So many openings, so little time:
USC: Chihuo’s first food truck run is TODAY, lunch at USC, dinner at UCLA. They’re creating 4-plex lunchboxes of dishes from Chuan’s, Szechuan Impression, Meizhou Dongpo. Time: 11:30 to 1:30pm at Jefferson & Orchand (USC). 5:30PM to 8:00pm at Gayley and S. Charles Young Dr at UCLA. Menu at the two schools is the same, and the early visitors at both locations get some fancy free tea.
Monterey Park: Ramen Yukinoya is gone. To be replaced by Kaiba. If this spot wasn’t already officially doomed, it is now. The stretch between Duck House and Riggin Street is a certifiable restaurant wasteland, with only 2 remaining old-timey Japanese (Nisei?) relics left. Not one single Japanese entrant could make 816 Atlantic Blvd Monterey Park work in the last 3 years, but the spot has a beer and wine license, so the Japanese keep trying. Except Kaiba is Korean owned. Is there anything worse than Japanese food butchered by Korean? Yes, yes there is — Japanese food butchered by Chinese people. See: Tasty Ocean, San Gabriel.
Arcadia: Matcha Matcha is getting a ton of traction from Insta-loving soft serve fiends. The thought is this: eat the Hainan chicken rice (please don’t call it khao man ghai when the chef is Chinese) from Side Chicken, then hop one stall over to MM for the matcha soft serve and other matcha soft-serve creations. Finally, walk very carefully towards the bicycle and take a selfie. Unless you’re not in the self-taking age group. Then just go home. Arcadia Mall Asian food court/alley thingie.
Industry: JIS Bros writes in another of their fabulous designs. Lobster Now is a spicy faux-Sichuan Chinese crawfish/lobster joint. That said, Na Mama, Hip Hot AND Huolala are both a lot closer for Sichuanese seafood. Go for the sweet interior on the way back from shopping at Dessert Outlets? 17501 Colima Rd
Monterey Park: Wok BBQ is now Wok Crab. The food is now… spicy crawfish and knock-off Boiling Crab, garlic noodles and all. That is the fourth spicy seafood shop in 2 years. (King Crawfish, The Sichuan Chinese place, the other Chinese place) 910 E Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91755
Monterey Park: after three years, my beloved Shen Yang is finally getting the flip. It’s being turned into a “Tokyo Yakiniku” that is owned by a person with a Cantonese surname. For a second it seemd Tokyo Yakiniku might be owned by the same team behind 101 BBQ and Karaoke in El Monte that was just reported last month, but it ain’t. The license transference is currently stuck in the application process, and Shen Yang is still slinging an amazing 2-person fresh noodle naengmyun kit for $10. 639 W Garvey Ave
Rosemead: Chengdu Taste 2 (or was it 3? I can’t remember) just got a darker, broodier, more romantic flip. Again, it’s the JIS Bros’ handiwork. Some say the menu remains the same. It probably is the same. Also, as a gentle reminder: this one takes reservations. 8526 Valley Blvd #108
Alhambra: Legendary Restaurant, the previously mentioned chef-thief, is now going balls-to-the-wall by offering massive discounts for its “grand opening”. Seriously people, have some gdamn pride.
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