Dumpling Tops

The inspiration

Dumpling Tops sits on a stretch of Fair Oaks in South Pasadena surrounded by restaurants that have been around for decades, yet its wooden furniture and faded mural of Old Shanghai give it a lived-in feel from the start¹ . It's a Shanghainese restaurant at heart, serving dumplings in many shapes, sizes and levels of soupiness, with a vinegary chili sauce rather than chili oil alongside¹ . The restaurant describes its dumplings as handcrafted² .

What to order

• Sea Bass Dumplings: available boiled or fried, with an intense fish flavor that reads as fresh rather than briny .¹
• House Special Filet Mignon Cubes: tender filet in a zingy black pepper sauce with button mushrooms, like a dressed-up old-school Chinese-American stir fry .¹
• Pork Soup Dumplings and Pork Scallion Potstickers: listed among customer favorites .

What people are saying

The Infatuation's Andrew Ryce calls it a Shanghainese newcomer that deserves to become the go-to neighborhood spot, with strong dumplings and a beef roll that could hold its own with any version nearby¹ . Diners also point to the friendly staff and a clean, cozy atmosphere .

Why you should try it

If you're staying in or near South Pasadena, this is an easy, relaxed place for soup dumplings and a beef roll in a room that already feels like it belongs to the neighborhood¹ . The menu goes well beyond dumplings, with a wide Asian spread, so a group can order broadly and graze² .