Ian A.

I had a lovely experience at M Joy (San Gabriel). I ordered the Lamb Shank ($21.49). It includes a plump, juicy lamb shank, rice refills, and lamb bone soup refills. WOW! I devoured that incredible, filling meal. (Important: There's an added 12% service charge for dine-in. And there's a one hour dining period limit for customers.) I arrived at M Joy (San Gabriel) on Thursday (around 11:21AM). Parking is easy. There's an underground parking structure with plenty of spots. Customers order via QR Code. Customers scan the code at the table, and customers tap the options on their phone. Staff is very hardworking and professional. Staff (Kyle) worked quickly, accurately, and attentively. Kyle spoke Mandarin and English, and Kyle politely answered all my questions. Kyle worked hard; Kyle is an AMAZING staff member. My food took six minutes and 13 seconds. Very fast!! As mentioned, I ordered the Lamb Shank ($21.49). TASTY!! The lamb is MASSIVE and it falls seductively off the bone. Each bite tasted tender and satisfying. I felt my eyes widen as it softly broke apart with each bite. JUICY! The rice is also hot and fluffy, and the soup is clean and refreshing. I felt happy. On ambiance, M Joy (San Gabriel) is very clean and cozy. It fits about six small tables. There's soft instrumental music, and its tall ceiling makes the location appear more spacious. There's no hand sanitizer bottle nor inside restroom, but Staff does offer the restroom key for one that's nearby. However, this location is family friendly with its nearby stack of children high chairs. Overall, I had a magical experience at M Joy (San Gabriel). This location surpassed all expectations. It's no wonder why this business was featured in the "Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants." If you love juicy, succulent lamb, this is an extremely easy recommendation. 5 out of 5! GO! JUST GO!!!

Eric L.

This place is more of a 3.5 than a 4 star. 4/5 lamb shank rice was ok. The rice lacked flavor and the lamb was very dry 1/5 the coleslaw is the worse version I've ever had. Do not order this. It tasted like straight oily mayonnaise w/o any other spices added. Not even salt. The dish came with some with veggies and a pretty good lamb broth. Both of which are refillable.

Robert Z.

Came here for a late lunch on a Saturday and we luckily did not have trouble getting sat. This is a small establishment that maybe seats like 16 people max so I've heard waits can get a bit excessive. However, its a cute spot and you definitely get a strong waft of lamb when you walk in. M Joy is a specialist restaurant in that they really only have lamb and rice on the menu. We had a party of 3 and ordered a grilled lamb shank, 3 lamb skewers, and a rice plate with shank and rib. They do have some coleslaw as a veggie side but this is the like the Xinjiang meat and potatoes equivalent dish. I really enjoyed the food, the lamb was super succulent and tender. If you like lamb, you will like this establishment but if you don't like lamb, do not come. The grilled lamb shank was my personal favorite with some nice crispy parts along with tender, fatty interior. The lamb skewers were less fatty so a bit tougher but not in a gristley, poor textured way just had the bite of meat. The rice was great and deeply flavored with lamb fat. Apparently, you can also just ask for extra rice and they will provide an extra bowl free of charge. Another great spot in the SGV and glad I got to try it sans wait. We all left feeling very full and ended up skipping dinner (granted we also ate late and had post meal boba, as is the 626 way).

Brian V.

Small cafe located on a corner inside a crowded strip mall among lots of other eateries in a high traffic area of San Gabriel. The name of the game here is lamb. If you look at the menu, it really is lamb prepared in various ways with the two main methods of being braised or grilled. You order from a QR code, but there is a person there to help you as needed. Get the skewers or the grilled shank or ribs if you want that slight char with the spices adorning the dishes. On this visit, I opted for a lamb shank (braised) with rice. At $20.99 as of 01/2026, it might be the best deal for a quality meal that includes lamb shank that I can think of in all of the LA metro area. The rice is plump and firm, flavored from the lamb broth and drippings. There is a cup of the broth served with this dish as well as some other sides of pickled carrots, onions, and chili oil so you can add to the dish for personal taste. Most importantly, the lamb was almost fall off the bone tender and flavorful. My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I got a little overexcited, but I ordered their in house made yogurt with raisins (which works as both a dessert and actually a side as well!) and their salty milk tea to wash everything down. Very delicious and comforting. I had to get pretty much half my entree to go because I was stuffed finishing the yogurt and the pot of tea. This is a very popular strip mall/ shopping plaza so parking can be tricky although I always seem to find a spot when I'm here. There's parking underground and a lot towards the back as well. This trip, I actually parked along the street and just walked up a few steps.

Rony Q.

Restaurant is located in a plaza area and I was not expecting it to be as good as it actually was if I were to judge it purely based off of looks. Super hole in the wall and comfortable looking. When my group of 5 sat down, we were prompted to order off of our phones using the QR code at the table. Everyone can order and put in their things from their phone and it just adds it onto the tables order. All of us got the lamb shank and rib combo, with some of us paying a bit extra for the grilled option and we also got some lamb skewers to share. Overall everything was delicious and generous in portion! What made it even better was the rice and the sides that came with the main entree. The carrot rice and the picked veggies/sauce paired perfectly with the lamb. Would come back again :)

Sean Z.

Located in a small plaza in San Gabriel. They got parking for patrons above and under ground. The shop is rather small. The interior was clean but crammed. Expect some wait time as you arrive, especially on the weekends. The food could be ordered online. The food was served in a timely manner. The freshly cooked lamb meat was tender and fresh. The grilled ribs was delicious without being extremely greasy. The rice platter was very fulfilling. With the amount of food received, the price was very justifiable and reasonable. The experience was good, if the dining space was bigger without being crammed. The service could use a small improvement. It gets a 4.1 out of 5.

Joan W.

Think Hainan chicken rice but with lamb shank/ribs and that gives you an idea of this restaurant's sole focus: lamb braised or grilled. Their braised lamb shank and ribs come meltingly tender on a bed of rice perfumed with lamb-y deliciousness punctuated by bright carrots. The condiment tray of onions and carrots add a pop of brightness to break through the richness of this dish. For an even more unique experience try the Mongolian style salted milk tea--you'll want it hot as they suggest it because of its rich butteriness. It's a bit salty-sweet. Your order through a QR code that you scan with your cell phone. Service mainly consists of bringing your food out to you. The ambiance is perfunctory but softened with pleasant music playing overhead. A fun food adventure!

Hannah B.

This place is really good! We ordered the Rib and Shank which comes with carrot rice. The rib and shank were both super tender, fell off the bone, and really flavorful. I was amazed by how delicious this dish was. The carrot rice had a nice fragrance and was good as well. Highly recommend this dish! We also got the Lamb Shank. This was also super good! It has the similar flavors/seasonings as you would normally taste from a usual Chinese skewers place but more elevated. The lamb was delicious and perfectly cooked. Would also recommend this one as well. It also came with sides like pickled veggies which were tasty. The Lamb Skewers were delicious. Some lamb pieces were juicier than others but were overall pretty good. Overall, this place exceeded my expectations. The prices here are reasonable for the quality of food you get. The service was also great. Will definitely be back!

Leonard A.

Ohhh Boy! This was definitely a Joy! If you're into Lamb then this is our Jam! Maaan! You should've seen me with a shank in my hand! And my tastebuds saying Daaamn! Ok believe it not this place is the spot so let me tell y'all what I got. If this was a fraternity like Lambda Lambda Lambda you know they're hot! First up was the Lamb Shank that was so soft and juicy that came with rice that reminded me of my childhood, so good. Next was their Lamb Skewers that were cooked to perfection and our tastebuds were humming! While enjoying our feast we had the special tea with milk. Ok this was very flavorful, creamy and rich and made this tasty experience even better. I also got to try the homemade yogurt which was a perfect end the adventure. It was tangy and I was told it was good for digestion so there's that. Ultimately he was right and we enjoyed all the recommendations. Service was great and attentive and will definitely be coming back again. There's a one hour time limit so beware of that because it's a small spot but after all we're here to grub! Parking can be a challenge so come early and if you already know then ya know. That's my take, Peace...

Rong F.

This little gem is a REAL deal!!!!! I'm glad that I've tried it out today Service is oaky, but food is outstanding! 1. Braised Lamb Shank 5-star It's very tender falling off the bone on your 1st bite, yet only wish there's more portion on the meat part... 2. Carrot Rice: 5-star This is served as of a set order w/ refillable lamb broth and slaws of shredded carrot and onion in pickle style. It's crunchy and flavorful. The rice cooked in lamb broth and carrots, it's so satisfied and portion is generous! 3. Lamb Skewers: 3.5-star It's fairly dry and chewy. 4. Grilled Lamb Ribs: 5-star They using the braised lamb to grill it for crispy taste on the outer side yet the inside is still very tender! This version costs you more for about $5-6 than the braised lambs. It's worth it! Unlimited lamb broth to wash down the grease of lamb. Side dish: pickled carrots and red onions are well balanced out your meat portion! This is one of the most delish succulent dining experience for me as of a foodie this year

Eliza T.

I recently visited M Joy Restaurant and had a great experience. I ordered the lamb shank rice, grilled lamb ribs, and hot milk tea. The lamb shank was incredibly tender and flavorful, with meat that practically fell off the bone. The grilled lamb ribs were juicy, well-seasoned. The hot milk tea was rich, smooth, and the perfect complement to the meal.

Sarah Y.

We got the rib and shank plate that came with carrot rice and grilled skewers. It came with a side of carrots, red onions, chili, and a bowl of broth. The meat on the plate was very tender and not gamey at all. The carrot rice was savory and a nice pairing to the meat. The skewers were good though a little tougher than others. The server was also very attentive.

Joy

I came to M Joy after seeing it on TikTok for a birthday celebration with my friend, and we ordered a few things to try. The service was quick and efficient. We arrived around 6:30 PM on a Saturday night and didn't have to wait, which was great. Here's what we ordered: Salty Milk Tea: 8/10 The salty milk tea had a mellow milk-tea flavor that was really comforting. Not too strong, just smooth and enjoyable. Lamb Skewers: 10/10 These were our absolute favorite!! The skewers had the perfect blend of fatty and lean pieces, and they even provided extra dipping sauces for seasoning. Lamb Grilled Ribs: 7.5/10 I really wanted to like these, but the pieces were quite fatty, which made them harder to finish. I would've preferred leaner cuts of meat :( Lamb Shank With Rice: 8/10 This dish came with soup and toppings. The pickled onions were super tangy and crunchy, adding a nice pop. The lamb shank itself wasn't gamey at all and was fall-off-the-bone tender Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Joy. Everything came out quickly, the flavors were solid, and parking was easy at either in the structure or in the basement below. Happy eating!