Yang Chow Restaurant

Yes, Yang Chow offers somewhat "Americanized" Chinese food -- but that is not necessarily a bad thing! To me, it is a GOOD thing!
I am a lifelong fan of YangChow's Slippery Shrimp. It is definitely addicting. My other favorites dishes are the steamed pork dumplings, hot and sour soup, the Szechuan beef, and the lychee ice cream.

I've been to Yang Chow in both Pasadena and Chinatown, and this is one of my favorite restaurants. Highly recommended is the signature dish, "slippery shrimp." It's lightly breaded and served in a sweet-savory orange sauce; its also 100% shrimp - no veggies mixed in. I'm also a huge fan of the egg drop soup, hot spicy tofu with pork and green beans with pork. This is a reliable place to go for an always-delicious, filling, and reasonably-price meal.

I've been to this location and the original Downtown LA location once each. I was thoroughly impressed with the downtown location. It had excellent food -- I mean, nock your socks off, truly memorable food. I'm a big fan of kung pao anything, and the way my kung pao chicken was prepared at the downtown location made me feel like I was experiencing it for the first time ever. Sooo amazing.

I was expecting to have a similar experience at the Pasadena location but was a little disappointed. The food was fine, just not amazing. We received very attentive, fast service, however, and we didn't have to wait for a table. There isn't really an "atmosphere." You sit down, you eat, you leave.

PROS: Moderate pricing, good service, okay food
CONS: Just didn't "wow" me

I've been to the L.A. location, although I go to this Pasadena location more often. The service is great. I've never had to wait for a table, and the staff always makes sure you're satisfied. The food is also very good -- The Chicken Fried Rice is my favorite. The portions are large, and the prices are very reasonable.

PROS: Fast and friendly service, delicious food, reasonable prices
CONS: None!

Nice atmosphere, good service, GREAT food! My favorites are the Slippery Shrimp, Moo Shu Chicken, and Hot & Sour Soup. And unlike a lot of Chinese restaurants where you have to go on a hunt to find a morsel of meat or shellfish piled under veggies and noodles, at Yang Chow, you'll never have to take out your magnifying glass to find a shrimp again. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed.

PROS: convinient parking, good service, excellent food
CONS:

Great dishes with great service - try especially the slippery shrimp served in generous portions. Modest decor, but easy parking in the back.

Great food! Apparently their "Slippery Shrimp" is their specialty but I didn't have any.

Great Mandarin & Szechwan Cuisine. Definitely try the Slippery Shrimp.

The Pasadena location is a respectable place to go, with nice atmosphere, good service, high quality food. Their specialties are quite popular, and other dishes are tasty as well. They do a-la-carte ordering (no combos), so the bill can get into the $$ range easily. Also, they use MSG unless you ask them not to, so ask ahead if you're sensitive to it.