Sunday, November 7, 2010

The Search for Great Dumplings Continues: Mama's Lu

Any random weekend morning, you're more likely than not to find me somewhere in the San Gabriel Valley in my quest for great dumplings. The latest was the popular Mama's Lu dumpling house.

A quick hit here since I didn't take good notes. The Xiao Long Bao were good but not stellar. The pork chop noodle soup was good, but no match for the heavenly version served at Qing Dao Bread Food.

I inevitably compared the lamb chow mein to the one I miss so much from Dumpling Master, and it paled in comparison. The noodles were thick and a bit too chewy, and there were only sparse slivers of lamb. The whole thing just didn't come together well.

I did like the pan fried dumplings, and the stir fried pea shoots were good and garlicky.

All in all, everything was competent but nothing was great or better than I've had elsewhere nearby. I can't really figure out the intense popularity of the place. Mama's Lu fans, did I miss a great dish?

Mama's Lu
153 E Garvey Ave
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 307-5700

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