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Luscious Dumplings
Luscious Dumplings in San Gabriel is one of the best, cheapest and most filling dumpling houses in the area. Almost literally a hole-in-the-wall, this tiny restaurant is always packed during lunch and dinner and on the weekends. Because some of their food requires pre-prep, they even run out of certain things so it’s always wise to arrive early.
The dumplings can come either steamed or pan-fried. They offer the traditional soup dumpling as well as their own specialty dumplings. The pan-fried white fish and Napa cabbage is particularly delicious, as well as the green onion with pork dumpling. The crust on the pan-fried dumplings is crunchy and flavorful, as well as very hot, with every bite. I am not a big fan of pan-fried dumplings like gyoza but the dumplings at Luscious Dumplings are amazing.
They also have a nice selection of soup noodles. My favorite is the pork belly with noodles. The pork is marinated in this savory soy sauce concoction and then slow cooked until it is so tender it melts in your mouth.
The food is so cheap that I did not feel guilty ordering so much food. We all got a bowl of soup noodles, an order of seasonal vegetables, marinated tofu and a small order of dumplings for everyone. (Luscious Dumplings offer combo meals of noodles and dumplings for a discount price.) For my family of five, the bill came out to be less than $50.
A very satisfying restaurant with prompt service, this little dumpling house definitely lives up to its name.
704 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 282-8695
Hours:
Tue-Sun 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tue-Sat 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Join The Citrus Club!
My sister and I stumbled upon this little hole in the wall restaurant called The Citrus Club while wandering around Haight Ashbury. The Citrus Club features a rather interesting menu of pan-Asian cuisine with a focus on noodles, citrus and generous portions at reasonable prices.
The service is a little iffy – but then again, maybe it’s because we were in Haight Ashbury? – but if you’re used to Asian restaurants or so-so service then it will be tolerable. It is worth dealing with the quiet, almost emotion-less servers in order to get your hands on a bowl of any of their noodles. While some might find their noodles a little bland, others might find it just right; it primarily depends on how salty your palette is.
I had the spicy lemon chicken and coconut, which was not spicy at all. Otherwise, it was pretty yummy! I did not find myself overwhelmed by the coconut cream sauce that covered the noodles and chicken; instead it all came together rather nicely.
The garlic beef and shitake mushroom noodles was very flavorful and delicious. This might suit those who demand more intense flavor from their food. If you have a more bland or vanilla-type palette, then go for the spicy lemon chicken and coconut. Their soup noodles are also popular. Although we did not order any, everyone else in the restaurant did!
And there was also so much food! The bowl seemed endless as I ate, ate and ate without reaching the end. Eventually I had to give up and push my bowl away despite wanting to eat more. My stomach couldn’t handle it.
So if you’re hungry and looking to spend less than $10 for delicious noodles while in Haight Ashbury, this is definitely the place to go!
The Citrus Club
1790 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
415-387-6366
http://www.citrusclubsf.com/
Japon Bistro
The goal of any sushi-eating Angeleno is to find the freshest, most mouthwatering piece of fish possible without paying enough to fund a trip to Japan. For those living in and around Pasadena or a visitor of the famous Rose Parade city, Japon Bistro will satisfy even the pickiest sushi lover.
Sandwiched between a huge Love Birds Cafe and a rather excitable pita place, Japon Bistro is easy to miss. But it is definitely worth the U-turn on Mentor Ave to find it – as well as the hunt for street parking. (There is parking behind the stores on that block for about $4.50 if you get desperate.)
Despite the rather trendy store sign, the restaurant itself is unpretentious and relaxing – which serves to only highlight just how amazing the sushi is. Chef Ichi-san is the master behind the food and you can join him at the bar in the back. To make a point of how delicious the sushi is, servers recommend eating the fish without soy sauce or any of the usual additions. Every piece of sushi is served with a dab of special sauce created by Ichi-san for just that particular fish so it’s best not to interfere with the efforts of the master and just eat the fish as it is served. (Even the owner is not quite sure what Ichi-san puts in his special sauces!)
In addition to the sushi – but what else would you go there for? – the menu includes a rather interesting and creative selection of appetizers and entrees. If you enjoy something with a little heat, be sure to try the stuffed shishito peppers: Japanese peppers stuffed with spicy tuna, deep fried tempura style with eel sauce drizzled on top. The most interesting dish I’ve seen on the menu is the uni pasta: uni and squid ink with mixed seafood. Maybe the other Japanese restaurants don’t tell us when they serve squid ink but this is certainly the first time I’ve noticed it on a menu.
But there is more to Japon Bistro than just the food: they have amazing service. The servers are friendly, amusing and efficient. They make the dining experience an enjoyable one as they are allowed, and even encouraged, to socialize with the patrons. If you take care of them, they will definitely take care of you.
One common complaint about Japon Bistro is the price. An assorted sushi plate is $21 and the assorted sashimi plate (tuna, yellowtail, white fish, salmon, albacore, octopus and surf clam) is $27. But I can only point out that this is a rather moderate price for such amazine sushi (without having to fly all the way to Japan for it!). Plus, the service is truly something else and the sake selection is well thought out – an irresistible combination.
927 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 744-1751
