魯豫水餃 Luyu Dumplings

🇨🇳 SHANDONG, CHINA / A special little San Gabriel Valley restaurant serving the delicacies of Tsingdao

🇨🇳 CHINA (Shandong)
📍 17980 Castleton Street,
City of Industry, San Gabriel Valley
🅿️ Ample parking in plaza
🥤 No Alcohol

📸 All photos by Jared Cohee
for Eat the World Los Angeles

It is a right of passage for those looking for Luyu Dumplings on their first visit to pass through the parking lot at least one extra time before noticing the little shop. It lives and hides under an awning and the old signage of New Vogue salon, which has long ago moved into a larger space next door. The salon is where customers are sent if they need to use the bathroom, but it is this little kitchen that offers the magical beauty you are seeking.

That magic of course is some really special dumpling-making, and a select few other dishes from the Shandong Province of China. The top section of the menu is all boiled dumplings (水餃) with very thick skins and very tasty ingredients. Pan-frying them would somehow take away from these delicious wrappers and everything inside.

After two visits and two pork options, the pork with lotus root dumplings ($8.90 for 12, below) might be the slight favorite, the crunchiness of the vegetable adding a real pleasure. The meat is spiced heavily, and watch out for the scalding liquids that are ready to squirt out when the fat melts during cooking. Make sure to eat it in a way as not to lose this to the plate, table, or your pants, as you will want to enjoy every drop.

Use the black vinegar or sesame oil (or both) at each table, and you will feel just like you did the last time you enjoyed a night out in Tsingdao. In 2025 it also seems a steal to enjoy a filling plate of food for under $10. When was the last time that happened recently? Quite a few menu items here are in the same price range and equally filling.

Unfortunately you cannot grab a bottle of the city’s famous beer here to pair with your dumplings, but do explore the rest of the menu as well. Jian bing may be everywhere in China these days, but their origins are in Shandong and Tianjin, so it makes sense to grab at least one at Luyu. They have bread-y and egg-y styles that have your choice of lettuce, beef, and more egg inside.

The niu rou jian bing 牛肉卷饼 ($11.80, above) is translated in English on the menu to scallion pancake beef roll. The thin layers of beef and lettuce are joined by a supremely satisfying and slightly sweet sesame paste that brings all the flavors together. Not knowing the exact names, it was actually the jian bing guo zi 煎饼果子 that was desired, but this non-egg roll fit in nicely instead. The latter will be picked up next time for sure.

If the dumplings were not already chewy and doughy enough, make sure to order a bowl of you po la zi ban mian 油泼辣子拌面 ($8.80, above). These are handmade and all different sizes because of their extreme artisanal nature, just part of the fun of eating the long, bouncy noodles. You po mian are named for the chili oil that smothers them, and the server who brings them will mix the bowl’s ingredients fully just in case you do not.

A good addition to the table full of dumplings, jian bing, and spicy noodles is a plate of cucumber salad with garlic 凉拌黄瓜 ($4.80, below). Instead of being sliced, a typical technique of preparing raw cucumbers is to smash them with a spatula or side of a knife. This allows the vegetable to better soak in the garlic or other ingredients.

Other dumpling styles are also available here and pretty serviceable for those that do not want to only focus on the thick Shandong-style.