"Mama Lu’s needs almost no introduction. This Monterey Park restaurant is known for serving some of the SGV’s best dumplings—quite an achievement, considering the neighborhood. Their soup dumplings are neatly pinched at the top, like little mountain ridges, and the meat-to-dough ratio is scientific perfection. For the filling, pork melds with sesame oil, fermented Chinese wine, and a bit of delicious MSG." - kat hong