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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Kang Kang Food Court - Alhambra


Kang Kang Food Court - Alhambra 1

Remember when Won Ton Time used to be in this strip mall? How about further back when Kang Kang Food Court used to be Shau May? Or even further back when the Chinese movie theater used to be here?

Oh! Oh!

Speaking of the theater, does anyone know the name of the Chinese movie where these two boys were raised like brothers, except one of the boy's fathers was head of a mafia? I think one of them grows up to take over for his dad? And then there was a train and he climbed in through a window and surprised a woman, and they ended up falling in love? Except she was on her way to marry the other one? Or something like that. Mafias, love triangles, love on a speeding train.

C'mon! Does anyone know which movie I'm talking about? My second-cousin took me to see it at the Chinese theater that used to be here and I don't remember the name, but I really, really want to find it again.

Anyway, back to Kang Kang and reminiscing. Remember when shaved ice was only $1.50 for three ingredients? I know! Darn inflation!

Even at $3.25, it's still the best shaved ice deal in town. My cousins and I are here almost every week during the summer.

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Mondo piles of shaved ice.

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An extra 25 cents for condensed milk.

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I like mango pudding or longans. The girls like Chinese rice balls.

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One day, I departed from our usual shaved ice treat and ordered the Shanghai pan-fried small bao for $5.77. After all, they do claim that their version is the best in L.A. and unique to the restaurant.

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Indeed, their sheng jian bao (Shanghai pan-fried pork buns) are made just like what it looks like on Appetite for China. Other Shanghai restaurants that I've tried make mini buns and pan-fry them. It's not the same.

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According to Wikipedia, they're supposed to be denser on the bottom and cooked close together in the pan so they're squarish.

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Look at all that soup! Just a warning that these are very hot and may burn your tongue if you're not careful.

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Once, while dining with my childhood friend, we decided to order their regular $5.31 xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings) to see how they compared.

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The skins were quite thick, but there was plenty of soup. I wouldn't go here specifically for the xiao long bao, but I'd eat them if I had a craving.

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One of my favorite items to order here is the Jing Dong Meat Pie for $4.57. It's huge! The size of the platter.

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Think of crispy Chinese pancake with layers with juicy meat between those layers. Yum!

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But mostly, Kang Kang is a very working class type of place. Order at the counter and tell them which number is your table. They have a long steam table with really cheap prices.

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One item with soup is only $2.73. The soup is just like water though so I don't know if it's worth it. Better to get the combo since you'll get soup and rice.

One item combo is $3. Two items $3.70. Three items $4.25, which is what I got. Four items are $5.17.

I decided to try the braised pork, sweet and sour chicken, and tofu stir-fry. The portions were very generous, but it's standard steam table fare. If you're really too lazy to cook and feeling very poor, then maybe you might want this.

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Lil' sis said once that she saw an older man eating something that looked so good, but she didn't know what it was called.

Why didn't she just point and tell the cashier she wanted what he was having, I asked her?

She was too embarrassed.

A little sleuthing and I figured out what she saw was da bing (Chinese flat bread). It's listed on the menu as Chinese pancake with pork. An order also comes with green onions and a Chinese barbecue sauce.

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Just make a little wrap and slather on some sauce. The bread is nicely chewy. Yummy even cold and as leftovers.

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Kang Kang is really a hodge podge of regional Chinese foods. There are Central and Northern Chinese dishes, and Taiwanese snacks as well. I'm usually here for the shaved ice, but I also recommend the sheng jian bao, jing dong meat pie, and da bing.

Who else ate at Kang Kang Food Court? Even though it took me a while to blog this place, I've pretty much told everyone to go for the shaved ice, sheng jian bao, and jing dong meat pie.
Shaved Ice Sundays got the shaved ice, of course, and two jing dong meat pies.
Eat. Travel. Eat! saw her post and had to get the sheng jian bao too.
Kirk of Mmm-yoso didn't think the sheng jian bao were fluffy enough.
I shared more shaved ice with Pink Candles at Ridgemont High.

Other places to get shaved ice:
Class 302 Taiwanese Cuisine - Rowland Heights
ID Cha House - San Gabriel
Le Arbre Tea House - Rosemead
Pa Pa Walk - San Gabriel
Salju Dessert - Alhambra

Kang Kang Food Court 
Pacific Square 
27 E. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-308-3898
Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to midnight

*****
1 year ago today, Chinese Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry.
2 years ago today, Luscious Dumplings, Inc. - San Gabriel redux.
3 years ago today, nectarine flowers, freesia, and primroses were blooming in my old garden.

9 comments:

  1. Why are there NO comments on this? Wah wah so sad for Kang Kang.

    I'm embarrassed to admit this is one of my faves in all of SGV. It's classless and nearly priceless, or, priced very little. While the shaved ice smorgasbords aren't as "refined" as Old Country, they are definitely cheap as heck.

    Never had the da bing here though. Best pork pancake wrap I've had recently came out of Liang's Kitchen.

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  2. hi wc - that meat pie looks really good. i'd totally try that. i liked their shaved ice there. i'd never had it with condensed milk before. kind of like halo halo but not in a glass!

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  3. I remember the pan fried bao lunch I had about five years ago here. And I do remember Wonton Time. We had to share a table back then, even if we were a party of four!

    Like the SJB here but after last time I think it will be hard for me to persuade my dining companions to visit again + it is far from where I live. And although it is cheap it is yummy! Just like one of my favorite places in Arcadia. Although it isn't as cheap as here.

    BTW, you mean shaved "ice" in the last paragraph and not shaved "dice" right? :)

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  4. Ooh that da bing looks good!

    On a different note, I visited that Marrakesh restaurant off the 55 freeway you recommended and it was pretty tasty! You should definitely try it one day. I also got a free 10 dollar gift certificate! :)

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  5. I think I'd dig this. The question is whether I can convince some co-workers to come with me.

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  6. Is this the post I've been waiting for so long??? Everything looks great! Sheng Jiang so yummy! :)

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  7. I got to try some sheng jian bao (although I didn't know the name) at an international food fair on my campus a couple of days ago, and oh my gosh. They are so good. Which means I am definitely tracking this place down, possibly tomorrow.

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  8. Tony,
    I just posted! It's backdated. :P Sometimes I don't want refined food, I just want cheap and good.

    CC,
    Can't fit that mound of shaved ice in a glass!

    ETE,
    It's always about proximity. That's why I rarely eat in Arcadia. Thanks for pointing out the typo. I fixed it.

    Diana,
    Nice! Glad you liked the restaurant, considering I recommended without having dined there! :P

    WeeMo,
    You have finicky co-workers!

    Dennis,
    Haha. Yeah, the one I promised loooong ago!

    Sonia,
    Yup!

    Andi?,
    It's not too far from you!

    ReplyDelete

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