Dan Modern Chinese
Another place built up with so much hyperbolic hype on multiple websites and influencers prooclaiming it was better than Din Tai Fung (which isn’t that great), we tried this place last year and couldn’t bring ourselves to return (and we usually always try to return and give a place another chance), that’s how horrendous it was.
Walking in, the whole operation looks like it’s being run by a bunch of ABC kids out of college (along with random Non-Chinese help in the open kitchen).
It begins with the 4 panel illustration explaining in English how to eat a Soup Dumpling, which apparently involves biting the top off the Soup Dumpling and pouring Vinegar inside the Dumpling hole before you eat it. 
Our Chinese friends couldn’t stop laughing when they read that.
Pan Fried Pork Dumplings:
These just looked wrong and unevenly fried and formed. But we were hungry and hoping they would be great. Sadly, they were not. 
Biting into one of Dan Modern Chinese’s Pan Fried Dumplings and you’re greeted with blandly flavored Ground Pork. It tastes wrong. Like they were made by a staff that had no idea what a Chinese Pan Fried Dumpling is supposed to taste like. It tastes mainly of Salt (not enough), and that’s it.
It gets worse…
Scallion Pancake:
Just look at the pictures and you can see the texture is wrong, it’s totally saturated in oil (bad technique, wrong temperature), and the taste was even worse: Chalky, greasy, oily cardboard. 
This is easily the worst Green Onion Pancake we’ve tried in years. (@JeetKuneBao @beefnoguy @PorkyBelly @paranoidgarliclover @Sgee and others)
Dungeness Crab Fried Rice:
Wet, soggy Fried Rice. Zero Wok Hei (Breath of the Wok). It tastes like some kid / Non-Chef took some Rice, some Eggs and lightly sauteed them together in a Non-Wok, following instructions. There was no Dungeness Crab flavor coming through at all, it might as well been called “Fried Rice.”
Pan Fried Pork & Crab Bun (Not Sheng Jian Bao):
We overheard one of the servers tell another table that their Pan Fried Buns are their Sheng Jian Bao. Just look at the presentation and pics. I’m sure @JeetKuneBao @beefnoguy @PorkyBelly @Ns1 would be all over this ridiculous presentation (not!). You get 2 Sheng Jian Bao per order, and they looked sad. Really sad.
The first bite is a mouthful of chalky, dried out, dense Bao (Steamed Bun) type of material, if it could be called that. I have no idea how any kitchen could make something this terrible. None of us finished our Pan Fried Bun. And the Dungeness Crab? At least you could taste something heavily briny (not fresh), but this was no bueno.
Broccoli with Garlic:
No Wok skills, No Wok Hei. Tasted like lightly sauteed Broccoli in a pan.
Xiao Long Bao (Pork Soup Buns):
And finally we got what various websites and people were proclaiming as “better than Din Tai Fung” Xiao Long Bao (XLB or “Soup Dumplings”). The XLB skin is thin-ish like Din Tai Fung, but that’s where the similarities end.
Like the Pan Fried Dumplings, the Xiao Long Bao filling tastes off: You get a bland, generic Ground Pork taste with some Salt, and whatever “Broth” was in there is sparse and tastes poorly made. Also some of the worst “Soup Dumplings / Soup Buns” we’ve had since I can remember.
Dan Modern Chinese feels like a bunch of fresh out of college kids decided to pool some money together and open up a “hip” “modern” take on Chinese Dumplings and Xiao Long Bao, opening this up in a cute little courtyard in Pasadena, in the hopes of pulling in as many Non-Chinese clientele as possible. Which is their choice and fine, except for the fact that they forgot to add anyone who can cook.
Every dish at Dan Modern Chinese tastes like some Non-OG, Non-Cook decided to Google “Chinese Dumpling Recipe” and then followed the instructions from a random Food Network recipe on how to make Chinese Dumplings. 
There is no soul to this food: It tastes bland, generic, poorly made. The Scallion Pancakes and Xiao Long Bao and Pan Fried Dumplings and Crab Fried Rice were all some of the worst examples of their dishes I’ve ever eaten.
There’s a reason @ipsedixit simply said “Dan is bad,” and said no more. We wish we had seen that warning before we went. Normally a restaurant this bad might’ve just caused me to delete all pictures and never speak of it again, but then I thought about all of my FTC’ers. FTC’ers don’t let FTC’ers eat bad food. Avoid at all costs.
Dan Modern Chinese
146 S. Lake Ave #105
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel: (626) 817-9799
Shanghai Dumpling House
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, we had to stop by a place we knew delivered legit XLB and Dumplings. Time for a revisit to the generically named Shanghai Dumpling House. 
Seaweed in Spicy Sauce:
A touch on the salty side, but cool and refreshing as well.
Xiao Long Bao (Juicy Pork Dumpling):
Their Xiao Long Bao are listed on the menu in English as “Juicy Pork Dumpling” which totally baffled us, but luckily our Chinese friends pointed out that those were the Xiao Long Bao (written in Chinese).
These are medium-thick skin Xiao Long Bao (or “Soup Dumplings” / “Soup Buns”). Not as thick as Mei Long Village for those from our old board that have been to that place. The flavor is that of a beautiful, savory, soulful Marinated Ground Pork filling and succulent Pork Broth inside. Delicious! 
(Thanks again @secretasianman.)
Handmade Pork with Napa Dumplings:
Their Handmade Pork & Napa Cabbage Dumplings are excellent! Slightly thicker skin than their Xiao Long Bao, it has a nice toothsome mouthfeel, good bite, nice Marinated Ground Pork and Napa Cabbage filling. Perfect with a light dab in the Chinese Black Vinegar.
Shanghai Dumpling House
227 W. Valley Blvd., Suite #128B
San Gabriel, CA 91776
Tel: (626) 282-1348
Happy Noodle (Revisit)
Before heading back west, we had a craving for some of the great Vegetarian Dumplings @ipsedixit couldn’t stop raving about, so we stopped by Happy Noodle again.
Wonton with Hot Chili Sauce:
Happy Noodle’s Handmade Wontons in Chili Sauce (their take on the Sichuan classic) is made with a thin, soft outer Wonton skin, with a nicely balanced and seasoned Marinated Ground Pork filling, along with a real spicy kick. There’s also a big Garlic component as well. Tasty.
Steamed Dumpling with Squash:
But the real surprise and must get dish here is the Steamed Dumpling with Squash. There is a perfect toothsome chew to the Handmade Dumpling skin. It’s pliable, tender, but also has enough of a chew to it. But then you get to the filling, made with Xi Hu Lu Squash, Wood Ear Mushrooms and Vermicelli, and with a quick dip in some Chinese Black Vinegar, you get some of the best OG Chinese Vegetarian Dumplings we’ve ever had! I can see why @ipsedixit likes them so much!
There’s a textural contrast component to this - the tenderness of the Xi Hu Lu Squash, the crunch from the Wood Ear Mushrooms, a bit of inbetween bite with Vermicelli, all inbetween a nice Handmade Dumpling skin. (And it’s naturally Vegan as well.)
Happy Noodle
4815 El Monte Ave.
Temple City, CA 91780
Tel: (626) 279-7558
Northern Cafe (Monterey Park)
We originally didn’t pay much attention to FTC reports about “Northern Cafe” because having tried a couple branches, they were mediocre at best. But as @chandavkl and @J_L thankfully clarified, this particular branch of Northern Cafe in Monterey Park (on Garfield Avenue) is not related to the other Northern Cafes. We stopped by this branch with a few Chinese-speaking friends who spoke at length with a manager, who emphatically said that their store was not related to any other “Northern Cafe”. Interesting.
You can see them making fresh Noodles by hand every few minutes.
Cold Plate - 3 Items:
Northern Cafe Monterey Park has a small selection of Cold Appetizers to choose from. Their Cucumbers in Garlic was the best item, crisp, crunchy, garlicky.
Their Beef Stomach was OK. A touch salty, a bit too chewy. The Pig Ears were so-so. Not that compelling, one note seasoning.
Northern Cafe interestingly has a variety of items that feel all over the board (Fried Noodles, Skewers, Dumplings & Pastries).
Grill Beef Tendon Skewers:
Unfortunately Northern Cafe Monterey Park’s Beef Tendon Skewers were not good at all: Sticky(!), chewy (like Nougat), no real grill flavor, definitely a far cry from Aburiya Raku’s legendary Tendon Skewers (RIP).
Green Onion Pancakes:
Greasy, over fried, not crispy. Floppy. Much better than Dan (Pasadena), but just a pretty mediocre Green Onion Pancake otherwise.
Spicy Chicken (with Sliced Noodle):
But the dish to get is under their “House Special” section simply called “Spicy Chicken (with Sliced Noodle)”. What arrives at your table is a huge metal plate filled with piping hot Sauteed Chicken, Wood Ear Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Onions in a Spicy Sauce. It’s like a Stewed Chicken dish in a way.
Taking a bite, it’s tender, flavorful, fresh-tasting Chicken morsels in a gentle, nice Chili flavoring, and it is delicious!
And then you dig within and see some Knife Cut Noodles, thick, toothsome, with a beautiful chew. A perfect accomaniment to the Chicken! (Thanks @J_L for the recommendation!)
Beef Roll:
Since the decline of 101 Noodle Express’s famous Beef Roll, we haven’t really found something standout. Northern Cafe Monterey Park’s Beef Roll is tasty: A medium-thin outer layer that isn’t greasy, with some nice Marinated Beef Shank slices, a good punch of Green Onions and Hoisin Sauce. A solid Beef Roll.
Northern Cafe (Monterey Park)
128 N. Garfield Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Tel: (626) 766-1258