Cindy's Kitchen — Restaurant in Hacienda Heights

Some of the best Szechuan food I've ever had. In what appears to be a Taiwanese restaurant, too. We ordered the 1: Spicy Pork Intestine with Spam and Blood, 9: Pork Belly with Garlic Sauce, and 23: Pan Fried Beef with Cumin.

Based on pictures we saw online, we were expecting very spicy food, so when the Pork Belly with Garlic sauce came, smothered in a speckled, deep red sauce, slices of pork artfully arranged around a small hill of beansprouts, I was fully prepared to take a bite and suffer (happily) for it. But, contrary to the expectations of everyone at the table, it was not that spicy - in fact, it was incredibly garlic-y! And little too salty, sure, but it held such intense garlic flavor. And after eating more, the mala (numbing) came to bear. (By the end of the meal all of our tongues were delightfully numb.) As for the Spicy Pork Intestine, it was similar. Very flavorful, all the meats very tender (no spam, but there was black fungus, slices of beef, lots of intestine, bean curd, and bean sprouts), and very numbing! But also not that spicy. The Pan Fried Beef was perfectly tender, with just a slight chew, the cilantro and chilies a wonderful accompaniment to the intense cumin.

They do sell their own chili oil, which may actually be rather spicy, but if our meal was any indication, this is an establishment that prides themselves on flavor and technique over spice. Anyone can make food spicy - just buy the right chilies and drench them in hot oil. But to make food that invites thought to every chew (the meats were so firm and tender), that evolves over a meal, and that dares to use spiciness as simply a component, not a star, of the dish - that is spectacular.

Please give this humble establishment your attention.

(P.S. the atmosphere is homey and lovely, there are so many small dishes/appetizers, and their menu includes dumplings, noodles, and lots of veggie/tofu dishes! I would say they're vegetarian friendly, for sure.) (P.P.S. the food did have spicy notes, it just wasn't overbearingly spicy. it was... around the spice level of Tabasco,...

Wednesday 4/23/25 Dinner at Cindy’s Kitchen trying out their combination beef noodle. On my, it was so delicious and savory. The beef and tendon were so tender and tasty, the noodles was the right texture and firmness, and the soup base has lots of herbs and spices and perfectly balanced. This is my new go to beef noodle restaurant.

There was only one female service staff working so it did took longer to order, wait for foods, then pay. It turned out true to reflecting the Heinz’s slogan, “Good things come to those who wait.”

I recommend trying out this restaurant.

David...

Holy moly Cindy's Kitchen is sooo tasty!!! I've been here a few times now and their food is absolutely delicious. This is a small and unassuming restaurant in a tiny strip mall in Hacienda Heights, California. You would have never guessed that the food was killer here.

Some things I love include: Fried peanuts (available in boxes on the counter) Cold dishes: cooked peanuts, cucumber salad, tofu skin salad, bittermelon Noodles: beef tendon noodle soup or beef tendon dry noodles for summer Protein: stir fry beef dish with cilantro

Can't wait to come back soon to...