Such a hidden gem! Made the drive up from Irvine and it was worth every mile…read more If you come here, you HAVE to get the Beef Tongue Rice. The cuts are perfectly thick and tender, and mixing it with the runny egg is incredibly satisfying. Even better than my usual go-to spots. We also tried the Taiwanese Mini Hot Pot--the broth is mild, but their Shacha dipping sauce is super authentic and hits the spot. The Stir-fried Water Spinach had great wok hei, too. But the real plot twist was the Pineapple Bun with Butter. I normally skip these because I find them too sweet, but theirs is a game-changer. Extremely crispy on the outside with that perfect slice of cold butter melting inside. Great portions, quick service, and a very comfortable environment to just sit down and enjoy a solid meal with friends. Highly recommend!

This place was quite good. I had never been to a Hong Kong Cafe before and I thought it was very on…read morethe nose that it this place was named Hong Kong cafe. The rice and minced pork was super good. Good sweetness and texture. The chow fun was good but I think I would have preferred soy sauce option over the black bean option. The crispy noodles had a really good texture that I really liked, but I wish they were in a diff sauce. A more savory soy sauce or a more salty peanut sauce would have been great. I also like the ambiance and service was also pretty good! the food did not take that long to come out. Everything was pretty affordable and parking was really simple to find as well! Overall, I would recommend going to this place! I think most people would really enjoy it!

We were in a private room for a birthday celebration. The men in their white uniform served with a…read morehappy face. i recommend the pork chop, thin, well cooked & crispy; broccoli (well steamed) with tender beef; sweet & sour fish (i do not know what kind of fish) tasted good; crispy shrimp but so Salty. Bathroom only 2 stalls is clean

My family and I had lunch here, and once again, we LOVED it!!…read more The service during our two previous visits was GREAT, and this visit was no different. The menu is HUGE, with many choices of seafood, poultry, beef, soups, noodles, etc. During this visit, we ordered Mongolian beef, eggplant, and kung pao chicken and shrimp. Our food was AMAZING!! Extremely flavorful and perfectly prepared. Each bite of all three dishes left you wanting more. The white rice was a perfect companion to our great lunch. When we entered the large restaurant, eight to ten other guests were dining, and another ten to fifteen stopped by to pick up takeout. This is a very popular place in the area. Free parking is available in the restaurant's private parking lot. The decor is definitely Chinese, with many decorations hanging from the walls and ceiling, while soothing Chinese music plays overhead. This was a positive dining experience

The food and portions are amazing and perfect for sharing, the prices are good as well, the service…read moreis fast and easy to order from, But the waiting time is long I will say but it's worth it! definitely going to back!

I love Thumbling it's definitely one of THE spots in West Covina! Be prepared to wait closer to an…read morehour if your party is large, and maybe 10-30 for smaller parties. There's plenty to walk around in the plaza (desserts, pastries, açaí bowls) while you're waiting and even a fountain. Once seated everything moves relatively fast. The menu is extensive, food comes out quickly and fresh, and workers are attentive even though you order through a tablet and it's super busy inside. Food is stellar and of value (6 XLB for $8!), portion sizes are good, and everything is piping hot! The soup dumplings have soo much soup IMO beating out Mama Lu's which is what I would consider to be their nearest competitor. The spicy shrimp wontons are also good, but I think the flavors don't quite hit as well - big pieces of shrimp are enclosed though! The Peppered Beef Udon was great the beef pieces were tender and juicy and great textured noodles. Onion pancakes are a staple along w/cucumber salad (not pictured) , and their pan fried pot stickers are my favorite along with the sauce it comes with. Sooo crispy. Pro tip: If you are a first timer/came from far and waited a while don't let them seat you at the bar the experience is not as nice by far (I saw someone say it's like paying to stare at a wall - I concur) Being seated at a booth or table will allow you the full experience but I do understand there's only a limited amount of room in the bustling place.

one of our go-to restaurants for our family gatherings. we love this mom-and-pop establish that…read moreserves high-quality cantonese food! chef previously worked at sands in macau, which is why the food is top-notch. service provided by the mum and daughter are amazing. really sweet family with outstanding hospitality. aesthetics aren't there at all, but we're coming for the food and not so much the vibes. it's located in a super unassuming strip in the randomest city, but that's literally the definition of hidden gem, right?! must trys are all their pre-order dishes! their glutinous rice stuffed chicken wings (pricey, for sure), stuffed duck, fish that's wrapped in little bundles, sweet and sour squirrel fish, stir-fried taro. we always get the pumpkin soup with the egg white bundle as a starter, but it doesn't quite hit for me like the other dishes do. the quality of the dishes are impressive and super eye-catching. haven't seen dishes made to this caliber in socal. can't speak to the "regular" food, but i'm sure it'll hit just as much as the fancy dishes.

I recommend Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale). The food is fresh, fragrant, and filling. The…read moreflavor never overpowered its ingredients; rather, each dish was carefully cooked, highlighting the clean flavor of its fresh ingredients. My family and I left full and happy. (Important Note: Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations are preferred since it's a small location. There's also a "regular menu" and a "reservation menu." If customers want the more exciting menu options, customers must call 2 to 3 days ahead and reserve those dishes also. Concerning payment, this business only accepts Visa, Master Card, Cash, Zelle, and ApplePay.) My family and I arrived on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day (around 1PM). I'd made a reservation the day prior since I'd been searching for businesses that stayed open during Thanksgiving. Parking is very easy. The private lot is spacious with many spots. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. Staff mostly spoke Mandarin; however, there was one staff member that could fluently speak English. Staff is very helpful and professional, and staff answered all our questions. We ordered seven dishes; all the dishes arrived within 38 minutes and 16 seconds. Good pace. The Salt & Pepper Fish Filet ($14) arrived in nine minutes. Then, six minutes later, the Beef Chow Fun ($13) and String Bean with Minced Chicken ($14) arrived. Then, 10 minutes later, the Combination Fried Rice ($17) and Salt & Pepper Shrimp ($17) arrived. Lastly, around 14 more minutes later, the Scallion Oil Chicken (Half - $17) and Almond Tea ($7) came. We happily devoured these delicious dishes. The Salt & Pepper Fish Filet had a thin, crisp crust with hot fish. It's gently seasoned. The Beef Chow Fun had springy, bouncy noodles. Its beef came very tender but a little lukewarm. The String Bean with Minced Chicken tasted clean and fresh; its chicken came tender and juicy. The Combination Fried Rice had plump shrimp, tender beef, and moist chicken. I especially loved how the rice felt hot & fluffy. It was well-seasoned. The Salt & Pepper Shrimp tasted crisp, plump, and well-salted; these shrimp were fried perfectly. The Scallion Oil Chicken tasted very tender and juicy. And the Almond Tea felt hot, velvety with the fresh aftertaste of almonds. Every meal felt clean and fresh. All in all, we appreciated how every dish lacked that overpowering/masking flavor. "TASTY!" Concerning ambiance, Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale) is clean, sleek, and minimalistic. The tables and floors are very shiny. There's about seven tables inside. There's also a customer restroom in the back. The location is also well-ventilated as soft music plays in the background. Overall, my family and I had a lovely experience at Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale). The food is fresh, filling, affordable, and delicious. If curious, I definitely recommend. 5 out of 5

Our group of 14 reserved a private room at KW Cafe for a friend's birthday, and it was my first…read moretime visiting. I was really impressed by how extensive the menu is--they offer everything from classic Hong Kong-style breakfast and comfort dishes to full banquet-style dinners. For our celebration, we had quite a spread, including sashimi, roast pig, king crab, beef filet mignon, steamed grouper, lamb rack, squab, chicken, and dessert. I'm not sure about the corkage policy, but our host was able to bring in bottles of wine for the occasion. Service was excellent, we even stayed past their 9 p.m. closing time, and they never rushed us. The food did lean a bit oily, which is pretty typical for Hong Kong-style banquet dishes. Parking is easy with a large shared lot, and I'd definitely come back to explore more of their menu next time I'm in the area.

Great Afternoon tea menu that's good for dinner if you go there closer right before dinner…read more Authentic Hong Kong cafe taste. Service is fine, the usual. Great big space with many comfortable booth seats. I got the satay beef macaroni with soup. It was delicious.

This place is one of my families favorite local spot. What I really appreciate about the restaurant…read moreis how diverse the clients are and the staff. It really goes to show how the surrounding community that has a balance of different ethnic group comes to appreciation the good flavor and quality of this Chinese cuisine. The services here are very friendly and attentive. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you come in an hour before they close they will let you know that in advance. I think the intent is so you order fast and don't linger. Not a negative for me since my family usually is pretty quick about eating and going. They are also pretty good with customizing their ingredients. My wife is gluten free so we would ask that they not add in soy sauce or oyster sauce in some of the dishes that we know can still work without those two ingredients. You would need to know how to customize it yourself as I don't think they would know what to do if you simply say no gluten. Overall, I really don't have anything negative to say about this place. We walk in hungry and happy and we come out full and satisfied.

This is my mom's favorite Chinese restaurant in the area, and we usually make it a point to stop…read morehere at least once whenever I'm visiting. She always orders the Fish Filet with Black Bean Sauce, which she absolutely loves and talks about every visit. This time, I went with the Kung Pao Three Delights, which was solid and flavorful. My only real complaint was the fried rice. It wasn't like any fried rice I've had before--it seemed more like plain rice mixed with soy sauce and just didn't do much for me. Definitely not something I'd order again. That said, my mom would probably give this place 5 stars based on her favorite dish alone. While my experience wasn't quite at that level, the entrée itself was still enjoyable. Overall, I'd return and would recommend.

Stopped by for the tofu pudding/dessert tofu/dou hua, and left with that and a lot of other…read moregoodies! I bought the: - Tofu pudding/dessert tofu/dou hua with brown sugar on the side - Delicious and silky! The brown sugar was light and added just enough sweetness to complement the tofu. - Taro buns (5 ct) - This is the best taro bun my family and I ever had. The breadskin is so light and fluffy. The taro paste filling was not overly dense nor sweet. You can really taste the taro in the filling. - Organic scallion buns (6 ct) - This is the best scallion bun my family and I ever had. We could taste the scallion flavor without it being too strong. The bun was a touch denser than the taro bun. - Meat and veggie buns - The meat and veggie filling was delicious and not too saltym. The veggies in the filling still has a crunch to them (unlike buns I've tried from other places). The bun itself was light and not too dense. - Unsweetened soy milk - The soy milk was light and the perfect consistency. It isn't thick or grainy like some other soy milks can be. - Tofu jerky - Flavorful, but not too salty. Great pairing with a bowl of rice! - Zongzi (Taiwanese style) - Delicious and light. Also not too salty or rich. The shop itself is small, but very clean and organized. The shop owner is so cute and enthusiastic about all of her products. She shared how to best store them since she doesn't use preservatives and how to heat them. There is a handwritten menu in Chinese on a board to the side of the refrigerated section. The refrigerator doors also had photos of the item with the name in English and Chinese, and the price. The non-refrigerated part of the store has shelves with sauces you could use to prepare/cook your tofu. Cash and credit cards (MasterCard and Visa) accepted, although there is a 5% charge for using credit card. They're located at the very end of Front St (dead end). They're in the brick building with no signage/store name. If the door is locked during the posted business hours, just ring the doorbell and the owner will open the door for you. Parking is shared with other shops on this street. With the flow of customers coming and going, I never had any issues finding a spot.

Small shop in the back of what looks like a lot of small mechanic shops. There is no signage and…read moreit's just a brick building with a gated door. Once inside there is a white board with hand written menu of everything they offer. The menu is in Chinese with some English. I got the sweet soy milk and the tofu dessert. Both were phenomenal. You can really tell they make their soy products fresh in the factory next door. The shopkeeper is super sweet and offered bags of ice in case I had a long drive home. Overall fantastic spot to get some freshly made soy products - milk, tofu, everything made with tofu and some random things like frozen dumplings. Being your own shopping bag or box to carry your goods.

We came here again! But seems like they changed owners again???? Very interesting how often they…read moreare changing owners. So their menus are different again! We came here for their afternoon tea specials! It's a great deal! We ordered the following, 1. roasted duck and cha siu vermicelli, 2. stirred fried seafood udon 3. stirred fried beef rice noodles 4. ground pork and egg over rice (forgot to take a picture of this one) 5. French toast ($4 only if you ordered $40 worth of food), 6. red beans with milk ice drink. ( they also included drink with every dish) All the food was pretty good overall. I would rate it 3.5 stars for taste of food. but up the .5 for the very reasonable price and good service. I would definitely come back again!!

I normallly order take-out from Tasty Spot Cafe (TSC) (previously known as Delicious Food Corner)…read morein the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) area. However, one evening, I had already left SGV. I googled for any TSC locations on my way home. Bingo! There is one TSC in West Covina right next to Tokyo Central. I was on my way... I phoned in my order for a few dishes for both my daughters and me. My youngest daughter loves their Shredded Pork Chow Mein (crispy style) and BBQ Pork Chow Mein (dry style). They both tasted delicious. I got my eldest daughter one of her favorites, Honey Walnut Shrimp. Tons of big shrimps, but too much mayonnaise. I had the Taishan Chinese Broccoli wth Fish Filet. Lots of broccoli and fish filet with great flavor and taste. I love eating it with white rice! Parking is plenty. Good and bright inside space. They also have a BBQ deli. Staff was friendly. Prices were a tad higher than norm. My order was ready upon arrival so no wait time except for paying the bill. I was in and out of here under 5 minutes. Fantastic! I will be back. Thank you TSC!

The food is absolutely phenomenal. I have been meaning to go here because of all the hype on social…read moremedia about their San Gabriel location so I was excited to realize there was one nearby. Their HK style food is authentic and delicious. We started with the hot and sour soup and it is literally the best version we have ever had. It had a bit of the Szechuan numbing spice and was a huge portion so we took half home. We also ordered their steamed rice rolls with shrimp and chive and you can tell it was made fresh by the wrinkles in the rice paper. The last item we ordered was their chinese sausage clay pot. It was exactly what we were craving. Crispy rice all along the edges with perfectly steamed rice, chinese broccoli and crispy chinese sausage. It was hard to choose because their menu was huge and we came late so we missed the pineapple buns but definitely need to try it next time. I also saw everyone ordering the lemon iced tea and realized it's because they do free refills! That's another need to try. I felt the value was really great and we definitely are coming back. Service was also great. The waiters quickly came over when you waved them down and they checked on you just the right amount of time. The decor inside is very cute and I love the retro style. Only complaint I would have is that we sat on the left side of the restaurant and there were quite a few mosquitos on the booth so we ended up sitting on one side.

My family and I came over for lunch, and it was loud and crowded on a Sunday at about noon. We…read morechecked in and got a number. It took about ten minutes for us to get a booth table, but we were waiting inside. The staff member called numbers firstly in Cantonese then in English. After we sat down, the waiting line persisted past 1 pm. Similarly, the bustling loudness continued on during the course of our meal. Food arrived quickly, however. The price point for the delicious food is competitive. We got French-style filet mignon ($18.99), braised tofu in brown sauce ($14.99), chicken chow mein ($14.99), and a steamed rice noodle roll with barbecue pork ($5.99). A pot of rice was included in our meal. The steamed rice noodle roll with barbecue pork was a nice appetizer that arrived first. I enjoyed how the French-style filet mignon was garnished with Thai basil, black pepper, and ginger. The meat was flavorful and tender. The braised tofu in brown sauce was consistently hot on the inside. The delicious brown sauce soaked throughout the vegetables. The chicken chow mein didn't have a lot of sauce, but it was still delicious with a lot of meat included. Overall, it would be nice to visit again outside of a peak time because the food prices are competitive. The menu is expansive, and the breakfast selections look interesting. The atmosphere during the Sunday lunch peak time was consistently bustling. I think the restaurant started to play Chinese music loudly at random points so that people could finish dining more quickly.