Mama Lu’s Dumpling House
Chinese restaurant · Alhambra
910 E Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801
Highlights
Seaweed fried fish, sweet ribs, and elegant Shanghai cuisine
Seaweed fried fish, sweet ribs, and elegant Shanghai cuisine
"Shanghai cuisine does not feature the bold, tongue-numbing sensations of Sichuan food or the rowdy energy of a dim sum house filled with roaming carts. It is its own style and celebrated happily so at Jiang Nan Spring. The menu is maddeningly long, but gracious servers are more than eager to point out regional highlights. Their guidance should take you down a road of sweet vinegars and fresh seafood, most apparent in plates like tender chicken with sweet wine sauce as well as an irresistible platter of tilapia fried in a tempura-like batter flavored with seaweed. The oddly named “smoked and fresh pork warm soup” bobbing with knots of bean curd is a sleeper favorite. With hardwood floors and high ceilings, the airy space befits this elegant cuisine." - Michelin Inspector
"Jiang Nan Spring — which translates to “south of the river” and refers to the areas south of the Yangtze River, including Shanghai — specializes in Zhejiang cuisine made with lots of seafood and seasonal ingredients. One of the most unique items on the menu is beggar’s chicken, which consists of marinated chicken wrapped in layers of lotus leaves, parchment paper, and dough baked on low heat. This dish rarely appears on menus because of its complexity and laborious preparation. Other house specialties include stir-fried crab with rice cakes, braised pork belly, lion’s head pork meatballs, eight treasure rice pudding, and osmanthus glutinous rice balls." - Kristie Hang
"At a glance, Jiang Nan Spring has many of the same things as other banquet-style Chinese restaurants in the SGV: big portions, large round tables for the whole family, and a mini-encyclopedia of a menu (this one is 100+ dishes long). But within that giant menu are delicious Shanghainese dishes that set this bright, modern-looking spot apart, like delicately braised meats, tender eggplant stir-fries, and seaweed-battered fried fish. Everything here arrives hot and fast, including delicate, Shaoxing-simmered drunken chicken, and fried riblets coated in a sticky-sweet red glaze. The servers here are experts at assembling a balanced meal, so put your trust in them when ordering." - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder
"Jiang Nan Spring is like many banquet-style Chinese restaurants in Alhambra: the portions are big, the round tables can fit a Nissan Rogue-worth of people, and the menu is basically small novel (this one being 100+ dishes long). But within that giant menu are a variety of delicious Shanghainese dishes that set this bright, modern-looking spot apart, like delicately braised meats, tender eggplant stir-fries, and seaweed-battered fried fish. Everything here arrives hot and fast, including delicate, shaoxing-simmered drunken chicken, chewy rice cakes stir-fried with cabbage and pork, and fried Shanghai riblets coated in a sticky-sweet red glaze. The servers here are experts at assembling a balanced meal, so put your trust in them when ordering." - brant cox, sylvio martins
"The SGV has plenty of banquet-style restaurants where you can accommodate your extended family without anyone complaining too much. At a glance, Jiang Nan Spring is another one of these places. The portion sizes are huge. The dining room’s round tables are large enough to fit a mini SUVs-worth of people. The menu is a casual 100-plus dishes and everything is reasonably priced. What sets this Alhambra restaurant apart, however, is the delicious Shanghainese dishes that show up on practically every table, from delicately braised meats and eggplant stir-fries to seaweed-battered fried fish. The large menu seems overwhelming, but the staff are experts at assembling a balanced meal. Have faith in their order suggestions and you'll be rewarded. photo credit: Nicolas Zhou Weekends are when Jiang Nan Spring is busiest (the small back lot fills up with said mini-SUVs), but things never reach Sunday dim sum levels of hectic. The atmosphere is noticeably tranquil, with relaxing spa music playing as you pop delicate shaoxing-simmered drunken chicken into your mouth. Once you order, hits arrive hot and fast, including chewy oval-shaped rice cakes stir-fried with cabbage and pork bits, and fried Shanghai riblets coated in a sticky-sweet red glaze. Even if you’re stuffed like a human xiao long bao, make room for the seaweed fried fish that’s so light and crackly it’s nearly translucent. Whether you eat here on a date or with your entire book club, the sheer variety of homey, satisfying dishes at Jiang Nan Spring makes it an SGV standout that will make everyone happy—even that one uncle who's never happy. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins Wine-infused Chicken This poached chicken clearly looks juicy, but nothing will prepare you for how delicious those juices taste. You taste sweet shaoxing wine, star anise, and soy sauce when you bite into the cold white meat. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Shanghai Shimmering Shrimp These stir-fried shrimp do indeed shimmer, and they are also very salty in a good way. Don’t waste your time peeling them and bite right in, as much of the flavor is in the crunchy shell. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Seaweed Fried Fish Forgot the name—the seaweed in the batter doesn’t add much flavor. But everything else about the batter is really nice, like how it’s light, airy, and puffs like a balloon in the fryer. The side of white pepper for dipping is the little kick these fish nuggets need. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Sichuan Eggplant Despite the Sichuan in its name, this glossy eggplant stir-fry isn’t particularly spicy, but we do love how the tender pieces pull apart like candy floss in your mouth. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Shanghai-style Rice Cake We love how chewy these thin, oval-shaped rice cakes are, how they’re crispy around the edges, and how they’re oily in a good way. Everything in this giant stir-fry—rice cakes, minced pork, handfuls of cabbage—is doused with soy sauce, so it’s extra salty and a little slippery to pick up with chopsticks." - Sylvio Martins
