🔥 San Gabriel Food Crawl

For our first food stop in the LA area, we headed to San Gabriel for some serious eats. At noon, we tried a Hainanese chicken rice spot called Heng Heng Chicken Rice. It wasn’t anything special – the chicken was just okay 🐔, but the sauce was pretty unique and saved the dish (especially with dark meat). Still, I prefer the version at 88 Noodle Papa in Vegas – now that’s more like the authentic Cantonese-style chicken I grew up with: tender, smooth, and served with ginger scallion sauce! 👌💯 For dinner, we found this grill and skewer spot – Once Upon a Bistro 📍933 W Duarte Rd, Monrovia, CA 91016. Their skewers are super affordable! We tried almost everything, and most were pretty good. The standout was definitely the grilled chicken wings 🍗– they really brought back memories of classic Chinese BBQ. Maybe it’s because Vegas Chinese food can be hit or miss, but tasting something this nostalgic felt so satisfying! ✨😊 Suddenly craving some Hong Kong-style café food, we stopped by Alice’s Kitchen 📍580 E Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91755. Their snacks like fish balls, mixed sauce cheung fun, and pineapple buns were decent 🍍🥢. But as Cantonese folks, we found the beef chow fun just okay, and I’d skip the Yangzhou fried rice 🚫🍚. My husband ordered a yuanyang (coffee-tea mix), and he said it was pretty bland 😂. I’d rather save my stomach for better drinks elsewhere! 🧋💔 We were both really in the mood for frog legs, so we picked a Sichuan spot – Rong He Sichuan Restaurant 📍1265 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801. We can only handle mild Cantonese-level spice 🌶️😅, but we ended up ordering two extremely spicy dishes: frog with ginger and double crunch stir-fry. This meal was… emotional, to say the least. My nose was running from how spicy it was – all I could taste was FIRE! 🔥😭 ⚠️ If you can’t handle heat, think twice! The only upside was the huge portions. Almost every table had leftovers to take home 🥡. We went around noon and still had to wait about 10-15 minutes. It’s a small place, so be prepared to queue! ⏳ And then… the Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Experience at Bearology in Temple City 📍5805 Rosemead Blvd, Temple City, CA 91780. The kids wanted to go – you need a reservation or you’ll wait forever. There’s a $10 deposit per person that goes toward your order. The food? Well… let’s just say it’s more about the vibe than the flavor 😅👺. The kids loved it, though! ❤️ #LAFood #SanGabrielEats #SGVFood #LATravel #LAChineseFood #LAFoodFinds #WeekendsInLA