"Joanna Fang, left, and Lawrence Chu, right, work together in the kitchen of Chef Chu's in Los Altos on December 11, 2025. Chef Chu's is a family run business, owned by Lawrence Chu, which has been operating since 1970 and is known for not only the food, but also for hosting celebrities and tech innovators. (Tâm Vũ/KQED) Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast."
"But out of the dozens of massive, ornate, flower-covered floats, only five are built by volunteers from the communities sponsoring them. One of those communities is the foothill town of Sierra Madre, just north of Pasadena. It's been building floats for 108 years, and 2026's theme is special: it celebrates the first responders that helped protect Sierra Madre from the deadly Eaton Fire."
Chef Chu's in Los Altos has operated since 1970 as a family-run Chinese restaurant owned by Lawrence Chu and is known for its food and for hosting celebrities and tech innovators. The restaurant has a 55-year history amid Silicon Valley's rapid change and remains deeply embedded in the local community. Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade occurs every New Year's Day, and only five floats are built by community volunteers. Sierra Madre, a foothill town north of Pasadena, has built volunteer floats for 108 years and chose a 2026 theme honoring the first responders who helped protect the town during the Eaton Fire.
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