Yama Seafood L.A. - San Gabriel

I don't know how many times I've driven past Yama Seafood L.A. on Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel and not really noticed this rather non-descript Japanese grocery store. Until March 2008 (I know, going a ways back for this one). How could I have missed the large "Sushi Takeout" and "Sushi" and "Sashimi" signs?

Sometimes, I'm not in the mood for a whole sit-down sushi restaurant experience. Sometimes, I just want a few sushi rolls, and you know the American grocery store versions are not gonna satisfy that craving!

Parking is around the back. I ducked in to see what Yama Seafood had to offer that day and have been happily indulging in freshly-made and inexpensive sushi and sashimi at this little mom and pop shop for years.

Happy Year of the Snake!

Happy Year of the Snake everyone!

A few days before the lunar new year, my oldest uncle's wife called to tell me to come pick up a banh tet (Vietnamese sticky rice cake). She also gave me some dua mon (Vietnamese pickles) and mandarin oranges.

My friend DP gave me the Girl Scout cookies and a banh chung, the northern Vietnamese version of the lunar new year sticky rice cake. Banh tet is the central and southern version.

I'm pretty bad about the gift exchange this year and am still working on my half.

This morning I met up with my childhood friend for our annual lunar new year meal. I decided to keep it simple and cheap this year, so we went to my favorite, Luscious Dumplings, Inc. - San Gabriel. We got the beef stew noodles, pork and Szechuan pickles noodles, soup dumplings, and three orders of potstickers. We got the regular pork and the pork, sole, and cabbage potstickers. My friend's friends liked them so much that we got a third order. Mmm. Gotta love starting off the new year with a tried and true favorite.

A Knight-Themed Party and Vietnamese First Birthday Traditions

The morning I got back from my trip to Portland, lil' sis picked me up from the airport and we went immediately to the grocery store to buy ingredients to make my nephew's birthday cake. When my brother initially sent out the birthday evite, he jokingly referred to the baby as "Sir," so lil' sis and I decided to go with it as the theme. After a bit of brainstorming, I decided to make a lime cake dusted with coconut flakes. I made a little castle tower with leftover black sesame buttercream frosting that I had frozen from the niece's Totoro birthday cake. Bought some knights and dragon figurines and positioned them like they were fighting. And lastly, added cake bunting so it would look like a tournament.

Saigon's Bakery and Sandwiches - San Gabriel

Ah well, you knew I couldn't keep up the real-time updates on the blog. So let's go back to the day before I left for vacation. I had a 5-hour flight to Washington, D.C., then several hours layover, and a 5 1/2-hour flight to my destination. Could you believe neither of those flights had free meal service?

So in between trying to get my house in order, I managed to run to Saigon's Bakery and Sandwiches in San Gabriel to grab some Vietnamese sandwiches for the road. This location is by the San Gabriel Superstore, so it's a convenient stop-in after grocery shopping. I've been going to Saigon's Bakery and Sandwiches for years now, and have to say it's my favorite Vietnamese French bread, light, airy and crispy. It also has the best Banh Mi Xiu Mai (Vietnamese Meatball Sandwich), seasoned and flavorful, not just steamed like at other places. The sandwiches also wear well for travel. The bread doesn't get hard and dry and the filling isn't all fatty, absolute musts when I buy them a day in advance before a flight.

Freshly toasted, I'm still partial to Banh Mi & Che Cali Restaurant - Alhambra's crunchy soft bread and the pate they use just does it for me. But for price point, Saigon's Bakery and Sandwiches is actually cheaper now. Banh Mi Che Cali charges tax, Saigon's Bakery already has the tax in the price. So it's a few cents cheaper, but hey, those pennies add up. The Vietnamese French bread sandwiches here are $2.25 each (The baguette sandwiches are $2.75 each.), and they're buy 2, get 1 free. They used to be buy 3, get 1 free baguette, and buy 6, get a free sandwich. But this summer, they lowered their price point to many a happy customer, namely me!

Ton-Chan Ramen - San Gabriel (Closed)

Last February, shortly after Ton Chan Ramen opened I went to check it out with Tony of SinoSoul, who said the restaurant featured the milky tonkotsu-style broth that so many people in SoCal seem to prefer.


Ton Chan Ramen is housed in what used to be Aji Man Japanese Restaurant, which closed just short of its three-year anniversary. :( In looking up other ramen restaurants I've posted, I discovered Kappa Ramen - Anaheim is now closed as well. Seems like only the ramen chains are weathering the economic storm, or I need to try more mom-and-pop ramen restaurants.

Oh My Pan Bakery & Tea - San Gabriel

So, as I was saying, when I went to visit my new nephew, I wanted to bring my sister-in-law something that her parents were unlikely to have brought. Remembering that she likes the black sesame soy milk from VP Tofu - Monterey Park, I figured black sesame cream puffs seemed like just the thing.





My first visit to Oh My Pan Bakery and Tea in San Gabriel was in the late afternoon on New Year's Eve, lil' sis and I went with the oldest '87 and the older '88, since the latter two were skipping out on my brother's party that evening. The oldest '87 said Oh My Pan was her newest favorite tea house, pushing out her previous favorite, Half & Half Tea House - Monterey Park.

Young Dong Tofu - San Gabriel

Earlier this summer, I met up with Pink Candles at Ridgemont High and her family, who were up to check out the Harry Potter Tribute Exhibition at Nucleus Art Gallery & Store - Alhambra. She wanted to eat cold noodles for lunch. After running through Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cold noodle options, she decided on Korean.

I suggested Young Dong Tofu in San Gabriel because the menu specifically has a dish called Korean cold noodles. I know, so generic-sounding, but it was exactly what she asked. :P

Young Dong Tofu is located in a strip mall on Las Tunas Drive where Tokyo Lobby and Sam Woo BBQ are also. Unfortunately, ever since the Albertson's grocery store closed and got boarded up, the area has a rather desolate feel.

Tip Top Mart - San Gabriel

Gourmet Pigs and I made plans to watch the last Harry Potter film together. So sad. *Sniffle.* She bought the tickets; I paid for dinner. She had recently tried some of my leftover potstickers from Luscious Dumplings Inc. - San Gabriel and really liked them, even cold. And when I found out she had not been before, I had to to take her. Mmm. Beef brisket noodles and potstickers.

 After dinner, we went next door to Tip Top Mart so she could grab some Indonesian ramen.




Tip Top Mart opened some time last year? I remember noticing when it had replaced the previous business and telling GP since I always tell her when I come across a new Indonesian place. But I didn't really have a reason to stop in until now.

Happy Bakery - San Gabriel

Three years ago, Happy Bakery - Alhambra burned down. :( After several years of seeing nothing going up in the old location, I figured the owners decided to retire. So, tipped off by the Two Hungry Pandas, I was sooo excited to see them reopen last November.


I had been going to Happy Bakery for more than a decade, getting small orders of dim sum to-go or an occasional Chinese barbecued pork bun. A small box of various pastries always made great presents for a co-worker's birthday or to thank a friend for driving me to the airport.

The old location, with its handmade "Se Habla Espanol" sign because the Chinese owners once lived in Venezuela, was worn and tired. The owners often looked it too, but that was part of its charm. No frills, but I knew that the Happy Bakery was a real mom-and-pop kind of place.

Once, I stumbled upon the owners' son's blog post linking to my post about the fire. He said people kept asking his parents whether they were going to reopen. He said he was "bakerysick" in the way that some people get "homesick."

So happily filled with nostalgia, I mentioned all that to the owners when I first stopped in last December. She seemed happy to hear that people were talking about their reopening, excited to have them back. I asked her why they took so long?

She said they wanted to find the right location and they took a vacation. After so many years of working ungodly hours, the bakery opens at 6:30 a.m., I smiled at the thought of them needing and taking a vacation.

Welcome back, I said, and proceeded to order up a storm.

They still offer a variety of dim sum to-go.

Pho Ga Vietnam Kitchen - San Gabriel (Closed)

In July 2008, I dined at Pho Ga Vietnam Kitchen with cousin Q's older brother. He had been in Singapore for business that year and tried the Hainanese chicken rice there. Though the Singaporean version was quite different from our family's version, he quite liked it and searched for a similar chicken rice here.

After trying out the usual suspects: Savoy Kitchen  (Blech!) and Dong Nguyen Restaurant and Banh Cuon Hai Nam Saigon (Tastes similar to our family's version.), we ended up at Pho Ga Vietnam Kitchen in San Gabriel because I noticed the huge sign that proclaimed they served Hainanese chicken rice.

Hot Stuff Cafe!!! - San Gabriel (Closed)

I try to visit local restaurants at least twice before I blog about them. To be fair, but also because showing two or three dishes doesn't make a very interesting post. So we're going pretty far back to my early blogging days for this one. Back in September 2007, I checked out Hot Stuff Cafe!!!

Partly spurred by a Los Angeles Times article that mentioned chef and owner Jimmy Wang was a Le Cordon Bleu graduate who once worked at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey. I'm not sure if the owner is Chinese-Burmese? Old reviews of the former incarnation, Romantic Steak House, indicated so, but there was only one Burmese item on the menu, tea leaf salad. The rest of the menu was a blend of Chinese cafe classics and some fusion dishes.

ID Cha House - San Gabriel

Shortly after 85 Degrees C Tea House - San Gabriel changed its name to ID Cha House, I went with Gourmet Pigs to see if it was still the same.


Same horoscope drinks and hot tea. I can't even remember which tea we got, but they're $4.95 for a pot and can be refilled with hot water upon request.

Jazz Cat Restaurant - San Gabriel

I was sad when the original Jazz Cat Cafe - Alhambra stopped letting us cook hot pots table side. Then, they stopped serving hot pots at all. Then, they closed down completely.

Because they had opened a new location in San Gabriel.

Yippee!



The grand opening was in late October. I tipped off Tony of SinoSoul so he could be my guinea pig since he likes to be first. Ha! He complained about the long wait and disproportionately high counter to chair difference at the bar.

But for lunch time with Gourmet Pigs, we only had a slight wait and were seated in a booth. That makes all the difference in my enjoyment of Jazz Cat.

Happy Sheep Cafe Shabu & Grill - San Gabriel

Since Larkin's wasn't open the day we ended up at The Oinkster, we went back the next day. And it was closed again!

*Ahem.*

I just wanted to point out that I make a pretty good Southern fried chicken and cream gravy and I am not driving out to Eagle Rock unless it's really worth it.



Mrs. SinoSoul and I were craving hot pot, so we ended up at Happy Sheep Cafe Shabu & Grill in San Gabriel. This used to be Little Fat Sheep, but I guess they've split from the main branch in China?

Lu Din Gee Cafe (Duck House) - San Gabriel (Closed)

Since my previous year's birthday dinner at Uzbekistan - Los Angeles was just OK, I figured I would stick closer to home and try something more familiar, but a little different as well. I've had Peking duck in Chinese restaurants before, but usually served with steamed buns.

Lu Din Gee Cafe, which also calls itself Duck House, is one of the few restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley that serve Peking duck with Mandarin pancakes, very thin flour wraps. Reservations must be made at least an hour in advance. The three-course set menu was $47 and featured the Peking duck, duck bone soup, and duck stir-fried with bean sprouts.

When I called to make the reservation, I asked if I could have lettuce cups instead of the stir-fry with bean sprouts. The person who answered the phone said yes, but on the day of, the waiter said no.

But the person I spoke to on the phone when I made the reservation said I could.

Still no.

So unless you're luckier than me, that three-course menu is set.

Indian Restaurant - San Gabriel

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

Lollicup Tea Zone - San Gabriel (Closed)

It's funny how some people are stuck on certain chains and certain locations. For instance, I prefer the Tapioca Express Inc. - San Gabriel. But once, after meeting up with a friend for lunch at Luscious Dumplings Inc. - San Gabriel, instead of going across the street to Tapioca Express, her husband specifically wanted to go to this Lollicup Tea Zone.




The only one I like is the Lollicup Tea Zone - Westminster (Little Saigon) for the matcha green tea slushie.

Tapioca Express Inc. - San Gabriel (Las Tunas Dr.) (Closed)

Instead of the Tapioca Express Inc. - Alhambra, I go to the location in San Gabriel on Las Tunas Dr.




This location is conveniently across the street from Golden Deli Vietnamese Restaurant - San Gabriel, Luscious Dumplings Inc. - San Gabriel, and Vietnam House Vietnamese Restaurant - San Gabriel.

It's not just about the tea drinks. There are plenty of tables, chairs, and sofas. Even when it's packed, I've always been able to find a spot. And plenty of outlets for my laptop.

Best of all, I never feel rushed.

Aji Man Japanese Restaurant - San Gabriel (Closed)

Aji Man. From the name and the logo featuring a cute old man, I thought Aji Man Japanese Restaurant in San Gabriel was a copycat version of Ajisen Ramen, a world-wide chain with a logo of a winking little girl.

How wrong I was.


Imagine my surprise when I read in Around Alhambra (Click on the April 2009 edition, section B, page 11.) that Aji Man is actually owned by a Japanese family, Osami Sasaki, his wife, Mieko, and their son Takatumi. Osami grew up in Kobe, Japan and was trained as a sushi chef before switching over to ramen.

His ramen is Hokkaido-style, a lighter and clearer stock than the milky Kyushu-style tonkotsu broth that's popular at restaurants such as Daikokuya and Santouka. At Aji Man, the ramen is cooked at a lower flame for a clearer broth, and combines pork bones and fish.

Bamboodles Restaurant - San Gabriel (Closed)

When I first saw Bamboodles Restaurant replace the Chinese ramen restaurant, I figured it was along the same lines and didn't pay much attention. Then via Pleasure Palate, I saw Exile Kiss's post about how the noodles were kneaded by a man bouncing on a big bamboo pole.


Err. That sounds a lot dirtier than it actually is.

See?

Man bouncing on bamboo pole.