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Last Updated Jan/3/2006 Guide to LA, Irvine & surrounding Restaurants Monterey Park and San Gabriel as well as Irvine area offers some of the most authentic Chinese food outside of China, below are some of the places I've went to after I started to keep count. The Chinese restaurant location and phone number can be looked up in the Chinese Yellow Pages. As the competition is fierce there (most restaurant closes within 6 month of opening) some of these may not be accurate. Los Angeles Area Restaurants
Last Update
(Dec/2006) They are located on Garfield between Garvey and the Hellman, south of 10 freeway. on the east side of the street. The food quality has been slowly degrading since they first opened at their old location. Now the old lady that own the place sold the old place and moved to a bigger place on Garfield. Sadly the chief seems to have gotten lazy and the old lady is home looking after her grandkids. It's now called 佳味海鲜. I strongly recommend the 重庆辣子鸡，干烹虾仁，砂锅酸菜鱼and 酸辣凉粉。 The old location is still called the same name, just to confuse people. But it's not nearly as good. 老饭店 (Previously known as: 小上海)
Last Visit (Dec/2003) This is my favorite Shanghai style restaurant while it may not be the most austenitic in all their food but their 清炒鳝糊 is unparalleled. They closed sometime between 02-03 the cheif and his wife moved to this location. The food is the same but, I didn't think it was possible, the portions now are even smaller than before. There are also lots of foods that may be hard to find elsewhere. Like 大闸蟹, or 西湖莼菜汤. They have a chief special page in their menu I like all those things. 绿杨村 Last Visit (Dec/2002) I don't have their card. But they are in the north west corner of Las tunas and Mission Dr. Their food are pretty good and according to a few shanghai people it's authentic. I never developed a special feel for it. The food are all good quality, just nothing really stand out. 全聚德(closed) On south side Garvey Ave. between Rosemead and San Gabriel. They are the original from Beijing. The chief are also from Beijing. The duck is also always good but other stuff changes from day to day. They suffered a fire during July 2002 and they are still closed for remodeling as of December 2002. Well, it's the end of 2004 and they are now selling the place... :( 鹿苑京味馆
Last Visit (Dec/2004) Intersection of Garvey and Atlantic. inside 鹿苑 plaza. Usually Northern Chinese restaurants here are few and bad. This one doesn't follow the trend. They have great tasting food that you might get from some restaurants or homes in Beijing. Some really good stuff are: 溜肝尖，酸菜羊肉砂锅. and 京东肉饼. Name to be added Last Visit (Dec/2004) Same plaza as 鹿苑 have OK 羊肉串, lamb kebabs, very clean cafe style place. Opened this month. 云南过桥米线 Last Visit (Dec/2005)
Across the street from
佳味, west side of
Garfield between the 10 and Garvey The food was never bad the previous time I visited the food was simply great! they stopped making 泉水鸡 because it takes too long :( but eat it as a sichuan restaurant because it's just sooooo good. Now arguably better than 佳味. Must order 重庆辣子鸡 and other sichuan favorites 山西刀削面
Last sighting (Dec/2004) Their 刀削面 are great and better than some that I've had in Beijing. Their food taste pretty good in general I like the 紫米粥. It's good for a lunch or less formal dinner. Their service is horrible. Despite that I still go back. Though this time I didn't go in, just drove by and made sure they are still open. 丁胖子
Last Visit (July/2001) A lunch place, good food very relaxing environment when it's less quiet. They make good fried peanuts. I don't like the new waitress they got on 2001 she's too much of a wise neck. As you can see I haven't been there fore a while... but I hear they are still open (Dec/2003) 南京咸鸭
Last Eaten (Dec/2006) It's located in the south east corner of Las tunas and Mission Dr. It's not really a restaurant but they sell exactly what they say, The guy man the desk and his wife, the kitchen. That guy's wife make a really good salted duck. 清真马家馆
Last sighting (Dec/2003) I've been to two locations, the Irvine one and the one on Garvey. Both taste the same and have museum approved food. Both places are filled with middle eastern people but makes decent Beijing style Islamic food. The Irvine one is a little cleaner. Don't forget to try 芝麻大饼 京兆尹 now 鹿鼎记
Last Sighting (Dec/2005) Located in the plaza
across the street from the 888 restaurant. with 永和豆浆 They closed for a little bit and changed their name (because some guy got shot in a gun fight at this restaurant).. it's still the same place... They make really good sweet treats that you'd expect to get at 紫禁城 the portion are tiny but it'll allow you to try more stuff. They don't make good noodles. It's a typical Taiwan style Beijing food. The place have great atmosphere (well when there's no gun battles anyways) and/but have waitress in mini skirts (I'm guessing the reason for the gun fight?). 四川天下第一汤 Last Visit (Jan/1999) I think it's somewhere on Huntington drive... Went here once and never again. The soup were up to my standards but nothing else is. It would be a good Chinese restaurant if it were in... say Montana. 湖南小馆
Last Visit (Dec/2005) Located in the Shun Fat plaza (north side) south of 10 FWY on Atlantic We loved it the first time we went there. The second time we went with 12 people and ordered 12 dishes and had 12 dishes that tasted exactly the same. They taste really good just all the same. 萝卜干鸭，and their 兔肉are really good. 老夫子饺子馆
Last Visit (Dec/2005) We visit this place less frequently than we should. their dumpling is good but we had too much frozen dumplings. They are in the same plaza as 湖南小馆. 敦煌火锅
Last Visit (Dec/2005)
In the 99 ranch plaza on intersection of Delmar and Valley It WAS my favorite place when I was 12. After then it begin a steady slide in quality. Then they moved, the price went up and cleanness went down. Don't go unless you need a cure for constipation. 江浙叙香园餐厅
Last Visit (May/2002) Located on Valley Blvd.
west of Del Mar Very clean and good service with decent Chinese food. More local people than that other Chinese restaurants. It is more expensive but if you need to take someone to Chinese and impress them with some sophistication then this is the place. 小美 There are so many around here and all are different. There is one on
27E Valley Bl Alhambra 626-308-3898
127 S. San Gabriel Bl San Gabriel
626-451-0088 Garfield and Valley Closed for about a year for remodeling. Haven't been to the new one but the old one is fairly similar to the San Gabriel and valley store. except it smells like rotten water melons there.
104N Garfield Ave, Monterey Park, 91754
626-571-2727
5394 Walnut Ave. #C Irvine 永和豆浆
Last Visit (Dec/2004) There are two store that taste the same. Both on Valley, one near san Gabriel and one near New Ave. Good breakfast and maybe lunch. 会宾楼 Last Visit (long time ago) Over priced food decent not great. Standard Shanghai affaire. I didn't like it. Would be a great restaurant in say... Wyoming. 北海渔村
Last Visit (Apr/2002) Good dim-sum bad service, I had to actually go stand and chase after them to pay. Needless to say they didn't get a tip, and lost a customer. They offer standard Cantonese affair. 鼎泰丰
Last Visit (Dec/2005) Their 小笼包 is fantastic despite being authentic Shanghai food from Taiwan. 赤豆松糕 is good though the portion is a little disappointing. 三家村
Last Visit (a long time ago) The 小葱拌豆腐 is really good, but other things are not. they are the same distance from Caltech as 鹿苑 so go there instead. On valley west of Atlantic 狗不理
Last Visit (2001) They are such fakes, they don't even know what Tianjin is... they would be a decent place if they had another name. Don't be confused with the one in flushing NY, the one in Hacienda Heights is fake. 东来顺
140W. Valley Bl. #118C San Gabriel
626-288-6588 三和烧腊/海鲜酒家
5406 Walnut Ave, Irvine
小路子清粥
Last Visit (Dec/2004) Nice place for porage if the need arrives. Lunch offers very good value where you can pick 3 dishes and porage for a really low price. Wonderful for those days when you want something that's not too heavy. 吉荣餐厅
Last Visit (July/2002) it would be a nice place if it was instead in Montana, but not in LA. It's really cheap and give you many free dishes. But not authentic at all, more American Chinese food. 弘城
Last Visit (Dec/2005) Really good canton food there is one in Irvine and (south east corner of Garfield and Valley). Different owners but same great food. but you have to order the good stuff. The cheap dishes are, well... cheap. 白灼虾，鱼肚汤，象拔蚌 are really really good. I like the Irvine one better... 半亩园
Last Visit (Dec/2005) Really good canton food there is one in Irvine and (south east corner of Garfield and Valley). Different owners but same great food. but you have to order the good stuff. The cheap dishes are, well... cheap. 白灼虾，鱼肚汤，象拔蚌 are really really good. I like the Irvine one better... 弘城鱼翅海鲜酒家
Last Visit (Dec/2006) Really good canton food there is one in Irvine and (south east corner of Garfield and Valley). Different owners but same great food. but you have to order the good stuff. The cheap dishes are, well... cheap. 白灼虾，鱼肚汤，象拔蚌 are really really good. I like the Irvine one better... 新翡翠 Last Visit (Dec/2001) Closed now a Vietnamese restaurant Good and cheap place for 白灼虾 although you would have to order other food It's not bad. The only down side is the outside looks like a green tomb stone. . Garden Last Visit (Feb/2002) South west of Valley and Garfield. Opens till 4:00AM offers good deserts and OK milk teas. Steaks aren't bad either. Their cleanness could be improved though. 凤城甜品/菜馆
Last Visit (Dec/2005)
1108S Baldwin Ave. Arcadia South west of Valley and Garfield. Opens till 4:00AM offers good deserts and OK milk teas. Steaks aren't bad either. Their cleanness could be improved though. 翠和 Last Visit (Jan/2001) on Valley around New Ave. Usual HK affair, too oily for me and might not be safe after midnight. 乐立杯
Last Visit (Jan/2001) ABC Last Visit (May/2001) Same plaza as 丁胖子. Too much smoking after midnight, It's illegal but no one seems to care. Cheap prices but at the expense of your health. OK Last Visit (Dec/2002) about 100m eat on valley from Garfield and Valley intersection. The food is better than the name suggests. They have really good food. We especially like the fried octopus, pineapple seafood fried rice and the porages. I really hate their milk tea though...
通天阁日本料理店
Last Visit (Jun/2002) This place is on Valley Blvd. and next to the 99 ranch plaza that's Del Mar and Valley. It's Great value Japanese food that tastes really good. Order a boat and it'll be enough for 3 people. Great food and excellent value. 通天阁日本小火锅店
Last Visit (Jun/2002) Neat little place, change of favor. Feel a little expensive though 上林烧烤
Last Visit (Feb/2002) Very entertaining place, it's a Japanese BBQ place where the chef puts on a show and tells stupid joke. The difference with this one is that they speaks Chinese Todai
Last Visit (Aug/2002) Quality Japanese Buffet. Don't go during popular hours as it could be crowded. They are all over the country and you can check out their website, www.todai.com. Desert is better than O-Nami. O-Nami Last Visit (Dec/2003) Quality Japanese Buffet. Better compared to Todai It' not usually crowded and the food are fresher, you don't have to stand in line for 30 min for a lobster. A better sounding name. The desert is not as good as Todai. There are a few stores in S. Cal. and they have a website too http://www.o-nami.com.
Picnic Garden Korean BBQ buffet on Euclide. From 405 exit pass fry's electronics and pass mile square park. They have all you can eat raw oysters, yum... 韩国豆腐s We don't go to Korean town often so tofu is most of our contact with Korean food. We like the one on Las tunas and San Gabriel, still open as of Dec/2003 Black Angus All over California, offers good steak. Quality varies by location. Houston Near Caltech offers a good deal on wonderful steak. Expensive but well worth it. Denny's Bad food. Many Others too many to list and I only like steak. So... That's it.
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