Harlam's Kitchen 蝦林小廚 — Restaurant in Rosemead

Harlam's Kitchen, owned by a family from Guangzhou, has been the most popular food stall in the Square Food Court for over 20 years. Ever since the early 90's, locals jam-pack this vendor for affordable porridge, soup noodles, and roadside Cantonese breakfast delicacies. I remember Harlam as being the most budget-friendly eatery in the area for a light Cantonese lunch during the 90's and early 2000's (and also as the location adjacent to a Funland arcade next door).

This food stall specializes in HK-style noodle soup sets, particularly the wonton and dumpling toppings, which are iconic to Guangzhou and Hong Kong style cuisine. The wonton skin texture, ingredients inside the wonton, soup base, and dry egg noodle texture are important characteristics which define the quality of wonton noodles.

At Harlam's Kitchen, each wonton is slightly larger than bite-size, loaded with two plump pieces of shrimp and pork, delicately wrapped in a skin that is thin, silky smooth, and has "extra slack". The shrimps are succulent juicy and fresh.

I don't think Harlam produce their egg noodles from scratch, it's missing a crisp-bounce feel (爽), so I believe the noodles originate from a package. However, Harlam boils and strains each batch properly so that the noodles are somewhat al dente when served, very similar to what is found at indoor Hong Kong noodle shops.

If there was a substandard aspect to Harlam's wonton noodles, it would be the broth. It tastes a bit plain and to my understanding, is flavored by a little bit of salt and a dash of MSG. For the price paid, you won't get a vegetable or chicken broth, or a savory broth derived from shrimp shells like the one available at Noodle Boy in Rosemead.

Note that each bowl is petite-size not because the owners are stingy, but because it prevents customers from leaving noodles soaked in the broth for too long. The noodles should ideally be consumed immediately after preparation before its texture becomes soggy.

Harlam does serve spectacular wontons, but everything else on the menu including the soup base and noodles are ordinary although inexpensive. If you aren't on a tight budget, higher quality rice rolls can be found at dim sum restaurants and the porridge is easily overshadowed by popular Cantonese breakfast cafes such as Har Lam Kee and Delicious...

I had a bowl of wonton noodle. The price is good at 5.75 including tax. The portion size is ok with five medium size wontons. Put in a 10 point scale with 10 for the best wontons in Hong Kong, I would give this place’s wonton a 4. Harlam wontons have very little shrimp if at all. Their wontons contain mainly meat paste probably made from low quality meat. Good wontons should have whole shrimps. The noodle scores also a 4. Good wonton noodles should have a firm but not hard body yet chewy inside. Harlam noodle is on the mushy side. The broth is clear so it is ok to my taste. It is not too salty. That’s...

I came here for my craving of authentic Cantonese porridge and the likes for some 40 years through 2 owners and seeing everyone grown old. Some of the foods are good and you couldn't get it from anywhere else with that authentic make and taste, and the price is good. But the food court has really run down, dirty, and old; and the people waiting to place order and waiting for their foods have no manner, respect, or civility at all, which you also can't find it anywhere else. They have very good business and it would be the smart thing to call in the order and have it...