Hi guys, I’m looking to find some good restaurants to experience “upscale” Chinese food. They don’t have to be fine dining per se, and presentation isn’t very important. The food can be served family-style or individually portioned.
I would mostly like to try dishes that are meant to be for special occasions and use premium ingredients or have special preparations.
I was inspired by watching this video of a tasting menu in NYC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBLlzn7O8lE
Any recommendations, especially east of LA?
by waffletastic2
23 Comments
Bistro Nas
Chef Tony in Pasadena? Haven’t been but I’ve read that it’s a cut above as far as ingredients go.
mr. chows or capital seafood BH
Sea Harbor in Rosemead. Meizhou Dongpo in Century City or Irvine
Duck House in Monterey Park. If you’re getting their Peking duck, please order 1 day ahead.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/duck-house-restaurant-monterey-park-3
Yang’s Kitchen in Alhambra is phenomenal. Highly recommend
Seafood palace in temple City if you want deep fried garlic crab Hong Kong style.
https://g.co/kgs/yMeA5A
The lobster yi mien is great too.
Shanghailander Palace – there’s one in Arcadia and the other in Rowland Heights. Shanghai cuisine, I recommend their sauteed eels, special fish soup, old style sauteed whole crab. They execute traditional dishes well and the portions are just right.
newport seafood restaurant in san gabriel.
Bistro Na’s is the obvious recommendation,
If you are willing to travel, Chang’An in Tustin is worth looking into.
I think it’s overpriced, but it is dishes meant for special occasions, with premium ingredients and specially prepared.
I do not think it is worth the price, but the experience is unique
There is not much like your video though. Perhaps something like Benu in San Francisco is closer, though it is not at all strictly Chinesd
Bistro Na’s is no longer good unfortunately – their quality slid down during the pandemic and supposedly the only way to get back to that level is if you book the private dining room.
There’s a lot of buzz about 19Town now – worth a try but even further out east in Rowland Heights.
Is din tai fung considered upscale?
Boston Lobster in San Gabriel on Valley at San Gabriel Blvd.
check out Henry’s Cuisine
all the super hype hot pot places lolol. they’re the only ones that seem to be legit even if they’r upscale style.
usually, legit food places are not upscale looking, either that or they’re overpriced, like for example, bistro 1968.
hot pots: shancheng lameizi, x pot, xiang bai li, yuan’s hotpot, xiao longkan,
In addition to Bisto Na’s that others recommended (and honestly that’s probably the closest to the restaurant featured in the clip), I would highly recommend:
[Meizhou Dongpo](https://www.yelp.com/biz/meizhou-dongpo-restaurant-arcadia-2) in Arcadia. Also Beijing Imperial style, with ambiance to match.
[Jiangnan Spring](https://www.yelp.com/biz/jiang-nan-spring-alhambra-4) in Alhambra. Michelin rated, upscale Shanghainese Cuisine.
Chang an in Tustin
Don’t have a specific recommendation, but I do recommend checking the index post on kevineats.com
Every restaurant is cataloged with price, location and type of food and every dish has a description and photos.
Jiangnan spring is really good. It’s like a huge step above normal Chinese local restaurants
I haven’t tried it yet, but [Monarch](https://www.monarch-sgv.com/) in Arcadia is new and fancy with the interior decoration.
Szechuan impression is the best example of Szechuan food I’ve ever had full stop.
Newport seafood in San Gabriel
Wagyu House by the X Pot in Rowland Heights. The only restaurant that I’ve seen that offers membership pricing…