Luscious Dumplings

The food here is really good and reasonably priced. The dumpling and stew combo at under $ 9 is excellent. The prices have gone up since I first started coming here but the quality is worth it. Pan fried pork n chive dumplings are so good! All cash and can get really busy but the service is fast and friendly. They also have dumplings to take home and cook. I’ve never done it but my friend often uses them for parties and days they come out great.

Great dumplings just wished they had more veggies assortments. I still prefer Ding Tai Fun’s dumplings since the skin is thinner at Ding Tai Fun

First off, let me say that I am a fan of Luscious Dumplings. I’ve been frequenting their original location since it opened and now that they’ve expended I felt compelled to visit this location. Monrovia is way the heck out there so going here to eat is definitely an intentional act. The restaurant is located within a fairly new strip mall, most of which have not been opened yet so it can be a little disturbing during the evenings, but that’s neither here nor there. The restaurant set up is exactly like the original location down to the placement of the tables, the restrooms and the kitchen. I guess why change a good thing, right? The menu is the same as well so if you’re familiar with how to order at the old location, you won’t have a problem at the new location.
The food is as expected. On point. This is one of the better dumpling houses in Los Angeles. These are not soup dumplings so if you’re thinking of DTF, this is not the place for you. The flavors are as expected and their hot sauce is ever present and available at every table. I guess what was kind of weird was the service. I know the sons now own and run the business, but the very act of flirting with customers instead of paying attention to seated customers rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, you want to be friendly, but not at the expense of your other customers. Then again, it’s the owner so who am I to say otherwise. His actions didn’t take away from the food, but overall I did feel like the service at this location was a little lacking.

was craving for dumplings and this place was just the place for it! the dumplings were yummy and just the size i like! food came fairly fast. the place is a bit tiny but i didn’t have to wait. parking was easy since it’s located in a plaza!

You would go here strictly for the food as it is small, gets crowded and there’s really no sort of atmosphere or character to the interior. That said, the food is very good — really tasty, fresh and reasonably priced. It arrives quickly after you order, too. Service is fine — friendly and responsive and since the place is so small you should have no trouble getting their attention if you need anything.
It’s not the kind of place you want to relax and dawdle, even though they have a large flat screen TV in one ceiling corner. The staff never rushes you but it’s just a basic, informal place where the norm would be to eat and go.
As I said, be aware that it can get pretty crowded and there’s nowhere to wait inside. You can fill out the order sheet in advance so they can start on your food as soon as you are seated, though. And like I said, the food is very good. Thumbs up for this compact find!

I hate to drop them so low, but that’s how it was.
Do not come for dinner. You’ll not get what you want. =(
The first time, they ran out of pork pan fried dumplings so instead of the normal order of 8, they gave us 6 pork and 2 fish. Okay, that wasn’t too bad. Weird that their numbers were so off, but okay.
The second time, at 6:30 pm, they were all sold out of pork pan fried dumplings, chive pockets, something else, and only had 4 pieces of the steamed soup dumplings left (usual order has 8). If they’re out of items, when you are seated at your table, they’ll give you the order form and start crossing out the sold out items. I wish that when you’re waiting for a table, they give you the order form to look over and see what’s already gone. We had sat down and looked at the order form — only things adjusted were the removal of the chive pockets and something I can’t remember as well as reducing the steamed soup dumplings to 4 pieces. The main item we were looking forward to were the pork pan fried dumplings, so we ordered 2 orders and added some other items. Our server came back a little later and said that the table across from us had ordered the last of it. She tried to alleviate the situation by saying the fish pan fried dumplings and the beef & onion pan fried dumplings (which are not even on the menu, but listed on their walls as a holiday special) were good substitutes. They were not. What made it worse was how she really pushed those two substitutions hard, as if they were one and the same (no, ma’am). To top it off, the pan fried dumplings came out all stuck together in one charrred mess. It took a lot of work to separate a piece from the bunch to eat and when you bite into it, you get the charred taste of burnt dumpling wrapper. =/​
Still a cash only place.
I don’t think I’ll be back.

Happy with my order today. Had the Chive Pockets (2pcs) with Sliced Pork Belly Noodle Combo, Sliced Pork Knuckle & Seaweed Salad in Chili Garlic Sauce. Enjoyed everything.
Mom couldn’t handle the spiciness with the seaweed appetizer. Thought the flavor was too heavy. I didn’t mind it. The sliced pork belly noodle was on the lighter side in terms of flavor, but of course, mom liked it. Even though it’s light, but it wasn’t bland. So, all in all, everything is good. Oh, and the Chive pockets were packed with flavor without dipping in soy sauce.

As a foodie, this was definitely worth trying. Everything was tasty, though the fried dumplings were a bit greasy for my taste. I think that it’s very high quality cooking, and that ultimately it comes down to a matter of personal preference — for me, DTF still has my heart with the beef noodle soup & XLB.

I love this place! This location is a bit bigger and more modern looking than the branch in San Gabriel.
For a party of 3, we ordered a combo that comes with pan fried chive pockets (2 pieces cut into halves) and a regular sized beef noodle soup, pan fried pork dumplings, and steamed dumplings.
Since it was my friends’ first time here, we got the steamed dumplings to try. But we all agreed that the pan fried pork dumplings are super bomb! We got there around 5:00 and by 6pm, when we wanted more pan fried pork dumplings, they were almost sold out!!! And when I ordered a beef noodles to-​go, they were also sold out! I had to buy another type of noodles yo go :(This tells you how popular those 2 items are. So when you order the first time around, get everything you want before it’s gone!
The beef noodles had a very light and refreshing soup base and very flavorful & tender beef to balance it out. Must try !!
They give you a menu with pictures, and then a paper menu where you fill out the # of items you want. Super simple and efficient. When it’s almost your turn to be seated, you can already start ordering so once you’re seated, you don’t have to wait longer for the food.

Noodles and dumplings are Chinese comfort food, so it is no surprise to see a surplus of restaurants that specialize in noodles and dumplings in the heavily Chinese populated areas. Luscious Dumplings stood out among the crowd. The small restaurant is usually packed inside with a line of people waiting outside. To increase operation efficiency, a server will take your order while you are waiting in line, so food will come out within a minute of you sitting down.
The beef noodle soup here looked deceptively plain until you took a sip. The broth was savory and rich with liquefied protein, but unlike ramen broth, it was not fatty. It was clear and fresh like phở broth. The best of both worlds. Noodles were al dente and topped with tender slices of meat (choice of brisket, pork belly, tendon, etc) and a few leaves of baby bok choy.
Northern style dumplings here were as good as its namesake. The wrappers were slightly thicker than wonton wrappers and the fillings were a balanced texture of firmness and softness. The moisture from chopped napa or Chinese leek made them truly luscious and tender.
We also got guan tang jiao. These were very similar to xiao long bao, with a lot of soup inside the dumplings, but they were too delicate. Even as an experienced chopstick user, I had to use a spoon to pick these up.
I also can’t get enough of the sesame chili oil. It wasn’t very spicy, but very fragrant with toasted spices and sesame seeds. I gave the dumplings a generous bath of this addictive oil.

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Coworker stopped by for lunch since we were craving dumplings. We went overboard and ordered several dishes:
beef tendon soup (without the noodles): clear broth which we expected to be bland ended up being packed with flavor and SO hearty on a cold day. Plentiful portions of soft chewy tendon and crunchy bokchoy. We both mentioned how pleasantly surprised we were.
Cabbage pork and shrimp dumplings: so juicy and flavorful! Thin skinned which is exactly how dumplings SHOULD be. Each bite had flavors of pork and shrimp… the dumplings were REALLY good.
potstickers: same theme… juicy, packed with flavor. They fried them PERFECTLY crispy. Pork and cabbage, no shrimp in these.
Chive pockets: egg, chive, glass noodles in a fried calzone looking shell which was cut in half for you. DELICIOUS! Again, not skipping a beat in flavor.
Hot sauce on the tables are mixed with sesame seeds (and MAYBE sesame oil) which makes it really tasty when mixed with soy sauce for dipping.
Only drawbacks are small limited seating and cash only.
WILL BE BACK!

Small restaurant. Had to wait 15 minutes for a table for 3 on a Wednesday afternoon.
Cash only.
One of my friends found a strand of hair in her soup, and my other friend had a dead fruit fly. The waitresses took away the bowls with discontent like we were being difficult in asking for another bowl of noodle. I didn’t like the service at all. No sorry was said when we find hair and a dead bug in the food. I’m pretty open minded in that I understand that sometimes those hair nets don’t cover everything, and that a fruit fly can just drop dead at any minute into the soup, but c’mon don’t be rude if you get caught.
Food was mediocre in that I could have made it by simply boiling water and adding msg. I ordered the combo which came with a choice of dumplings, and a small bowl of noodles. I got the pan fried chive cake which was pretty good compared to the noodle. Crispy outer layer, but oily.
All three of us had stomach cramps after eating there. Let’s just say that we were dehydrated after using the toilet.

This is the less busy location of luscious dumplings.
Typically, people get the Combo. The best things here are the brisket noodle soup, pork belly noodle soup, and the angus beef stew noodle soup. I really liked the brisket noodle soup. For dumplings, I am a fan of the classic chives dumpling which has shrimp in it.
Use the dried chili/​chili oil on your noodles to give it a smokey delicious flavor. Yum!
For dipping the dumpling, use a combination of chili, vinegar, and soy sauce.

It’s always a battle between dumplings and burgers when I come into this plaza.
But I’m going to start leaning towards dumplings and noodles over bacon avocado burgers and chili cheese fries at Jim’s.
The wait time could push me towards Jim’s. I’m guessing it gets pretty busy considering the clipboard outside the door and the limited space they have inside.
I like that they have a noodle/​dumpling combination.
It gives you the option of getting exactly what you want since you can pick the type of noodle soup and also the dumplings rather than a full order of dumplings which you’ll end up eating all at once since they are better consumed when prepared than taken home.
The noodle soup seems simple and I felt like it was a bit bland but I added their amazing chili oil concoction and couldn’t stop myself from finishing every last drop.
It left me wanting more because it tasted so good but my belly was full and satisfied.
The staff speaks more Chinese but with the simple menu and order form, I easily figured out how to order exactly what I wanted.
I didn’t have to ask for the check because it was dropped off before I finished my plump juicy dumplings but I didn’t feel rushed to deal with it like I do at other places. I guess the dumplings kept me busy.

Everybody thinks of Din Tai Fung when it comes to XLB and dumplings… and we knew that too… so when coming to Arcadia, and craving dumplings, that was our first natural guess. But after checking out Unilocal,it led us to this place… and we are forever grateful.
A small location, maybe 6 tables, and very modern/​clean décor, this place would be 5 stars if they took credit, but remember, CASH ONLY!
We had a family style meal in which we all ordered a noodle soup (tendon, pork belly, stewed pork, stewed beef etc.) and they all tasted fantastic. Broth wasn’t overly oily, which made it light for the heat wave we were going through!
The dumplings though, oh my, TRY THEM ALL. The steamed as well as the fried dumplings are all on point. The Chive Pocket is one of my favorite, right next to the crab and fish one.
Overall if you love dumplings you have to try this place out. Give it a shot. You wont regret it.

Another great dumpling place! My friend suggested this place and I’m so glad she did.
Environment/​Service: The restaurant is located in a shopping center, right next to Jim’s burgers. It looks like the shopping center was dying especially the Hong Kong Supermarket, but regardless the restaurant is doing well! It’s a pretty small restaurant with about 6 – 8 tables that can accommodate about 4 people per table. The staff is very friendly and welcoming :) The restaurant can get pretty busy during lunch hours so be aware of that!
Food: We ordered two plates of fried pork dumplings, a plate of crab soup dumplings and a plate of pork soup dumplings. My favorite was the fried pork dumplings. It was perfectly fried and crispy and had the perfect texture to eat. Super delicious! They do take longer to come out and stick to each other a lot but I didn’t mind. Ugh so good! The pork dumplings were also delicious. It’s a classic. Can’t go wrong with that. Both soup dumplings had the perfect amount of soup in them. Not too hot so you won’t burn your tongue. I thought the crab dumpling was alright compared to the other two dishes. It wasn’t as tasty as the other ones. Not sure if I would order that again. The fried and regular pork dumplings were $ 7.50 each and the crab dumpling was $ 9.00. They also have this deal where you can get 5 chive dumplings plus your choice of a noodle dish for about $ 8.50. Pretty good deal. Remember, this place is CASH ONLY!
Parking: No problem with parking. Its in a shopping center so plenty of free parking! Thank goodness haha

I visited the San Gabriel location earlier in the summer and thought it was good, but I never went back because Hui Tou Xiang next door is my regular spot. Recently my gf and her family moved to Arcadia and wanted to try dumpling places in the area. We go in around 6pm on a Sunday and place a to go order. The staff is friendly and patient while we make our order, although sadly the interaction is because they have to tell us all the items that they’ve run out of! We finally get through it and order food for the family and we wait… after a couple of minutes they tell us they actually only have 16 fried pork dumplings left, can they give us 4 fish? Ok fine.
We get home and excitedly plate everything up. The fried pork are both too salty and sweet and very sticky. It was also annoying that they didn’t separate the fish dumpling, so we could tell which was which. My niece really wanted to try the fish and had to deal with everyone in the family attempting to find one and giving her a half bitten dumpling. Finally, for the noodle soups, the broth was very plain and not flavorful.
Overall, an unsatisfying meal. Plus running out of most items doesn’t impress me and make me think you’re popular. It’s Sunday night! That’s prime time dining hours! You are missing out on business and disappointing people. I won’t go back.

Superb beef noodle soup.
The dumplings at this location don’t seem quite as tasty as the other, but the modern décor, ample parking, and heck, the sheer convenience of having two locations more than makes up for it.

On a recent visit I placed a takeout order and while I waited, the staff chat with me and recommended taking the frozen dumplings to try making them at home. He explained how to steam it, place cabbage leaves to prevent the dough from sticking to the steamer, and how easy it was to enjoy at home in case I can’t get to their restaurant as often as I’d like. I explained how I drove all over and whenever I’m in the area I like to visit their place. Because of his recommendation I got to try making them at home and it was super convenient and easy! I have returned since then and even brought my son to try their noodles. He enjoyed it as well. Excellent quality of ingredients and their restaurant is clean and bright! The people who run this place are so nice and welcoming! I always enjoy returning to this restaurant.

True to their name! The dumplings are quite delish!
The noodles are pretty tasty too. We have had the beef and pork belly. Pork belly is my fav! Their chili sauce is really good too. It has sesame in it… nice touch of flavor.
They are cash only with limited seating. If you come in on the weekend, be prepared to wait. But not that long. They bring the noodles out in about 5 mins and dumplings in 10.