Cantonese BBQ from Ruby’s
By: Kristie Hang
I loved Curry and BBQ Plu$ and I was so sad to see it go. Best Hainan Chicken Noodle Soup in the San Gabriel Valley! Although the Hainan noodles are no longer available, Ruby BBQ Food has continued Curry and BBQ Plu$’s tradition of tasty lo shui aka Cantonese BBQ.
The cook is not the same, but barely anything else has changed albeit a few menu items. The specialty at Ruby’s is the Macau style crispy roast pork. It was very good! The pork was juicy with just the right amount of saltiness. It went great with the rice and was on par with Hong Kong style lunch boxes.
You can also find this style pork at certain dimsum restaurants, but Ruby’s version was definitely tasty. The portion is small and it costs $6.99. Your meal also includes a complimentary pork and veggie soup and rice. Essentially, what makes this pork “Macau-style” is that the pork is cut into smaller, thinner pieces with extra crispy skin.
I also ordered the braised Chiu Chow tofu. The tofu was fried on the spot so the skin was crispy. The texture mixed perfect with the Chiu Chow sauce. The BBQ pork aka cha siu, however was a bit disappointing. It definitely did not measure up to Shum Tseng’s or any other authentic Cantonese BBQ’s.
Overall, I was pleased with my first trek to Ruby’s and will definitely be back soon. FYI, don’t expect any décor. This place is bare bones, but that’s the way I like it. I hope to go back and try the duck chins.
They are closed Mondays. Open til 10 P.M. Cash only!
9567 E Garvey Ave
El Monte, CA 91733
The New Kim Kee On The Block
By: Kristie Hang
Kim Kee Noodle House is a fairly new addition to the Valley Square Plaza in Alhambra. For those that follow me, you probably have heard me vent about the demise of Shanghai Village, but I guess I’ll slowly get over it.
Kim Kee’s specialty is their Chiu Chow noodles. They are essentially the same as Kim Ky (they were once partners) and the same as the other Kim Kee restaurants.
The house special is the noodle soup with a bit of everything. It includes shrimp, fish balls, meatballs, pork kidneys, chicken, and pork. You have to choice to choose between what type of noodles you want i.e. clear, thick yellow, or think yellow noodles.
Note to those who are not very hungry: Order the “rat” noodles. That’s the Cantonese nickname for these clear noodles known as Silver needle noodles. No need to worry, the name simply comes from its appearance! This dish is not very filling so it’s perfect for those that just want a small snack.
What I will say about this particular location is that they have a lot of young staff so you need not worry if you do not speak Chinese. They also speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Chiu Chow as well.
The new location is currently trying out different schedules. I believe the owner said that they are currently closed on Wednesday, but will be open seven days a week in the future. (Don’t quote me on it though!)
Worth noting: Their Chinese donuts come out fresh and their chili sauces definitely hit the spot.
You can check out the new location at:
1281 E. Valley
Alhambra, CA
We had a fantastic time talking about Chinese food with Jonathan Gold today.
Shameless promo for an upcoming event…but the organizers of LitFest have invited us to be on a panel with Jonathan Gold to chat about Chinese food in Los Angeles. I’m completely honored to be a part of this so would love it if everyone came out and supported us.
Who: 626 Foodettes and Jonathan Gold
When: Saturday, May 11 / 1:00 pm — 1:45 pm
Where: Pasadena Central Park (1 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105)
What: We’ll be chatting about how the San Gabriel Valley became the capital of Chinese food in LA.
More details here and the venue is just a hop and skip away from the Del Mar Gold Line station if you’re too lazy to drive in from the West side. I know I would be.
And like all good events, there will be food. No, not Chinese food, but if anyone wants to hit up a restaurant afterwards, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re more than happy to chat more over a bowl of noodles.
Restaurateur George Yu Talks Cantonese Food and Sleep Deprivation
As for the food, Yu recommends the following: walnut shrimp, kung pao chicken, gui fei ji (marinated chicken named after a imperial Chinese concubine), and the filet mignon cubes. He’s particularly proud of the restaurant’s Hong Kong egg waffle, an elusive snack found in only a few places in Los Angeles made with flour, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, starch and baking powder. It’s cooked in a special waffle iron and comes out looking like bubble wrap, the sides slightly crisp. “Other venues put too much egg in it,” he says. The recipe, developed by Yu himself, seems to be working. The egg waffle is one of the restaurant’s most popular menu items.
Read more about the open-till-4am restaurant here.
Mother’s Day Cake Ideas
By: Kristie H.
If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably already know that I’m a frequent patron of Ganache Patisserie & Cafe in Monterey Park. Although I go just for a quick drink and their tasty apple tile, I always make time to check out their outrageous cakes. I can’t speak for how tasty they are, but they definitely are quite the production. If you want to make a statement, then this is for you!
Here are their various mahjong cakes that you can order. They range from $60 and up. The mahjong tiles are made up of white chocolate.
Ganache also has cute Angry Birds, Psy, and other cakes available.
141 N Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
I’ll do an additional follow-up post on my must-order desserts here soon.
Hainan chicken is a ubiquitous dish with roots in Wenchang City in Hainan, a Southeastern province in China. It…
So we all know that you’re coming to see us on our panel with Jonathan Gold on Saturday, but what are you doing on Sunday, May 12th? Here are some deals for the upcoming holiday weekend.
Highlights for that special Sunday are below. For more details and to take advantage of these delicious deals, please visit DowntownLA.com/MothersDay.
· Hilton Checkers Downtown. Relax & enjoy a delectable brunch buffet on its beautiful patio, including many specialty stations and made to order items. As a present to Moms, Hilton is offering a 25% discount for mothers, plus a complimentary Mimosa to start the celebration.
· Border Grill. Enjoy upscale, modern Mexican food in a vibrant setting at Border Grill, the hip, urban cantina from Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales.”
· Millennium Biltmore: Rendezvous at the grand and historic Millennium Biltmore for a Mother’s Day brunch complete with flowing sparkling wine and a lovely rose for mom. A decadent buffet will be set-up in the Rendezvous Court and Smeraldi’s with seating in the Italian Renaissance-Style Smeraldi’s.
· Omni Hotel: Treat mom to a “Queen for a Day”-themed brunch at the Grand Cafe at the Omni. Every mom will receive goodies! Adults can enjoy bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s. Highlights from the buffet include a “Her Way” omelet station, a carving station with rosemary rubbed rib eye and sea salt brined turkey breast, pan seared salmon, crepes Florentine, cranberry shallot couscous, and citrus panna cotta with wild berries.
· Blue Ribbon Garden. Celebrate mom in Walt Disney Concert Hall’s beautiful, one-acre garden 34 feet above Hope Street. Dine among flowering trees and views of the city. Menu highlights include: country ham carving station, a crepe station, a build your own parfait bar, brioche French toast, quiche Lorraine, Vienna style fried chicken with potato cucumber salad, and more.
