Lunasia Dim Sum House

"Although dim sum is typically a breakfast or brunch meal, Lunasia serves it from morning until night. The ambience is luxurious and showy. Tea is served in heavy iron kettles and dumplings are jumbo-sized. Some menu items are on the gimmicky side — like the truffle siu mai, caviar siu mai, lobster rice rolls, and the super-sized shrimp har gow dumplings — but Lunasia’s traditional dishes are solid. There are several modernized takes on dishes like the scallop dumpling with squid ink and the fried sweet potato mochi balls with salted egg yolk that cement Lunasia as the go-to for upscale dim sum. Lunasia offers online ordering, as well as curbside pick-up, but don’t expect to see push carts here." - Kristie Hang

"The second location of an all-around excellent dim sum spot from Alhambra, Lunasia Pasadena is located in a big modern space on Colorado Blvd. with ample room for large groups. You order off a paper notepad, so you’ll absolutely get carried away and end up with a couple of extra boxes of dumplings to bring home (which is a good thing). Our favorites are the jumbo shrimp har gow and the light and fresh shrimp and spinach dumplings." - brant cox, sylvio martins, nikko duren

"Rice wrappers filled with gently cooked lobster meat and finished with a subtly sweet soy sauce arrive on a platter set with the lobster shell itself for a presentation that draws attention from all corners. Traditionalists will want to end with a rich egg tart, but for a more soothing finale, order the minced pork congee infused with soy, green onions and wonton chips." - Kevin Chau

"On a weekend morning what I’m often craving is dim sum, ideally served off a cart. What I’m not craving is a two-hour wait to get said dim sum. While the San Gabriel Valley hot spots tend to fill up, Lunasia Dim Sum House also has a Pasadena location that is markedly less busy. It offers all of the classics like siu mai, congee, and rice noodle rolls in a two-story space. You order off your phone, which does make things go faster albeit is not as charming, but you forget about that pretty quickly when piles of food start to hit the table. Order too much, you’ll want to try one of practically everything." - Eater Staff

"The second location of the popular—and truly excellent—Alhambra dim sum shop, Lunasia, lives in a colorful art-deco building in Pasadena. Here, you’ll find every Cantonese comfort dish one can think of: crispy shrimp rolls, hargow, and softball sized shumai stuffed to the brim. Build your meal around staples like baked BBQ pork buns and turnip cakes, then tack on a few specialties. We love the scallop dumplings, wrapped in a jet-black squid skin, and Macau-style egg custard tarts. And between the multiple stories and banquet-style tables, this is a perfect place for a large family meal, or hungover brunch with your closest friends." - fiona chandra, kat hong