No, Indian Restaurant in San Gabriel doesn't serve Native American food. It doesn't serve Indian subcontinent food either. It's a Taiwanese beer hall that is Native American-themed. Think kitschy dream catchers on the walls, kachina dolls here and there, and waitresses wearing short skirts, tank tops, and headbands with feathers sticking up.
My eyes were quite offended; my belly was quite pleased.
Because as far as Taiwanese beer halls go, and umm, this is the only one I've been to, the ability to turn unusual ingredients into yummy deliciousness can't be beat. Think stinky tofu, squid lips, and duck tongue. Mmm. :P
My first visit was in June for Destination Eats' series of going away parties. Joining us were his girlfriend, Kung Food Panda, who had a VIP card, and several others.
The aforementioned dream catcher, although I've never seen one with fur.
Kachina dolls.
A pitcher of Kirin beer was $9.99. Funny little shot glasses instead of beer mugs. Complimentary Taiwanese pickled cabbage.
We let Kung Food Panda order for us since he had the VIP card so he must know which dishes were best.
Fried pig intestine, $8.99. If you can stomach it (Har har!), then intestine has an interesting crunchy outside and chewy interior.
Fried duck tongue, $8.99. I've had duck tongue before at Macau Street - Monterey Park, but these had more batter and had the Taiwanese popcorn effect with five-spice and basil.
A rather tame Stir-Fried Water Spinach, $9.99. Although, it's listed on our receipt as water celery.
Hot spicy pork intestine, $7.99. I can't remember all the flavors, but vaguely recall pickled mustard greens.
Deep-fried stinky tofu, $6.99, listed on the menu as "odorous" tofu. Just think of super stinky cheeses.
Sauteed odorous tofu, $7.99. Fried, finely minced, and sauteed.
Hot and spicy squid lips, $9.99.
Oh! So squid lips are basically the beaks, with the teeth removed.
Three flavor combo in pot, $9.99, basically three cup squid with soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. A little too salty, but the three flavors came through really nicely after braising, and I always love basil in anything.
Stir-fried pork cheeks with green onions, in this case, leeks, $8.99.
Waitresses with feathers in their headbands. I know. So un-PC.
So what does having a VIP card get you? A 10% discount. :)
I told my brother and cousin Q's older brother and his wife about my dining experience at Indian Restaurant so we went a month later. This time, we were slightly less adventurous in our entree choices.
Stir-fried clams.
Chinese Three-Cup Chicken, $8.99.
Stir-fried frog legs, $10.99.
I tried to order the spicy hot pot again, but ended up with this other pickled mustard green soup instead. It was OK, but not the dish we were aiming for.
My brother got excited when he saw a dish of fried smelt coming out of the kitchen, but by then, we were already full.
One last kitschy Native American Indian decor for you.
Anyway, so not very PC, but a good place for some unusual dishes. Very long wait during peak dinner time so go early if you can.
Other beer and bar food restaurants:
Binh Dan Restaurant - Westminster (Little Saigon)
Indian Restaurant
633 S. San Gabriel Blvd., Ste. 105
San Gabriel, CA 91776
626-287-0688
Sunday to Thursday 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
*****
1 year ago today, Farfalle with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Corn.
2 years ago today, Lil' Sis Abandoned Me :( and Why We're Such Daddy's Girls.
Wow. Definitely unusual. I think I will take your word for it as far as the food ;-)
ReplyDeleteNikki,
ReplyDeleteEvery once in a while, it's fun to be adventurous. :)