All of the food was solid!!! I recommend everything that we ordered. If your spice tolerance is not the best, I want to warn that the Mild Spicy Popcorn Chicken had more of kick than I expected. Also, their iced teas are HUMONGOUS. I'm not exaggerating. The pictures don't do them justice at all. FEATURED Popcorn Chicken ($10) Pan Fried Pork Bao ($13) Beef Noodle Soup ($15) Mango Green Tea ($4.99) Passion Green Tea ($4.99) Strawberry Green Tea ($4.99) read more

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If you want fast casual Taiwanese food, this is a good fix. Nothing amazing but still all solid dishes. Whoever made our potstickers this day though, really didn't care. Others had a nice crispy lace cook on them, all held together in a nice circular formation.. and I got haphazardly thrown potstickers on a plate. Service is typical for a small Chinese place, where if you need something you have to ask, no one comes to check on you. When they're busy, you don't get a menu, so don't expect to see pictures and you'll have to kinda of know what you're ordering when looking at just the listed ordering form. I would suggest looking at pics online first so you know going into this. Love the ginormous drinks though, my strawberry green tea was deliciously refreshing with the perfect level of sweetness. Parking - free lot is small. There are some street sidewalk options. We waited a few minutes and luckily people were leaving the market so we were able to park in the lot. read more

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Came with a friend on a Sunday evening and did not realize how popular this place was. Parked in the lot and waited outside about 30-40 minutes in the heat before we were able to get seated. Tight seating on the inside. Decent AC. We ordered the popcorn chicken, shrimp fried rice, and pan-fried pork baos. I hadn't eaten popcorn chicken in a long time so I loved the dish and will be back for it. I did notice that there were quite a few smaller chunks of just flour. Shrimp fried rice is hard to mess up. Was also pretty solid. Pan-fried pork baos are tasty, filled with soup, and actually heated up well the next day in an air fryer too. Cost was reasonable and I enjoyed the food. Will certainly be back. read more

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This place is the same as Mr Dragon Noodle House on Rosemead, just a bit smaller with a smaller parking lot. We came on a Thursday around 7pm and had to wait about 25 minutes to get a table, I was quite surprised! We ordered beef rolls (my favorite), beef noodle soup, xiao long bao (not good, thick skin, skip this), dandan noodles, pan fried dumplings, and some veggies. Food was on par and pretty much identical to Mr Dragon Noodle House. Great if you're in the area. read more

P P Pop - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

We ordered the fried squid, pork potstickers, braised beef & tendon noodle soup, braised beef noodle soup, and Dan Dan noodles. The fried squid was crispy, big pieces and not greasy, and we chose the mild spicy level but it was a bit spicy if you couldn't handle spicy at all. The potstickers had a juicy, well-seasoned filling. I recommended dip it on black vinegar. It tasted so good. Beef noodle soups had rich broth with tender beef, and the tendon was cooked perfectly. The Dan Dan noodles had a nice balance of nutty, and spicy flavors. Service was quick and didn't have to wait long for the food to come. Price is not that expensive and portion is decent. Restaurant is small and tables are closed to each other. read more

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The pork potstickers were good. The skin was excellent, but the filling was only okay. The spicy braised beef noodle soup, we added tendon to it, was delicious as was the dandan noodles. We really like this place, clean, service prompt, even though there's a line they did not push us out. We very much enjoy coming here read more

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straight GASSSSSSSS, can't wait to go back! Small restaurant, super busy, friendly staff and the best dan dan noodles i've had! read more

P P Pop - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I've been coming here since they first opened and it feels wrong that I'm barely writing a review now. I guess many things have changed though, the restaurant definitely got a lot busier than I remember, probably has to due with TikTok influencers blowing up this spot. I'm happy for them. The wait on a weekend evening was around 40 minutes for a table for 2 and we arrived around 6. Food XLB - these weren't anything special, I do like the scallion and ginger flavors in the filling Popcorn Chicken - must get, reminds me of the one I had in Taipei Pan Fried Pork Buns - they do pork buns really well here. Crispy bottom, juicy filling, very delicious Beef & Tendon Noodle Soup - soy based, herb/spice heavy. Noodles Al dente, very good beef noodle Duck Female Ginger Rice Noodle - this one was good when it first arrived at the table, but after 3-4 minutes the noodle just sucked up all the soup and it no longer became enjoyable. Service was typical and very efficient. The location interior is not that big but they definitely made the most use out of the space. read more

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We shared: 1. Beef & Tendon Noodle Soups 2. Beef Rolls 3. Xiao Long Bao 4. Popcorn Chicken Very solid overall. Textbook soup flavor and good noodle chew. I wish the beef was a little fatter but still tender. Popcorn chicken was textbook. Xiaolongbao was good but I wish the broth inside was richer. I was most impressed with the beef rolls. Some of the best I've ever had. No issues with service. Ambience is nothing to talk about but nothing wrong with it. read more

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This spot has been on my radar for a while. I'm disappointed I didn't come sooner. Great service very friendly helped out choose their popular dishes. We didn't have to wait too long for a Friday night. Almost everything we got was really good. I got the beef noodle soup. But I got it with Mala spice. I will probably not get that anymore. I didn't know that mala meant numb. Thanks to another customer that let me know I won't be getting that anymore. That literally numbed my tongue. I felt a little strange didn't know what was going on until I was informed. But the noodles, the beef, the soup everything was really good. Good flavor. We got some dumplings and spicy wontons. They were perfect. Definitely getting this again. The only thing that I was a little disappointed was the Dan Dan Noodles. It had a sauce that I just didn't really feel. I can't wait to come back and eat some more and try something different. read more

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The food here is so good! I love the dumpling selections. The garlic Bok choi is so yummy I love it. I also always get the popcorn chicken. The noodle soups are just ok. The space is small and rather tight but you're not there for vibes you're there to eat. The service is pretty fast and efficient. The people are nice. I wouldn't say friendly, but I wouldn't say rude either, just efficient. read more

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PP Pop seriously wows me every time I eat here and I have been coming for over 7 years. I feel like their quality has never wavered and their portions are very generous. We ordered fried squid, xiao long bao, sheng jian bao, and spicy beef noodle soup. Everything was so delicious and the fried squid is the best calamari I've ever had anywhere. I think this place has the best sheng jian bao as well. Will continue to come here for as long as they stay open. They can get crowded because it is a smaller restaurant. The food is worth the wait though. Decent parking lot shared with the grocery store next door. read more

Worth the hype! I visited on a Friday around lunchtime and was surprised to see the place was packed. The restaurant shares a parking lot and we got one of the last spots this day. Our food came out quickly after we placed our order. We ordered the medium spice popcorn chicken, spicy pork wontons, devil beef noodle soup (very spicy, beware) and the beef roll. It's hard to pick a favorite, but the beef roll stood out to me the most due to its flaky crust, herbs, and freshness. Overall, everything was cooked well and had wonderful flavor! Our total was $61 which we thought was an excellent deal considering the quality and portion sizes. We ended up taking about half of it home. Will definitely be back! read more

P P Pop - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Pleasantly surprised by this place! I enjoyed eating here. The parking lot is decently big, but they do share with a supermarket and another restaurant. There is a long wait, at least on the weekends during dinner time. My party waited about 30-40 minutes. While you wait, you can mark which dish you want to order, so when you sit down, you submit your order. Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉麵: I love the broth here. I'm pretty particular about the style of this dish, as there are many variations depending on the region. It's super flavorful, and the meat was so tender. My mom took a piece from me, and it fell apart when she picked it up. 小籠包: Delicious and quite big, which was a delight. The filling is primarily meat; it's not 50% veggies, which is fine with me. More a fyi for anyone curious. Dumplings: We also ordered pan-fried beef dumplings. Amazing, and like the 小籠包, primarily beef inside with little veggies. 鹽酥雞：This is my favorite snack, and I was not disappointed. First, the portion size for the price is crazy. It's so worth it. The pieces are big as well. Don't worry, it doesn't have too much breading on it. It's a perfect portion of both meat and crunch. If you're missing Taiwanese food without being heavily influenced by the US, I don't think you'll be disappointed here. read more

P P Pop - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

I always love coming here! At peak hours parking is atrocious and since it's a small spot there is usually a line outside. You could order take out by skipping the line and going straight inside. You order through a paper and the server will come and double check that it is everything you ordered. Inside was clean and they have a restroom in the back. I got the popcorn chicken, sesame noodles, and mango tea. Can never go wrong with a popcorn chicken. This was my first time trying their sesame noodles and it was delicious! It was nutty, chewy, and perfectly sauced up. I was even dipping the popcorn chicken in the sauce. The teas always come in HUGE cups. The mango tea is my favorite. I would say their tea is usually on the sweeter side. Safe to say this place never fails me. read more

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Honestly came in with high expectations because the tiktok recs were so strong and I was so disappointed!! We stopped by on a Friday at noon and there wasn't a wait (but it got very busy afterwards). We ordered the beef noodle soup and pan fried buns. The food came very quickly but dang, everything was SO SALTY. The beef noodle soup needed about a cup of water and the soup in the buns were definitely on the salty side as well. Bill wasn't too expensive but probably won't be back :(. Easy parking in the back! read more

P P Pop - Braised Beef Noodle Soup and soup buns - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Great experience! We ordered the udon noodles, beef roll, spicy wontons and pork soup bao. Although it appears doughy, everything actually tastes very light and flavorful! The staff was extremely quick to take our order, clean for other customers to come in, and bring our food. The atmosphere was causal and fun. It gets really busy, but people come in and out very quickly and leave happy! read more

P P Pop - Beef udon noodles - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

This place is definitely worth the hype. I saw it on TikTok and had to try. I really like Mian and their beef noodle soup but I liked it way more here! The meat they give you is so tender plus they're HUGE pieces. The potstickers were good but they need more filling. They very very juicy and flavorful though. Some were crispier than others but I don't mind that. They have a wide variety of food here which is also great. The noodles came out quick, about 5 mins after we ordered and the potstickers stickers followed shortly. read more

P P Pop - D5.Spicy Braised Beef Noodle Soup - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Came for dinner and was satisfied. I hear it can get really crowded so plan ahead since the space is super small but we got lucky. Ordered the potstickers, the spicy wontons, the beef noodle soup, and then jiajiang noodles. In order of preference, it is the spicy wontons, the jiajiang noodles, the potstickers, and then the beef noodle soup. What they got right with the spicy wontons was the sauce - spiced, kinda spicy, sour, and also sweet. I could use that sauce on everything. The jiajiang noodles was just a good combo of cool from the cucumbers and the noodles and minced meat were good. The beef noodle soup was fine but I think the soup could've packed a bigger punch. It felt almost watered down but I say the piece of beef were great. Overall, the meal came out to around $65 and it is pretty standard now but $13 for 8 wontons or 8 potstickers just feels a bit nuts still. Overall though, it was a solid meal and I'd recommend coming read more

P P Pop has been on my list for years, and I'm so glad it's checked off - and with little wait, too. (Expect 15 - 20 mins) Parking is abundant, since there are few businesses in this plaza. For starters, my friend and I shared the xiao long bao, popcorn chicken, and beef rolls. Our first item, the popcorn chicken, was divine - medium and fried to perfection, couldn't ask for better! The xiao long bao was next on the list, and these featured a more thick but still chewy skin. Unfortunately, two of ours were served "stuck together" which led to them breaking - sad! The last item, the beef rolls, were amazing as well. Not only is it a timeless classic, but the beef wasn't too dry. Between these tasty bites, we also shared a honey lemon green tea. My friend warned me about these mug sizes, and yes... one is probably enough for a table of four to share! This drink was super sweet, and it was definitely in need of dilution to be drinkable. Once your belly is full, though, good luck getting out! The space inside is fairly tight but nonetheless well worth a visit! Easily one of the best popcorn chicken in town! read more

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Been here a couple times and they've always delivered on amazing food and great service. Everything is good on the menu personally the shrimp fried rice and the pork potstickers are the best "must try's" on the menu. Value is also amazing but be aware there might be a long wait but from my experience wait times can vary from 15-30 minutes during their peak hours. Inside seating might be a bit tight depending how big your party is. Overall no complaints and it's a definite must try. read more

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Really good, would def come back more if there wasn't such a long wait. But for a first time, would recommend because the food is pretty good and actually spicy. Like the devil noodles were so spicy I had to split it into two meals because i almost started crying (and i can eat the howling at howling rays). Ambiance and service is typical of any 626 Asian restaurant. So crowded, loud but worth it. The beef rolls are deep fried which I actually prefer the regular way because you get more of the chew of the scallion pancakes. The popcorn chicken is huge so great deal, I got the wontons in a soup and it had the most flavorful wonton soup ever. Still, would recommend the wontons in chili oil though because they have some flavorful chili oil. Beef noodles were standard, wish it came with more tendon because they killed it with tendon. read more

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They give A GOOD AMOUNT of food here. Great for FAMILY STYLE SHARING or just extra food for another day, hahaha! TOP PICKS: 100% the pan fried pork bao and beef noodle soup. WOULD COME BACK FOR SURE! FOOD 4.5 / 5 OVERALL Popcorn Chicken $10.00 - they give alot but it wasn't too greasy 4/5 盐酥鸡 Xiao Long Bao(8) $13.00 - not bad 3.5/5 南翔小笼包 Pan Fried Pork Bao (6) $13.00 - 5/5 GET THIS 上海生煎包 Hot Oil Pork w. Vegetable Wonton(8) $13.00 - 4/5 not bad 红油菜肉馄饨抄手 Tomato Beef Rice Noodle Soup $15.50 - 5/5 DELISH 番茄牛肉米线 Garlic Bok Choy $14.00 - 4/5 NORMAL VEGGIES 蒜蓉青江菜 SERVICE 4/5 Fast prompt service from all staff members. They really know how to turn tables here! PARKING 4/5 Depending on the time of day it might be tough since there's HK Good Fortune Supermarket here also. read more

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I have not visited P P Pop for a long time. I stopped by for lunch yesterday and it was a full house! I waited a few minutes for a table for two. After I sat down, more customers kept coming in. I'd avoid lunch time in the future if you don't want to wait for a table. While I waited, I was able to choose items on the menu. Once I sat down, I just gave the paper to the waiter and this speeds up the process. I absolutely love the big mug for their drinks. My favorite is the Green Apple Green Tea. I ordered Dan Dan Noodles and Steamed Pork and Leek Dumplings. My mom ordered Dan Dan Noodles also with Mango Green Tea. You have to mix in the noodles and you can taste a bit of spicy flavor underneath. AC is blasting and I did not feel hot at all. You can park at the market parking lot in the front and walk over. I'd love to stop by again during non rush hours! read more

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Great food! Not my first time here and the food, service, ambiance has always been great here. Tiny bit of a wait but food always comes out at a decent time and perfect quality. read more

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So disappointed tonight!!! Be warned! We called at 7:22 to ask the wait time for our party of 6 and was told a 35-45 min wait. So instead of waiting outside for 45 min we opted to get to the restaurant later. We arrived before 8:15pm, and they close at 9pm. Yet, we were told they didn't have a table for 6 and they would only take "To go" orders. While we were deciding on our order and waiting for our food, several parties arrived after us (1 party of 2 and 1 party of 6 and at least 3 more parties of 2.) They actually told the 1 party of 6 they could seat them even though we were there first. The others they sent away or gave them menus to order take out. And to top it off we literally got the items at 8:59pm. They gave us one "free" milk tea for waiting (even though there were 2 of us waiting outside). This is a problem and the restaurant really needs to have a sign indicating that seating stops at "8:15pm" (or whatever time they choose). They should not post their closing at 9:00pm unless they say "last seating at __:__ __pm. I have to say that we like the food but the service tonight was bad. Not sure if this place is going to get my business again. read more

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I really did not know what to expect but was pleasantly surprized that the food was excellent and the restaurant nicely decorated. It was not crowded at 4:30, but it would be good to come early, as it's a small restaurant with not too much seating. I ended up taking the food home to my starving grandson and wife, who both enjoyed the food, which is known for its food quality and similarity to some of the most popular restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley! read more

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This is MY go to! Busy work week, I'm here. Back from travel, I'm here. Celebrating, I'm here. This place is lowkey, not the most aesthetic but everyone here is here for the food. Feels like a local spot, if there's a wait be patient dinner can get busier, however I've never waited more than 15 minutes. Again this a lowkey spot. Order the Taiwanese soup, pan fried dumplings, and the giant tea if you're up for it. I'm always too full for it! read more

First time visiting. Watched a YouTube review and it looked good. Had high expectations and I'm glad the food is good. I mean REALLY good. I like spicy food. My wife eats no spice, so we order different stuff. I had the spicy wonton. Omg sooooooooo good! My mouth was on numbing fire, while I felt like I was in heaven. 10/10 easily. I also had the house beef noodles. Perfect. My wife had the xiaolong bao and pan fried shrimp pork dumplings. The xiaolong bao was good, but not as good as the gold standard (din tai Fung) but worth trying. The pan fried dumplings were out of this world! Omg pan fried juicy spilling everywhere! I can bathe in that juiciness if it weren't so scalding hot! Oh what a meal. Service is fast. Very polite and great with customers. One important note.... You have to get your ticket number before you get in line. No one will remind you so if you wait 20 minutes in line without your ticket, you are out of luck! Expect 20 minutes wait during lunch rush. Ambiance is decent. Nothing special. This place isn't huge. Very clean and nice. Wish they had a waiting area inside. Can't complaint. Food is amazing, that's all that matters. All the food items are roughly $15 range, so if you are a grown adult, you should be ordering 2 items. Not super cheap, but probably the most tasty $30 you will ever consume. The lemon tea is about $5, but you get to drink out of a huge one-liter mug. It's crazy man! I love it! If for some reason you don't like the food, you need to go see your doctor ASAP because you might have tastebud issues relating to more serious neurological / mental issues. Just know that. read more

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Such a staple in the 626 and I can't believe it's taken me so many years before I've finally visited P P Pop since my school years. I came by for dinner with friends on a Friday night, missed out on a few dishes, so decided to come back two days later to get my hands on said dishes. It was that good! It's pretty small, right next to the supermarket with a good amount of parking. This place actually gets packed on weekends so I suggest coming early. I tried the beef noodle soup, beef wrap, pan fried pork buns, beef roll, popcorn chicken, beef friend rice, and dumplings. All items were pretty good but the standout ones were the pan fried pork buns and their dumplings. Crispy bread on the bottom, pillowy and soft on top, filling was juicy with a small amount of soup when you bit into it - probably one of my favorite dishes! The beef wrap, beef fried rice were just okay and things I probably wouldn't order again. The small amount of beef in the rice was pretty sad. So I saw my friend's order of the tomato ramen and decided I needed to get the rice noodle tomato soup. Came back and ordered a bowl with just the regular beef - this hit the spot! Loved the chewiness of the rice noodles and the flavor of the soup. Beef inside was alright, kinda similar to Yoshinoya's beef. Would definitely order again. And the drinks are huge! I drank a good amount but still had enough honey green tea to fill a to-go cup. Definitely will be back in the near future! Food comes out quickly and the workers are nice. read more

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We still think this is the best noodle place around. Tasty, authentic, affordable. We keep bringing the whole big loud family back - popcorn chicken with basil is the best - beef noodle soup is still great. Tendon was tender - spicy fish noodle was decent - The lamb had lots of little bone shards. Kids and husband could not deal with this. Not happa friendly - potstickers paled in comparison to the noodles - dumplings paled in comparison to the potstickers - XLB was alright We'll be back soon read more

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I've never had such delicious spicy braised beef noodle soup until I came here. Just a warning that it's actually quite spicy. My boyfriend got the devil's spicy beef noodle soup, which is definitely meant for spice lovers. The beef is incredibly tender, noodles taste fresh, and there's a generous portion of bok choy. The popcorn chicken is a must for the table. The xiao long bao, pan-fried shrimp and pork dumplings, and huge glass of passion green tea were also delicious. Highly recommend this spot and can't wait to come back. read more

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My favorite taiwanese soup dumpling, popcorn chicken, and noodle restaurant. Super affordable and GIGANTIC portions. In terms of flavor and price it's way better than prince dumpling and Mr dragon noodle house. I personally think it's the best in SGV . I had their soup dumpling, popcorn chicken, beef roll, pan fried buns , and pan fried dumplings and they were all so good. Definitely my new favorite go to spot . read more

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A long awaited, acclaimed Taiwanese place in the heart of the 626 near the border of Monterey Park, this institution has been a community gem for as long as I could remember. We typically order the fried buns, xiaolongbao and spicy beef noodle soups. It was delicious and hearty, and portions are always generous. The price is extremely competitive for this market! Would highly recommend. read more

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P P Pop is now a favorite in my book. I had the spicy beef noodle soup. An iconic taiwanese dish. It's definitely spicy, yet absolutely addicting. The beef shanks were tender. It melt in the mouth while the chewy noodles gave the most perfect bite. My friend ordered a bunch of other things - popcorn chicken, large lemon green tea, fried pork buns and fried rice. I had some of the popcorn chicken and that's definitely a winner. Would absolutely come back here again. There was definitely a wait, so be prepared coming during rush hour. read more

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4.5 stars I remember this restaurant when it was just a humble restaurant next to a market. Nowadays, there's a line out the door. As to be expected, when a restaurant pairs quality, tasty food with an efficient staff, people will love it. Additionally, Tiktokers did their thing in putting Pppops on the map for other non-locals to see and maybe try. My family of 8 came to eat here as a Chinese New Years' get together and the staff did really well accommodating our party. It was in a corner and our seating arrangement was a bit odd, but it's not a big deal b/c the food and portions were amazing. These were our orders: Beef roll ($16): Savory, sweet, tender, chewy, and delicious are the words I'd use to describe this perfect appetizer. 5/5 stars Popcorn Chicken ($10 x 2): portions are huge and the pieces are the perfect bite-sized pieces. 4.5/5 stars XLB ($13 x 2): I do prefer these over Mama Lu's XLB. Very juicy, very hot. Price point is a bit higher than I expected. 4/5 stars Dan Dan Noodles ($13): Texturally, it is good and 100x better than any noodle dish you can find at Din Tai Fung, but it turned out spicier than I would like. 4/5 stars Beef Noodle Soup ($15.50 x 2): HUGE portions...probably enough for 3 people if appetizers are ordered. We had so much meat and noodles left over, it was insane. Meat and tendons was very soft. The most impressive thing? The broth was definitely simmered for hours b/c it gelatinized in the fridge. The soup was good soup. 5/5 stars Devil's Spicy Beef Noodle Soup ($16.50): my cousin insisted spicy wasn't good enough for him, so he got this. He was sweating the whole time he ate this and even had dilute it with water LOL. N/A /5 stars Black Pepper Beef Fried Udon ($16.50): this was very good. The beef was tender, noodles were well-seasoned, and my aunt approves. 5/5 stars Garlic Bok Choy ($14): I mean, we had to eat some vegetables, right?? Tasted as expected. 4/5 stars Milk Tea ($4.50): It is crazy to see pre-covid milk tea prices anywhere...unfortunately, this tea was just ok to me. Mango Green Tea ($4.99): The size of the cup was crazy big lol. It ended being a little too sweet for my cousins, so they poured the tea into some plastic cups and diluted it with water. Most of the family got to drink it. 5/5 stars This restaurant deserves all the success and recognition. (But parking is terrible) read more

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Yummy Taiwanese food spot! Even though it's not pictured one of the best dishes that I ended up eating at this place was the shrimp fried rice LOL. Everything was really yummy with big portions and the service was really fast. It does end to fill quickly sometimes and there is a line but they do give you a menu to preview and pick your items before you end up getting sat down. The parking lot is pretty small since it shares a lot with the supermarket next-door so just be wary that you might have to do street parking or park a little farther away. read more

P P Pop - Taiwanese Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Absolutely loved the beef noodle soup and popcorn chicken here. The portion of the beef noodle soup is huge with soooo much noodles and beef chunks! And the price is extremely reasonable. The beef noodle soup is one of the best I've had around here. Really flavorful dark broth but not too salty or heavy on the soy sauce. Chewy thick noodles. Softened bok choy. The beef was a hit and miss, some pieces were tender and juicy and others was a bit on the drier side. Also their popcorn chicken literally felt like twice the size of any other place but at a cheaper price. It's everything you want a popcorn chicken to be. I like that you can customize the spiciness too. I am excited to return, and I hear a lot of their other items are fantastic too. read more

We visited on a Sunday afternoon and had about a 20-minute wait. When we were done eating there were still people waiting in line. The food was delicious, and the portions were very generous. Even the green tea serving was surprisingly large. The service was excellent. Overall, a great experience, and we'd definitely come back! read more

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On a late Saturday morning with little expectations and even less time for a meal we looked quickly for a place around us that could fulfill an itch for delicious food. Luckily, with a name like PP Pop, not only was it an easy choice after a quick look at the menu but how fun it was to say the name. Interior & Service When you walk in you'll notice the space is much bigger than you expect from the outside. The interior is modern and the AC kept the entire space nice a cool, something that'll become very important as the weather starts to warm up. Once seated they'll give you a menu to peruse, write down what you want, and you can flag them down to grab your order. This is a Taiwanese restaurant but like any Chinese cuisine adjacent restaurant, the food comes out hot and quickly. Food Before I even get to the food let me talk about their chili oil. As most Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwanese restaurants have a small assortment of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil on the side of each table I didn't think much about what PP Pop had to offer. But once I used their chili oil I noticed it was a highlight of the restaurant. The chili oil is more like a chili crisp with elements having a nice crunchy texture. On top of that, it tasted fresh and not like it's been out or processed months or years ago. I had to ask the staff if they make their chili oil in house and they confirmed it. So, even before any food comes out you have an essential element that'll optimize and boost any thing this restaurant dishes out. The first dish to come out was their Dan Dan Noodles. This is a popular dish for this restaurant and a staple for Taiwanese cuisine. The one served here was creamy with a meaty flavor and bouncy, chewy noodles. It tasted fresh but it was a bit too deep in peanut flavor for my preference. If you prefer a nuttier flavor for your Dan Dan Noodles then you'll probably love PP Pop's version. The popcorn chicken came out next and it was a delight. The right amount of crispiness whilst still giving a chewy texture that amplified the soft, moist chicken meat this was a delicious blast of some of my favorite popcorn chicken moments from high school and college when Guppies was alive and well. If you're sensitive to spice I recommend getting this mild. Their beef roll was thinner than some I've had at other restaurants. That doesn't mean it was bad. In fact, they shred their beef inside the rolls which made it easier to eat and allowed each bite to be consistent in texture and flavor. The wrap itself was slightly crispy without bent over fried. It was a nice contrast to the interior. This was a highlight dish for me. Finally, the xiao long bao came out. It was good. Nothing that would differentiate it from other great baos I've had at other restaurants. It is juicy, hot, and will satisfy any dumpling desires. Final Thoughts PP Pop was just as fun to eat as the words that make up its name. All the food was delicious and it came out around $58 for the whole meal I just described. If you're coming on a weekend I recommend getting here before noon, but even if you come after it probably won't be much of a wait. A great gem inside the SGV area and perfect for couples or groups to enjoy. read more

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