A plate of Cantonese fried shrimp on a white plate. — Salt and pepper shrimp from Chef Tony in Monterey Park.

The 22 Essential San Gabriel Valley Restaurants

Cantonese seafood, Northern Chinese noodles, and soup-filled dumplings for days

by Eater Staff and Matthew Kang Updated Mar 4, 2024, 2:39pm PST

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Salt and pepper shrimp from Chef Tony in Monterey Park.

| Matthew Kang

by Eater Staff and Matthew Kang Updated Mar 4, 2024, 2:39pm PST

The San Gabriel Valley just east of Downtown Los Angeles is a trove of incredible dining destinations. The expansive area that includes cities like Arcadia, Alhambra, Monterey Park, and San Gabriel contains some of the finest Asian restaurants in Southern California, including a significant Sichuan, Cantonese, and Vietnamese food scene. Here now, a guide to essential restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley.

Kogane

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Probably SGV’s most high-end omakase destination, Kogane is a seven-seat counter that serves incredible sushi from chef Fumio Azumi at a price of $300 for dinner. Opening co-chef Kwan has since moved on to a new sushi restaurant in Ohio. Those looking for a more reasonable experience can check Kogane out at lunch, which costs $120 for a smaller nigiri omakase. Kogane remains a special sushi experience deserving of the highest accolades.

1129 S Fremont Ave Unit C, Alhambra, CA 91803

(626) 703-4148

Akami, or leaner bluefin tuna in sushi form, at Kogane in Alhambra. — Akami nigiri sushi from Kogane in Alhambra.

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The Hat

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This classic fast-food spot makes sliced pastrami an attainable art form, with sandwiches, hot dogs, and burgers used as a format for serving the preserved brisket. The Hat has always been a reliable spot for after-school snacks and late-night munchies in the SGV.

2300 S Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754

(323) 721-3656

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Sichuan Impression

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One of the main Sichuan restaurant powerhouses in SGV (the other being always-solid Chengdu Taste), Sichuan Impression has a way of serving polished, almost elegant regional dishes with enough spice to draw a decent of sweat on the brow. Start with the cold house special noodles and end with the mapo tofu with a bit of steamed rice.

1900 W Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91803

(626) 283-4622

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Cold special noodles and steamed chicken with chili sauce at Sichuan Impression — Special noodles and cold steamed chicken from Sichuan Impression.

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Delicious Food Corner

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This bustling Hong Kong-style cafe with outlets in Monterey Park, Arcadia, and Rosemead has a huge menu of everyday Cantonese fare, including congee and rice rolls by day and more shareable noodle dishes and stir-fries at night. Bring a crew and order a ton of dishes.

2325 S Garfield Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754

(323) 726-0788

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Delicious Food Corner dishes overhead. — Congee and more from Delicious Food Corner.

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Yang's Kitchen

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A modern Asian American restaurant with chef flourishes, seasonal ingredients, and California-inspired fare, Yang’s Kitchen made some major changes over the past few years but has settled into good groove in the past year or so. Brunchy, all-day fare has some highlights, including a customizable set meal and cornmeal mochi pancakes. For dinner, check out the ‘dan dan’ campanelle pasta or the claypot mussel stew.

112 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801

(626) 281-1035

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A smattering of dishes from Yang’s Kitchen in Alhambra. — Dishes from Yang’s Kitchen in Alhambra.

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Ipoh Kopitiam

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Malaysian and Singaporean flavors haven’t made large inroads in San Gabriel Valley, which tends to favor Cantonese, Sichuan, and other Chinese regions. Still, the melting pot of Peranakan and Malaysian flavors that trickled down into Singapore offers a compelling set of flavor-packed dishes like nasi lewak, Hainanese chicken rice, and roti canai from chef Kenji Tang, who hails from Ipoh, Malaysia. By morning, there’s classic kaya toast with kopi, plus beef rendang and the ever-popular bat kut teh, an herbal pork soup influenced by Hoklo and Teochew communities. Expect long waits during prime meal hours.

1411 S Garfield Ave (Valley Blvd), Alhambra, CA 91801

626-703-4198

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A banana leaf underneath slow cooked beef with fried egg and rice. — Nasi lemak with beef rendang at Ipoh Kopitiam.

Luyixian

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Braised meats with huge piles of steamed rice are the name of the game at this Shanghainese late-night diner of sorts, lauded by Los Angeles Times critic Bill Addison for its tender soy-braised pork slow-cooked and served with pickles and seasoned boiled eggs. The beef noodle and dumpling soups are pretty good too, but the comforting meat-and-rice dishes are the reason to come. Open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., which is pretty late for this part of town. (Closed Wednesdays).

2 East Valley Boulevard, CA 91801

(626) 766-1568

A platter of white rice with braised Chinese pork and pickles. — Braised pork with rice at Luyixian restaurant in Alhambra.

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Jiang Nan Spring

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With a wide, elegant dining room that feels grown up compared to some of its SGV rivals, Jiang Nan Spring is a Shanghai-style restaurant with a big menu and elegant cooking across the board, from noodles to fried rice. The kind of place to have a slightly fancier Chinese dinner if the need arises, with a menu and dining area big enough to please a crowd. The house special fried fish flecked with seafood is especially good while the saucy pork ribs coated in a sweet sauce will put on anyone’s face.

910 E Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801

(626) 766-1688

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Golden Deli San Gabriel

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Arguably the best overall Vietnamese spot in SGV, Golden Deli’s crispy, crunchy cha gio are always in demand, but everything from the bun to the pho are fantastic too. People are almost always waiting for one of the small strip mall restaurant’s coveted tables.

815 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 308-0803

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Newport Seafood Restaurant

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With an expansive Cantonese menu with Cambodian influences, this huge standalone building in San Gabriel remains one of the region’s top overall restaurants, especially for its fresh lobster made with green onion and garlic, as well as bo luc lac. Everyone makes sure to order the garlicky pea shoots to complement the seafood.

518 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 289-5998

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House-special lobster at Newport Seafood.

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Tam's Noodle House

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A true Cantonese all-day cafe with some of the quickest service anywhere in town. Place an order and expect everything from the kaya toast to the Hong Kong milk tea to arrive in mere seconds. Comforting bowls of shrimp wonton soup and fried rice give way to one of the best fried fish filet dishes in the SGV. The menu’s got all the hallmarks of a classic Chinese restaurant but with affordability, speed, and big portions in mind.

120 N San Gabriel Blvd #J, San Gabriel, CA 91775

(626) 782-7666

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Khaosan Thai Noodles. — Stir-fried noodles with shrimp.

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Diamond Bakery

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Cantonese bakeries are numerous across SGV, but Diamond Bakery might be near the best of the bunch, with a huge array of individually wrapped pastries to egg custard tarts to full cream-filled sheet cakes.

927 E Las Tunas Dr G, San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 287-2876

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XiAn Biang Biang Noodle

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A new entrant to the Xian-influenced school of noodle making, this cozy restaurant in San Gabriel throws together well-executed biang biang noodles (wide, flat noodles), spicy lamb noodles in a red-tinted broth, rich beef chunks with long pulled noodles, and spicy cumin lamb burgers. Prices are low enough that bigger groups can order a bevy of noodle plates and share without a huge dent to the wallet.

1039 E Valley Blvd Ste B102 (Walnut Grove Ave), San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 227-3629

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Hand-pulled spicy noodles from Xian Biang Biang in San Gabriel on a decorated plastic plate. — Spicy hand-pulled noodles at Xian Biang Biang Noodle in San Gabriel.

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Medan Kitchen

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It’s incredible that 78-year-old Siu Chen went from home cook to restaurant owner during the pandemic. The family-run operation is now Rosemead’s hub for Indonesian fare with beef rendang, lemongrass fried chicken, and grilled pork satay. It’s a takeout model where all food is prepared and pre-packaged, so order early or walk-in and try your luck.

8518 Valley Blvd STE 102, Rosemead, CA 91770

(626) 693-6231

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Prepared food for sale at Medan Kitchen.

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Ducks Restaurant

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Japanese comfort food is on full display at Ducks, a family-owned restaurant serving katsu curry, yaki udon, spicy tonkotsu ramen, and all manners of tempura at reasonable prices. It’s easily one of SGV’s most beloved and enduring Japanese restaurants. Don’t mind all the ducks on display inside the dining room.

1381 E Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776

(626) 287-8743

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Hue Thai Bakery & Deli

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In Rosemead lies perhaps the city’s best banh mi spot, serving the platonic ratio of ingredients stuffed into a bread baked on the premises, with a choice of French roll or light baguette. Staff recommends the latter for a lighter crispness. With meaty paté, head cheese, ham, chả lụa (steamed pork sausage), and crisp pickled vegetables with the intense spice of fresh jalapeño and bright cilantro, this sandwich has it all.

8968 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770

(626) 571-5850

Bánh mì đặc biệt at Hue Thai Bakery & Deli in Rosemead.

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Bistro Na's

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Previously awarded a Michelin star but no less stellar years after the award, Bistro Na’s boasts an extensive menu of palace-style fare with an ambience to match. Prices will be commensurate with the quality, but there’s no doubt that Bistro Na’s is the most upscale place to eat in San Gabriel Valley. Try the spicy dry-braised black cod served in a long oval platter. The chef is especially proud of the intricate Chinese-style rice cake desserts, so be sure to order them if available.

9055 Las Tunas Dr #105, Temple City, CA 91780

(626) 286-1999

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Lao Xi Noodle House

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Sporting two locations within a mile of each other in Arcadia — one on Baldwin and another on Live Oak — a city already quite blessed with Chinese food let alone terrific noodle spots, Lao Xi noodles command one’s attention for its superbly executed bowls of Shanxi-style noodles from husband-and-wife owners Joe Tao and Ellen Li. Fittingly, the Wife’s Special noodles with pork, tinted with a tomato-and-egg sauce with stir-fried pork belly, offers a picture of the creative but regionally based flavors here. Daoxiao-style fried pork noodles (the house special) come studded with guoyou pork, wood ear mushrooms, and scallions in a black vinegar sauce.

921 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

(626) 348-8836

A bowl of handcut noodles with bok choy and pork with a reddish sauce. — Wife’s special noodle with fried pork, Helao-style at Lao Xi Noodle House in Arcadia.

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Chef Tony

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Tony He’s most streamlined dim sum and evening Cantonese restaurant which comes from Vancouver has expanded from Arcadia over to a shiny new location on the ground floor of the spacious Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Monterey Park. Though dim sum offerings are best available during the day, a few popular dishes remain in the evenings, like har gow and shu mai. Once the sun goes down, it’s best to order Cantonese seafood favorites like salt pepper shrimp.

1108 Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California 91007

(626) 623-6668

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Din Tai Fung

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The original landing spot in North America for this Taiwan-based chain, Din Tai Fung has relocated to inside the Westfield Santa Anita serving Shanghai-influenced xiao long bao and other stir-fried fare. In addition to dumplings, try the refreshing cold cucumber appetizer and comforting pan-fried rice cakes. There are other mall locations in Century City, the Glendale Galleria, and Torrance.

400 S Baldwin Ave #M5, Arcadia, CA 91007

(626) 446-8588

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A steam basket of dumplings with vegetables on square plates at a restaurant. — Dumplings and appetizers from Din Tai Fung.

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Chengdu Impression

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Though LA’s passion for Sichuan cuisine has waned somewhat from a high water mark a few years ago, Chengdu Impression has stayed the course and cooks perhaps some of the best overall Sichuan food in Los Angeles right now. The classics are mostly very good, including a terrific version of mapo tofu, but the large shareable entrees like chile-flecked sliced snakehead fish in pickle broth are better for showcasing the kitchen’s prowess with spicy flavors.

21 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia, CA 91006

(626) 462-9999

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For a fiery Sichuan feast to counter chilly weather: Chengdu Impression. — Mapo tofu from Chengdu Impression.

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1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle

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The region of Gansu might have the best noodles in all of China, with the city of Lanzhou featuring a slew of hand-cut or hand-pulled noodles served in soup or with dry spices. 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle follows much of the same recipe as the lauded Lan Noodle in Arcadia, with similarly great broths and spice blends to make every bite interesting. Tired of “handmade pasta” and its sky-high prices? The portions and affordability of Lanzhou noodles will put a smile on your face.

148 E Duarte Rd, Arcadia, CA 91006

(626) 447-8686

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Chopsticks pulling noodles from a spicy bowl of soup. — Noodle soup from 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle.

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The 22 Essential San Gabriel Valley Restaurants

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Kogane

The Hat

Sichuan Impression

Delicious Food Corner

Yang's Kitchen

Ipoh Kopitiam

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Luyixian

Jiang Nan Spring

Golden Deli San Gabriel

Newport Seafood Restaurant

Tam's Noodle House

Diamond Bakery

XiAn Biang Biang Noodle

Medan Kitchen

Ducks Restaurant

More in Maps

Hue Thai Bakery & Deli

Bistro Na's

Lao Xi Noodle House

Chef Tony

Din Tai Fung

Chengdu Impression

1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle

More in Maps

Kogane

The Hat

Sichuan Impression

Delicious Food Corner

Yang's Kitchen

Ipoh Kopitiam

Luyixian

Jiang Nan Spring

Golden Deli San Gabriel

Newport Seafood Restaurant

Tam's Noodle House

Diamond Bakery

XiAn Biang Biang Noodle

Medan Kitchen

Ducks Restaurant

Related Maps

Hue Thai Bakery & Deli

Bistro Na's

Lao Xi Noodle House

Chef Tony

Din Tai Fung

Chengdu Impression

1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle

Related Maps

All sharing options for: The 22 Essential San Gabriel Valley Restaurants

All sharing options for: The 22 Essential San Gabriel Valley Restaurants