Panda Inn • 1973

Andrew Cherng and his father, Master Chef Ming-Tsai Cherng, introduced Mandarin and Sichuan cuisine to Southern California when they opened this Pasadena dining room, a venture that would spawn the global Panda Express empire a decade later. The menu honors the family's roots in Yangzhou, China, with dishes like Honey Walnut Shrimp and the Orange Chicken that made them famous. After a multi-year renovation, the original location now draws crowds that fill private dining rooms and a bustling main floor where diners still line up for tables.