21 Best Chinese Restaurants in Pasadena

“Surprised by the best kung pao shrimp I’ve had in my life. Fresh julienned ginger, scallion, garlic; a brown sauce that showed care and layered attention - not some slapped together mass processed food. The young lady serving was kind, precise, and sat to clean green beans in any down time. Reminded me of my family in India, the women’s hands busy all day with preparation,
with the food from the earth.“

“I like stopping in to the Panda Express Innovation Kitchen as sometimes you can get a sneak peek of new dishes to come.

On this visit I ordered the Sesame Chicken and got it with quinoa fried rice. I appreciated that the quinoa fried rice felt lighter but also filling.“

“Chong Qing YaoMei Hotpot offers an authentic and unforgettable Chongqing hotpot experience, with a rich, spicy broth that perfectly balances heat and flavor. The ingredients are fresh and high-quality, from tender sliced meats to a wide range of vegetables and handmade meatballs. Their sauce bar is impressive, allowing you to customize your dipping sauce just the way you like it. The staff is friendly and attentive, and the vibrant, modern atmosphere adds to the overall experience. While slightly on the pricier side, it’s well worth it for the flavor and quality — a must-visit spot for any hotpot lover.“

“We went to this Panda Express because the one in south pasadena had a rat at their location. This one is super clean, the service was quick, and the people working there were great. The food was fresh and amazing for fast food! Def coming here again.“

“I had the all white meat Hainan Chicken plate. Everything was absolutely delicious. I’m definitely coming back. I highly recommend this place.“

“Very good food, and great cocktails. Wait staff was friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed our experience.“

“We had an incredible dining experience at Dan Chinese, and a huge part of that was thanks to Eric! From the moment we were seated, Eric went above and beyond with his hospitality and customer service. The dishes were great and were tailored to our taste profile.

Highly recommend visiting Dan Chinese — and if you’re lucky enough to be served by Eric, you’re in for a treat!“

“Amazing food. I miss it so much every day. I used to get delivery to my house off Orange Grove and the owner would deliver himself and remember me.“

“Try The Indo Fried Rice… You will love it😀“

“Chinese Café serves amazing, delicious, healthy Chinese food! This food is so good! We had the food delivered. They were on time, the food was hot and fresh, and each item was boxed in plastic containers. Egg rolls and rice were in traditional take out paper containers. If an item has pan-fried noodles, then the noodles and the sauce is packaged separately so the dish itself will be fresh. Also, each box for a part of an item was labeled so we'd know what goes with which food item. Soup came in soup containers and also in plastic bags so the soup wouldn't spill accidentally. The food is traditional Cantonese Chinese food. We ordered BBQ Pork, Won Ton Soup, Green Pepper Beef, Chicken Egg Foo Young, Beef Pan Fried Noodles, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Vegetable Egg Rolls. The flavors of the meat and vegetables are fresh! The egg rolls are crispy and delicious! The food is low in sodium! Fortune cookies were free with great fortunes! I highly recommend Chinese Café. 5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“Great food and service! Very rare to find an authentic Chinese restaurant with great service! Fast, efficient, attentive, and nice! I'm used to the typical not-so great service, so this place was like a breath of fresh air. Atmosphere was pleasant upon arrival at 8pm Saturday, but still able to get a seat right away. It wasn't overly crowded, unlike other popular Chinese restaurants. Food was excellent. Couldnt finish everything, so we had plenty of leftovers which makes the overall price even more worth it. We will definitely go back when in the area again.“

“Honestly, love this place! It’s not quite a creperie in the French sense—rather, this restaurant serves up savory Chinese-style crepes called “jianbing” 煎饼, a popular Chinese breakfast food filled with whatever your heart desires (in my case, usually Peking duck or BBQ pork). If you want to feast, I recommend getting a jianbing with one of the combos (either the tea egg, soybean milk, fried Chinese donuts (油条）and/or tofu soups）. So good ✨

There are also some non-jianbing food option such as bento boxes and other side dishes. I haven’t had these but they look good and could supplement your meal.

Pros: food is delicious, comes out fast, good for a quick casual bite, clean bright interior
Cons: there is no restroom in the restaurant for customers, sometimes the AC can be kind of cold (why I docked a point for atmosphere)

Parking is metered street parking in the area or one of the parking garages in Old Town.

Vegetarian options: You can get an egg only crepe or a garden crepe with a salad filling. Also the tofu soups and tea eggs are vegetarian“

“My go to for Chinese food. The Kung pao string beans are amazing and always delicious. Green beans cooked perfect. Always friendly service. Have only used take out so cannot comment on indoor dining. Love Grandview Palace

Vegetarian options: Kung pao string beans among the options“

“Best Chinese food in town! A hidden gem! Tasty and authentic! Their homemade chili is ahh-mazing! I ordered orange chicken (the best), beef tomato (1st time trying ever- very flavorful), bbq pork fried rice (my favorite) and chicken chow mein (a must). My husband and I couldn't stop eating and went for seconds. Totally worth it!!“

“If you’re ever looking for a filling delicious dinner this is the place to be. The Kung Pao and Black pepper chicken my absolute favorite. A cut above Panda Express but more options and less expensive!

Parking: Lots of parking in the lot but you may have to walk during busy times (4-8pm)“

“Ordered the orange chicken and spicy garlic shrimp. They were both bomb! We ate inside because we were out and about, but would recommend takeout because parking is not ideal. I’ve tried a few other chinese takeouts in this area, but this one is the best one yet. Make this be your new favorite chinese takeout!“

“We came here for dinner after a huge multi-day event at the Pasadena convention center so it was packed and there was about a half hour wait. Despite how busy it was, the staff was still super friendly, on top of orders and very attentive, which was impressive.

My favorite thing on the menu was the Beef Roll Pancake. It definitely left me wanting more and was so good, I ordered one for takeaway! The flavors of the noodle dishes we had were just okay. Spicy chicken wontons were tasty. I would come back for the beef roll pancake for sure. Overall good spot in Pasadena.“

“The person at the counter helped us pick out dishes, according to what we were feeling. He even caught the peanut dish (tree nut allergy here) we had previously ordered, which so nice of him. We enjoyed the food so much, and we will definitely come if when we are in the area!!“

“Egg Roll Express has the best food. They have been in the same location for at least 25 years. I order there often and have never been disappointed. GREAT FOOD EGG ROLL EXPRESS !“

“Incredible food, savory broth.“

“Panda Express is great for cheap, fast, macro-friendly meals. They list the calories as well as amount of protein for each item, which I have never seen before. For fast food it is decently healthy if you pick the right items, you can get over 100g of protein which is insane value. The staff are very friendly, but I asked for a student discount and they said they gave it, but on the receipt it was regular price. Kinda suspicious, usually they give 10% off for students.“