Taiwanese Restaurants near El Monte, CA

“I been coming here for a year now happy to see dine in is open again, amazing beef noodle soup and I yummy fruit tea. Very worth the price and family own business that has amazing customer service 10/10“

“I can understand all the bad reviews and I totally understand wanting great service and this is not an excuse for her but I would urge you all to be more understanding of her situation instead of leaving 1 star reviews that can really affect her business that happens to make amazing vegetarian and vegan food at decent prices. Yes the lady who answers the phone, packs your bento, cooks the food is loud and can be seen as rude but she literally is so busy she doesn't have time to provide good customer service. She is the only person that is answering the phone, taking orders, cooking the food, packing the bentos, cleaning, doing everything to run the place like pay bills, source her materials, do paperwork, open and close the store. She is the only ONE person there. Can you imagine doing all that as ONE person and still having the patience and time to give really good customer service and answer everyone's questions? She finally made ends meet and had enough money to hire a helper so she could have better customer service and then the price hike hit where all the veggies cost more but instead of adding $3-$8 on every thing she sells so she could still get her helper, she didn't hire one. Do you know why? So the customer (you) could still get really good bountiful bentos at a decent price. $8 a bento that's packed! A vegan burger and fries averages $18 nowadays. She also is not discriminating against you. She treats us the same way and my parents and my family and relatives have been buying from her since she opened which is a long time ago. We all joke about who's turns it is to call to ask a question. The loser has to call. Lol! My mom has buys mooncake food everything from her for many many years, a super old loyal customer and she still gets the loud abrasive treatment. Her food is great though! Good priced bentos and really really good mooncakes the mung bean with white flaky crust type. The parking is easy in the lot.The hours are not desirable, and a lot of times when she sells out of bentos she closes early so if you want to eat here you got to go early! How many vege restaurants are even in this area? This place is a really mom and pop shop with ONE person taking care of everything. I'm just imploring you to help support her, she's trying so hard every year to keep her store open all by herself and giving her 1 star reviews because you can and not thinking about the impact it has on other people's livelihood and how hard they are trying to make it work to give us food that we can't get anywhere else because it's not a huge chain restaurant is just something to think about.How do I know all this about her? Because my mom instead of giving her the thumbs down took the time to ask her about things every time she bought something. She wanted to understand where the attitude comes from because as she has always said, people aren't rude because they are, it's because they are going through something and it takes an open heart to show compassion.“

“This is our second time here and the food was just as good as the first time we went there. It’s my husband’s favorite spot for beef noodle soup. The pan fried buns were crispy on the bottom and soupy on the inside (perfection). Try the honey green tea! It big enough to share between two people. Highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for delicious Taiwanese food! They also have a nice parking lot (unlike most places in LA).“

“How could I forget about this beautiful restaurant for months since my first visit with girl friends last September? I am so glad I suddenly remember this restaurant last Saturday,the first day of the Chinese new year! The interior decoration is perfect for Chinese new year! This is My family's first time visit! They all love it! Perfect for pictures! It is a shame for not many people knowing this place, because they are only two tables occupied during our 1.5 hour visit. The only waitress is Miss Iris from Taipei. She is super nice and friendly! Fortunately, when we left, there were two parties coming in! We love the food maybe because the owner and the chef are from my hometown Taiwan, according to the waitress! The presentation is so beautiful! Perfect for my Facebook postings! I already told my college girlfriends about our next reunion location! Here! Perfect for our group pictures!“

“Delicious fresh food, great variety!“

“The staff are nice & the food is good.“

“we took the drive frm Simi valley and let me say we'll worth the drive. try the beef stew noodle. oooo man finger linking good.“

“This is THE place to get popcorn chicken in the 626! I've been coming to P P Pop for awhile now and I have yet to have anything I didn't like. The popcorn chicken serving here is huge, and the chicken is really moist and flavorful. I get mild spice and it's pretty spicy imo! The beef noodle soup is also a favorite of mine. I love the chewiness of the noodles and the beef chunks always fall apart. The drinks are served in huuuge cups so that's also very worth the price. Service is always great and they're very comfortable speaking English.“

“I think I am addicted to their iced green tea with boba. I have forgotten how much I love it until I got it recently at Yi Fang. Yi Fang is a Taiwanese Boba and Fruit Tea chain that recently opened an Arcadia location in the Burlington Coat Factory and Pavilion's shopping plaza. I am very happy that Yi Fang chose to open one here. Ever since I had their boba in Berkeley in 2019, I have been longing for an Yi Fang close by. Their boba is warm and chewy. If you don't want to wait, I recommend you order online first. There are happy hour promotions when the drinks are 15% when you order online. I haven't seen the promotions at the in store kiosk. They may be there too. The ambiance is clean and presents an old Taiwan vibe. There are no tables inside and only one bench to sit while you are waiting for your drinks So this is more of a grab and go place. I did see desserts on their menu and can't wait to try them next time!“

“CHICHA San Chen's boba shop serves up an authentic taste of Taiwan with its premium oolong tea. From the first sip, you're transported to the tea fields of Taiwan with its rich and aromatic flavor. The boba itself is perfectly chewy, adding a delightful texture to each drink. With friendly service and a cozy atmosphere, it's the perfect spot to satisfy your boba cravings. However, the taste of their Green Tea feels like the Oolong Tea to me.“

“The dumplings are so good!!“

“I love coming to Tasty Pot City of Industry! It’s one of our go-to spots. The popcorn chicken is definitely our favorite appetizer. The soups are really good and filling. One thing that this Tasty Pot has that makes it stand out is the unlimited DIY sauce bar.“

“As a Taiwanese in California there’s not a lot of really “good authentic” restaurants, but I’ve lived I. Rowland heights for so many years now and this is by far my favorite stinky tofu restaurant ever and they have amazing service, super kind staff, you can sit outside or inside! Super great and love the food!“

“VERY GOOD! The taste and quality of the food is great, but can be a little pricey. I've been there twice and these are the dishes we've ordered. You can reference the menu and most have pictures next to the numbers l've written down. Everything we tried was EXCELLENT!C1-Xiao Long BaoC3-Pan Fried Pork BaoC5-Beef RollC11-Hot Oil Pork with Vegetable Wonton (Spicy)G4-Black Pepper Beef Fried UdonG9-Shrimp Fried Rice F2-Spicy Beet RamenDrinks....B7-Mango Green TeaParking: Parking lot always seems to be full around dinner time.“

“I waited five years to try this place once I had heard that Wong Fu opened it, and the wait was worth it. The Taiwanese spicy chicken sandwich blew my mind and my spirit, and the quality of the tapioca was amazing. I don’t even live here, but I will be coming back soon.“

“I love this restaurant so much! It’s never as full as I think it should be; maybe people are intimidated by the DIY element? (It’s a build-your-own malatang / mala dry pot kind of spot.) The flavors are authentic and spicy (but you can dial down the spice if that’s not your thing.) there’s also a cash discount if you pay with cash.Parking: There is street parking in the neighborhood as well as a dedicated lot behind the restaurant (free).“

“The food was great the pork and cabbage dumplings with soy sauce were bomb. Ordered both bafang signature ramen and another spicy ramen but they both tasted almost the same and almost no spicy so if you add more chili sauce that they provide be generous with it to get the spice. I also got the mini wonton soup which was also really good, the wontons were perfect no complaints and the broth was a great compliment to the wontons. If you like more flavor fry mixing in the chili sauce and some ginger sauce that they have in and trust it elevates it a lot. Their soy mango drink is also really good not too sweet and I added boba which went really good with it. 9/10 would definitely go again but not so much for the ramen because there want enough spice to call it spicy and both spicy ramens tasted the same.“

“My first time here trying their food. Since I don’t eat too spicy, so I ordered the non spicy dishes. The fish head and tofu soup was very delicious and full of flavor, but of course lots of bones. Just need to be careful when serving the fish with young kids and seniors. The Yeung Chow fried rice had lots of shrimps, but no BBQ pork. It’s a little bit oily, but tasted good. Maybe I will ask for less oil if I order any fried rice dishes.“

“This place has real avocado and taro smoothies, and make a lot of their menu items fresh. It's just the two of them working now usually but the owners are wonderful.Vegetarian options: They offer milk substitutes for their drinksParking: Spaces are a bit tight“

“Best Taiwanese dishes like dumplings in southern California! They also have some cantonese dishes, but those are hit-and-miss. Portions are big.Highly recommend their steamed dumplings (original; spicy ones only so-so), beef pancake, salty fish fried rice and soup dumplings. Cantonese wontons are okay, but their broth is chicken broth without 大地魚. Quite disappointing.Kid-friendliness: Not really. Only bring toddlers that can sit well on a chair. Booster seats are available but not very secure.“

“This is my third time returning to this place. The food ingredients are fresh, especially for a Taiwanese restaurant. It's a bit pricey, but understandable for authentic Taiwanese cuisine. Their tea pot is superior compared to other Asian restaurants; the quality of the tea is noticeably better. We ordered sesame oil kidney, cucumber salad, dragon beard salad, beef noodle soup, and Three Cup Chicken. Their beef noodle is Michelin three stars. If you prefer spicy or salty flavors, I wouldn't recommend it, but if you prefer freshness, it's a good choice. I'll definitely continue to visit here.“

“I've visited this place several times because my husband and I craved Taiwanese food. We don't have a place that serves proper Taiwanese breakfast in DC, so when we visit LA, we try to fit this in when we can. Of course, it's not as good as Taiwan, but it's enough for us to satisfy our Taiwanese breakfast cravings!“

“With its understated atmosphere and compact tables, this gem invites diners on a culinary journey through Taiwan, delivering an authentic experience from start to finish.When we walked into La Sin Bala, the cozy environment immediately caught our eye. With limited seating and neatly arranged tables, our anticipation was at its peak as we perused the menu, eager to sample a selection of Taiwanese delicacies.Our culinary exploration begins with the typical rice, elegantly presented in the style of a traditional Taiwanese bento. Every bite of tender and juicy pork paired with fragrant rice made us feel like we were in a buffet restaurant in Taipei.Next we had the oyster omelette, a dish that really stole the show. Egg rolls are full of Taiwan's unique flavor, a famous night market snack, harmoniously blending plump oysters with delicious eggs and indispensable vegetables, a perfect match with aromatic spices. Super authentic! A must order meal that left us wanting more with every bite.We also indulged in chicken rolls accompanied by dipping sauce and a serving of shiitake mushroom and chicken soup, both delivering simple yet gratifying flavors.These simple yet satisfying dishes are the perfect end to our culinary journey, leaving us feeling nourished and satisfied.Of note, the highlight of our experience was undoubtedly the oyster omelette, a dish that encapsulates the essence of Taiwanese cuisine. Its authentic flavors and affordable prices highlight La Sin Bala, making it one of the must-go places for food lovers looking for a taste of Taiwan.“

“The food overall was delicious! We ordered the beef roll wrapped in scallion pancake, daikon cakes, juicy pork dumplings, and beef sandwich. The bread for the sandwich was a bit dry. Definitely recommend the pancake instead. The beef and the scallion pancake had great flavor. The daikon cake was tasty as well. Slightly oily but expected bc it is fried. The soup dumplings were good. Be careful when removing from the paper bc it was delicate and can tear/lose the soup.“

“It's been awhile since I've gone to these classic Cantonese restaurants. Usually I would go to these type of places with my family because the dishes are meant for family style. I was able to check out this place with a group of friends. We rented out a separate room for the large party. We got their set menu that included 10items for $658: appetizer combo platter(5item), Peking Duck, baked truffle oil lobster with noodle, mixed seafood crab soup, scallop and shrimp corn, snow pea leaf with golden crab meat sauce, Chiu Chow style steamed whole black cod, filet mignon cubes in black pepper sauce, and Taiwanese style BBQ eel top on sticky rice, sesame rice ball sweet soup. They gave us tanyuan in sweet egg soup as dessert as well as the passion fruit jello. Overall, I think the quality of the food was pretty decent. I really enjoyed the food here. It's definitely on the expensive side. They also provided really good service to us. One of the waiter Vin Chee even performed a small magic show to us at the end. He's an aspiring actor from Singapore. My overall experience was very positive. We stayed from 12:00 to almost 3:00. I would bring my family back here. Also, there's a lot of celebrities that eaten here. I think that's pretty cool.“

“You go for the food! Very reasonable prices. Every dish we ordered was tasty. I'm told a husband and wife own and operate the kitchen and dining room. The server/wife speaks Mandarin and no English, so you'll have to communicate by pointing!“

“We came in and the first thing they asked was if we wanted an order of their green onion sesame pie (they make it fresh and it takes about 20 min, so hats off to them for the efficiency!). You can tell they care about making things fresh for their customers - the vegetables were so fresh and delicious, and their seaweed fish was so crisp and delicious, I couldn't resist eating before the sesame pie came out. You know they're serious about food and don't care about any of the frills. I love ahgoo's so much. Thank you for having us!“

“I been coming to this place over 7 years, food is good as always. Even now I still drive 20 minutes to get the foods 3 times a week. Popcorn chicken is the must try item and the braised pork chops are the classic. Fired pork chops is delicious and crispy, recommend eating it right away or less than 20 minutes otherwise will get bit soft. Food is freshly prepared so it takes around 10-20 minutes to wait, totally understandable (McDonald takes longer than that ) I rather wait 20 for my popcorn chicken than the nuggets.“

“Great food! Beef noodle soup broth is very flavorful, noodles have a great consistency. Bean curd appetizer is very good. Dan Dan noodles have a great flavor but not the usual beef Dan Dan you get at other restaurants. Cash only, small parking lot. Limited hours for lunch “

“This reminds me a little bit of the rolls you'd find in Taipei food markets...got me feeling a little bit nostalgic :') It's definitely a unique food that you normally don't see very often across SGV/626 regions. Don't sleep on it, give this place a try! Very friendly owners as well. We were told that the most popular options was the Spicy Fried Chicken and the Marinated Beef. Both were good! I liked the spicy fried chicken just a tad bit more. Loved how crispy the chicken was! I definitely want to go back and try the Cumin Lamb as that was also another popular option. We ordered the regular size and surprisingly satisfied our hunger for me and my bf. I think the large size means they give more meat - not that the roll is bigger. If you have a big appetite, I think this could also be a great option for a snack!“

“Pretty amazing section style cuisine! The spicy beef noodle soup , Dan Dan noodles, scallion pancakes, and Xiaongnbao were among the very best we've ever had. Okay prices and plenty of parking. Give them a try, you will not be disappointed.“

“Food was delicious, and service was great and friendly. Ordered scallion pancake, short ribs and soup dumplings it was plenty of food.“

“The food and service have improved significantly since we dined in 2 years ago. Everything we ordered, from combination fried rice, sausage rice to joy pot, were excellent and big portions. Milk tea is consistently good and tastes like authentic tea not some fake powdery stuff. Staff were great and food came out quickly. We will visit there more often.“

“After three visits here, I feel like I can give a good review of the menu. Cindy's Kitchen is a hole in the wall that only seats about 18 people so it looks like some regulars opt to order food to go. They have a wide variety of options from noodle dishes to stir fry dishes to rice bowl options so there's something for everyone. They also make/sell frozen XLB, wontons, buns and dumplings which I've not tried. Unfortunately, they don't sell XLB for dine in customers but they do offer dumplings and wontons. Beyond all this, they have many cold dishes at the deli counter and most of these are pretty good so they can compliment the stir fry dishes. As other have noted, they only have 1 person in the front of house so service may be slower. I think there's only 2 people in the kitchen. In my three dinner visits, I only saw one non-Chinese speaking table so I have no idea how well the waitress can communicate in English but there is English on the menu as well as on all the signs for the sides and frozen foods for sale. Parking lot isn't big but if you come for dinner, the other businesses may be closed which helps. Check out my pics including the menu.“

“Great food! The dumplings are amazing. We got the chili oil chicken dumplings and they were super tasty, not too spicy. I started with the cucumber salad, which was nice and fresh. I want to warn you though because it's spicy! I did not expect my cumber salad to hold so much heat and it has peppercorns in it. It was still very good but it's worth mentioning. We also enjoyed the chicken Dan mein with thick noodles. *chefs kiss* Seriously great service too. Water was always filled, food was quick, staff is friendly. It was super clean too and not too loud. Definitely a great restaurant!“

“Very delicious Love their Lamb“

“Parking/Wait: There is a very small lot with ~5 spots. Never had problems parking there, and there is also a bunch of street parking.Food/Drinks: Their Earl Grey Milk Tea makes my knees weak. Never tried their food, but they have your typical Taiwanese snacks and more. Boba quality is also pretty good (very qq), but be careful if you want some when they are ~1 hr from closing (always out of boba by then). Ambiance/Service: Nice little shop with a bunch of seating. You can definitely study here since there is free wifi. Service is always fast, and I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for my drink. Only one or two people working there at a time, so maybe your mileage will vary.Sustainability: Plastic everything but that's pretty standard. Summary: When I'm back home, this is one of the Boba places that I have to go to. I'm a sucker for Earl Grey, and they do it gooood here.“

“Au is one of my to go boba places whenever I'm craving boba. I've been to this location many times since college. There are tables outside in front of the store which is great for those late night hangouts. I always get the same drinks there and the consistency is the same. My go to drinks are the oolong milk tea and passion fruit green tea. Don't forget to add the pink boba, it's aesthetically cute and it's chewy. I also forget to mention, they also sell snacks as well. A perfect hangout spot with boba and food.“

“it was good,......................“

“Love the mango snow. Try it you won't be disappointed.“

“By far one of the most authentic Taiwanese restaurants I've been to. I say this because they've nailed down classic dishes you'd find in Taiwan. The oyster pancake was spot on along with the sauce. Service is pretty fast. Definitely come here for delicious Taiwanese comfort food!“

“If you like eating Taiwanese food, you want to come here. Great tasting food and very reasonable priced. One of the most authentic Taiwanese restaurants in SGV (in my opinion). ���“

“I wanted to check out the new 2024 "Luxurious Linen" collection at this San Gabriel location. Instead the collection tasted like wonderful boba drinks. They even have edible accessories like popcorn chicken and Boulettes de Calmar (Squid Balls). I think all Bananza Republic should be like this.“

“Dumplings, beef roll, pan seared pork and corn dumplings, corn chowder, marinated cucumbers. These are my new favorite foods. Service was quick and hospitable, everyone was super helpful, friendly, and efficient. We will definitely be back!“

“Tried their egg omelete, beef roll, tamale, and a few other breakfast items. Food is pretty good, gets the job done, but nothing spectacular. If you're in the area and want TW breakfast, this would be the place but I wouldn't say it's worth going out of your way for.“

“The spicy bacon jerky will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. That's all you need to know. I know. What could be so amazing about jerky? Well let me tell you. This is the most succulent, flavorful, JUICY, jerky you'll ever put in your mouth. It's a little pricey but so worth it. They use a Chinese method to make it juicy but this will RUIN grocery store jerky for you“

“Each table orders through a QR code without having to speak to the waiters. The menu has good variety and the food comes out fast! Their vegetable dishes are good and they do have some good vegetarian options of noodles, rice, dumplings, etc. For me, the one thing that would bump up the overall rating to 5 stars, is more vegetarian/plant based protein like tofu.“

“I phone ordered to go for late lunch today on Friday, April/12/24. Order taker immediately thinks I can speak fluent Mandarin which I do. I ordered the Taiwanese sausage rice to go. I was going for Stinky Tofu, but they told me they currently don't offer that dish on the menu. I'm giving this place a 4.5 star review due to no stinky tofu....I'm not supposed to eat that junk but been craving that dish for awhile now.... Hope they bring back the stinky tofu! I'll update in the future when they will bring back the Taiwanese Stinky Tofu.“

“My friend Dopey brought me here for my first time to try the popcorn chicken specifically! There are 3 spice levels i chose mild, never have I had such juicy perfectly crisp bites of chicken hands down the best i had. There is such a huge menu to choose from heard the fried porkchop is delicious. I there is a wide variety of jelly which is really cool i got a taro with rainbow jelly. I definitely recommend this place.“

“I just just opened a bag of the ground pork original flavor and consumed the whole 12oz bag in two days! A tad sweet & sticky for me, texture was Great though! Ordered three more 12oz bags to try the other flavors?“