Banh Mi is one of my favorite sandwiches. Done right, the French-influenced baguette shatters when you bite into it and explodes with sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors. The protein could vary widely from beef to pate to sardine. It includes a mixture of pickled daikon, carrots, and cilantro. My last stop on my SGV…
San Gabriel Valley
Mandarin Noodle House – Tasty Chinese Food since 1978
According to an article published by CNBC, 60% of restaurants close in their first year, and nearly 80% shutter by their fifth anniversary. Knowing this, I’ve always been amazed to learn of restaurants that have been open for 30 years or more. One such restaurant is the Mandarin Noodle House. As part of my SGV…
Tokyo Fried Chicken Serves Crispy Bone-In Experience
Fried Chicken is hot in LA and Angelenos are fortunate to have many different types of fried chicken available. They range from the conventional Honey’s Kettle, Nashville hot fried chicken with Hotville Chicken, and Korean-style fried chicken with Honey Dress Fried Chicken. When Tokyo Fried Chicken introduced Japanese fried chicken, I became interested in trying…
Mama’s Lu for Delicious Dumplings with No Frills
Editor’s Note: Mama’s Lu and Mama Lu’s both reside on Garvey Ave and have different owners. San Gabriel Valley has some of the best Chinese food LA has to offer. Ground zero for some of the best eateries seems to be Monterey Park, Rosemead, Alhambra, and Rowland Heights. I decided to stay in Monterey Park…
Delicious Kalimantan Cuisine in Alhambra
Did you know Borneo is the third-largest island in the world? It is divided into four political regions: Kalimantan belongs to Indonesia; Sabah and Sarawak are part of Malaysia; a small remaining region comprises Brunei. Borneo Kalimantan features Kalimantan cuisine and is located in Alhambra. Peter Then (aka Uncle Fung) assumed ownership of Little London…
Popular Elite Restaurant Re-opens for Take-Out
Dim Sum Restaurants usually consist of large banquet rooms packed with hungry customers. They are extremely popular and waiting lists are quickly form. These restaurants have largely been closed since March and a couple of them in Monterey Park recently opened. One such establishment is Elite Restaurant. The experience now is completely different. The parking…
101 Noodle Express, a Top Notch Chinese Noodle House
LA area restaurants remain closed and have had to transition to make-shift patios and take-out. One thing I’ve learned from the pandemic experience is that take out food is best enjoyed soon after you receive it. For a couple of days, I decided to change my home base and stay in San Gabriel so that…
Yang’s Kitchen Succeeds with Asian Fusion in the SGV
Many years ago, I frequented the Alhambra / Monterey Park area on a regular basis. As I recall, the scene was very much Chinese cuisine with BBQ shops, bakeries and stinky tofu eateries. As I drove through Alhambra, I was surprised to see the changes: ramen shops, Vietnamese food, and some Southeast Asian digs. The…
The Slummin’ Gourmet Defines Gourmet in Pomona
I used to be an avid food truck chaser. Through that experience I got familiar with Twitter and learned about the foot truck community. Some of the trucks focused on gimmicky food like fried cheese balls, but others had bonafide chefs onboard and were trying to make a difference. A handful of trucks caught my…
Mariscos Jalisco Opens a Brick & Mortar in Pomona
If you have seen the documentary, City of Gold, you will see LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold ordering from the Mariscos Jalisco food truck. The Mariscos Jaliscos food truck is an LA favorite and on the LA Times Top 101 Restaurants. Owner Raul Ortega recently opened a brick and mortar restaurant and I recently…