San Gabriel Square has now been renamed to TAWA Gateway. Still the same great place to shop, dine, and hang out. Same huge parking lot, but still can be challenging to get a parking spot especially when they are super busy. I was able to snap a photo of the new signage. However, I still haven't gotten any photos of the various shops and restaurants. I'll have to remember to do that next time. Just to name a few of the biz that I support today or will support tomorrow. I am sure there are more biz that are worthy to be checked out in the near future. See you here! 99 Ranch Supermarket Cha Redefine (coming soon) Daiso Five Star Seafood Marugame Udon Wushiland read more

TAWA Gateway - Shopping Centers Near Me - San Gabriel, California

(Skip to the last paragraph cause I'm rambling about my childhood lol) Formerly San Gabriel Square, now renamed to TAWA Gateway, I have 20+ years of memories here since I grew up coming here a lot. Here's some really random memories I remember: running around the entire plaza playing hide and seek with my dad, getting so lost as a child that 99 Ranch made a store announcement looking for my mom, playing around the fountain areas with my dad, shopping with my mom in the indoor 3 floors where there was full of vendors, getting affordable Chinese Togo from Sam Woo(gone now from this plaza), late night dinner and dim sum at the Five Star Seafood restaurant(still do to this day), hanging out with with friends during my teenage/college years at Boba 8090(now going to be a Cha Redefine soon), going through nightmare parking situations when the plaza was super busy, parking super far at night then walking back to my car realizing someone started a random car meet in that part of the lot, getting stuck behind traffic by Teslas trying to get in the Tesla charging stations, the time I got in the underground parking with a pick-up truck(don't recommend lol), the one stairs that always smelled like urine, and many more random memories here. In the more recent years the plaza has been getting more empty with stores but still always lots of people come for the 99 Ranch and restaurants even during the construction and remodeling. They took out all the fountains and looks like now going to be artificial turf for people to lounge on chairs now and they did lots of repainting and repaving the parking lot. Now they are finally getting more businesses opening up like Marugame Udon and Cha Redefine. Excited to see this new chapter for this shopping center! (I will update my review again after more stores fill up this place again.) read more

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What happened to this mall? It has a huge indoor area, with multiple floors that have both outdoor and indoor entrances. It's very obvious that it was a very busy place back in the day, but today, it looks abandoned. I had a chance to walk inside the mall, and there are no open stores inside. One of the floors has a huge jewelry mall, just as big as the ones in the Jewelry district...except it was so empty. There was only one retailer manning his wares and a wary security guard. That being said, the parking lot was still full by the time we left our dinner, with cars circling trying to find spots. Not quite as bad as Little Saigon in Orange County, but I'm sure there are a lot worse spots in the SGV. read more

TAWA Gateway - underground parking - Shopping Centers Near Me - San Gabriel, California

A cool little spot. There are some good restaurants here and the grocery store is very nice. A lot has been shutdown though so the selection isn't too big at the moment. Parking lot is very big but it can be busy at times! Hope to see more stores open soon! read more

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Sad to see this place is so deserted now, after the pandemic. It used to be crowded and lively with many fancy cars parked adjacent to the jewelry shop, but no more. Gone are the dvd/cd/cassette tape shops that I used to a loyal customer. In addition, kind of missed dearly the karaoke shops that sells karaoke equipment, audio/video components. I sincerely hope the crowds and those closed shops will return/reopen in the future. Of course, support from returning customers is must to see that happen. Thanks to the remaining restaurants, particularly the 99 Ranch, for sustaining/keeping this fine square alive, for now. read more

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No proper handicap access to businesses. See attached pic & video. Do not let elder loved ones walk alone. There is deterioration throughout the plaza including floors & stairs. Stairs have been painted with a rubbery substance that could make the steps slick. Escalators never work & today the Elevator was out of order. BTW there is no handicap parking near the elevator on the north side. Does management care about anything besides Teslas? (Throwing stabs at the new chargers on the southeast end of the parking lot.) One of our favorite restaurants is on the north side/2nd floor but access is limited to stairs only. Those stairs feel like they are angled away from the steps so you constantly feel like you are going to fall tumbling down the steps. Good bye, we loved you. read more

TAWA Gateway - Failing elevator 10-2021 - Shopping Centers Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Before this year, I would've given this place only 2 or 3 stars...I used to cringe every time anyone said we're going to "Focus Plaza" (San Gabriel Square). I don't care if there were 10 levels of parking...we WILL fill it all and still cause traffic jams in the lot! When you enter this plaza, turn your defensive driving switch ON. So why am I a fan??? Well...because of all the stores/restaurants of course! Once you finally park, you can enjoy all that this plaza has to offer. They've got quick eats, AYCE hot pot, vegetarian restaurant, DAISO, Sam Woo, tea bar, beauty store, DAISO, Chinese book store, DVD store, DAISO, Chinese herbal store, dim sum restaurant, DAISO, clothing stores, optometrist, jewelry store, a large 99 Ranch Market and a LOT more! By the way, their addition of Daiso was way too awesome! This place is very Chinese............................if you're Chinese and you like all the hustle and bustle of fighting and shouting (either for groceries and/or parking), you will love this place. As a matter of fact, there's even a Hilton hotel across from it so that you or your traveling relatives could stay even CLOSER to this crazy place. read more

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Love/Hate Relationship I take 3 xanax's before attempting to enter this plaza. Luckily I have a ton of doctor friends to prescribe them because I go here a lot. On top of that I live above a Ralphs, so it's super easy to grab Xanax refills them whenever I need. Now if they would just build condos on top of San Gabriel Square so that I can avoid the physical act of coming and going from there that would be wonderful. Don't know what I mean? Go there on any given Saturday or Sunday. Why do I even go here, I love the food there, but can I just get teleported into the restaurant? I'll have to get Captain Kirk's USS Enterprise on speed dial so that Scotty can "beam me up!" to where ever I need to eat. read more

TAWA Gateway - Shopping Centers Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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This Mall has changed with time. It is still very much Chinese - with Capital Seafood above it all on the top floor of the main building. But there are other spots here that are well worth a visit - like the 2nd floor Mongolian Hot Pot restaurant adjacent to Cap-Seafood.... or the many Hunan restaurants on the upper level that offer authentic Human spicy cuisine (very salty and peppery). Don't miss the Taiwanese ice place. Or the high end and super expensive Ginseng boutiques. This Ranch 99 Market is one of the better ones in LA. read more

Why the security keeps driving their car in the plaza hallway between the patrons? This is not ok. read more

TAWA Gateway - Shopping Centers Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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San Gabriel Square is the hub of Chinese-American shopping and dining for locals and tourists to the San Gabriel, Rosemead, Alhambra area. It may not be the best restaurants, shops, food, prices, or service in the area, but it is the busiest ... and an easy choice for those who don't want to over think where to go or what to eat. Parking is free, but a complete zoo. Circle the aisles near the shops if you want, but my advice is to grab a spot out by the street, underground, or behind the shops for a less stressful experience. Don't believe all the stereotypes about drivers you hear. Come here to experience them. Ranch 99 Supermarket is the anchor and it's a reasonable choice for fruits, veggies, and seafood for an Asian palate. Restaurants are the better attraction with just about something for everyone. A few recommendations include Sam Woo, New Capital Seafood, or Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot. For shopping, check out the large Focus department store or some of the small clothing, Chinese medicine, and specialty gift shops. Over the years, San Gabriel Square has evolved as some restaurants and shops come & go, however, it magically feels the same as it did 5 or 10 years ago. It's busy. It's convenient. It's Chinese. San Gabriel Square is like a one-stop shop to satisfy your Asian impulse. read more

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My car got broken in to. I parked in the back. Many employee around throwing out trash, breaking down boxes, stocking up shelves. A security guard said he just passed by and saw no one. I think it was the security guard who broke in my car. I got a public records act request from the San Gabriel police department. 24 car burglaries in the plaza! I knew someone who parked in the front and also got his car broken into. Make sure you don't have any bags, jackets or valuables showing. Put them in your trunk! San Gabriel Police Department was called out but they cant do anything. Cameras were on the walls but security nor police seem to want to take the time to review the tapes. Maybe they don't work? Maybe it's not worth their time? Maybe the security guards were the ones stealing? Just be careful! read more

Of the whole San Gabriel Valley Plazas, I probably hate coming here the most. You come on weekends or during the week at lunch time, the parking lot becomes a mad house. The supermarket parking area is probably the worst place to be. You will see shopping carts rolling around the parking lot, the shoppers will push their carts to your parking space, so close to your car that you can't even squeeze out when you leave. What happened to all the bag boys from the market who is suppose to return the carts to the proper places? Well, the problem is there are locations around the lot to return the carts. It's just the fact of lazy people. The whole parking situation at San Gabriel Square stinks during peak hours. There is no right of way, and you basically across the parking lot at your own risk. Yes, there is a higher possibility of a car hitting you here than anywhere else. Trying to make things better, the San Gabriel Parking Enforcement drives around writing citations to handicap offenders who may not have their placards visible, and cars improperly parked. But it doesn't seem to help because they park in the middle of the roadway blocking traffic just to look for violaters which seems to make the situation worse. I personally try to avoid this plaza. I would not come unless I really had a reason to do so. They however do have lots of restaurants and stores here. Come check it out and support the local economy. But do park at your own risk. read more

This place reminds me a lot of the Japanese department stores in Hong Kong like Daimaru or Sogo. They sell a bunch of things including snacks, household products and a lot of other things. I picked up these flower teas -- they are like a bud but once infused in water, they open up into a flower. Everything was reasonable and the store was well stocked. On one side is the household products and the other side is filled with edible treats. Upstairs there are individual vendors selling jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, and other knick knacky things. read more

This place is so nostalgic for me as a Chinese-American kid growing up on the westside. Seriously, I came back this weekend and I was haunted by the childhood memories of being dragged here by my parents every single Saturday after Chinese school to spend an afternoon of being bored out of my fuckin' mind.... That was almost 15 years ago. However, being close to my 30's I guess I can have an appreciation for what this plaza was and still is. 1. The parking sucks... As in 500 spots will all be full and you have to park far as hell to even get a spot.. 2. Herb stores, 99 Ranch, Karaoke machines, Sam Woo, Dim Sum. Hello Kitty store 3. This place is the ultimate torture for young Chinese-American kids. It was pretty boring then and when I did my lap around I instantly was transformed again to my 14 year old self this past weekend and its still BORING. 4. I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're young, can't read Chinese, Can't speak Chinese, and if you have 0 patience for Asian drivers. 5. I love the 99 RANCH THOUGH! THATS MY MARKET! JY read more

This plaza has been here for such a long time (at least 20+ years) and one of the major reasons why I continue to come back here is for the Ranch 99 Market and occasionally some of the restaurants that reside here. And since I am here, I like to walk around and browse in some of the random stores that are here. This plaza has a LOT of parking (don't forget to try the underground parking if you are unable to find anything top side), but on weekends, it can be a challenge because you are not the only one who wants to come here. And yes there are Asian drives who come here, but I have never (knock on wood) had any scratches and dents here while parking in this plaza (and hope to never...again, knock on wood). This plaza is right across from the Hilton Hotel by the way. Overall, will keep coming here (usually try to come here on week days instead thought) when I am in the area. read more

The place to get your Asian grub and shopping on! Yes, parking can be overwhelming on the weekends, but you can pretty much dine, shop, get your groceries, and snack some more - without even moving your car! I've managed to park in shaded spots without a problem (sometimes I bring my dog). Most of the restaurants are relatively inexpensive especially during lunch time. The market is clean and not too crowed during a weekday too! Where else can you find some good eats, trendy fashion, cutesy nick nacks? Need I say more? In reference to cutesy stuff, check out my review for Full Fantasy. Yelp had it categorized as "adult" which they will hopefully change to toys/cards & stationary soon! read more

San Gabriel Square has very a special childhood sentiment for me, since I used to come here with my parents growing up.. It was then called San Gabriel Focus Shopping Center, if I can recall correctly? Crowded parking on weekends - just as I had remembered, with the fabulous designer jewels at Chong Hing Jewelers, San Gabriel Vision (yes, open for eye exams on both Sat & Sun too), and 4 levels of department shopping inside, and a designated floor for separate clothing boutiques on 3rd floor! Fine jewelry and artifacts is designated to the fourth floor with various vendors and booths. The jewelry floor reminds me of a small scale jewelry mart you would see in DTLA. There are many choices and selections for competitive pricing on quality, fine jewelry items. With the right negotiations, you can get a much better deal than at the malls, department stores, and chain jewelry stores. :-) Cosmetics and gifts on the 2nd floor. Top floor is Sam Wu Restaurant. Lots of little shops, eateries, with 99 Ranch Supermarket within San Gabriel Square. It's very precious to associate my childhood weekends spent in Monterey Park, with my parents. I will always be fond of this center... read more

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I was told that this is an Asian Mall and is also known as Chinatown by a local friend. The question is how is this Chinatown when its a small outdoor mall. There are plenty of parking in front so that is plus. Only thing that I can see people come here for is 99 Ranch Market. I don't see what so great about this mall. read more

TAWA Gateway - Shopping Centers Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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Whenever I know I'm going to have to stop by Focus Plaza, I start breaking out into a cold sweat. What is that from you ask? FEAR. Am I going to survive this encounter? Yes. Will my baby white car leave with a few scratches. Likely. Will there be more than a handful of close encounters. Yes. This has got to be the absolute worst parking lot in the world. When you combine mainland China drivers who think they own the road (trust me, I've been to Shanghai and Beijing), a cramped parking situation, and 5+ average to good asian restaurants, you're in for it. Brave the parking lot for one stop shop. The 99 Ranch's merch tends to be a bit more pricey, but the cleanliness is better than that of the Arcadia location. Good luck! read more

Parking here on a Sunday was a nightmare, but my father was able to find a spot on the 2nd level of the underground garage. There are a lot of Chinese shops to browse in. We had a family reunion lunch at New Capital Seafood Restaurant on the top floor, and then we went to buy some dried abalone for my aunt in Taiwan. While we were waiting for the order to come in, we walked around and saw shops selling dried sea cucumbers, shark fins, dried fruits and candies, expensive Italian clothes, and we also browsed the big 99 Ranch supermarket. As we were leaving, I happened to see a Clinique promotion from Vitativ, so I went there to buy some cosmetics and got the free gift. :) read more

Great, authentic, modern shopping center. Lots of awesome food places Chinese, Korean, Japanese, whatever. Great jewelry places to window shop as well. The 99 Ranch Market is also one of the cleanest and biggest ones I've been to. I also love Champion they have great Taiwanese health foods, desserts, chestnuts, snacks, & drinks. Authentically Chinese, but nothing that non-chinese people would be scared of. read more

No. Hell no. I appreciate they have 99 Ranch and Daiso, because it's the best Asian market with the biggest selection of goods and Daiso is necessary for me as a broke college student who needs to buy home goods and school supplies (graphic design is an expensive major). The 99 Ranch is really nice now with its new remodel. Daiso has great prices for decent quality products. That's why it gets the stars it does. But I swear to god there hasn't been a single time I haven't wanted to get out of the car and fight a motherfucker. The drivers and customers around here will make you want to rip your hair out. Nobody believes me that this area is a cesspool for the worst drivers in the entire world until they come to this plaza. People overturn at stop signs, don't turn enough when backing out, go the wrong way in aisles, walk SUPER FUCKING SLOW while you're trying to find a spot (only to realize they're not even leaving and you wasted your entire time trying to take their spot), go in their car and turn on their lights but NOT leave, and park so goddamn sideways with their gi-hugic assfugly G-Wagons and Range Rovers. I'm sorry but this has been a problem since the beginning of times. I have never had an easy experience driving here, and I come here at least once a month. As a design student, it infuriates me so much how nobody is going in and creating proper wayfinding and signage to properly guide people these dummies. It's not just bad drivers, it's bad business owners who are unwilling to take this plaza into the 21st century and fix things that can solve this HUGE PROBLEM THAT LITERALLY EVERYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT. Idk, get some security people to help out with parking and driving problems (I've seen this at the Trader Joes in Claremont and it is SO helpful). Read the damn reviews and check in tips. The general consensus is that the driving is heinous here. Business owners of this freakin plaza, do something about it. Jesus H. Christ. You guys are fucking sadists. read more

The parking attendant today was very ruthless and heartless. My 83-year-old dad can't walk or stand for more than 2 minutes. So instead of having my dad walk out to the parking lot, I drove the car up to the front of the fountain to pick him up. The attendant showed up moments later saying we can't park there. I slowly helped my dad into the car and pointed out to the attendant my dad can't walk that far and that I wasn't parking. The attendant issued a parking ticket and very rudely said we either can wait for our ticket or wait for it in the mail. We were literally there for 45 seconds because my dad can only walk very slowly. read more

Could find the official name of the restaurant I went. But here you go. The photos should match with the front door signs. The best taste of northern food in china you shouldn't miss! read more

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2014 YELP 365 CHALLENGE - 339/365 Stop #2 in my San Gabriel Valley exploration day with my roomie. Seemed like there were a decent amount of shops/restaurants in this plaza so we decided to go. Parking: TERRIBLE. Honestly, it wasn't actually that bad when we got there around 11:30am, and we were able to find several parking spots next to the Ranch 99 Market. However, when we left around 1pm, the parking traffic was REALLY BAD. It was backed up in nearly every aisle of the parking lot and it took me 10 minutes just to back my car out of its parking spot! It was ridiculous! Nobody was willing to stop to let me back out (and give them a parking spot) so it was super frustrating! And it seemed like there were only 2 entrances/exits into the plaza which was even more terrible! Come here early if you want to snag a spot, and leave before the afternoon rush. In terms of selection of stores, I was kinda disappointed in the variety they had here. It is VERY asian, mostly Chinese, and I found myself uninterested in most of the stores they had. There is a Daiso Japan, which we spent some time in, and another cute gift shop type store within a store where we bought star paper and some other cute Hello Kitty/Sanrio gifts. There was a store with a great variety of really cute hair accessories, but it was really overpriced ($10+ dollars for a hair clip!) so we didn't end up buying anything there. There is a second level which we totally just walked through because it was all restaurants. None of them seemed to be really busy but they had and ok amount of customers. Mostly Chinese, hot pot, and traditional Asian food places. Overall, definitely don't think I will be back to San Gabriel Square. It was not worth the 2 stores we found stuff to buy in and the traffic was really horrendous. read more

Focus Plaza in San Gabriel is no where close to being a shopping center! it's a plaza that caters to Chinese people. But I have to give credit for their awesome huge Chinese supermarket! And also I like their authentic dessert places and restaurants....some things that make me proud to be part Chinese. You see lots of Wannabe Chinese teenagers smoking cigarettes (Not cool) and drinking bubble tea. Focus Plaza has room for major improvement. First it needs to become more diverse. I don't like the vibe at all here, it's very ho-hum. It's missing something big. and it's obvious that this plaza is very low budget. I can't really recommend any shops here. Stores lack that wow factor. If you are not Chinese be prepared to get stared at :( but this is a great plaza for those who don't speak English, because generally everyone speaks Cantonese/Mandarin in this area. read more

San Gabriel Square/Focus Plaza is a mall I keep driving past, but never had any reason to go to. Most recently, I actually ended up with some friends and decided to check it out. Smack in the middle of San Gabriel, the mall has a Ranch 99 and as a Chinese mall, has many stores catering to their needs. Setting-wise, this plaza has peach ochre walls and pastel colors as the dominant painting theme here. I suppose because it is somewhat inspired by many Hong Kong and Chinese restaurants. There were a couple of vacant empty units and most restaurants are graded on the B level of cleanliness. This mall needs a makeover, but it is definitely one of the cleaner ones on Valley Boulevard for which I must give props. See my review on Hawaii Market for comparison. The Focus Department Store is also one of the main tenants, along with the Jewelry Center on the second floor. The prices are comparative with major department stores and not necessarily cheaper. The store itself is made up of smaller subtenant vendors who carry their own sections. The clothing areas carry Chinese-inspired and Hong-Kong fashions, but there doesn't appear to be many shoppers as there were just racks of discounted clothing. Not much effort is taken at merchandising, although they do try. I didn't see anything that I'd want to buy. The Jewelry Center on the second floor has vendor after vendor's counters of jade, gold, silver and jewelry. They also have many vendors who carry stone statuary and that sort. However, the Focus should be renamed "unfocus" because there is no unifying theme or sense of organization to the building. I spotted large footage of threadbare carpet peeling at the edges, grimy chrome railings, empty vendor spaces which appear almost naked and poorly-done painting on walls throughout the store. The lack of detail of the mall management's attention to maintenance doesn't appeal to me very much and lowers the visitor's perception of the mall. The bathrooms have been renovated and are oddly enough better maintained than the actual department store. Customer-service wise, the vendors did not greet nor acknowledge that I was even there. They just kind of stare at you and do not make me feel welcome for the majority of my visit. One or two will say to come look, but there is no overt selling taking place. I'm not sure how all these vendors can manage to pay their rent, as is shown by a lot of empty square footage. The management hasn't even attempted to cover these areas with anything, which gives me a bad impression that the store and the mall, by extension is just not doing very well. As far as the stores, I would give credit for the wide variety of every Chinese-language merchandise that they carry. There are beauty stores, health stores and salons and the sort, but the restaurants from my first impression--are the ones doing 70% of the total mall business. The video store near Ranch 99 is impressive though for its selection, although the lighting is a little too bright, but there is little English signage. I ended up walking around trying to guess what the categories of DVDs were by looking at the covers, which is annoying. Definitely come with a Chinese-reading friend if you want to find something without perusing the entire store. Tapioca Express also has friendly staff and helpful, but the number of patrons occupying all the seating outside and inside doesn't make the place feel welcoming. Get your boba to go if you don't want to feel uncomfortable. Price-wise, the pricing for entrees for most restaurants is fairly inexpensive since they must compete with each other for patrons. This is a good thing, but you can tell some restaurants are doing better than others. They all show their menus outside, which is good since you can see their pricing and you can shop around for your eating budget. There are lines for some, while others are empty which is in itself a telling statement for its ability to sustain business. Sam Woo Seafood and Capital Restaurant are definitely the star tenants for this mall, as there are crowds and long lines at those tenants, as is Ranch 99. However, the rest of the mall lacks in the standard of cleanliness and feel. I'd give it one star for the wide variety of retailers specializing in Chinese merchandise and another for competitively low priced restaurants benefiting my wallet, but it doesn't earn any further points for a broad-based appeal to the non-Chinese customer. read more

Warning...review contains a LOT of $. $an Gabriel $quare is the older $i$ter mall to Northern California'$ Milpita$ $quare, the latter which opened in 1996, to give you an approximate idea of SGS/FP's current age. I don't know about now, but in 96, the $ame family conglomerate that partnered with Roger Chen (that's Mr 99 Ranch to some of u$) and rich a$$ friends, took on a project to clone $an Gabriel $quare 500 miles northward in Northern California. They used $G$ as a model, which was obviou$ly met with huge $ucce$$. Although I've been to thi$ plaza around 4 to 5 time$ from the late 90s to the la$t visit from end of 2007, I've seen many of the $maller tenant$ come and go, but naturally the bigge$t money maker$ had $eriou$ $taying power and never budged. The$e include 99 Ranch (of cour$e), Kee Wah Bakery, Ten Ren (on the outskirt$) and a few other $hop$ I can't remember. But otherwise new place$ crop up frequently with every vi$it I make. You have to give credit where it'$ due....$an Gabriel $quare wa$ likely the fir$t of its kind, if not $et $ome $ort of $tandard for all Taiwanese $hopper$ and tho$e with like minded $penditure$. Now the concept ain't new anymore. A few of the tenant$ here managed to open Northern California location$ in Milpita$ $quare, such as "Kao Dunh" optical (arguably a name lifted from Hong Kong), Pak Cheong Tong Chine$e Herb company, and the late Ay Chung Noodle in Milpitas (which recently went belly up for all of North America, so if Ay Chung down here got the axe as well, in order to enjoy Ay Chung you have to fly back to Taipei and eat at Xiemending (the OG location) or $hihlin Night Market). (Toggling $ key off now, in case seeing too much of that makes some of us A$ian$ Cheapne$$ hawt n' hawny...) If I remember correctly there was a store in the plaza that sold lingerie and women's intimate apparel (and the ilk) but the designs were pseudo Euro and definitely geared towards Taiwanese women (imagine Sogo or Mitsukoshi Taiwan women's department but out of date, mixed in with stuff that might have come out of a night market in Taiwan, ie cheap $hit at a markup). Then there was a building that looked like a clone of a typical department store in Taiwan, with multiple levels. It tried to be like a Sogo or Mitsukoshi, but it was very half a$$ed. Pricey Taiwan imports, at a markup. At least it's still a consumer's world, and somewhat interesting for a quick look if you are visiting from out of town and miss this kind of stuff. The two or three bookstores here? Embarassing. Other than newspapers and the latest gossip celebrity juice import mags from Hong Kong and Taiwan, their inventories are otherwise outdated, and/or also sell low brow "imports" from China (DVDs and CDs). Sam Woo? No thanks... greasy, salty and M$G up the a$$. If it were just like the one in Toronto during the 90s, then maybe. But doh... move along. There might be still a few gems here (I hope), but so far they're not really shining and screaming at me to be discovered right now. There's now very little reason (at least for me) to want to come back here if I'm in SG area. While the 99 Ranch here is excellent and impressive, it's easily a complete crowd and parking daymare and nightmare here. read more

I've been going here ever since I was a little kid. Forget how horrible parking is here, this place has history! It is one of those long lasting, well kept (minus the elevators) plazas in the area. The little things about this plaza are comforting. Seeing what luxurious high end car is in front of the jewelry store, walking along the aisles of 99 Ranch Market, seeing the various stores/restaurants that pop up; these are all part of the experiences. If it is your first time here, you will see its variety of stores (clothes, media, eyeglasses, etc.) and restaurants (vegetarian, Shanghai, Cantonese, etc.). It is hard to get bored of this place because once you try one restaurant/store, you'd might want to try another. Give yourself the chance to experience this cultural landmark of San Gabriel. read more

The San Gabriel Square (also known as Focus Plaza) is a place where Asians walk and drive around aimlessly. If it weren't for the dim sum at New Capital I would never go to this plaza. The parking here is terrible! I don't care what time of day you come, the parking lot is always packed, cars will drive on the wrong lanes/sides, and people of all ages (babies to 100+) will walk in front of your moving car without hesitation or even looking in your direction. This place isn't exactly a "shopping center". Its more of a giant food court with a super market and a few shops. Most of the restaurants here aren't that great either. My favorite place here is having dim sum at New Capital. If it weren't for the terrible parking here San Gabriel Square would get more stars from me. read more

I've been coming here ever since I was in diapers! Has this place been around that long? Okay, I might be exaggerating but some of my favorite and earliest memories are of my LA family gathering here for dinner often when my family came to town. We still do so once in a while though not as frequently as I like. First, parking here is indeed horrible! I rant about it more in my Ranch 99 review. I suggest bringing a lot of patience and be more cautious than you're usually are. This shopping center has many restaurants and shops and is anchored by the Ranch 99 market. There are various dining options here like dim sum, Chinese BBQ, Taiwanese, Korean, boba shops, and hot pot. The food here is much better than what you could find in Chinatown. My family's go-to place is Sam Woo's BBQ (which is amazing by the way!) but I'd like to try some of the other, especially newer places someday. They also have many shops. Most of the shops are jewelry and clothing boutiques catering to the rich folk whose BMW's and Lexus' litter the parking lot which leads to one negative, shop variety. The only shops that interest me are the Chinese medicinal and knick-knack shops. Another is that this place has been here forever the standards for cleanliness have slipped a bit. Like someone else said, coming here is like leaving the country, I can't agree with them more. If you're culturally challenged or adventurous, come here, it won't bite! read more

2/5 stars for parking 5/5 stars for selection of shops Average = 3.5 stars (Sorry San Gabriel Square... I round down. Gotta earn the full star) Stores are quite abundant. You got grocery (Ranch 99), restaurants (Sam Woo, Shanghai Restaurant), fast food type stuff (Lollicup), and other specialty shops (gift shops, hair, nail... etc). This is an Asian plaza. So if you're Asian, you'll love it and recognize a lot of stuff. If you're not, this is a good place to go to try some stuff. Only reason the rating is low is because of the parking. HORRENDOUS!!! There is plenty of spots and the directions of the rows is both ways. If they were single-direction rows I would have given it 1/5 stars. TIP: There's some underground parking, but stay above ground. read more

The plaza is 2.5 stars but since the cosmetics does not have a review space, I am factoring that in. Parking is always a hassle, but only worth it if you are eating Chinese food or going to get your watch serviced at t&j. The cosmetics lady tried to rip me off because I don't speak Cantonese. I was considering a new foundation from estee lauder but curious about their perfume, and if EL has green tea perfume like Elizabeth Arden. Hated the perfume selection which all smelled cheap but was $85 (probably high-balled it for me). You won't find a Serge Lutens here. Whoever buys their perfume has cheap taste or enjoys smelling like stale, rotting jolly ranchers. No, they are not the Scent Bar, of course. The official Estee Lauder case display with ad (there were two) said "free gift with $35 purchase." I said I do not like the perfume but want this foundation i tested on my hand. She said they were out of makeup (lady, i saw boxes in your window display you are lying) then she said, for me, now its $50 not $35. The foundation i wanted was $37 and she clearly wanted me to just buy a perfume. How rude. I already put in a complaint with Estee Lauder corporate. Sell it to your mother at that price. read more

Parking is HORRENDOUS! People can't drive, can't walk, can't cross the street without being rude!! However, there are TONS of amazing stores and restaurants here, as well as a giant 99 Ranch! A great plaza, IF you can get past the parking and the crazy people... read more

The San Gabriel Square Plaza or Focus Plaza is one of the biggest shopping mall in San Gabriel featuring different Asian ethnic cuisines and restaurants, shopping store, electronics/DVDS, snack shop, boba drinks, and more. They build a Hilton Hotel right across the street just for tourists. They have a DVDs store with huge selections of hard to find Chinese DVDs. The popular 99 Ranch supermarket is always packed with fresh fruits and vegetables. This plaza is usually full on the weekends, and sometimes, you would have to wait for the pedestrians leaving the 99 Ranch Market just to steal their parking space. Watch out for the pedestrians and avoid confrontation with other driver trying to steal the same parking space. lol. On the ground floor, you can find the popular Sam Woo BBQ restaurant. There's also a Tapioca Express with free wifi access right across. On the second floor there's a korean Tofu House, sushi place (menu/buffet style), a few other asian delicious restaurants. There's also the newly constructed Boddha (The New Capital) restaurant on the third floor overlooking the city horizon of San Gabriel. Although you can walk the entire place in about 30 minutes, nevertheless It is a nice hang out place for first time visitors. read more

I've definitely seen this place get nicer and nicer as the years went by... Great place for grocery shopping, asian food, gift stores, beauty stores, and more... The 99 Ranch Market is here as well as my absolute favorite Ten Ren Tea Station... (well i dunno if it's in the plaza actually... but it's almost in it)... and there is a Japanese gift store on the outskirts of the plaza where I found my darling little soot ball from Miyazaki's "Spirited Away"... Parking will make you feel just like you're in China... read more

In the last few weeks, I've been to San Gabriel Square / Focus Plaza about 5 times. I'm writing this as a Pubic Service Announcement: BE CAREFUL WHEN DRIVING HERE!!!!!! Or anywhere in the "area." I am Asian, so if you pick up what I'm insinuating on the driving then all I have respond with is, "Yes, maybe I'm being stereotypical but I have the immunity idol because I'm also Asian." The pedestrians will jump right in front of your car like a dumb grazing cow, staring at you with dead eyes, as if they are daring you to hit them, because hey, we're in America now and I can sue the Sh*t out of you. Back home, there's no such thing as "The Pedestrian Always Has The Right of Way" so now they don't have to dodge cars; they make cars dodge them. Once, I was in the underground parking lot and as I turned the corner I found a car going full speed (like 15 miles an hour) in REVERSE, headed right toward me, trying to get that open parking spot. I had to honk for it to end at a screeching stop! In general, people just do not know how to drive here. They basically drive like bumper cars, just turning or signaling into your lane and hoping they won't crash into anything. Please take this seriously , for the love of Buddha, if you are venturing into this pocket of Mainland China Town: WEAR YOUR SEATBELT, pay attention to your SPIDEY SENSES, and maybe even wear your helmet in your car. I also believe, due to the recent influx of a certain demographic, the manners here have deteriorated beyond belief. Even at the luxury jewelry stores, the staff is rude. If you're walking outside, dont be surprised if someone hawks a deep-throated loogie right in your space. People smoke anywhere they want, hold up traffic to drop people off without apology or consideration, and just are generally cut-throat and low brow. read more

Offers a Chinese perspective on diverse Asian culture. Everything has a Chinese twist and caters to the Chinese safe zones. Other than the seafood restaurant New Capitol and the 99 Ranch, it has bakeries, sushi bars, korean soondubu, Chinese Middle Eastern food, milk tea shops, froyo, preserves and dried fruits, small cafes, Chinese bbq and more. This is considered for many the heart of San Gabriel Chinese culture. The boutique shops are okay. Focus plaza sells interesting styles and serves as a department store for the Chinese community. They have merchants that sell name brand cosmetics, real and fake jewelery, toys, clothes and car stuffs. But the boutiques outside also do. Do walk through the whole square if you get a chance. Worth exploring. Because this is a Chinese hub, it helps to have someone who speaks Cantonese or Mandarin with you. It isn't a must, but it'll get you more efficient service. read more

Wow parking here can be pretty tuff. I hate to say it but manners here are not very good. It's better to park a small distance away during peak hours then walk to wherever you need to go. Lots of great restaurants here plus 99 ranch market. read more