As a guy from Beijing, this place hits like home! All the flavor, dishes and food takes me back to my childhood in Beijing. The Bao was cheap and juicy! Jiangbing was spot on. The tofu soup was my favorite and you have no much how much I miss this taste. The place is like an average Chinese restaurant with aunties as servers. They are there to just take your orders, so don't expect top tier service. It's definitely very packed and some times you get seated with other people. That's really the Chinese way. It is truly a hole in the wall places with authentic Chinese flavors. Even though it is so far for me, I will be back! read more

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The SGV's Fortune No 1 offers hearty and comforting food from Tianjin. Many diners order plates of large dumplings and baos, or massive bowls of noodles. You should visit this spot for its breakfast items, donuts and crepes that you dunk in bowls of tofu soup. Sweet Bread Stick: This kind of like a youtiao (Chinese donut) that has been flattened. It has a little bit of a sweet glaze on top. This is really good, nice and fluffy inside, crispy on the outside, with a nice chew. I probably messed up by not ordering the savory and tangy silken tofu to go along with this. Spare Ribs Noodle Soup: I ordered this because I thought I needed some meat, but the spare ribs were kind of tough and dry. The broth was milky and lacking in flavor. The noodles were too soft. Parking: There's plenty of street parking. read more

Fortune No 1 - Sweet bread stick - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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This spot serves very classic Chinese breakfast items. We especially enjoyed dipping the fried donut in the soy milk, which had a stronger than usual soybean flavor. The menu features many fried items, but I wish I could have tried the steamed buns--they're only sold in sets of eight. Portions are generous--the five items we ordered were difficult to finish between two people. I recommend coming with a group of four or more to enjoy a wider variety. read more

Fortune No 1 - Steamed bun with Chinese date, fried brown sugar donut - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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As a native Beijinger, I really enjoyed seeing so many Northern Chinese breakfast choices here -- soy milk, youtiao, jianbing, vegetable and pork buns, and many other traditional breakfast items that are honestly hard to find in Los Angeles. Some dishes were better than others, but overall I was happy to finally try this place after living in Southern California for 26 years. I paid at the front cashier, and everything initially went smoothly. I noticed they do not automatically charge tips or require signatures for credit card payments, so I asked the lady at the front to add a 20% tip. While standing there, I noticed the open kitchen behind the clear glass and took a quick photo to share with friends. The lady immediately told me not to take pictures. I said, "Okay, you have an open kitchen," and stopped. However, she then demanded that I delete the photo and later came back again to check whether I had actually deleted it. That interaction made me very uncomfortable and completely changed the experience for me. I had just added a generous tip moments earlier, and honestly, after being treated that way, I wished I had asked for the tip back. The food may bring me there once, but the service makes me unlikely to return. read more

Wasn't sure what to expect coming to fortune no.1 as I'm not well acquainted with this type of breakfast but my expectations were blown out of the water. The store itself is unassuming, B rating and adorned with a fishtank. The vibes are lively even on a weekday morning, lots of regulars. Food: The jianbing (pancake) was delicious, it was crunchy on the inside, wrapped in a crepe like eggy wrap 5/5. Tofu soup was rich and had generous amount of tofu 5/5. The tea eggs were probably my favorite and packed with flavor 5/5. Service is poor but if you're going to a Chinese restaurant that's a positive not a negative XD read more

One of my favorite spots for Chinese breakfast. The food here is always delicious. I like to order the tianjin bao which is basically like a xlb but in bao form in my opinion. I got the yao tiao and it went great with my soybean milk. read more

Fortune No 1 - Soybean milk, yao tiao and tianjin baos - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I've been here a few times when the wife or my father-in-law was missing home. It wouldn't be my first choice to come here! I'm not going to fight a senior citizen on where to eat breakfast. After all, it's always nice to eat breakfast outside. However, the food is not as desirable as before as the novelty has worn off after having gone so many times of late. I was tired of eating the Rice Crust #3. I opted for a bowl of Lamb noodles. It wasn't good. The broth was too salty. I wouldn't be in a rush to come back anytime soon! read more

Fortune No 1 - Lamb Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Nothing like authentic Chinese food on a Sunday morning!! Today was my 3rd time eating here and I must say hell yes! I've tried about 12 items and didn't care for the corn muffin or soy milk cause I am lame like that. The pancake noodles #75&76 were delicious! The cucumbers and the sea kelp were a wonderful surprise! The beef and noodles were like a Chinese pot roast soup very delicious! Onion pancake didn't disappoint at all! We've tried 4 different dumplings and all 4 were bangers they just don't miss! The Chinese donut was pretty damn good. The meat stuffed pies are another winner a palm sized meat patty in a pancake is the best way to describe these flavor bombs!! Dinning room is super tight. If you don't speak the language there will be alot of finger pointing and thumbs up, so don't get upset if your order is wrong believe me these mistakes are the best!! Staff is good again there might be a language barrier. I've spent 70 and 80 dollars for a group of 3 but were picking multiple items. Have spent 20 when I ate by myself. Remember kids this isn't panda or chia express there is no honey wanut fried rice here! I highly recommend this place for authentic Chinese cuisine!! read more

Fortune No 1 - Cucumbers &kelp - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Located on Garvey near Garfield. Street parking or lot parking on the corner and can walk thru alley to their back door. I was looking to try something different. Found this on yelp. Called to place my order, unfortunately they don't understand too much English. The woman was very helpful but couldn't understand leek pie nor sliced beef with pancake. She asked for numbers, but the menu on yelp that I looked at was older w different numbers. She kept saying hold on and found an English speaking customer to help. They still couldn't figure out the leek pie so instead I got beef w leek pie. Busy small restaurant on a Sunday morning with tables filled. The beef roll was filled with lots of beef. The pancake was a little doughy and chewy- not as crispy and flakey as I prefer. The beef leek pie was mostly beef. It was too juicy- ended up all over my shirt on first bite. Learned on next one to bite and let it drain or sip it. Too beefy for me. I'll try the leek pie next time! read more

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I just came back from China & was craving Jianbing. This place came up in my search & I have to say that it tasted very authentic and yummy! I also got the tea egg + soy milk (I didn't enjoy the soy milk). My boyfriend got the onion pancakes & bok choy pork dumplings and said they were both good. Service was very quick. read more

Fortune No 1 - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I love this place!!! The carbs are so yummy the Chinese donut paired with the soymilk is a must!!! The portions are generous and definitely worth the money. Service was pretty fast we only had to wait a bit for a party of 10 to be seated. Dumplings were also very yummy juicy and filled with lots of meat. You can't really go wrong with this place it's a classic! Ambiance was typical Chinese restaurant lots of people eating and chillin read more

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Authentic Tianjin food. People are super friendly! This is a must go place if you go to this area.

I was so touched to eat authentic Tianjin breakfast in Los Angeles Following yeip's recommendation, I checked in at this Tianjin breakfast shop, and it didn't disappoint me. As soon as I entered the door, I heard authentic Tianjin dialect. The shop was full of Tianjin aunties making breakfast, and the atmosphere was right. The most surprising thing is that the taste is really like what I ate in Tianjin- The fried dough sticks were freshly fried, especially crispy, and there was a "click" sound when you bite them. The soy milk is very fragrant, not the kind that is diluted with water, and you can tell that it is freshly ground. The salty tofu brain pie is very full and has a strong bean fragrance. The sugar-fried pancake is really fried too well, with a crispy skin and a slightly sticky sweet taste inside. I couldn't help but order another one after eating one. Although the pancakes are not as diverse as those on the streets of Tianjin, they are also very good overall, with fragrant batter and sufficient ingredients. As someone who once went to the northwest corner of Tianjin specifically for breakfast, this restaurant really made me feel: "This is the taste I want to eat!" The auntie in the store is also very honest. I ordered several in one go, and she smiled and said: "You ordered too much, you can't finish it." Just this kind of atmosphere and tone, so friendly. Summary: If you are in Los Angeles and crave Tianjin breakfast, this restaurant is really worth a visit. It's not a gimmick, it's really delicious + humane. It is recommended to come early. There are many people but the turnover is fast. The breakfast is rich in variety and the price is also reasonable. read more

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便宜巨好吃。首推天津包子和馅饼 Cheap and delicious. Their pork dumplings and fried pie is recommended! read more

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First time trying this place called "Fortune No 1" but I thought it was called "J&H Bun House". I was thinking of getting leek pie and saw this restaurant open early. It's located on Garvey Ave in Monterey Park (very close to the Lincoln Hotel). Their business hours are from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. They have limited street parking in the front but you can also park at the public parking area behind the restaurant. I ordered takeout orders of fried leek pie (2 pieces) for $8.99 and a red bean bun ($2.50) by phone about 45 minutes prior. Once I entered the restaurant, I saw many people inside and it was pretty crowded. I asked the lady if my order was ready and she asked me what did I order? They should have asked for my name or the last 4 digits phone number when I ordered so it would have been more efficient. She checked every takeout orders on the table. They prefer payment by cash but accept credit cards. (add 3% for the fees) My take-out order was heavy and they were in big portions and the price was economical. No wonder they had so many people. The leek pie orders had 2 big pieces inside and a lot of leek and vermicelli. It was a bit salty but flavorful. The crust was too thick. The red bean bun was big but the texture was dense and heavy. The red bean filling inside was okay but I didn't like the bun skin. I could only finish 1/4 of it. Food: 3 out of 5 stars (leek pie fillings were not bad but the skin was too thick and the red bean bun texture was dense & heavy) Service: They were fast but not efficient and a bit rude (2 out of 5 stars) Ambiance: 1 out of 5 stars (too crowded and not much room to move around and loud noise gave me headache) Overall, I was overwhelmed by the place. read more

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Great food variety! You can understand the northeast Chinese breakfast culture when you visit this place. Food is authentic and delicious. People who work in the kitchen can be loud , you can experience the streets breakfast atmosphere here. Food is very tasty according to friends who went with me, who originally from the Shandong region. I like 油条 most. Food comes pretty quickly, serves is okay, but cleanness have rooms to improve. read more

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Excellent steam buns! Discovered this place from a friend. The price and quality of the food is definitely amongst the best!

天津人狂喜 在洛杉矶LA吃到了正宗的天津早点 豆腐脑 味道正宗加点辣油儿更好吃豆腐很嫩 煎饼果子 喜欢夹果蓖儿的酥脆吃起来很香 云吞 汤是真的好喝很鲜馄饨和我妈妈包的一样好吃嘎巴菜 天津特色绿豆面儿的卤子味道挺正 糖油饼 糖果子太好吃吃了一份好几大块刚炸出来的 特别好吃 甜甜的红糖味儿 「天津包子」因为得忌口就没点我最爱的三鲜馅儿 点的这个猪肉大葱的包子都是现包的不至预制的包子发面发的很好 特别宣乎个头儿挺大馅料够实在的一咬都流油儿特别香 服务:天津大姨说话倍儿亲切一秒回到家乡 read more

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If you are from northern China and you miss home made breakfast, here is a must go place. Soft tofu, you tiao, pork bun and red bean bun. And all of these only for 40 dollars!! Amazing price read more

Fortune No 1 - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Some of the besttttt Chinese comfort/home cooking I've found in LA! Boyfriend is northern Chinese and thinks this is the best homemade breakfast in the area - I'm not as qualified as he is, but I agree. Prices are really good - you get a LOT of food for under $30. Our classic favorite is of course their tianjin baozi, will probably come back just to pick up an order of those. read more

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The exterior signage of the restaurant listed the name 金海餐廳 as Fortune No 1, and the menu listed 金海餐廳 as J&H Bun House. Although they served other Northern Chinese breakfast items like 豆腐腦 (tofu soup) and 煎餅果子 (Northern Chinese pancake) , we came here to try the buns on our steam bun tour, and this review focused solely on the buns. There were breakfast pastries and room temp buns displayed on the table, and we ordered to go as they said the hot one will take 25 minutes. We tried the following: TIANJIN STUFFED BUN (pork bun) $12.75 for 8 buns: the bun skin was hard and chewy (even straight off the steamer), and the filling was VERY salty. I had to pair 2 bites of veggie for every bite of the meat bun to balance out. Good value if you can handle loads of sodium and like over-salty buns. RED BEAN STEAM BUN (紅豆豆沙包) $2.50 - red bean filling was ok, but the bun skin was very dense; there are better ones elsewhere. JUJUBE BUN (棗三角) $2.50 - basically a triangular dense roll with jujube sticking out on the side; this tasted a bit plain. I like soft and fluffy buns, and these Tianjin style buns were not for me. Due to the heavy and dense texture, the red bean bun and jujube bun were quite filling though; eating half of one kept me full the entire morning. read more

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I come here for one thing and one thing only: their Tianjin Baozi. I have tried their other offerings like jianbing guozi, youtiao, other dumplings, etc. and they all taste like you'd find them in northern China, but their Tianjin Baozi is especially good, the best bao I've had in the US and Japan (I've had 551 Horai in Osaka, as well as various nikuman/bao in Yokohama Chinatown). The Tianjin Baozi have soft and fluffy buns, and the fillings have the perfect springy, juicy meatball texture. Although it's not a soup dumplings, there's plenty of juice that's ready to spill out - be careful. The whole thing is bursting with savory flavor and it's only $14 for 8 hefty buns after tax. If you can't read Chinese, you will have trouble ordering because the translations in the menu are pretty wonky. I would recommend going with a friend who is familiar with northern Chinese food. The interior and service are reminiscent of a roadside restaurant in Qingdao in the early 2000s - a bit run down with not much in the way of service, so to speak. Restaurant service in China has gotten too try-hard in the past decade or so, and these places hit a nostalgic sweet spot for me. read more

Fortune No 1 - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Great for groups and sharing. Lamb bao Green onion pancake Jiangbing beef Cucumber salad Steam dumplings Tofu Everything was so delicious. There were some language barriers but they were very kind and patient. Also smiley :) Diner booth style seating was fun. read more

Flavor is great. Good size menu selections. Love the soy milk (original flavor). From the outside it doesn't look appealing. Give it a chance. Your taste buds will appreciate you. Easier to order if you speak Mandarin. read more

We were greeted by a big C grade from their most recent inspection. This gave me a signal that the food was going to be really good hahah. Located across the street from the ever popular Mamas Lu Dumpling. If you don't wanna wait for a table there, just cross the street to Fortune 1! Seating: there are 9 booths that can seat 4 , 1 large round table, a few smaller rectangular tables, and I think there is a larger table towards the back but half of it seemed to be covered with ready-made food that is meant for grab&go (?). Not sure! We only ordered 2things but tables seated after us were given their food before us! This made us rather impatient and upset because we definitely saw the same dishes we ordered go to other tables. We added one more thing during this long wait and I hoped that this would remind them that we didn't have any food on our table. Eventually all our food came one after the other, after about a 20-25 minute wait. So service is slow, and also no frills! They are there to take your order, bring your food, and take your money. No smiles or small talk here! Food: We ordered the soy milk, the tianjin buns (#18), and the Chinese donut. The soy milk is not sweetened but you can sweeten it with the sugar readily available at each table. The tianjin buns were nice and plump! The "soup" inside the buns is really salty (!) but the rest of the meat and bun are not overly salty. The Chinese donut was enormous which always puts a big smile on my face. I love eating these, especially with my soy milk. Parking: Limited street parking in front and adjacent street. Seems like you can park in a lot in the back and enter through the back as well though I did not do this. Overall, I'd recommend this place to at least try once. I'd come back and order the same things but I want to try the "Salty Tofu soup" as that was another popular menu item. read more

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I love this place!! Upon entry, Fortune No 1 brings you right to China. The restaurant specializes in Tianjin breakfast. Some people here have claimed that it's Beijing breakfast, it really is Tianjin food even though there are similarities between the neighboring cities. Key giveaway: guo ba cai and the bao zi are Tianjin specialties. Oh and the staff speak the lovely Tianjin dialect :) Service is fast if you speak Mandarin to the staff, as it is their primary language. Some workers speak English too. The ambiance is a very casual, low key kind of atmosphere. It almost feels like I'm eating inside someone's home. During my dine-in experience, I saw many people get take out orders on weekend mornings. It definitely seems to be a local favorite. Some of my personal favorites are: jian bing guo zi, dou fu nao, guo ba cai, and basically any of their meat buns. Enjoy!!!! read more

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I have been waiting for this for 25 years! I left TianJin at 7 years old. JianBingGuoZi is something I would eat regularly from the lady with a cart in our complex as a kid. I would bring a lunch box with 2 eggs and she would make it. I have been waiting for this moment for 25 years. And it was exactly as I remembered it! The moment of anticipation was nerve wracking because I have been disappointed before. And now I know where I'm going when I come to LA because they have made a 25 year dream come true. read more

Fortune No 1 - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Mixed feelings about this place. Food is amazing, but cleanliness is not up to par. I'd probably rate it a 3.5 if I could. First off, the food itself is authentic Chinese breakfast at very cheap prices. For example, you can get 8 large bao zi (chinese pork bun) for $12.75, or a large bowl of soup for $4. My favorite dishes were the chinese style crepe and the pork buns. However, this may not be the spot for people who really value cleanliness. The establishment has a "C" Health Code rating, and I did find a piece of hair in my food (I ate it anyway, but this may be a turn-off for many diners). read more

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We wanted to get some tofu pudding and thought this place might have it! We went in to order and had a hard time communicating with them. It was so stressful to order. Their English was limited. Anyways we finally ordered the dumplings which was good but didn't care for the soy milk! We ordered the Chinese donut but she didn't give it to us, although she didn't charge us for it! I guess she didn't understand when we placed the orders. I probably won't go back again, they didn't have tofu pudding only tofu soup and it's different taste! read more

People that come here are not here for the ambiance, service or cleanliness. People come for the taste. The food here is nostalgic, remind people of home or youth. The service is generally fast and efficient, but not with a smile. The inside is a bit crowded with everything packed tightly, not a lot of room to move around. Again, people are here for the taste. It's good food, if you can see past the caution below. Caution: if you eat here, be prepared to have tiny visitors at your table. These little guys can generally live for a week with their heads cut off. It will ruin your whole experience, and perhaps your whole day. read more

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Excellent for casual dinning. One of the best traditional Chinese dishes and we will definitely visit again.

Hard to find good, traditional Beijing breakfast here in the bay, so every time I visit LA I always stop by here for a quick meal! There's two entrances, one by the street and the other is through the back parking lot. The restaurant is run by a bunch of Asian ladies in the kitchen, feels really just like home haha! They're all about being quick and efficient, get your order in, eat, and get out so they can make more room for the next customers. Get used to the way it is out here for these Chinese restaurants, the food will not disappoint! read more

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Incredible authentic Tianjin food. Wish I could find a similar restaurant in SF Bay Area.

Like the letter grade that is at the front door, this place has gone from a C to an A in my book. 3 years ago, this place scored a C on its health department inspection and I couldn't stand the service here. In the past couple months I've been here couple times I am happy to say I'm in love with this place. Usually with a C I would just walk straight out but my boss loves her JianBingGuoZi AKA Chinese crepe and I love my Baozi AKA Chinese buns. So in the past we would get to go here and tried not to look at the health inspection score. Don't know what happened during the pandemic but this place really turned it around. Earlier today we ordered the following: - JianBingGuoZi/ Chinese crepe with a crunch with extra sauce. Hands down it's the best Chinese crepe in LA. Don't know why with such a large Chinese/ ChineseAm population in LA it's so difficult to find a place with JianBingGuoZi considering you can find it in almost every block while I was living in Beijing. lol - Tianjin Baozi. Each order comes with 8 meat buns. Man, these Baozi were juicy!! My two year old fought me for these Baozi. Then when we brought the leftover home my four year old and my two year old fought each other for these Baozi. So there, if you have little ones, this is a must get. - Sesame Sauce Pastry. This was intended to be a snack. It's a little on the oily side but it's a tasty traditional northern Chinese pastry that's worth a try as my little ones liked it as well. - Wonton Soup. Felt like I needed a soupy dish so this was it. Who doesn't love a wonton soup? I grew up having it for breakfast when I was living in Taiwan. So it's got that nostalgic flavor whenever I have it. Can't say it's the best wonton soup I've had but it's decent. Word of caution is that this is a pretty authentic northern Chinese cuisine breakfast and lunch place so it's pretty much a "hole in the wall." So the interior is as "simple" as it gets. The restroom is also on the "rustic" side. Hence I'm keeping the review at 4 stars. Last but not least the service is pretty darn good considering northern Chinese breakfast lunch place is never high on service. This place was fabulous as everything came out fast and prompt. Note there is a 3% surcharge for using your credit card. Considering the value of the foods, I don't think it makes a difference. *yay* read more

Fortune No 1 - Chinese crepe with a crunch (JianBingGuoZi)-- must get!! - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

This is the most authentic bun I ever had in the US during the past 10 years. The flavor so northern taste that I feel back to Tianjin. Each order comes with 8 bun. Ordered delivery from hungry panda, and it took about 1 hour to deliver because all the meat bun is freshly made. When I got my food, it's still hot and fresh. Salted tofu soup is also delicious as it always be. The food portion here is huge. What I ordered is good enough for two people. Total spent $27. Great value and super good food. Worth to give it try. read more

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As a Shanghainese, I love the Tianjin bun in Fortune No. 1. Normally I will order one set of Pork Bun which is 8 pcs and a Tofu Soup. I can eat 3 pcs of the bun, barely 4, they are good even after reheating it the next morning. The bun, especially the pork and green scallion is the best, is soft and has a good smell. Once you bite it, it's hot and juicy. You will love it as I do. The Tofu Soup is totally different from the Shanghai-style which I eat from childhood but still acceptable. BTW, if you are not Tianjin people, don't try the Rice Crust Dishes (even the name translation is wrong). The Rice Crust Dishes, a.k.a. Ga Ba Cai, is a Bean and Wheat Flour Wrap Slices Soup. I also like their pancake, but it's too big for me and I can only have half. read more

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Being a Tianjin native, I knew I had to come to this place after my friend showing me. This is one of the most authentic Chinese breakfast places I've ever been to in the USA, and it seriously reminded me of my home of Tianjin (I go back every couple years!). They even have the authentic Chinese breakfast place vibe (iykyk). Parking was plentiful on the street on a late weekday morning. Since I'm not local, I ordered a bunch of stuff I craved, namely the Tofu Soup and Jianbing (pancake). You know this place is good when the translations are either wrong or straight out absent. The tofu soup (doufunao in Chinese) tasted exactly how I imagined it to taste; sweet and salty with dense broth and tofu. The jianbing was amazing, it's basically egg in a liquify flour mix with fried dough and sauce. To a foreigner it may sound weird, but trust me, this place is THE DESTINATION for authentic Chinese (or at least Tianjin) food. I also ordered Tianjin Baos, which are basically large xiaolongbaos with a pork filling filled with juice. Not included was a sweet bread stick, which is basically a sweet piece of fried dough. Now, my descriptions may not sound as appetizing, but if I'm willing to bring my native parents and grandparents here the next time they're in LA, then what's stopping anyone else from coming? My only complaint was the service, and the waitresses don't really respect/look at you while you ask them for something. read more

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I haven't visited Fortune No 1 for almost three years due to relocation. I got the chance to stay in LA for a few weeks . The first thing I wanna to eat is their breakfast. The salty silky tofu is one of my favorite. It's authentic traditional Northern Chinese breakfast that reminds me the time I lived in Tianjin. Such a great memory. Tips: they only do cash. I would suggest order to go instead of dine in cause they always have a long waiting line during weekends morning. Parking are pretty easy to find. The environment is loud and reminds me the traditional breakfast restaurant in China. I couldn't wait to come here to try again. read more

Fortune No 1 - Tofu Nao - Chinese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Mediocre. Cheap but not really that tasty. Buns are okay ish. Lamb tastes very weird with a big sheep smell and waitress said owners want it this way. read more

My friends from Northeast China like that. I personally felt the steam bun is average, 煎饼果子 is not like those fancy ones in South China but more traditional Tianjing style, a bit too plain for me. So... overall 3 stars from me and one more from my friend. read more