Described as “a traditional Chinese family-style restaurant with a Taiwanese twist” and praised by Jonathan Gold for its Shanghai-style specialties, Mama Lu's offers a wide array of dumplings, noodles, and more. Upon entering the original location, diners are greeted by a robust aroma of cooking meats emanating from the small kitchen. The predominantly Asian clientele speaks to the restaurant's authenticity, as does the fact that one specific server is designated to attend to all English-speaking guests.
Though the ambiance is somewhat limited, with a well-spaced combination of booths and tables that can seat around eighty, the setting is functional, featuring advertising mats and hot tea...
Pork and Crab XLB from Din Tai Fung In 2008, I did a Xiao Long Bao (XLB) Crawl that started in San Gabriel and ended at Din Tai Fung in Arcadia. Click here to read that post . However, Monterey Park also boasts some XLB goodness which I've been able to experience since that time and thought I'd share some of those meals in this post, starting with Mama's Lu Dumpling House. Mama's Lu is actually the first stop of an XLB crawl that I did in 2009. Yes, I know it's a late post, but hopefully, it's still relevant. More ... At Mama's Lu, we shared two different kinds of Xiao Long Bao. We started with the Pork XLB. The wrapper was reminiscent of what you'd find at Din Tai Fung in that it was thin-s...
Some Good, Some Bad, but Cheap!!. We got some good, bad and ok dishes; but they're all cheap prices with huge portions.I was quite impressed with their Xiao Lung Bao, they were better than Din Tai Fung, no kidding. 10 dumplings and none of them were broken. Thickness of the skin was just right, and meat was juicy and tasty. Green Onion Pancake was thin and crispy, and it was not oily. I also liked the Hot and Sour Soup, it came with plenty ingredients, taste was just right. Salty Fried Fish, Shanghai Rice Cake and Shanghai Wonton Soup were acceptable.Sautéed Bean Sprouts was a big loser!! It mixed with some tough pieces and they were hard to chew. Stewed Bean Curd was another thumbs-down, it...
Recently, S and I traveled to Los Angeles for a friend’s wedding, and we took the opportunity to visit a few places on our LA "to-do" list. One of those spots was Mama Lu’s Dumpling House (Chinese name: 一口福). This restaurant specializes in what is referred to in Chinese as mian shi, which means "flour food"—this includes items like noodles, dumplings, pancakes, and other starchy foods that aren't rice-based. I'm usually a big fan of rice, but I also love dumplings and am always eager to try new places. So, when I found positive reviews for Mama Lu’s Dumpling House in Monterey Park, I knew I had to add it to my list.
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Still, you didn’t come to Mama’s Lu to look at their competitive business practices. You came to scarf down some dumplings, and that you will do here my friend. Ooooh, Doctor.<br/ <br/ So first, how does it compare to what is considered the Mothership of the Dumpling Trade here in town, the slowly growing Din Tai Fung? Pretty damn well. In fact, the only thing separating the two maybe ease of access and what particular side dishes you want with your meal. On that front, not a lot of difference.
The soup dumplings here are quite good. If I could combine the filling from Mama Lu's with the wrapper from Din Tai Fung in a Dragon Ball Z-style fusion, you’d undoubtedly have the best soup dumplings ever.
The salt and pepper spare ribs, beef noodle soup, and beef wrap are also exceptional. While the food is slightly oily, it's not overly soggy. But let’s be honest, that’s part of the appeal of Chinese cuisine, isn’t it?
Tasty and cheap place to eat in MP. The xiao long bao is very good but the skin is slightly on the thick side. The ones I had were also slightly dry on the top. The pork and crab stuffing were very good and the flavor was balanced. The spinach rice cake was good with a twist. The spinach was finely chopped and imparted the green color and extra flavor to the rice cake. Everyone ordered the XLB and it's a good choice.
My mama always taught me to be a savvy spender. To show her that all those long lectures about the value of the dollar didn’t fall upon deaf ears, I took her to Mama’s Lu. I really could’ve taken her to any number of cheap and delicious Chinese restaurant
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The food was delicious, and the portions were huge for the price. I will definitely return the next time I visit the Los Angeles area.
The Cantonese cuisine is excellent. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the service is quick. Prices are reasonable.
Shrimp Chive And Pork Dumplings (8) Xiān Xiā Jiǔ Cài Zhū Ròu Shuǐ Jiǎo
X. O Minced Meat Green Bean Eggplants (Xo Jiàng Ròu Suì Chǎo Yuān Yāng
Shrimp Napa Pork Dumplings (8) Xiān Xiā Bái Cài Zhū Ròu Shuǐ Jiǎo
House Special Crystal Chicken Whole Yī Kǒu Fú Guì Fēi Jī Quán Zhǐ
Steam Chicken With Green Onion Whole Cōng Yóu Lín Zi Jī Quán Zhǐ
House Special Crystal Chicken Half Yī Kǒu Fú Guì Fēi Jī Bàn Zhǐ
Steam Chicken With Green Onion Half Cōng Yóu Lín Zi Jī Bàn Zhǐ
Clams Baby Bok Choy In Fish Soup Yú Tāng Huā Xiàn Jìn Cài Miáo
Juicy Pork And Crab Dumplings (8) Xiè Fěn Xiǎo Lóng Tāng Bāo
Preserved Meat With Cauliflower Tái Shān Cài Huā Chǎo Là Wèi
