were on point. It had snap peas, bell peppers, and mountain potato (aka Japanese mountain yam). 4/5 stars The service was very attentive and the owner of the restaurant was very kind. The owner helped us mix the chicken salad at the beginning of our meal and helped my mom cut her birthday cake at the end of the meal. 5/5 stars for service. I'll definitely be back to try other dishes.

Formerly Modan, Kontesu is probably one of the most ethically priced restaurants in the SGV. At a…read moretime when all restaurants seem to use inflation as justification for their inflated prices w out the quality to match, Kontesu proves that good food doesn't have to come with an outrageous bill. From their sub $20 generously portion unagi plate to their $9 appetizer, all with freshness and quality that rival the high end Japanese restaurants in the area, This place is a shining example that even in affluent neighborhood like South Pas, restaurant can still serve quality food at honest, reasonable prices. Honorable mention is their perfectly cooked soy marinated egg.. which most ramen shops charge $2.50-$3 per..Here it's $1.25! Part of me is worried Kontentsu might realize they're still stuck in affordable pre-covid pricing... Here's hoping they' don't!!

Came here twice and both times were very positive. Every ingredient is very fresh, and the flavors…read moreare neither under nor overwhelming. The stand out for me is the poke ramen. This was one of the most unique things I've tried at a Japanese restaurant. For $17, the portions are super generous - lots of fresh salmon and tuna, and not overfilled with lettuce fillers. I normally won't eat kale, but I'll eat this! The kale noodles were very similar to soba noodles, and the kale bits were crispy almost like nori. I enjoyed the sauce they used - a little sweet and nutty. I'd repurchase this without a doubt! I got the salmon lotus roll on my first visit because I love lotus chips, and so this one really intrigued me. The salmon on top was delicious and very tender. It might be one of the best salmon rolls I've had. The unagi in the don was also very tender that there was no need to chew. I haven't had much unagi in the past, but this is one of the better ones I've had. I've mainly had firmer ones, but I liked that this was very soft. Lastly, I tried the black tonkatsu ramen, and what I loved the most about this was generous amounts of the crunchy thin mushroom. This is one of my favorite ingredients in ramen other than the chashu and noodles. The broth isn't very thick or rich, and I think the amount of garlic in it was just right to be enjoyable. The noodles were cooked perfectly al dente. Overall, I've found this place to be a very enjoyable experience, and I'm excited to try more of their menu!

Ordered through Uber Eats. Teriyaki chicken bento. Very bland. Won't order from here again. Good…read moreportion size and the food was still warm. Decent gyoza. Definitely needs some additional teriyaki sauce in the side.

Generous portions and good quality food for the price. Will be ordering again. I recommend getting…read morethe katsu chicken.