Happy Kitchen - San Gabriel

...absolute best was saved for last and that was the Double Cooked Pork. O M G! I rarely say OMG, but wow, this dish was that and more. I have no idea how it was prepared. I'm thinking it was battered and double-fried, but it didn't really matter. It was just so good. We were all feeling pretty full, but we all made room to eat some of this pork. In fact, a couple of my fellow diners even ordered it to go.

I 've been an amateur journalist that eats for some time now. And occasionally, my friends will insist upon me trying a place. They will drag me to some corner place and lay claim as if they were preaching 'the next coming ' of some sort of beef. I might be

4 stars Food is great, price is fair. The menu offers some specialities. Buy three entrees get a large piece of free smoked chicken leg. Plenty of parking underground. Drawbacks (2.5 stars) (1) the young waitress, could be the daughter of the chef, has no desire to serve at all: no eye contact, no smile; is staying away from customers. (2) There are always some smokers standing near or outside of the restaurant. The odor of the cigarette comes thru the opening entrance.

Just finished a glorious lunch with friends! Had the braised pork shoulder in brown sauce, the sauteed finless eel with leeks and the beef with oyster sauce along with pork dumplings... So tasty! Highly recommend this restaurant

I’ve been an amateur journalist that eats for some time now. And occasionally, my friends will insist upon me trying a place. They will drag me to some corner place and lay claim as if they were preaching “the next coming” of some sort of beef. I might be given their used-car sales pitch about the chicken dish at their under appreciated hang out. Most of the time, it’s just their giddy excitement oozing out and everything being over-hyped. I’ll most often agree to some point, with me inside smiling politely, since the food is somewhat acceptable, than being stupendously awesome. Though I know I’ll hear their ire, if I don’t amiably agree a bit. Yet in this case . . . Happy Kitchen did not fail to deliver. At Mr. B’s insistence, I was in a little San Gabriel Valley Chinese hole-in-the-wall crawl with him this week, I had to try Happy Kitchen. He said I’ll love this place and will want to come back. His family and especially his mom is even a regular. Happy Kitchen features Chinese food from Harbin 哈爾濱. The cold winters are warmed with hearty stews, like their casseroles – the Pork Sour Napa Casserole. Almost a soup, this dish is only served in a large family style bowl. The sliced pork with the cabbage in the sour mixture instantly warms you up without being too spicy. Though it isn’t savory, or heck even sweet, and lacks some bold flavors, you can’t stop eating/drinking it. It doesn’t even look that appetising. But I couldn’t stop. The sourness goes down smooth with the cabbage melting in your mouth. The pork, with a little flavorful fat, gives a slight salt taste but good mouth feel texture. I guess the pork is the token protein in this dish. Then after awhile, you find glass noodles swimming at the bottom as a nice surprise to fill your stomach. The owner/cook, from Heilongjiang 黑龍江省 the capital, often comes out from behind and chats with the customers. Here in the melting pot of Southern California, you’ll find Chinese, from difference provinces, enjoying Happy Kitchen. We were treated as long time customers, with a side their roast chicken leg. I just found out, the week prior, that the LA Times did a nice article about Happy Kitchen. I would assume, that many outsiders (hint: white people) will discover this little gem. You won’t find the kung pao chicken, general tsao’s, moo goo gai pan or even orange chicken on their menu. You’ll find hometown comfort food like onion pancake wrapped beef and vegetable steamed dumplings. I was told that the onion pancake wrapped beef, better known as beef rolls, is much better here with the thin onion pancake. Other places are known to use thicker and oilier ones. The vegetable steamed dumplings were filled with finely chopped greens, tofu, and mushrooms, about to burst from the seams. With such armor, you don’t need soy sauce, but perhaps a little vinegar to go with the dumplings. I remembered, with my mouth filled, I had concurred, actually nodded, with Mr. B, about his glowing sentiment about Happy Kitchen.