Many years ago, I frequented the Alhambra / Monterey Park area on a regular basis. As I recall, the scene was very much Chinese cuisine with BBQ shops, bakeries and stinky tofu eateries. As I drove through Alhambra, I was surprised to see the changes: ramen shops, Vietnamese food, and some Southeast Asian digs.
The San Gabriel Valley is ground zero for the best Chinese food in LA. I recently heard of Yang’s Kitchen and learning that their menu is Asian fusion, I had my doubts that it would be able to draw the valley locals. In my mind, Asian fusion was better suited for the Westside or the South Bay.
Yang’s Kitchen is located on Main Street in downtown Alhambra. The area has buildings that are well maintained and the street is lined with palm trees. I was happy to see a large sign noting the rear parking lot because the entire block lacks street parking.
The restaurant is bright and extremely clean. It is set up as a fast-casual and I like that they have printed menus away from the counter. This allows the indecisive types to peruse the menu and not hold up the line. After placing your order, you take a seat and the food is delivered to your table.
I have never seen strozzapreti on an Asian restaurant menu. In Northern Italy, strozzapreti is served with minced pork and here they add a Chinese element to the dish by mixing in a fermented mustard green relish with the minced pork. Crispy shallots gives this dish some additional texture and the grated parmesan brings it back to Italy.
Minced pork over white rice is Tawainese comfort food. It is served with their mustard greens, crispy shallots, and topped with a golden soy egg. Diners have a choice between multigrain rice or premium Koshihikari sushi rice. I selected the latter because I don’t often get to enjoy premium white rice. The pork was braised in soy sauce, extremely tender, and delicious.
The Cold Sesame Noodles dish was made with semolina wheat noodles. The noodles were mixed peanuts, scallions, cucumbers, pickled carrots, chili, and a sesame sauce. This was similar to a spicy Thai noodle sauce.
Scallion Pancake is typically served as an Asian flatbread. Yang’s version was like an open face taco. The pancake was made with a multigrain flour and scallions. I selected beef over chicken or veggie and I was quite happy with it. The pancake was served open-face with beef, ponzu pico de gallo, hot sauce and cilantro.
Quite a few people rave about the beef noodle soup. While I love beef noodle soup, the temperature in Alhambra that day exceeded 90 degrees. I looked at images that were posted and the broth looks extremely clear indicating that it is probably a healthy version of this dish.
The majority of the ingredients of their recipes are sourced from local vendors. They acquire their pasta from Semolina Artisanal Pasta in nearby Pasadena. The produce is purchased from farmers at the Alhambra Certified Farmers Market. The flour used to make the pancake wrap is from Grist and Toll, also from Pasadena.
If you enjoy Chinese food and appreciate a modern interpretation, Yang’s Kitchen is definitely worth a visit. I was wrong in my initial assumption and observed a number of people enjoying the food. Yang’s Kitchen is built on a solid foundation and I wish them continued success.
Yang’s Kitchen, 112 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801; 626.281.1035
facebook.com/yangskitchenla