On a recent trip from the East Coast to California’s San Gabriel Valley, a friend remarked to me, “You are so spoiled here.”
“Here” not only meant where we were having lunch — Porto’s Bakery & Cafe in West Covina, Calif. — but also the general food scene in San Gabriel Valley, also known as SGV, which is located in Southern California just east of Los Angeles’ city limits.
Savvy travelers to Los Angeles may know this nearby cluster of cities that make up SGV as a great place to get dim sum, but locals know it’s so much more than that. As home to some of the largest majority Asian American communities in the U.S., SGV is where locals and visitors alike can use their palates to travel to China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan and beyond.
“Many restaurants here are more authentic than even in Asia,” said Kristie Hang, a food and travel journalist, host and social media influencer who specializes in covering SGV.
From authentic Asian to Asian-fusion and fancy dinners to casual desserts, SGV has something for every adventurous foodie. Asian cuisine features prominently, but SGV’s sizable Hispanic population also contributes to the wealth of culinary options here. Because taste is subjective, I compiled this list with the help of local friends and prominent local food bloggers.
Let’s dig in.
Bistro Na’s
Bistro Na's, a one Michelin-star bistro in Temple City is the first restaurant in the U.S. to serve Imperial Chinese cuisine — recipes that the emperor of China would have eaten. The interior of the restaurant is decked out with traditional Chinese architecture and musical instruments on display, so guests can truly dine like royalty.
Guests dine like royalty at Bistro Na’s.
Credit: 2023 Bistro Na’sHang recommends any of the soups, the chile tofu skin salad and the limited-time chef specials. As of press time, these items include stir-fried crab meat and fish maw, braised Kansai wild sea cucumber, and braised South African abalone. Other standout menu items include smoked pork ribs and crispy shrimp (which is so crispy the shells can be eaten, along with the shrimp meat). The restaurant also offers handcrafted desserts and a unique take on staple dishes such as Beijing zha jiang mian noodles — thick wheat noodles with fried soybean sauce, fresh vegetables, beef and pickled garlic. Reservations are recommended.
Porto’s Bakery & Cafe
Over the years, this Cuban American bakery has become a fixture of LA food culture. Founded in 1960 by Rosa Porto, Porto’s Bakery & Cafe won the No. 1 spot on Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. 2016” list. Now with six locations, including West Covina in SGV, the family-run bakery is busier than ever, with lines regularly stretching out the door — but their efficiency means guests never have to wait for long. Customers can also order online and pick up in-store.
No trip to Porto’s is complete without ordering the classic Cheese Rolls, Potato Balls and Refugiados — strudels stuffed with cream cheese and guava jam. Signature cakes include the delectable Parisian Chocolate, Milk’N Berries and Mango Mousse, which come in individual slices and full sizes. Porto’s also serves various sandwiches, soups, salads and beverages inspired by Cuban recipes. If clients miss Porto’s when they return home, they can order a variety of best-selling pastries and cakes that ship nationwide and bake them at home.
Ipoh Kopitiam
Ipoh Kopitiam in Alhambra serves co-owner and chef Kenji Tang’s family recipes from the Ipoh region of Malaysia. The word “kopitiam” itself is a portmanteau of “kopi” (“coffee”) in Malay and “tiam” (“shop”) in Hokkien Chinese, reflecting the restaurant’s diverse fare.
Nearly every party orders the Hainan chicken at Ipoh Kopitiam.
Credit: 2023 Ipoh KopitiamIpoh Kopitiam entices crowds daily with its signature Hainan chicken, which comes with seasoned rice and three distinct dipping sauces. Clients should also try the “char kway teow,” a popular Southeast Asian street food comprising flat rice noodles stir-fried with vegetables, egg, shrimp and fish cake.
Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
Two rooster statues flank the entrance to Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant, a Rosemead dim sum spot that always draws large crowds, especially on weekend mornings.
More than 20 years ago, Sea Harbour was one of the first restaurants in SGV to forgo the typical dim sum carts in favor of making items to order. Customers pay slightly higher prices in exchange for freshly made food.
In addition to the usual shumai and chicken feet, chef Tony He offers a unique spin on common dim sum items, such as squid ink har gow (dumpling) with gold leaf, and fried rice with roe and truffle egg whites.
“Chef Tony serves the best dim sum in the area,” according to Justine and Jocelyn Wong, the sisters behind food review Instagram account @HangryDiary.
Their favorites include the steamed barbecue pork buns and the steamed rice noodle with Chinese donut and shrimp.
Happy Buddha Kitchen
Popular Vietnamese restaurants such as Golden Deli and Golden Delight get most of the attention in SGV — and with good reason — but Happy Buddha Kitchen in Temple City offers a delicious vegetarian alternative. This family-owned Chinese Vietnamese eatery reimagines popular meat-prominent dishes such as bun bo hue (rice noodle soup) and lemongrass chicken, allowing vegetarians to enjoy the best flavors that Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines have to offer. Hang recommends the pho, pan-fried noodles and chicken curry.
Happy Buddha serves plant-based Vietnamese and Chinese food.
Credit: 2023 Happy Buddha KitchenTaco Nazo
Established in 1978, Taco Nazo was one of the first businesses to bring Baja-style fish tacos to LA County. Specialties include beer-battered shrimp and white fish tacos topped with rich crema. Add the house-roasted chile salsa and seasoned, roasted yellow peppers for an extra kick. Clients can visit the original La Puente location or any of its other four locations in and around SGV.
Chengdu Taste and Mian
Clients with a high tolerance for spiciness will enjoy Chengdu Taste, which brings the heat to both its locations in Alhambra and Rowland Heights by cooking with numbing Sichuan peppercorns. The key is to balance the spice with other flavors. Hang’s favorites are the peanutty dan dan noodles, cumin-rubbed toothpick lamb and mapo tofu. The boiled sliced fish in hot sauce is another fiery dish that comes highly recommended.
Tony Xu, the co-founder and chef at Chengdu Taste, was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2018, and also founded Mian, which specializes in Sichuan-style dishes featuring house-made noodles. Here, customers can adjust spiciness and numbness levels to their taste. The casual noodle house has four locations throughout LA County, including two in SGV.
Mian and Chengdu Taste specialize in fiery Sichuan cooking.
Credit: 2023 MianChicha San Chen
On a typical weekend, you might see the line snaking out of Chicha San Chen in San Gabriel and wonder, “Is it even worth it?”
The answer is yes, according to the International Taste Institute, which awarded the franchise’s drinks the rough equivalent of two and three Michelin stars in 2021. This boba tea establishment brews every customer’s tea to order with patented “Teapresso” machines, using tea leaves sourced from its mountain farms in Taiwan.
Every customer’s drink is brewed fresh with Chicha San Chen’s patented machines.
Credit: 2023 Chicha San ChenAlthough this translates to higher prices and longer wait times (and no large size option), it results in a depth of flavor you won’t find anywhere else. First-time customers should get the high mountain pouchong or dong ding oolong with boba pearls and the mousse topping, which adds a creamy, lightly salted cake frosting flavor.
Bopomofo Cafe
Founded by Wong Fu Productions co-founder Philip Wang and his longtime friend Eric Wang, Bopomofo Cafe in San Gabriel aims to share Asian American culture through unique recipes inspired by the pair’s upbringing.
“Bo,” “po,” “mo” and “fo” are the first four syllables of the Chinese phonetic system, and the cafe embodies this foundational spirit by using high-quality, real ingredients, including fresh lactose-free milk, loose-leaf teas, real fruit and pressed fruit juice, rather than powdered creamers or artificial flavors.
Customers can choose from a variety of tea, espresso and matcha drinks, in addition to signature items such as strawberry corn milk and the seasonal sesame milk or watermelon oat milk. For an addictive snack, the popcorn chicken with Thai basil aioli is a customer favorite. Ordering ahead on weekends is recommended.
Honorable Mentions
These shops and restaurants have locations in the city of Los Angeles (and beyond) but are still a good idea to visit when in the San Gabriel Valley.
Meet Fresh
Specializing in authentic Taiwanese teas and desserts, Meet Fresh has six locations throughout LA County, including three in SGV (Temple City, Hacienda Heights and Arcadia). Justine and Jocelyn Wong of food review Instagram account @HangryDiary recommend the mango shaved ice and the icy and hot grass jelly. Throughout the year, the franchise also offers limited-time seasonal items, such as the passion fruit sorbet series.
Ramen Nagi
At the Arcadia and Century City locations of Ramen Nagi, the noodles are handmade in-house, and customers can adjust nearly every aspect of their bowl to their taste. Clients should try the award-winning Original King, a traditional, aromatic tonkotsu ramen with pork chashu. For something more robust, they can opt for the spicy Red King or the squid ink-infused Black King. Fusion options include the cheesy Green King and vegetarian Veggie King, as well as the Limited King, which changes every few months.
Sunright Tea Studio
Every few weeks, it seems like Sunright Tea Studio opens a new location. Its extensive menu and fresh ingredients draw many, including the Wongs of @HangryDiary. Their favorites are the Sunright Fruit Tea — made with four seasons tea, freshly squeezed orange juice, passion fruit, and orange and lemon slices — and Taro Milk Tea, made in-house with fresh taro.
