Dai Ho restaurant, Temple City. Taiwanese beef noodle with pickled veggies and mustard greens. Also had a side order of sliced beef. Dai Ho’s version leans toward the spicier side with a rich broth and QQ noodles. Been around awhile. Always a consistent offering. Too bad they’re only open for lunch.
Cocary in Monterey Park is an old school Taiwanese hot pot restaurant. It looks as if it has been around for awhile, and is has, since 1987. The hot pot also has a unique grilling plate to sear meats. With its self serve plates of raw meats and veggies with refrigerators in the back - this place is bustling with patrons grabbing this and that. Diner vibes with cushy booths. I will definitely come back. Don’t expect high end, but expect nostalgic comfortness.
Run Bing 潤餅 - a Taiwanese Wrap or Burrito. Wrapped in a crepe like skin - a little sweet and savory, this meal in a hand is usually a celebrated during QingMing Festival. But our Ranch 99 in Arcadia offers it a year round. Packed with veggies, some egg, sauce, and either a chicken, pork, tofu, or beef protein. It is yummy and not to be missed. I don’t know of any other place that might have this in the Southern California area. If you do, please let me know.
Stinky tofu at Tofu King 臭豆腐大王 in Arcadia. Taiwanese food of the home style variety. Along with the stinky fried tofu, we had the sliced beef (served cold which is a traditional Taiwanese appetizer), beef noodle soup, rice noodle soup, a Rou yuan (a meat ball with rice). All was pretty good. Problem is. They close at 7 and they accept cash or Zelle - not a fan of. I’d try again. . .
Weekend brunch at Morning Delight Cafe in San Gabriel had a couple of the egg pancakes - with sausage and pork. They were out of the tuna ones. Also had the peanut butter toast and a hash brown. Unfortunately the egg pancakes lacked egg - I think it was a small one too. The peanut butter toast barely had peanut butter. I really wanted to like this place but I don’t. I love a good Taiwanese egg pancake 蛋餅 I also like their concept. But at those prices and the execution - I can’t say I like it. The other couple of times I tried to go they ran out of food before they closed, which pissed me off. Anyways. I cannot recommend. And I will not return.
Unfortunately for a guy like me with a gout condition, this was a special and rare occasion for me to have AYCE beef or steak. I don’t have it often. Yes I know this is a contradiction since I’m also a certified Barbecue judge. But at least this allows me to savor beef when I have on rare occasions. Anyways . . . My friends and I all would recommend and would gladly return. . . . .group .0
My buddy got the ramen which I think he said was ok. Nothing special. Next time I would try the ramen. They have a Ying yang bowl in which they would have 2 different broths. I think it is gimmicky, but I would try next time. . . . .official
Taiwanese lunch in the SGV at Bopomofo cafe. We had the beef noodle sandwich, spicy popcorn chicken, braised pork over rice, and the mapo tots. . . .
Sushi! Favorite neighborhood sushi joint - Sushi Kisen. The Traditional Edomae Style Sushi Lunch with 13 pieces of sushi for $40. Deluxe Chirashi Lunch was well balanced for $35. Sushi Kisen is unique since they use red vinegar on their sushi rice. . . .
Stone pot rice with Chinese sausage at a Hong Kong style cafe in Monterey park. Brings back memories of late night meals after a night of drinking. Or when I was stumbling around in LKF, also after a night of drinking, looking for a place to eat (but settling usually with a shawarma). What’s cool about this place is the HK taxi parked right outside and the old movie posters. Was full, but had to also have the peanut butter toast. Friend had the baked rice. Yummy! . . .
Japanese BBQ at Hibiki in the SGV. Had to check out this place. Cool decor. Good service. They grill the meats for you, in case you don’t want to or don’t know how to. But I think they grill it for you to make you eat faster to increase the turns. Anyways the meats were good. Had varies cuts of wagyu and even had beef tongue, which could have been sliced thinner. The wasabi cucumber was interesting - initially eye opening and almost repulsive since you’re expecting something refreshing. The wasabi kick wakes you up and is almost addicting. I will try to make it. Anyways. I would recommend and I might return if I didn’t have to wait. Luckily only waited 5 mins. . . .
Prime Rib at the Derby. The Derby is the oldest and arguably the best restaurant in Arcadia. Used to be owned by George Woolf, who also rode the famous race horse - Seabiscuit. The derby was originally located on the corner of Foothill and Santa Anita. Along with the prime rib, we had cheese bread, creamed spinach, potatoes romanoff, calamari, and crab cake. We couldn’t finish our desserts. This year, the Derby is celebrating their 100th year. . . . . . .
Santa Anita BBQ Championship at the Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia. Got to try a bunch of different bbq including, Pulled Pork Nachos, BBQ chicken, BBQ pork tenderloin, BBQ pulled pork tacos, BBQ pork ribs, BBQ beef tri tips and more. Yummy. KCBS - Kansas City Barbeque Soceity was on hand to judge 30+ BBQ entrants. You could see their trailers parked outside cooking and smoking. Also, I got to meet a BBQ legend - Harry Soo! Luckily we got there early to avoid the crowds and long lines. . . . . . . . .
APL Barbecue. Adam Perry Lang, BBQ Hall of Famer, in my neck of the woods! APL, a YETI brand ambassador, has a new barbecue joint featuring smoked Beef Ribs! Though there’s no brisket, I feel beef ribs is the holy grail of smoking. It’s unfortunate that Moo’s craft and Slab rarely serve beef rib, I’m glad APL has them. It’s strange that Angelenos haven’t realized how good beef ribs are. Anyways. Check out the big beef rib, the pork rib sandwich, cornbread, and the sides. . . . . . . .
Do you remember having fundraisers at Shakey’s? Or do you remember having the yummy and unique Mojo Potatoes. Or have you had the Shakey’s lunch buffet? Tonight was having that itch scratched, when it didn’t need to, but wanted to. Tonight was about reliving college and little league days of fundraisers. And it was having pizza, chicken, and most of all - the mojo potatoes. . . . . . .
Japanese noodles, mazesoba from Nagoya. Dry noodles with toppings. Toppings include ground pork, scallions, seaweed, poached egg, soft boiled egg, garlic, and chasu. Also had some fried chicken. After mixing, the noodles were melted together with poached egg. It’s an interesting texture that may not appeal to all. Sort of slimey. I had a side of the soup. I prefer noodles in a broth. . . . . .
Have I told you that I like Dim Sum? Grand Harbot hasn’t been open that long, but is one of the finer Dim Sum restaurants in SGV. They also have a good Cantonese Roasted Meat 燒臘 shop next door, which is take out only. What I like best there is their roasted pork. They consistently have the best in SGV. . . . . . .real.mike.gin
Alicha Beef Wot on the Beef and Veggie Platter at GS Cafe. Great flavors and different experience having Ethiopian cuisine. Haven’t had it in years. Had the Tej, the sweet honey wine, like mead. I really liked taste and the interesting bottle. Using and eating with Injera was fun and unique. Too bad they were out of the doro wat, a spicy butter chicken. Next time we need to call ahead to order. Would recommend and try again. . . . . .
Northeastern Chinese Cuisine at Northern Cafe. 東北菜 is one of the more under appreciated cuisines in my humble opinion. Dumplings and noodles are the hallmarks of Northeastern Chinese Cuisine. We had lamb skewers, pork pancake, beef roll, house special knife cut noodles, sauerkraut pickled pepper beef noodles, braised pork belly, and their house special soup. It return again to try their northern style hotpot and their dumplings. It’s also cool that they have private dining rooms and liquor lockers too. . . . . . .cafe .northern
Omakase at Z Sushui. Great meal experience at a long-standing favorite. Hadn’t been there in a long time. I think Z Sushi is one of the better Sushi restaurants in the SGV. . . . . .
Meizhou Roast Duck(Whole)整只烤鸭, Spicy Chicken 辣子鸡, Dongpo Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetable 梅菜扣肉, Dan Dan noodles 擔擔麵, Serrano Pepper Beef 鲜椒肥牛, and Hot Chili Oil Poached Sole Fillet 水煮龙俐鱼片 at Meizhou Dongpo 眉州东坡 . . . . .us
Bloody Mary and happy hour at The Dive . . . .
Hidden diner in Sierra Madre. Lunch in the hills of sierra madre. . . . . .
Boba Teas at Xing Fu Tang Ube and strawberry boba teas . . . . .
Lunch in Pasadena at steamed pork dumplings, fried pork dumplings, and scallion pancakes. Yum! . . . . .
Sinbala. Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. . . . . . .
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. Rich and hearty soup with great noodles and large slices of beef. Yum! . . . . . .
Breakfast burritos at Homestate. Had the brisket taco and the trinity taco. And of course had to have the chips and queso. . . . . .
This is the Thai style chicken rice. Very similar, if not the same, this version also features a delicately boiled boneless chicken with flavorful garlic rice. The only difference is the sauces. The spicy sauce is more sweeter everything else is the same. . . . . . . 🐔
Yet another Hainan Chicken dish, this time from Side Chick in Arcadia’s Santa Anita Westfield shopping center mall. Fourth stop in the chronicles of Hainan Chicken Rice. I think Side Chick stands out is with their offering of fried crispy chicken and roasted chicken along with their standard Hainan boiled style. Chef Johnny Lee opened Side Chick a few years ago to address the SGV market, now has Pearl River Deli in Chinatown. . . . . . . 🐔
Cluck 2 Go, the second stop on the Chronicles of Hainan Chicken Rice 海南雞飯. Cluck2go has locations in Pasadena, Rowland Heights and Hacienda Heights. They portion is one of the larger ones among the ones I will post. One of the things that make the Hainan Chicken rice unique is that most places serve the chicken boneless, which is great! I also like how all servings include the popping hot and flavorful chicken broth. . . . . . .
This week is all about Hainan Chicken Rice. The chronicles starts with Savoy Kitchen in Alhambra. Arguably the most famous Hainan Chicken restaurant in the greater Los Angeles area. 海南雞飯 has origins in Singapore from immigrant Chinese, naturally from the Hainan province. This boiled chicken dish features tender chicken with flavored garlic rice. Paired with a ginger sauce, a sweet spicy sauce, and soy sauce, this dish was introduced to me, years ago from an old girlfriend. Now, it is still one of my favorite dishes. You can find variants with roast chicken or fried chicken, but the garlic flavored rice remains the same and the most popular part of the dish. Savoy does not disappoint. If you never had Hainan Chicken rice, please do try it. The delicate skin, which might seem off putting, offers a moistness with the tender chicken. The rest of the week will have other Hainan Chicken from other establishments in the area. . . . . . .
Braised pork over rice and fried chicken leg over rice. Classic Taiwanese dishes. Yum. 滷肉飯 and 雞腿飯. . . . .
Yummy! Got the Das Brat, Holy Aioli, Haus Slaw, and the Chili Cheese Tots. . . . .
Smosh Town burgers! The smashed burger patty burgers. Great texture and taste. Too bad I am going vegetarian the rest of February. . . . . . . .
The Smosh Town burger. Crispy and tasty burgers! Tarot tots with chili and cheese. Yum . . . . .
Birria tacos, carne asada nachos, and ceviche. Yum. The tacos had so much braised beef, but unfortunately was a little dry. Wish we had a dipping sauce. Luckily the hot sauce was available. The nachos were great but was too much. The ceviche was good but the fish had a slight smell. Perhaps that was normal. I wonder what kind of fish was in the ceviche. Regardless I would still return. This place has so many things I want to try. . . . .
Had the grilled ahi tuna taco and the braised beef birria taco. And also had a tacocita bowl with carnitas. All were pretty good. The ahi was a bit dry. But everything was really good. . . . . .
Hidden gem in the SGV. Diner American/Mexican food at the El Monte Airport. Very cool spot to watch planes take off and land up close. Open during COVID. Outdoor seating. I had the Annia’s special ground beef omelette and friend had the chorizo and eggs. Yummy. . . . .
My favorite Ice Cream shop - moo creamery in Sierra Madre. So happy they’re open. Had the triple milk in a cup and wifey had the vanilla, as usual. And splurged on a brownie too. Brownie was surprisingly yummy. Have had one in a long time. Need to suppose our local businesses. . . . . .
In-N-Out Burger. They had single cheese burgers while I had to make it up with a glorious 3x3 - thee patties and three cheeses. Yes I should have gone for the 4x4. . . . . .
New Year’s Day brunch at Granville. Liked the Mac and cheese and the housemade potato chips . . . . .
Got a second chance to have curry with katsu. This time delicatessen by Osawa did not disappoint. Curry was flavorful and the katsu was ideal. The seared cod and sukiyaki was also very good as well. We also had the chicken karage, which was gobbled up quite fast. Yum yum. Glad this place is not far from home. Thanks to for introducing this place to us . . . . . .
Looks may be deceiving. Had a really bad meal at May’s Chinese Restaurant in Arcadia. Food was a big NG - No Good. I should have known. The ownership has changed so many times, the menu feature Taiwanese and Japanese dishes - who does that?, and the place was half empty. Ugh. I had the curry pork cutlet over an omelette rice. The curry tasted grainy and lacked flavor. The soup was also terrible. Please do not go. Please. . . . .
Yet another Boba Tea Shop. We were actually looking for boba ice cream bars - but they were sold out and had a one week wait for new orders. Crazy!! . . . .
Boba drinks at Class 302. Taiwanese restaurant that offers Taiwanese comfort food with drinks and desserts. Only had drinks this time. I had the milk with brown sugar boba and egg custard. Not bad. But I will probably lay off milk in the future. Trying to go non-diary for awhile. The cups a gigantic and with cute designs. . . . . .
Taiwanese breakfast at Yi Mei. Rice Ball 飯糰 with an egg. Had the egg pancake 蛋皮 and fried dumplings. Yi Mei is one of the better Taiwanese breakfast restaurants. . . . . .
Ramen. Had the black kotteri ramen, with fatty rich broth. It had a good taste/flavor. But the texture, yes inside the soup, had a grainy mouth feel - not too pleasant. Unfortunate the inari has warm rice. I’m not a fan of warm rice in my Inari. Won’t return. . . . . .
Sichuan lunch with old friends. Finally got a chance to visit Szechuan Impression. Had the spicy boiled fish, sausage, veggies, pork belly with rice flour, mapo tofu. Crazy spicy with the Sichuan peppercorn. 花椒. Mouth numbing feel. Interesting they had a bunch of different dishes from different regions of China. Those dishes had a twist with their interpretation with Sichuan influences. I like the small cozy space, was very inviting. . . . . .
Tiger Sugar. Taiwanese boba or pearl milk tea. . . . . .usa .usa
Peanut Butter Mochi from J.J. Bakery. I was expecting peanut powder instead of peanut butter. If I am not mistaken the peanut powder is a more traditional filling and has better flavor. The peanut butter tasted a bit bland. . . . . .
Beef Noodle Soup at 一條龍 PP Pop. I had the Taiwanese spicy Beef Noodle Soup with pickle vegetables. Quite spicy and tasty. We also had the tan tan noodles, beef and tendon soup with vermicelli, and fried pork buns 生煎包. Interesting 一條龍 used to be the name of a restaurant on valley Blvd with the English name Dragon Mark, which was a favorite of mine a long time ago. It appears this place “borrowed” their name. . . . . .
Beijing Roast Duck 北京烤鴨 at the Duck House. Haven’t had duck in a long time. We had the half duck with the crispy skin. They provided the thin rice paper wrappers as opposed to the thick buns (which I prefer). The duck soup was savory and flavorful. The thinly sliced translucent pork belly was perfect with the garlic sauce. The glass noodles, sesame sauce lettuce, and jelly fish was good, also. The last dish the eel over sticky rice was also a stand out. Restaurant building looked like it was an old bank. I think the Duck House has been around a long time, just never had the chance to try. I’m glad I did. . . . . .
Tianjin Jian Bing at the Sunday Alhambra Farmers Market. Woo’s Crepe makes a traditional Tianjin Jian Bing. It’s a bit different from the Jian Bing I’m used to from shanghai. They fry the egg on the outside of the crepe. They also used, what I assume, is tortilla chips instead of crisps they usually use. Sometimes they used a youtiao. They also added some sliced hotdogs, which I thought was peculiar. . . . . .
Galbi Jim at SBD BBQ. Seong Buk Dong from Koreantown has come to the SGV. Known as SBD Korean Bbq - they offer their traditional dishes, that made them well known, but also offering DIY kbbq. Their Galbi Jjim sauce is outstanding but it appears that the quality of beef rib could have been of high quality and more tender. We also had the spicy Galbi Jjim, cold noodles, kimchi Jeon, spicy pork, tofu soup. I really liked the kimchi jeon - the kimchi pancake. . . . .🍖
Yet another . . . Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, this time from Old Country Cafe 老鄉親. The broth was ok, not overly flavorful or slightly spicy as one would expect. It appeared to be cloudy, which isn’t a good thing. The soup had an already acidic taste from the pickled mustard greens, in which I would have liked to add personally - depending on my taste. The beef chucks were tender with some nice chewy tendons. But they were smaller in size compared to the other bowls, I’ve had this week. The overall taste was there but not up to par compared to others. The Taiwanese sausage didn’t have the look or taste that Sinabala had - which has the best Taiwanese Sausage around. I would still Vivi at again, but I would probably order something else. Interesting, there used to be an Old Country Cafe, also 老鄉親, on Garfield in Alhambra - which is no longer there. They said they aren’t the same owners as the old one. But it appears they almost copied everything they had, including having a few comic books for people to read. . . . .
Pizza at CPK. Garlic Chicken Pizza on cauliflower crust and the “Works” Pizza. This place never disappoints. Consistency and interesting. You don’t find these topping combinations typically at other places . . . .
More Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. Tonight we ventured to Sinbala for a pipping hot bowl. The noodles were slightly over cooked and too soft. The soup was nice and spicy, but not too spicy. They already added the pickled mustard greens, which I wished they didn’t. Anyways, I would order it again here but it wouldn’t be my first choice. Their Taiwanese sausage might be the best in the area. . . . .
Pizza! Sapori Di in Altadena. They have a nice pizza oven hearth and they serve up some pretty good pizza. The crust had a nice texture and chew. I really liked it! . . . .
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup! Might still be the best in Southern California. Wifey had the pig knuckle and rice. Unfortunate the sides were not so good - sausage, tofu skin, and cucumber. The hot hearty soup had great savory spicy seasoned flavor. Great on a chilly day. . . . .
Another Ramen Shop popped up in Arcadia. DashiWa Ramen. The broth and noodles were good. I had the black garlic tonkotsu ramen and it was pretty good. Unfortunately the chasu tasted oily and didn’t have the texture I was expecting and was cut really too thin. But at least they did the broth and noodles right. The inari unusually had warm rice - which in my book is a big No-No. And the chicken karaage was too greasy. Unfortunately, I can recommend, not will I return. But it appears that DashiWa Ramen will be fine without me, since they cater to the local lunch crowd. But if you do go, just have the their ramen, no need for their sides. . . .
Holy Roly ice cream. Peanut butter Reese’s ice cream. Interesting dessert but it takes a bit of time for each order. I think half the experience is watching them make it. Slab, spread, scrap, enjoy. . . . .
Liang Pi 凉皮, Beef Noodle Soup, and Rou Jia Mo at Qin West. I asked for mild Liang Pi and my mouth was on fire. FIRE - I say! But it was good. I must and always have to have the Rou Jia Mo 肉夾饃. . . . .
Taiwanese dinner at Monja Taiker. The shaved ice with soft boiled peanuts and condensed milk is my favorite combination. We also had the fried red pork on rice, chicken roll on rice, Taiwanese sausage on rice, and spicy wontons. Unfortunately the rice was too sticky (too much water). Other than that, we liked everything. I think we would return. . . . . .
. Ramen! . . . . .
Simple Dinner at Sinbala. Fried pork chop on rice and pork belly on rice. Sinbala is a small popular Taiwanese Restaurant. They also have traditional Taiwanese shaved ice, where you can pick and choose your toppings. Nowadays, most shaved ice joints have pre-set combinations, often times with stuff you don’t like. . . . .
Barbecue chicken pizza and jerk chicken pizza with cauliflower crust at California Pizza Kitchen. I’ve always liked this place. I remember my first visit in the early 90s at the Beverly Center location. I thought it was pretty good. Looking at there recent menu - I was wondering where their Peking Duck pizza was??? Anyways. Good place. Would return. Their bake and take promo is pretty good. Take home an I baked pizza for $5 is a good deal. . . . .
Steam Pork Soup Dumplings at Din Tai Fung. 鼎泰豐的小籠包. Beef noodle soup 牛肉麵, vegetable dumplings 蔡包. Not a long wait if you go early. But still a wait. Shanghainese/Taiwanese Dim Sun lunch. . . . .
Black Sesame Korean shaved ice and Mango shaved ice. . . . .
Sul Long Tang. Korean beef stew. . . .
Fried chicken at Crack Shack. Yum . . .
The famous lobster at Newport Seafood. . . .
Hunanese lunch. Spicy chicken feet and pig ear with tofu, spicy Pig stomach, and spicy sliced potatoes. Wife loves this stuff. Dong Ting Chun 洞庭春 . . . .
Korean Bbq at Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong. We had the thin sliced Brisket, beef short rib, and pork belly. I think our favorite was the thinly sliced brisket. Also had the tofu soup and lunch box. . . .
Food Truck Feasting at the Rose Bowl. had cheese fries with bacon, pizza, pan fried dumplings, scallion pancakes - from Dina’s Dumpling truck, tostones (fried plantains), and mofongo with shredded pork from the Triple Threat Truck (Puerto Rico Cuisine). And finished it off with Cookie Monster ice cream from the Aftershock ice cream truck. I like how it was that crowded and the lines were reasonable. This is the first food truck event I’ve been to in years. Would return. Glad I brought beach and tailgating chairs to kick back on. . . .
Hamburger Steak Set Meal and Soy Cod Bowl at the Delicatessen by Osawa. Pretty good. I will certainly return. Not sure if I would recommend since I don’t want it to be too crowded 😜. . .
Pan fried bread pork and cabbage dumplings, pan fried pork and leek dumplings, cabbage and jelly fish, pork cheek, pork tongue, and noodles with bean and pork sauce. Qingdao Bread Food 青島麵館 in Monterey Park in the SGV. . .
Shaved ice at Salju Desserts. Had the sesame and the green tee matcha. Check out the delicate ribbons of shaved ice. Wish they had the sweet soft boiled peanut topping as an option. .
Lunch at Midoh Japanese Kitchen in Diamond Plaza in Rowland Heights. Pork Cutlet and Pork Loin Cutlet with Curry Rice, with a side of soup and salad. Love this simple Japanese set. Didn’t know Loin is more fatty (and luscious) than regular cutlet. .
Taco Tuesday! At Sierra Madre’s Tacos Ensenada. Our regular Tuesday routine with AMC $5 Tuesday’s. .
Hangzhou Cuisine at Chang’s Garden 樓外樓. The big fatty pork belly, bitter melon, a big bowl lamb stew, and rice balls. .
My in-laws favorite Hunan restaurant. So spicy! Pork belly, fish, chicken were good but almost tasted the same with the spicy.
Cold and hot desserts at Blackball Desserts. But quite pricey. $7+ for that cup of ice with only two peanut rice balls. And $7+ for the hot desserts . . .
Pho done easy. . . I choose to have chicken curry with a French roll. I really dig the bread dipping at Golden Deli . . . . . .
Northern Chinese noodles from Lao Xi’er Noodle House. One of my mom’s favorite restaurants. I wish we ordered the mini fried meatballs - totally forgot about that dish. Also saw Merrill Shindler had reviewed this place also. I’m a big fan of Merrill. This place has pretty good authentic noodles with unique knife cut noodles and mini rolled noodles. . . .
Might be the best corned beef sandwich I’ve ever had. Certainly the best in a long time. And I’ve had a long of sandwiches. Right in my backyard at the Santa Anita racetrack - Cravery Has a cool day watching the ponies. Cheering , , and for the exacta in race number 5. Too bad came in last. . . .
Lunch at Plate 38. Pretty decent burger. Unexpectedly good experience . . .
Taiwanese Gastropub 印地安. Yummy Taiwanese food with friends and a pitcher of amber bock. . . .
All You Can Eat Korean BBQ in Rowland Heights. OMG Friday night traffic sucks. Quality was pretty good. Beef tongue, brisket, spicy pork, baby octopus, steamed egg, and tofu soup. . . . .kbbq
Birthday dinner at Chuan’s. Sichuan cuisine. Father in-laws birthday. Too bad there was no Sichuan Mask show. The fish and mapo tofu was great. The noodles were good too. . . .
Galbi and Soondubu at Young Dong Tofu. The pancake appetizer, grilled chicken, and dumpling soondubu. Spicy . . .
Taiwanese shaved ice - with condensed milk and soft boiled peanuts. Strange combination, but one of my secret favorite desserts. Too bad most shaved ice joints only offer preselected combinations. I like certain combinations like this one. This photograph doesn’t do justice to this yummy dessert! I can’t be the only one that likes this combination???? . . .
Hunan Chili King - one of better Hunan Restaurants in the SGV. Pork Belly and Taro, Spicy Chicken Feet, Preserved Pork and Tofu, Fish and Tofu Soup, and Stir Fried Spicy Intestine. The soup was very good, especially for a cold rainy night. . . .
Christmas Eve Dessert at hooshik. Seems like more and more cool Korean foods are coming to SGV . . .
Taco Tuesday! Best fish tacos in Sierra Madre! At Tacos Ensenada . . . . .
Indian Beer House! It’s actually Taiwanese cuisine with beer at a restaurant with a Native American theme. Been going to this place for years. Basically Taiwanese comfort food. Got the favorites - three cup chicken, grilled sausage, cabbage with pork belly, popcorn chicken, egg, and soup. Yum. I think I’ve had this combination almost every time. Also I like this place since we can watch the dodgers and lakers. . . . .
Knife cut noodles from Noodle St. in Monrovia. Knife cut noodles are my favorite 刀削麵 I had it spicy beef style. The broth was surprisingly good. The beef was tender. Pleasantly surprised and happy we went here . . . . .
Cantonese dinner with friends. Hot pot rice with sausage and Chinese broccoli, fried fish, spicy salt pork chops, egg drop soup, vegetables, and beef chow fun. They specialize in hot pot rice. Solid quality and grubbing. First time here. Would return. May Mei Restaurant. . . . .
Hunanese dinner. S-p-I-c-y! Spicy! Spicy Fried fish, spicy tofu strips, fried egg with vegetables, and steamed pork with some sort of flour. I almost have no idea how to describe/name these dishes. But so good and spicy. Did I tell you that this place is spicy??? Hunan Mao Restaurant . . . .
Korean dinner with the family. Soondubu - spicy tofu with beef and kimchi. Also had cold noodles with vinegar and mustard. Beef bulgogi and beef ribs galbi. I liked the rice that was also cooked in a hot stone bowl. . . . .
Sichuan Lunch at Meizhou Dongpo Restaurant at Santa Anita Westfield Mall. Braised pork belly, chicken tofu soup, water boiled fish, roast duck, lion head fish ball. Much better this time around. Yum! . . . . . .us ._lindoris
Wife’s favorite type of noodles. Noodle Kang in Arcadia.
Chinese hot pot at little sheep in San Gabriel. Lamb, beef, and pork. All you can eat. Wifey had a craving for spicy hot pot after booze cruise. Loved the spongey tofu and napa cabbage. . . . .
Dinner at Boiling Crab. Long ass wait for New Orleans inspired crustacean cuisine. We had crawfish, shrimp, corn, sausage, gumbo, chowder, catfish, and oysters. Personally I don’t eat a lot of shellfish since I have gout. 🤪 but I like the everything else they have. I wonder why they don’t give out disposable gloves. I thought did before. . . . .
My favorite pizza joint. Zelo pizza in Arcadia. Cornmeal crust! Had half the eggplant & sausage pizza and the other half pepperoni. Yum!. . . . .
Family Din Din at Lao Xi Noodle House 老西儿 in Arcadia. Knife Cut noodle with chicken ，刀削麵, chinese pasta in soup, meat balls 貓耳朵, cold dishes with tofu, pig ear, and sliced beef. . . .
Dinner at Bonchon. We had spicy and soy-garlic fried chicken, ttokboki, udon, bbimbop, japchae, fried, and chicken katsu. . . .
Dim Sum brunch at Grand Harbour Restaurant in Temple City.
Family lunch at the Shanghailander Palace, in Arcadia 上海攤。Shanghainese food 2 days in row! Yay! 生煎包，紅燒肉，鹹肉百頁結，熏魚，蔥油拌麵，菜飯，苔條魚. Pan fried dumplings, braised pork belly, salted pork with tofu, vegetable fried rice, fried fish fillet, and scallion oil noodles. Yummy! They’ve only been open a week! Located in the old Coco’s on Baldwin. . .
New Sichuan Restaurant in Arcadia! Fensanity. First was the Signature Glass Noodle with Hot and Sour Soup, then was the cool glass jelly appetizer, and lastly the Wonton with Red Chili Sauce. Quite spicy and flavorful. Almost too spicy. I dig the bowl cauldrons. . .
Taco Tuesday at Tacos Ensenada In Sierra Madre. Fish tacos. I was thinking about reducing my diet of Tilapia. Heard and read a few reports about tilapia not being so good for you. . .
Noodles and dumplings with the fam at Luscious Dumplings in Monrovia. A couple of my favs
Lunch with mom at Ahgoo’s. Taiwanese beef noodle soup, vegetable soup, sliced pickled potatoes, and fried onion bread. Too bad their last day is Sunday. The space is changing to new owners and Northern Chinese cuisine. The beef noodle soup broth was a bit bland, thand vegetable soup was light and good. The typical Taiwanese clientele likes subtle flavors more.
Lunch at the Dumpling House in Arcadia. I love dumplings. Water boiled ones and steamed (小籠包). The water boiled fish with Tilapia was so-so. Didn’t like the heavy thick soup. The onion pancakes and rice noodles were fine.
Wu Ming Hot Pot in the . Might be the most popular hour pot at this time. OMG ass fire spicy. Check out the
Sunday lunch with old friends at the old spaghetti factory
Pho at Pho Fillet 2 in . Good alternative to Golden Deli.
Galbi Tang
Never get “hot” spicy level if you can’t take it. Had the “Korean” hot pot at Was way too hot for me. Wifey had the “beef” hot pot but was fine with the “hot” level.
Roast chicken might be the best crispy chicken skin.
We ate too much. Beef dip, pastrami burger, cheese bread, and red cabbage salad. Yum! I used to like the red cabbage salad more - it is more and more acidic, than I remember.
Dim sum at Xiang Yuan Gourmet, on Las Tunas in Temple City Creative morsels.
Shaanxi Lunch in Rou Jia Mo 肉夾饃 diced lamb pita and Liang Pi 涼皮 spicy cold noodles were my favorite. The spicy wontons and dry noodles were also quite good, too
Burgers and fish at Stinko 2.0 - burger with caramelized onions, the channel island rock fish - halibut, and French Fried Onions Rings. The burger was very good, but the fries were even better. I like the burn crispness, but after awhile they were too greasy.
Awesome Taiwanese breakfast at JJ Bakery & Cafe. We shared the Rice burrito with fried egg and sausage 特製鹹飯糰 （香腸&蛋）what makes this better was the crispy Chinese oil donut. The one at Four Seas was too soggy and not crispy. Then we had the black sesame crisp with fried egg 燒餅夾蛋 This is an old favorite I hadn’t had in awhile. Usually people like it with the oil donut. And then we had the egg pancake 蛋餅. Unlike four seas - the pancake wasn’t as crispy (which is the way I remember it and like it - maybe other people had/liked it a different way). And lastly we had some vegetable noodles 雪菜肉絲麵. This was refreshing and cut through the oil and grease. Next time we need to try Yong Ho to complete the comparison.
Shan Xi cuisine in Shanxi province, where noodles rules over rice, is just west of Beijing. Popular for lunch and dinner, with locals, new Chinese immigrants, and those pesky millennials. We had soup-less ground pork noodles, known as Zha Jiang Mian 炸醬麵 - which is my favorite. Then we had the popular cat ear noodles soup 貓耳朵 - which seems like Italian pasta - was the most interesting. Then we also shared a knife cut vegetarian noodle 刀削麵. I love the chewiness of these noodles. You should watch how they make and cook these noodles. And the last significant dish was the fried pork meat balls. I insisted on adding this to our order, even though we were full, since I saw almost everyone ordering - plus a picture of it on Merrill Shindler’s review. Good place. Noodles had better texture than Valley Blvd’s Mian.
Sichuan Noodles at a bunch of different noodles. I had the Sichuan spicy cold noodles. The pork fried dumplings with spicy sauce and black fungus mushrooms. Better the second time around. Noodles texture was better than ok but the sauce was the big draw.
Dragon’s Breath dessert. Light popcorn puffs in cold liquid nitrogen with strawberry dipping sauce. Not bad. Could be more sweeter.
3 of my favorite Taiwanese dishes - Taiwanese sausage, popcorn chicken, and 3 cup chicken 台灣香腸，鹽酥雞，和 三杯雞 I know some Taiwanese friends may not like the place, but I dig it. I also like the soups and the TVs for sporting events.
Dan Dan Noodles 擔擔麵 from the good noodles and flavor but didn’t care for the chickpeas and veggies and the USD8 portion. Guess I’m a traditionalist. Was at the Huntington Library Halloween Event - Strange Science - The Dark Corners of the Library. Interesting to be there at night.
Tonkotsu Ramen and Spicy Miso Ramen. Broth was good noodles were better. But the portions could have been slightly bigger. But I was full after 🐷
Roast chicken rice plate and chicken salad. Wife stole my chicken leg. 🐷😩 Also had the chicken bone broth - good for a chilly day. Unfortunately quite salty (had to dilute with ice water). please check the broth before serving!!
Yummy Rice 飯香 - Shanghainese cuisine in Rosemead. I was craving 蔥油拌麵 scallion oil noodles - so I coerced my family to have Shanghainese food tonight. Yummy Rice (yes it is a funny name) featured a staff all from Shanghai. The noodles were just ok - flavor was good but the noodles weren’t the ones I liked from shanghai. The 紅曬肉 Braised pork belly was very good. The luscious fat melted with eat chomp. The fried jelly fish and dark soy fish was ok. Didn’t care too much for it. The spicy frog legs was a favorite of my wife’s. The vegetable fried rice was a bit too oily, also. I am not sure I would return, due to the noodles. They have 小籠包 steam pork dumplings that I am tempted to try, next time.
Beef noodle soup 牛肉麵, minced pork noodles 雜醬麵, fried pork chop with rice 排骨飯, Beef ball soup 貢丸湯. Yummy classic Taiwanese dishes. The beef noodle soup is ordered by almost everyone. Enjoyed the hearty beef broth, which is so bad for my gout. The pork chop has. Nice crisp crunch with a bit of sweetness. So bad but so good. I think this is one of the better Taiwanese restaurants in the area.
Fish and fries at Malibu Seafood good price compared to San Marino seafood. Wonderful views and great fried fish. Ideal lunch spot before hitting the beach. A bit off the beaten path. I think it is a local hang out.
Seared ahi tuna sandwich! I thought this place was a bit pricey. I liked the sandwich. But wish i wish the ahi tuna was a tad thicker.
Best Breakfast Burrito in Southern California. Better than Lucky Boy. It’s all about the potato’s.
Beef Dip Sandwich and wedge fries. Clearman’s Galley - the boat is my go to place to enjoy sports. Love this place
First hike ever to Chantry Flats and Sturtevant Falls. Lived nearby for years and have never visited the famous falls. A bit sore. big thanks to and . Next time we go to and jump off the cliff
Johnny Lee’s Hainan Chicken now in a permanent location Solid Effort and is getting better. May eventually dethrone Savoy. I like the roast chicken better than the poached one Good location in Arcadia
Yelp Listinghttps://www.yelp.com/biz/mo-mo-paradise-rowland-heights-2
Yelp Listinghttps://www.yelp.com/biz/young-dong-tofu-san-gabriel-san-gabriel?osq=tofu
spicy as Hunan cuisine can be must order the 粉蒸肉 Steamed Pork with Rice Powder limited parking in the back lots of spicy dishes, but also some good non-spicy ones Famous Hunan spicy fish head 剁椒蒸魚頭
Call ahead to make sure you see the famous Mask Show Sichuan cuisine is hit or miss depending on the day you go The Dan Dan noodles are solid & a must order to share Parking is a pain with a couple of
Great Taiwanese Food Underrated Chicken Rice Known for Taiwanese Sausage, you can even buy the Sausage Packaged to go Chicken Roll – not so great Don’t forget the Taiwanese Shaved Ice desserts
Individual Taiwanese Hot Pot with a multitude of hot pot soup bases Popular with the Chinese and Asian crowds First started in Southern California is Hacienda Heights, then has expanded to Seattle, Ca
The most popular and might be the best Vietnamese restaurant in SGV Opened 2nd location recently in Temple City Great Noodle Soup Pho The Ice Teas are good, too The parking lot has small spaces
This place has been around for almost 10 years. Dai Ho’s owner, in its early days, was notorious for being mean to the customers. Everyone in the community knew he wasn’t the most cordial, yet people
Moffett’s Family Restaurant & Chicken Pie Shoppehttp://www.moffettsfamilyrestaurant.com/ 1409 Baldwin Ave Arcadia, CA 91007 626 447-4670
In trying times, people will find ways to make do with what they have. If you look at new Chinese immigrants that came to Taiwan after the Cultural Revolution, they formed military villages can came u
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I recently made a short trip back to the US, and one stop I knew I had to make was stopping by Silk Lounge. Not only as one of my favorite stomping grounds, I used to be one of the managers. You might
Hawaiian culture and cuisine has been apart of Southern California life in many ways that you might not notice. Obviously, beginning with the beach & surf culture, Hawaiian cuisine has a nice followin
Traditional pizzas nowadays are tough to find. Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa John’s dominate public perception of what a pizza is suppose to be like. Nuevo pies, such as California Pizza Kitchen, Wolf
Sriracha sauce Thai: ศรีราชา sǐrātɕʰā, a Thai spicy sauce, is not from Thailand or even Vietnam It is from Rosemeadhttp://www.huyfong.com/ in Southern California, with Thai roots. In the states, the R
In my hometown of Arcadia, resides one of the best sandwiches I have ever had in my life. I couldn’t believe it, in my never-ending search for the greatest sandwiches. Make sure you get the Beef Barch
After reviewing Zelo’s Pizza. . .I felt I should submit my review for Bollini’s.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said “Best” in the title, but it sure tasted like it that day. With the stars aligned, with a full moon, and on my birthday the meat consumed like gods on this day. Everything w
Dong Nguyen is a neighborhood favorite in San Gabriel. Their menu features languages in Vietnamese, Chinese, English, and Thai. You could say this is the All American restaurant of different nationali
Tokyo Wako has been the go-to place for my family for birthdays. We have been coming here for years. Tokyo Wako, which also has a location in Pasadena, is a Japanese Teppanyaki鉄板焼き restaurant.
I love Hawaiian food – the traditional lau lau, kalua pig, and spam musabi. This hearty cuisine is what makes those big Samoan Hawaiian guys so big for football. And Ono Hawaiian Grill serves up some
Japon Bistro, yes – with an “O”, is located in the heart of Pasadena off of Colorado near Lake. Pasadena features a one of most diverse collection of Japanese restaurants around, and is up there with
This place has been around for almost 10 years. Dai Ho’s owner, in its early days, was notorious for being mean to the customers. Everyone in the community knew he wasn’t the most cordial, yet people
With such a name, as the Noodle House, you wouldn’t know this is one of the best Tianjin 天津 cuisine restaurants.
Happy Sheep Shabu Shabu is traditional Chinese hot pot restaurant featuring the goodness of Lamb
Lately, I’ve been frequenting this little tea house, in the afternoons, to do some work. Half & Half is a quaint Taiwanese tea house in San Gabriel valley.
I am not the biggest fan of AYCEall-you-can-eat places, including Korean BBQ, because of the impending repercussions. We all try to manage our intake, yet there are those that fail . . . like me. http
One last Japanese entry. Ninjya pizza from Strawberry Cones Japanese Pizza & Pasta in San Gabriel.
This is the last in a series of Japanese restaurants. I started earlier this week with Yoshida Sushi, Shin Sen Gumi, Cafe Hiro, and now The Curry House.
Country Bistro is a hidden gem that specializes in Taiwanese food and herbal soups.
I’ve heard about Yoshida for awhile now. I have been meaning to go, but never had a chance. Thought I rarely try new sushi restaurants due to my personal sushi policy.
I know I have been a bit lazy about posting this month. Anyways. . . I wanted to get this in before the end of the year. Liang's Kitchen is my new favorite local Taiwanese restaurant. I would almost s
I know I have been a bit lazy about posting this month. Anyways. . . I wanted to get this in before the end of the year. Liang’s Kitchen is my new favorite local Taiwanese restaurant. I would almost s
Seating is limited and the wait is rewarded with good service and an innovative menu. Happy hour is a very good deal but you’ll have to fight the crowd. Decorated well so that you forget you are in a
This is almost as good as my mom’s Taiwanese beef noodle stew, but definitely the best you can get outside of a Taiwanese household. Family run and seems like they’re hardly ever open since they can a
Seating is limited and the wait is rewarded with good service and an innovative menu. Happy hour is a very good deal but you'll have to fight the crowd. Decorated well so that you forget you are in a
In the 1st half of the last century, there was a large migration of Chinese to the small island country of Taiwan. Most were in the military following Chiang Kai Shek. They settled in little pockets i
Curry House, a chain from Japan, specializes in a simple meat on rice meal with curry. Americans and people all over the world need their protein, in this case meat, with a starch, rice. As a friend o
Country Bistro appears to be a typical Taiwanese restaurant that you’ll find in San Gabriel valley or in Rowland Heights area. But alas, their secret sauce is their soups – herbal soups, in fact. They
Located in between the shopping areas of Lake Avenue and Old Town, sits a nice little restaurant, Malbec. An Argentinian restaurant that, as most others do, they specializes in beef. My only other exp
This is a local breakfast favorite that not too many people know about. Marston’s famous cornflake french toast is what drives people to wait and wait for seat.
Here’s one last post about Taiwanese cuisine that I wanted to briefly spout about. Its not necessarily a meal, but more of a late night snack or dessert. Though this place also has entrees, is the des
This is my last stop of Taiwanese restaurants that I have recently visited & revisited. I think, lately, I had a huge craving for Taiwanese food, for whatever reason. Of the three, Wang Heng, Jurassic
Old Country Cafe, also known as 老鄉親, has been serving Taiwanese comfort dishes for almost two decades, maybe longer. Anyways. . . I love this place.
Recently renovated, Gus’s Barbecue features some of the good barbecue in the West San Gabriel area. I was first there about 10 years ago . . . and for my 2nd trip the summer of 2009. It was recently t
Recently renovated, Gus's Barbecue features some of the good barbecue in the West San Gabriel area. I was first there about 10 years ago . . . and for my 2nd trip the summer of 2009. It was recently t
I’m always on the look out for places that surprise me. Hot Stuff Cafe, with one of the more interesting names, surprises me in more ways than one.
High School kids need to eat simple things like meat and some sort of starch – like bread, tortilla, or rice. They don’t really want to eat vegetables, fruits, and healthy things. Taco Lita serves tha
Hot Stuff Cafe, SGV (Closed) at Hot Stuff Cafe in Sgv.
Located on Green St. behind the bustle of Colorado Blvd in Old Town Pasadena, sits the unassuming Green Street Tavern. This little place is good place for a date. This little restaurant is a cozy litt
Wan Chun Taiwanese Food, SGV (Closed) at Wan Chun Taiwanese Food in Sgv.
Pie ‘N Burger, located near Caltech, features a simple menu of burgers and, of all things, pie. Strange bedfellows they are, burgers and pies is your All American fare. Not much has changed in the 50+
Almost forced to try yet-another chicken place. . . my friend took me to Rotisserie Chicken of California in Pasadena. I don’t know why . . . but there’s a smattering list of Chicken and Rotisserie an
The Hat is one of the places I have frequented for awhile, now. This old fashioned hamburger stand sits on the corner of Garfield and Valley in Alhambra. The Hat just celebrated its 60th anniversary a
Lucky Boy has many loyal followers that lay claim of the best breakfast burrito. Even Los Angeles Magazine boasted about the burrito as well – I believe it was in the May 2009 issue. Many of my friend
Recently, after a night of fun and drinks, we were looking for a place to grub on. Some of the time, we usually go to a Cantonese cafe in Monterey Park or Alhambra to get our late night fix. But this
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Located in the back of a mini mall in Monterey Park, L’Amour Cafe is a hidden gem that specializes in traditional Cantonese cuisine. Monterey Park has always been known for cantonese faire – especiall
There aren’t many good Korean restaurants in the San Gabriel valley. . . So when there is a decent one, they seem to do a combination of things well.
JJ Cafe is your typical Monterey Park/Alhambra Cantonese late night cafe. You might have tried Garden Cafe, ABC, Sunday Bistro, and others. They all serve similar items on their menus. JJ’s features s
Mango Delight was its name. . .
This famous Los Angeles restaurant – originating near South Central Los Angeles, features southern style comfort food. Their staple of fried chicken and waffle is a favorite of Angelo’s and Hollywood
After hearing so many positive things about this place. . . I had to try it. My friends all rave about this place with its great Crustacean fare.