Good Food Within Immediate Area of Best Western in Rowland Heights

[Miss Needle]

I'll be in Rowland Heights for four days in June for a seminar which is held at The Best Western. I'm debating right now whether or now I need to rent a car or just take the airport shuttle. FYI, I'm not a fan of driving (I drive sporadically). The last time I rented a car in California (a few months ago), I drove it into a ditch. So I'm a bit shaky about driving a car in a foreign place again.

So being the food person that I am, my decision as to whether or not to rent a car will depend on the food options. So is there good food in the immediate vicinity of the Best Western where I could pick up a quick lunch? And I'm willing to take a short cab ride a bit further out for my dinners (less than $10 one-way). Or should I say to h*ll with it and just rent a car to increase my chow options and just risk possible death?

[GoodEatz]

There are so many restaurants around that you really don't need to rent a car and you will be able to try a different place for every meal if you want to.

If I were you, I would use Yelp to get the most liked restaurants within a couple of miles and then cross-reference them with Chowhound. Yelp is really good at finding places close by and you can read those reviews. However, 4 stars on Yelp doesn't mean much. It doesn't necessarily indicate good food. That's why you should get a list of candidate restaurants from Yelp and then run searches on Chowhound to get your final list. Chowhounders focus more on the food and less on the service, atmosphere and price. Someone on Yelp will give some place 5 stars if the waitress was cute.

[Servorg]

Isn't there a branch (or now the only one still around) of Green Village (the well regarded Shanghai restaurant) less than a mile from there?

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Green Village Shanghai Restaurant
1390 Fullerton Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[Servorg]

I noticed when looking at the Google map link that they had a button that said "browse near by restaurants and bars" to the Green Village location and when I clicked on it a lot of places came up. See here: http://search.chow.com/search?query=&...

[degustateur]

Sorry, Green Village has once again closed its doors.

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Green Village
San Gabriel, CA, San Gabriel, CA

[catbert]

they're gone and the shanghai restaurant in it's place is not recommended (i.e. frownies for my b-day). although thai president is a few doors further which a lot of peops like

[Das Ubergeek]

If you don't mind a walk that involves crossing over the freeway and its offramps, you've got tons of food within, say, a mile, mostly along the south side of the 60 (on Colima between Fullerton Rd and Nogales), mostly Asian. A short cab ride will get you to anywhere from Walnut to Hacienda Heights to Diamond Bar, so you've got plenty of options as long as you like Asian food.

[Burger Boy]

This should meet your desires. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/657630

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Noodle House (Fu Fang Yuan
)18219 Gale Ave., #A, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[Miss Needle]

Thanks everybody! Looks like a car isn't necessary which takes a load off of my mind. I'll probably be doing more research in the coming months as to where to eat. But, yes, I have heard of Noodle House and it is on my radar. Haven't heard of Green Village, but if they've got good xiao long bao, that would be a nice choice. And thanks for the Yelp rec! It truly is very helpful.

Das U, what is the freeway like? Is it difficult to cross? To me, a freeway conjures up images of speedy cars where I've only seen drunk and/or crazy people attempting to cross. And as I will probably be alone (unless I meet some like-minded souls at the seminar who don't mind traveling a bit for their food) would it be safe to walk to some of these destinations a mile away in the evening? I'm more creeped out by deserted areas than crowded "sketchy" streets.

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Green Village
San Gabriel, CA, San Gabriel, CA

Noodle House
18219 Gale Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748

[Chandavkl]

You're right in the middle of a bigger Taiwanese Chinatown than Flushing. Strictly speaking, there are many choices within walking distance, but as the old saying goes, nobody walks in L.A., so you should decide carefully. It's not terribly dangerous--not a high crime area, and there are traffic signals, and you'd be walking under or over the Pomona Freeway, depending on where you cross it. On the other hand, you don't see many pedestrians at all on the streets around there, so drivers may be less inclined to watch out for people on foot, particularly as they enter or exit the freeway. Actually, I believe you are immediately adjacent to one large primarily Chinese shopping center, and across the street from another one, so you could do fairly well staying on your side of the freeway. For example, Happy Harbor, one of the top, menu driven dim sum restaurants in the LA area, is in the second center. On the other hand, if you want to experience the best that the area has to offer, I'm not sure if I'd want to hike a mile or so one way and a mile back. BTW, Green Village is out of business, though I would suggest 101 Noodle Express in the same shopping center on Fullerton Road for their fantastic beef rolls.

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Green Village
San Gabriel, CA, San Gabriel, CA

Happy Harbor Restaurant
1015 Nogales St # 126, Rowland Heights, CA

101 Noodle Express
1388 Fullerton Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[Das Ubergeek]

You don't actually cross the freeway itself... you walk over it (Nogales) or under it (Fullerton) but both streets have entrance/exits, so it can be a little nervewracking.

It's not sketchy, just a bit worse for wear.

[ipsedixit]

The streets in those neck of the woods are not sketchy by any stretch of the imagination.

Like Chandavkl mentioned, you're basically wedged between a couple of major Asian/Chinese strip malls with lots of food options.

Bear in mind, however, that while you're in close proximity to alot of restaurants, the layout in this area really isn't conducive to walking and/or pedestrians. Things are pretty spread out and it can take a while to walk even 0.5 miles because you often have to make odd detours and cannot just take a straight line to your destination.

Bottom line? You won't NEED a car. Will you be able to get around without a car? Yes. Will it be easy to do so? Probably not as easy as say you would in the UES.

Cheers and enjoy your stay.

[exilekiss]

Hi Miss Needle,

Welcome to L.A. :) You've been given the best suggestions possible in the immediate area, by the veteran L.A. Hounds above, but it's unfortunate you don't have a car to experience some of L.A.'s best offerings. Hopefully next time, you'll be able to try out more of our great restaurants outside of Rowland Heights.

[degustateur]

Greetings, Miss Needle!

Your upcoming visit to Rowland Heights will provide you with many dining options within immediate walking distance and many more a short cab ride away. Although numerous, your nearby options will not be very diverse. Most all within walking distance will be either Chinese or Taiwanese. More varied cuisines are available via a short drive. I’ll assume that you will not have a car. Although by no means necessary, the availability of a car will open up a world of opportunities to you in both LA and Orange counties. Let us know if your transportation plans change.

Here are a dozen options for your consideration:

Casa Alvarez
19744 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
If you’re in the mood for Mexican food, Casa Alvarez is your best local option. Great chips & salsa to start with an horchata (rice water) or one of their potent wine margaritas. Excellent cheese enchiladas, chile rellenos, mojarra frita, caldo de res (beef soup) and a very good menudo served daily. About two miles away.

Class 302
1015 S. Nogales St., #125
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
Just a stone’s throw away from you across the street in the Ranch 99 Market Center. This modern Taiwanese serves up some great authentic dishes along with some terrific fresh fruit desserts and shaved ices. A must for lunch.

Dong Bu Live Fish
18785 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
Less than a mile from you. Just what the name says – a small, hole-in-the-wall Korean sashimi bar that serves live fish (halibut). You might want to convince another attendee to accompany you since the small portion will overfill two people for $65. Other non-live options are available as well. Believe me, it is outstanding and, no doubt, everything is VERY fresh. (^_^)

Happy Harbor Restaurant
1015 Nogales St
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
Also across the street from you in the Ranch 99 Market Center. A true destination dim sum house. Barack Obama ate there during a pre-presidential visit. I too have enjoyed dim sum there on several occasions. Regular entrees are served as well. Unlike me, you won’t have to vie for a parking spot.

Jubei Japanese Cuisine
20627 Golden Springs Dr.
Walnut, CA 91789
[phone]
Restaurant and sushi bar. The restaurant serves reliably consistent traditional Japanese fare. The sushi bar, under the direction of Ken, is excellent, bordering on outstanding. An impressive selection of exotic fresh fish is flown in regularly from Japan. The preparation is top-notch and they now serve a great Texas Blue Crab Hand Roll. About 2.5 miles away by car.

Kingswood Teppan Steak House
18900 Gale Ave
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
Another one right around the walkway from you. A Japanese Teppan Style restaurant. Guests sit around a cooking station where a dedicated chef prepares each person’s meal to order. A bit of flare and showmanship results in a fun and entertaining cooking exhibition. The filet mignon and lobster are, indeed, very good as is the fried rice and udon noodles. This is another venue where you might want one or more of the other attendees to accompany you to maximize the fun factor and social nature of the experience.

Newport Seafood
18441 Colima Road
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
Vietnamese. Live fresh fish, lobster, crab, shrimp, and clams. Great fried frog’s legs. The house special crab or lobster is phenomenal. Can be pricey. Inquire about the price per pound when ordering live seafood to avoid the attack of the $200 white crab! Best enjoyed by more than one person together. You can then try and share more dishes without accumulating an abundance of leftovers. About 1.5 miles away by car.

Noodle House
18219 Gale Ave
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
This gem of a restaurant serves up handmade-to-order steamed dumplings and buns. They are absolutely delectable and most worthy of your attention. One of the very best Chinese noodle houses in SoCal, imho. They also make an outstanding green onion pancake and the best hot and sour soup I’ve ever tasted. What’s more, you can watch it all happen in their beautifully modern, open kitchen. A must! Less than a mile away.

Ong Go Jib
18891 Colima Rd.
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
Best Korean BBQ in the area, especially the galbi (beef short ribs). A real hole-in-the-wall. Same owners as Ong Ga Nae on the corner of Colima and Fairway but the meat is definitely better and better prepared here. Can’t explain – they swear it’s the same. Be prepared to wait during prime time. It’s very popular, and for good reason. About one mile away by car.

Pho Rowland Restaurant
18910 Gale Ave
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
http://phorowland.net/index.php
Excellent Pho (Vietnamese soup) and other traditional dishes right around the walkway from your room. You won’t even have to cross the street. I like their summer rolls (#2) and their Pho Dac Biet (#18).

Rowland Seafood Harbor
1015 Nogales St
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
Another excellent Chinese restaurant and dim sum house across from you in the same center as Happy Harbour. A bit more elegant, larger and formal. I have enjoyed their superb dim sum many times. Regular entrees are also served. May still be the same ownership as the famed Seafood Harbour in Rosemead, my favorite SoCal dim sum restaurant.

The Boiling Crab
18902 E Gale Ave
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
[phone]
www.theboilingcrab.com
Fast becoming an institution, the Boiling crab is the original “Cajun style” hot & spicy seafood place in SoCal. You can order various types of boiled whole crabs, crab legs, lobster, crawfish and shrimp with your choice of sauce – from mild to wild. Fried versions and other seafood are also offered. Excellent if you stick to the boiled crab and lobster. Avoid the gumbo. Be careful with the sauces – anything above mild is for pyromaniacs only, imho! Highly recommended. Less than a half-mile away.

Bon Appetit!

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Happy Harbor Restaurant
1015 Nogales St # 126, Rowland Heights, CA

Newport Seafood Restaurant
18441 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Jubei Japanese Cuisine
20627 Golden Springs Dr, Walnut, CA 91789

Teppan Steak House
1801 E Ventura Blvd, Oxnard, CA 93036

Bon Appetit
1801 Century Park E Ste 330, Los Angeles, CA 90067

Ong Go Jib Restaurant
18891 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Casa Alvarez
19744 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[Chandavkl]

Glad you mentioned the Korean places. Since I'm partial to Chinese food I naturally associate Rowland Heights with Chinese food, but there is also a large Korean population in the area, too.

[ChinoWayne]

Awesome run down.

[crystaw]

Definitely get some shaved ice (they call it 'snow ice') at Class 302!

[Mr Taster]

"Snow ice" is not the same as "shaved ice". Snow ice is shaved frozen milk. Be sure to get the special mango snow ice towards the front of the menu. There is an identically priced one in the back which is not as spectacular (doesn't come with chewy rice balls)

Mr Taster

[dlew308]

Class 302 is a must if you've never tried snow ice before. I can't find any place else that sells it. I first had it in Taipei a couple of weeks ago, now I'm hooked.

[A5 KOBE]

Great places to eat around that area. I also suggest Noodle House.

Wish I could say the same about the Best Western. I stayed there once and a huge cockroach crawled right underneath the door.

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Noodle House
18219 Gale Ave, City of Industry, CA 91748

[Miss Needle]

Wow! Thanks for all the help, guys! Degustateur, the list is really helpful.

Ha ha about the freeway crossing. Yeah, I actually thought I had to physically run across a freeway dodging cars. Here am I thinking, "Gee, Das U is pretty bold -- either that or crazy." Good thing about the overpass. I don't think it will frighten me -- well, maybe a bit during the evening. Hmmm... will have to see what it's like when I get there.

I've actually been to LA quite a few times -- I have family there and I've worked there in the past. So not having access to LA isn't really too bad for me. DH may join me for part of the trip (though I won't have any time to spend with him until evening). So perhaps he would want to rent a car -- cuz I just can't picture him hanging out at the RH Best Western all day -- and we would be able to access other parts of Los Angeles county. A5Kobe, sorry that you saw a roach at the Best Western. That's kind of gross. But as my seminar is held there it is the most convenient place to stay. That, and I don't think Rowland Heights has a whole bunch of hotels. Hopefully I'll have better luck than you did.

Yeah, I figured it wasn't quite a walking kind of town from looking at Google maps. I will admit that it would probably be easier with a car to get around. But my mind feels more at peace if i don't have to drive. As time draws nearer, perhaps I'll get my cojones back and I wouldn't mind driving. When I did an expedia search, I found that rental cars are really inexpensive -- of course, I'll have to buy some sort of insurance.

Nice to hear that there's some decent Korean around. Is there any place in Rowland Heights that does dak kalbi? Not so easy to find in NYC. And the sweet potato pizza at Pizza and Chicken Love Letter place kind of sounds perverse, but very intriguing.

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Love Letter
8891 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844

[ipsedixit]

The sweet potato pizza at Pizza and Chicken Love Letter rocks!

Make sure to get the "gold" version.

-----
Love Letter
8891 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844

[Miss Needle]

Thanks ispedixit! Will try to remember that.

[degustateur]

Hi Miss Needle,

Glad you find my list helpful. As for “dak kalbi” (galbi), properly speaking, there is no such offering. Galbi is Korean for short ribs, and chickens aren’t outfitted with them. There is a spicy dish called dak bulgogi that can be very tasty. Ong Go Jib (on the list) serves a very good rendition.

Two considerations when cooking your own chicken at the table are cross-contamination with the other meats and foodstuffs as well as ensuring that it is fully cooked without being overdone. The few times I’ve had it anywhere; it was prepared in the kitchen.

As for the sweet potato pizza (gold) at Pizza and Chicken Love Letter in Rowland Heights, let me just say that I tried it and I am, in no way whatsoever, a fan. Neither were the folks who shared it with me. Likewise, the absence of flavor in their regular fried chicken left my taste buds unimpressed. I cannot understand the hype this place receives. YMMV.

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Love Letter
8891 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844

Ong Go Jib Restaurant
18891 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[Das Ubergeek]

Dak kalbi isn't short ribs. It's chicken cooked with gochujang, vegetables and dduk (rice cakes). It's considered starving-student food; the "kalbi" is meant to be ironic.

[ipsedixit]

I believe Yei San Jib may have it if I recall correctly, or something very similar. The place reminds me of Mel's Diner -- if the diner was started in Seoul.

-----
Yei San Jib
18301 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[degustateur]

Yo, Das!

Thanks for the insight. Dak galbi is a new one on me.

... "starving-student food", eh ... funny! LOL!

[Miss Needle]

Yup, Das Ubergeek is correct that it's not chicken ribs -- I know, kind of sounds counterintuitive. Here's a blog entry that describes dak galbi in a bit more detail.

http://fatman-seoul.blogspot.com/2004...

Is the spicy dak bulgogi that you're talking about what I'm referring to as dak galbi? Or is it just spicy marinated chicken that's grilled over coals or a gas flame?

And ipsedixit, is Yei San Jib decent?

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Yei San Jib
18301 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[ipsedixit]

No, Yei San Jib i not very good.

Best enjoyed drunk, or one last shot away from being completely comatose.

-----
Yei San Jib
18301 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[exilekiss]

Awesome post ipse! :)

[ipsedixit]

Unfortunately, it's from personal experience. :-)

[degustateur]

Ah so, Miss Needle, dak kalbi lives! I just don't know where as I've never heard of it before.

Dak bulgogi is a different dish entirely. It's a spicy, marinated and grilled chicken dish akin to dae-ji bulgogi (pork). Good stuff!

In Yei San Jib's minor defense, it used to be quite good, one of the better K-joints in the area for years. I loved their yum-so tang (goat soup). About three years ago, there was a change of ownership and staff. Now, the best thing about it is that it's open 24 hours.

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Yei San Jib
18301 Colima Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

[exilekiss]

Hi Miss Needle,

Ah that's great (you've been to LA a few times). If DH decides to rent a car to chauffeur you around (so you don't have to drive), then let us know what other cuisine you'd like to try outside of Rowland Heights. (Have you tried Animal yet? Amazing! :)

[Miss Needle]

Will definitely let you guys know if my car situation changes. I know Rowland Heights is not really that far from LA, but I also have driven enough there to know that traffic can be quite a bitch.

No, I haven't eaten at Animal. But the menu looks amazing. The foie gras loco moco sounds like it's up my alley.

And exilekiss, I just want to say that I love your blog! It was because of your blog post that I decided to put Noodle House on my list.

[exilekiss]

Hi Miss Needle,

Thanks. :) Traffic isn't so bad if you're willing eat dinner a little bit after rush hour traffic dies down (anytime after 7:30 - 8 p.m. driving to Animal isn't too bad). And yes, their Pork Belly anything, Foie Gras Loco Moco and Quail are worth a visit anywhere you are in L.A. :)

-----
Moco
1426 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

[Chandavkl]

You're in luck. A location of Boiling Crab just opened up in the shopping center next to your hotel. (They just gave the center the name Mandarin Plaza or something like that.) Now you can experience the Asian Cajun craze that has swept through Orange County, the San Gabriel Valley and San Jose. Note that Boiling Crab doesn't open until mid-afternoon, so it's not a lunch option.

[Miss Needle]

Hmmm, this sounds like it can be promising. When DH and I started dating we drove all the way down to Baltimore from NYC to indulge in a crab boil. He said that when he saw my face stuffed full of crab that he knew I was the "one." Oh, I see that they have four spice levels. Not good for somebody like me -- I'm always tempted to do the spiciest (even though it doesn't agree with me)!

[JThur01]

I know it's not really walking distance, but should I suggest Jurassic? ;-) (ducking)

-----
Jurassic Restaurant
City of Industry, CA, City of Industry, CA

[Chandavkl]

Taiwan kitsch is definitely a subcuisine not found anywhere else in the USA

[Miss Needle]

Their website isn't working and the reviews on yelp don't seem to be favorable for the food. How is their food? I do have to admit that my experience with Taiwanese food is a bit limited (less than five times), but I haven't really loved anything I've had (with the exception of gua bao). And are there any hot guys dressed up in skimpy outfits? Or is this just basically a Rainforest Cafe meets Hooters?

[ipsedixit]

I wouldn't really bother with Jurassic.

Rainforest Cafe meets Hooters just about sums it up ... throw in a bit of Gordon Biersch and you've got it nailed down to a T.

[JThur01]

Miss Needle, ispedixit...good descriptions. No, Miss Needle, that was more tongue in cheek - Jurassic is more atmosphere (such as that is) over food. There are examples of what Chandavkl appropriately called "Taiwanese kitsch" with far better food, though not in Rowland Heights area.

[E Eto]

I understand the temptation, but the high level spicing at Boiling Crab is overkill and you probably won't be able to taste anything but spice. Start out with the mild and move up from there if that works for you. I find the mild still pretty spicy. I'm not sure what the Rowland Height shop is like, but if it's like any of the others, expect it to be loud and raucous in there.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4192...

[coconutz]

I ate at the Alhambra branch and just thought it okay. The crab seemed fresh, the shrimp were not very flavorful. Just overall something seemed lacking but none of us could put our finger on it. We had the mixed together sauce, mild. We likely wouldn't return. Not cause we hated, but just rather like to try something else we might rave over. But it gets such raves, perhaps we are the off-baswe ones.

Miss Needle, what are your dates? I wouldn't mind to pick you up for a meet up for dinner one night. I don't have anyone to explore that area with. While traffic is horrible around there at rush hour, I am always close over in Diamond Bar a couple days a week. Tuesday almost always.

I think this Seafare Inn is not far. I went once on a recco from this board. It is an old-school type American Seafood institution, great efficient waitresses who will "honey" you to death-- it has a certain charm. What is suprising is the killer coleslaw, and how varied and well prepared the seafood dishes are. Great prices, hardly anything over $12 (and that comes with coleslaw and potato) that I noticed. I took a Korean family there and my old Dad there, and they all enjoyed it. It might be nice if you want something a little different from the asian food, although that will likely be the more outstanding possibilities, I'd think.
http://www.seafareinn.net/

There is also an Indian place in Diamond Bar that I hear is famous.

-----
Seafare Inn
16363 Whittier Blvd, Whittier, CA 90603

[Miss Needle]

Coconutz, please shoot me an Email that is on my profile. Thanks!

[Miss Needle]

Oooh, thanks for the link. I do love my spice but not when it starts to overwhelm the taste of food like Brick Lane's phaal curry. DH had told me he doesn't want any spice but is willing to put up with mild.

[ChinoWayne]

Hiya Miss Needle

No one has mentioned breakfast. My favorite breakfast joint is Frisco's Fifties Diner on Gale Avenue. Very kitschy decor, you can sit in the back end of a Chevy and be served by roller skating waitresses. All the typical breakfast egg dishes, great pancakes, the combo omelet loaded with the typical fillings; topped with fresh avocado.

[Miss Needle]

Thanks for the rec, but I'm not a huge eggs and pancakes type of breakfast person. For some reason, I prefer eating them for dinner. Actually, I'm looking for a juice bar -- not the fruit type but veggies like carrots, greens, etc. Does that exist near the Best Western? A search on Yelp didn't reveal any results except for those Chinese fruit juice places. Sometimes gyms have juice bars on the ground floor. Anything like that around?

[ChinoWayne]

There is an LA Fitness in nearby Diamond Bar and a 24 Hour Fitness in City of Industry, you would need a car to get to either one, but their web sites do not indicate a juice bar. Juice It Up and Jamba Juice are in City of Industry, I have no experience with either.

[Miss Needle]

Much obliged. Guess freshly squeezed veggie juice is out of the question for breakfast. And I refuse to bring my juicer with me on the plane. But I may be crazy enough to bring my mini-blender to make some smoothies in the morning. On the other end of the spectrum, I can always check out the breakfast buffet that the Best Western is offering. I'm being sarcastic -- well, kind of. I hear they offer Chinese breakfast in addition to the continental one (which I'm assuming is bad pastries and cold cereal).

[Miss Needle]

Here's a brief report.

Pizza and Chicken Love Letter -- golden sweet potato pizza -- sorry, just not my thing. There was too much going on for me to enjoy it. The crust was also way to soggy. I did enjoy the sweet potato filled crust. But the rest of the items kind of clashed IMO. But I'm glad that I tried it as I haven't found anything like that in my hometown.

Q Noodle House -- Agh! I thought this was the place exilekiss wrote about so eloquently in her (his? -- though I'm leaning towards her) blog. When I got there, I was really perplexed that the menu didn't contain the items that have been talked about. I started to think that there was some secret Chinese menu that I wasn't privy to. Well, I ordered some pork buns and fish dumplings. As I was expecting the fluffy steamed buns for the pork buns, imagine my surprise when it turned out to be xiao long bao! Was OK -- not the best example of it. And the fish dumplings turned out to be something like shrimp and pork dumplings -- not what I had expected. They were tasty, however. However, I knew I hit the wrong place as I started to get my MSG thirst in the afternoon as exilekiss has stated the chef uses minimal amounts of it. I went there a second time with a bunch of people. Nobody wanted to do family style. : ( I got an order of stewed pork with vegetables over rice. Turned out to be braised pork belly with bamboo shoots. Delicious -- and a bargain for under $5.

Noodle House -- Well, I finally made it to the correct one! Ordered the seafood steamed buns (which included shrimp and sea cucumber) and fish dumplings and hot and sour soup. The hot and sour soup was good and well balanced, different from the murky ones you usually get as part of your lunch special. The seafood steamed buns were good -- I think I'm not the largest bao person as it's too much dough for my taste. But it's a good rendition if you're into it. The fish dumplings were really good -- wish I had a larger appetite as I wanted to finish them all. This is probably a place I'd like to try with a bunch of folks (well, if they were into dining family style).

Class 302 -- I'm glad I came here because I really liked everything I had. My experience with Taiwanese food isn't huge, but have had my share of clunkers. I came here with somebody else and we shared everything. Yea! We had sauteed spinach, stewed pork belly, sweet potato fries with li hing mui, Taiwanese sausage, chicken stuffed omelet. My favorite was the omelet -- that was very interesting and tasty. Too full to fit the snow ice. So I came for lunch one day and ordered the mango snow ice. OMG! I loved it. Am not a fan of most shaved ices as I find it to granular for my taste. Snow ice is a different animal altogether. Probably would say it's a must-order.

Pho Rowland -- got the small #1 pho. Good. I do have to admit that I'm a bit spoiled as I make my own pho at home. But this was a good rendition. I especially liked the dill-like herb that came with it as I haven't seen anything like that in NYC.

Happy Veggie Garden -- this was a seminar-sponsored dinner and they had ordered a bunch of dishes for us. Fake meat is really not my thing (and doesn't work well with my respiratory and digestive system if it's wheat-based), but didn't want to offend anybody. Interesting range of dishes from fake prawns with honeyed walnuts in condensed milk/mayo sauce to fake beef cooked with Chinese herbs. The spinach noodles with veggies and the taro pudding were my favorites. I probably wouldn't have picked this place if it was left up to me, but it was fine for one night.

Boiling Crab -- This was awesome!!!! We ordered the Dungeness crab, shrimp and clams in mild. The mild spicing was perfect for DH. I probably would have liked it at least medium, but it was fine, especially as he kind of got sick and tired of all the spicy meals I've dragged him to in LA afterward. The sauce was delicious and I kept sopping my crab meat in the sauce that collected in the bottom of the plastic bag. We ordered plain fries with that which went wonderfully. I think ordering the cajun would have been overkill. Luckily we got there around 6:30P on a weekday and our wait wasn't too bad. By the time we left, the wait got huge. Waitstaff was really friendly. I was surprised by how reasonable the bill was. I've paid over double for the amount of food we had at a couple of the crab houses over at Redondo Beach -- but I'm sure you're also paying for the view. Personally, I prefer the view of the glorious seafood in red sauce at Boiling Crab.

Donut Man (Glendora) -- The strawberry donut was indeed an awesome sight. Lovely perfectly sweetened strawberries (sadly, NYS strawberries are nothing like good California strawberries) stuffed inside a donut. Definitely fork and napkin type of eating. I think some whipped cream would be so good with this donut. We also got an apple fritter (which was the size of my face) that was great too.

Din Tai Fung (Arcadia) -- The chicken soup was very good and soothing -- similar to what we eat at home except I make it with black chicken. We ordered one order of crab and pork xiao long bao and one order of just plain pork. Not sure why I keep ordering crab xlb as pork is my favorite. They were very good -- though DH prefers them more rustic. I just think it's a different style.

Thanks again for helping me plan the trip. A car was definitely not necessary. Aside from the restaurants right around the Best Western, there are a bunch on Colima which isn't too far away. I may be there again in October so I'll try to hit some of the places I had missed on this round.

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Din Tai Fung Restaurant
1108 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

Donut Man
915 E Rte 66, Glendora, CA 91740

Q Noodle House
18930 Gale Ave, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Happy Veggie Garden
1015 Nogales St, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Love Letter
8891 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844

[Miss Needle]

Should also mention the breakfast at the Best Western. I only did it once as I generally just ate my leftovers in the AM. Wasn't bad -- I just had the congee with pork sung, but they had a selection of muffins, English muffins, toast, cereal and made-to-order waffles.

[ChinoWayne]

Hey, thanks for reporting back, Miss Needle. Glad you found your way to some of the local favorites.