Tasty Choice

There are very few cafés in the area that are as good and creative as Tasty Choice. Sure, the name may sound corny, but at least the owners are truthful. This restaurant has great food and large portions at affordable prices. For less than $10, you can get a meal that serves easily two. Tasty Choice offers complimentary soup as well as jello with every meal as well unlimited refills for their (iced) teas and coffees. The owners are very jovial individuals, but may become flustered when moments get busy and customers begin nagging (this is common for any store owner though). However, the best service comes when their sons are working, which is not as frequent because both are full-time students (one attends Law School , the younger studies nutrition at UC Berkeley). With two sons who are that hard-working, you know that they've inherited this trait from their parents and this restaurant is indicative of that. The most popular dishes are the Hainan Chicken, Beef shorts Ribs, Korean-Style Korean Ribs, Chicken Steak, and their Curry Eel Fried Rice (Imagine Unagi served over a bed of curry fried rice). My personal favorites are their curries; not too spicy and a bit sweet, seasoned with some roasted garlic to add a little crunch to the bite. You can't go wrong with their Iced (Lemon) tea, I have a least four glasses when the younger son makes drinks on nights he's there. Sometimes the service will be slow and the restaurant gets hectic because it is a small restaurant, most likely due to a kitchen too small for the output, but this place is definitely worth a try. I highly recommend going between 3-7 PM when it's not busy. You're bound to get a table and your food within 15 minutes if you come during this time. They also have a patio for those nice days or if you're a smoker. On Fridays and Saturday afternoons and nights, expect to wait anywhere from 10-45 minutes for a table. The only downside, the restaurant is a tad on the dirty side, but I've never had a real complaint about it- how many clean restaurants can you find in San Gabriel anyway? more

This is a very neat little Chinese cafe place. It's popular amongst teenagers in the area because it gives a lot for its price. THere's an outdoors dining place and an indoors. For those who smoke can have an opportunity to sit outside without disturbing others. It has great food and great services. Definately a two thumbs up. more

This is a true family cafe because it closes at 10 pm. Unlike the other Chinese cafe in the area, this one doesn't have loud music or television sets. This is a place only for food, good food too. Their most popular and famous dish is the "Hainan Rice Chicken", it tasted really good. The service is great and it is not expensive at all. more