Cali Express made big news in LA when it opened a fast-food restaurant where the preparation of burgers and fries was wholly automated using AI and robotic technology. More recently, Tigawok, a Chinese fast-food restaurant that uses automated cooking machines, caught notice when it opened on the Westside. Tigawok’s commercial cooking machines resemble front-loading washers….
Chinese
Lan Noodle Features Lanzhou Beef Noodles
Freshly made pasta and noodles elevate any dish, and Chinese hand-pulled noodles is no exception. After I learned about LAN Noodle, a noodle specialist featuring Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle soups, I invited a friend to join me. LAN Noodle opened its original location in Arcadia in 2019 and recently opened in West Hollywood. Ester Yuan, owner…
ixlb Dim Sum Eats Adds Dim Sum To-Go in West LA
In the late 1980s, Chinatown’s Empress Pavillion was a top LA restaurant for dim sum. Since then, the San Gabriel Valley has become the de facto standard for Chinese food, including LA’s best dim sum eateries. Empress Pavilion was known for its wide selection of dim sum served by Chinese women pushing carts throughout the…
Lunasia Dim Sum House Opens in Torrance
I am a big fan of dim sum, but I don’t enjoy it as often because I live in the South Bay, and the top dim sum places are in the San Gabriel Valley. Yes, Dim Sum 101 Express opened nearby, but I’ve longed for an experience with a vast menu. I was thrilled when…
Full House Plus Introduces Korean Chinese to the South Bay
You are mistaken if you think Korean cuisine is all about kimchi, tofu soup, and Korean BBQ. Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends. For example, during the Korean War, budae jjigae (a.k.a. Army Base Stew) was created using spam and sausage. Another example is Korean-Chinese, a hybrid…
Dim Sum 101 Delivers Quality Dim Sum to the South Bay
Most dim sum connoisseurs categorically state that the best dim sum in LA may be found in the San Gabriel Valley (SGV). Sea Harbor, Elite, and Lunasia are a few they usually utter when asked. From my house, it can take just under an hour with no traffic to arrive to the SGV. With traffic,…
Mee and Greet Adds Southeast Asian Cuisine to Palms
Humble Potato is a restaurant with a twist on Japanese American cuisine; it was owner Eric Ong’s first brick and mortar. He followed up with Most Valuable Playa or MVP, with a menu focused on Southeast Asian comfort food. His most recent endeavor is Mee and Greet. Mee and Greet resides in a Palms strip mall, a…
Jiayuan Dumpling House For Northeast Chinese Food
If you live in the South Bay and enjoy Chinese food, you already know about the lack of authentic Chinese cuisine in this area. Over the last few years, nearby Lomita has developed into an area that features Chinese food from different regions, but what caught my attention was the opening of Jiayuan Dumpling House…
Bang Bang Noodles Recreates Xi’an Street Food
Many Asian cities are well known for their vibrant street food communities. Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Osaka are just a few of the more popular street food cities. Xi’an is a large city and capital of Shaanxi Province in central China, and it too is a destination for food enthusiasts. Newly opened Bang Bang Noodles…
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…