634599 Tue Jul 07 08:38:33 -0700 2009 14 2 Los Angeles Area 0 4836232 Dandan's Guilin Rice Noodles 140 W Valley Blvd Ste 203 San Gabriel 91778 (626)307-1989 After a brunch at Din Tai Fung I headed down towards Focus Plaza in nearby San Gabriel. I’d heard Focus Plaza was one of the largest Chinese malls in the SGV. I didn’t expect to have a hard time locating a place that large but somehow I managed. Things got off to a rocky start when I tried to turn West on Valley Blvd. As it turns out somebody had the crazy notion to schedule a parade on Valley that day. Who ever heard of a parade on the 4th of July? So I had to travel a little further south and then come back up to Valley past the roadblock. Then I couldn’t figure out if I had to turn back East or head West. I stopped inside the parking lot of the Hawaii Supermarket (right during its grand opening) and got myself straightened out. Even once I figured out where I was going I missed Focus Plaza the first time. It turns out the plaza is set back from Valley Blvd. and from the street view it’s overshadowed by the Hilton hotel and Swiss Plaza. But there’s a very good reason Focus Plaza is a little bit off of Valley. It’s enormous. It’s easily twice as big as the Hilton plaza and in my view more impressive. The parking lot stretched out forever and by the time I arrived (near 11:30) it was packed and I had to find a spot in back. From there I got a good look at the size of the place. Focus Plaza, I thought. As in what do you focus on? That was a good question. The eating possibilities at Focus were numerous. I was there for dumplings and New Capital Seafood was reputed to have great dim sum. But there was already a huge line forming at the ground floor at the hostess station (the restaurant itself is all the way on the fourth floor.) I decided against it. I’m very familiar with dim sum and I wanted to find something a little more off beat. Boy did I ever find it. Tucked away in a little corner, this restaurant caught my eye with its posters featuring meats and rice noodles in a fiery red broth. The place was called Dandan’s Guilin Rice Noodles and it was clear this was a locals hangout. For one the menu featured such things as Snail Meat Rice Noodle and Super Spicy Pig’s Tripe and Pig’s Ear. Inside Chinese cable was playing (some kind of hip hop dance competition) and English was definitely a second language to the staff (maybe even a third.) The menu is written in English but the order pad was entirely in Chinese. Fortunately everything was numbered. I decided to keep to my dumpling theme and ordered the Green Chive Pork Dumpling and the Leek Wonton which may have been the same filling only in different preparations. The Leek Wonton was filled with garlic chive and leek or green onion, put in a light wonton wrapper and served in broth. It was good but not much different from your typical wonton. The Green Chive Pork dumplings were better. They had thick, hearty wrappers. They’d been boiled and they burst with water and juice when you bit into them. They came with a vinegar dipping sauce which I recommend mixing with the chili paste that’s at every table. The paste is a blend of chili and fermented bean and has a slight sweetness to it that makes it a perfect condiment for the dumplings. Dandan’s Guilin has much more to offer. Sadly I was already getting full and had to move. But I will be back. Any place that serves Preserved Pig’s Intestine with Vegetables is definitely worth coming back for. My review with pics http://tocookandeatinla.blogspot.com/ Tue Jul 07 08:38:33 -0700 2009 1091102 MikeLee 1 4836985 Mike, thanks for the great review and finding and reporting on a really interesting sounding place. Hounding of the highest order and in the best tradition of CH. So, next time you'll actually have to sample the dandan noodles and see what you think. I am a sucker for those (love a good burn) and it's not easy finding good ones. Tue Jul 07 12:38:32 -0700 2009 4836232 108169 Servorg 2 4837423 You bet. Thanks for dropping by Tue Jul 07 14:56:22 -0700 2009 4836985 1091102 MikeLee 1 4841326 You really missed out on the best stuff they offer, the Guilin style ma-la noodles. Their dumplings are really pedestrian compared to the noodle dishes. The Guilin style hot sauce on the tables does stand out. Wed Jul 08 17:12:31 -0700 2009 4836232 11358 mpken 1 4842098 This is tragic. You went to Guilin and all you had to eat were ... dumplings??? You're one of those people that go to steakhouse and orders the lobster, aren't you? Get the noodles, my friend!!! That's the sole reason for Guilin's existence. Wed Jul 08 23:21:59 -0700 2009 4836232 11583 ipsedixit 2 4846619 Dan Dan Mien, as in the traditional Sichuan dish, or something different? I need me some noodles with a big ma la whollop! Fri Jul 10 10:31:06 -0700 2009 4842098 10864 sel 3 4846834 Different. Traditionally, Guilin doesn't specialize in Mala (numb and spicy - Szechuan style). Also, the noodles here are "mi-fen" or rice noodles, not your traditional noodles found in street-food "dan dan" mien. Fri Jul 10 11:30:17 -0700 2009 4846619 11583 ipsedixit 4 4847058 Thanks! Fri Jul 10 12:29:46 -0700 2009 4846834 10864 sel 1 4843310 I tried Google Maps on this and got "8 Cafe" for Dandan's Guilin. Same place, different translation? I'm suppose to be chauffeuring the elderly in-laws there in less than two hours, so if nobody jumps in to stop me I guess we'll just be chancing it. Thu Jul 09 10:15:33 -0700 2009 4836232 11478 Will Owen 2 4843356 Maybe this will help? http://www.chow.com/places/8048 (and if you look at it on google mapping satillite, Will it is in a pretty darn big mall, so lots of other eateries are at the same address undoubtedly) Thu Jul 09 10:28:28 -0700 2009 4843310 108169 Servorg 2 4843360 I'm told they are sister restaurants, but I have no confirmation that Dandan and Eight Cafe are related (except for the fact that they both offer up "mi fen" as their specialty). Thu Jul 09 10:29:06 -0700 2009 4843310 11583 ipsedixit 2 4846901 I may not be remembering correctly but I think 8 Cafe is on the first floor and Dandan's is on the second floor. Fri Jul 10 11:45:21 -0700 2009 4843310 1091102 MikeLee 2 4847121 As it turns out, Maman decided to blow off her knitting class, so we had all the time in the world. We took advantage of this by going down to Noodle House, to which we had been just once and they never. We ate ourselves silly on seafood bun, mushroom dumpling, beef roll and sliced pig ear, and Pops was so pleased with the $25 tab (and the food) that he insisted on picking it up. And I was quite pleased that I didn't have to deal with noontime Great Mall parking! Fri Jul 10 12:46:55 -0700 2009 4843310 11478 Will Owen 2 5152973 Dandan is now actually called Eight Cafe. Guess they decided to stick with the brand name. Tue Nov 03 13:42:02 -0800 2009 4843310 10131 Chandavkl 3 5152995 Gack! This will really throw a hitch into Chowhound's automatic restaurant link system ... Tue Nov 03 13:47:17 -0800 2009 5152973 11583 ipsedixit