Jim Thurman

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Blogs
May 7, 2012
Off the Menu: Mustard Cabbage at Beijing Restaurant
Trying to find a particular Chinese regional or local specialty can be quite an adventure, even among the hundreds of restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. The search for these items, be it Datong-style braised rabbit heads or Tianjin-style earhole cakes, can produce tales worthy of an explorer. ... More >>
Blogs
May 2, 2012
Chefs' Worst Kitchen Injuries: More Fun Behind the Stoves
Cooking can be dangerous, as anyone who has spent much time in a kitchen can attest to. Now consider the hazards of a career surrounded by flames, super heated liquids and sharp objects. So we queried some notable area chefs (Ricardo Zarate! Michael Voltaggio! Eric Greenspan!) for the stories behin ... More >>
Blogs
April 12, 2012
Tempest in a Teacup: Cup Controversy at Half & Half Tea House
To call the tea bar scene in the San Gabriel Valley vibrant is a vast understatement. Dozens of perpetually crowded small cafés across the 626 serve teas and boba drinks while providing socializing and studying spots for those not old enough to drink alcohol or those not so inclined. It's precisely ... More >>
Blogs
April 9, 2012
Shanghai Confusion Meat: Adventures in Canned Ham at Shanghai Dumpling House in Monrovia
One of the great things about the abundance of Chinese restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley comes in discovering unique menu items. These can range from hard-to-find distinctive regional dishes to the mundane that simply got lost in translation. When it came to our attention that a restaurant w ... More >>
Blogs
April 4, 2012
10 Classic Taiwanese Dishes
Venture into a mom-and-pop Taiwanese restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley and first-timers will undoubtedly be intimidated. The menus read much like those of strictly Chinese restaurants, but it's the subtle and uniquely Formosan dishes that make the experience that much more authentic. Fried tofu ... More >>
Blogs
March 12, 2012
Wang Xing Ji: Wuxi-style Cuisine Comes to the San Gabriel Valley
The panoply of Chinese regional cuisines in the San Gabriel Valley recently increased by one with the opening of Wang Xing Ji, a San Gabriel outpost of a noted Wuxi restaurant operating since 1913. Located in San Gabriel Square, the large shopping plaza known as "The Great Mall of China," the restau ... More >>
Blogs
February 24, 2012
Biáng Biáng Noodles Where to Find Them
One of the latest regional Chinese noodle variations to arrive in the San Gabriel Valley? Biáng biáng noodles. Originating in Shaanxi Province in central China, Biáng biáng noodles are another regional iteration of handmade noodles. For this, wheat noodles are torn into long, thick, wide strips ... More >>
Blogs
February 10, 2012
Spicy With Spicy: What the Dish Is Where to Find It in the SGV
If you've frequented Chinese restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley, you've perhaps noticed a menu item intriguingly translated as Spicy on Spicy or Spicy With Spicy. Maybe you've wondered exactly what it is. The dish is made up of ground pork seasoned with pepper, which is then topped with a vari ... More >>
Blogs
January 25, 2012
Eat This Now: Fried Fungus Tofu from V.P. Tofu
We've written about V.P. Tofu before, and with good reason. When it comes to all things soy, it's hard to top the small Monterey Park storefront. We've featured their soy puddings, ranging from plain with ginger syrup, to pandan and black sesame flavors. But, until now, we've neglected one of the ... More >>
Blogs
January 19, 2012
Crossing The Bridge Noodles: Yunnan's Signature Dish Where To Find Them
Yunnan cuisine doesn't get the kind of respect accorded to the cuisine from other provinces. It isn't included in the "Eight Schools" of Chinese cuisine, instead being relegated to a subset of its neighbor to the north, Sichuan. Adding to that, there are only 11 Yunnan-style restaurants in the ent ... More >>
Blogs
January 4, 2012
Best Dosa Night: Woodlands Indian Cuisine
Mention vegetarian food to most carnivores and the result is often a pained expression followed by a series of jokes about sawdust and paper. You need to get these people to Chatsworth. Woodlands features a south Indian lunch buffet and a large menu, but the real star here is on Wednesday nights, t ... More >>
Blogs
January 3, 2012
Best Taiwanese Themed Sports Bar: The Indian Theme Restaurant
What's in a name? In this case, everything and nothing. Nicknamed "The Taiwanese Hooters," a bevy of waitresses clad in red tank tops, black shorts and Uggs sporting a feather in their hair cheerfully greet you in Mandarin upon entry. Faux Western in décor, with fake log tables, wolf skin and faux ... More >>
Blogs
December 20, 2011
2011 in the San Gabriel Valley: A List of Restaurant Openings Closings
Jim ThurmanLamb soup with knife cut noodles, Shaanxi Gourmet, Rosemead2011 in the San Gabriel Valley restaurant scene witnessed the usual spate of openings and closings, some notable and some not so notable. With some 300 Chinese restaurants alone, trying to compile a list of the year's open ... More >>
Blogs
December 16, 2011
The Pig Blood Cake The Controversy That Was (and Wasn't)
Jim ThurmanPig Blood Cake, Old Country Café, Alhambra Let's talk blood, specifically pigs blood. The use of pigs blood is somewhat common in Chinese and other Asian cuisines, where it usually takes the form of congealed cubes added to soups, stews and hot pots. However, the most interestin ... More >>
Blogs
November 16, 2011
Tianjin Style Special Cakes at Dean Sin World
Jim Thurman#34 Tianjin Style Special Cake at Dean Sin WorldDean Sin World is simply a wonderful little hole-in-the-wall place for xiao long bao, dumplings and other Shanghainese style snacks. You should know that by now. But, even if you're a regular visitor you're likely to have overlooked ... More >>
Blogs
September 21, 2011
Best Massive Hong Kong Café Menu: JR Café
Jim ThurmanNew York steak & sole fillet, JR Café, San Gabriel. In the San Gabriel Valley, menus often top three digits, and if one is at a Hong Kong style café, the number continues into the stratosphere from there. 225, 231, 241... which brings us to the JR Café, where the dinner menu con ... More >>
Blogs
September 20, 2011
8 Top Asian Ice Milk Bars
Jim ThurmanGreen Bean jelly ice milk bar Last summer we were all about paletas. And, why not? The Mexican ice treats are remarkably refreshing on a hot day, while the array of flavors includes many unfamiliar and exotic, at least to anyone who recalls the typical grape or orange of childhood. ... More >>
Blogs
September 12, 2011
Mid-Autumn Festival: Time for Mooncakes
Jim ThurmanPlate of assorted mooncakes. Today marks the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival, an important holiday in China, Taiwan and Vietnam, and the time of mooncakes. Over the past few weeks in the San Gabriel Valley, bakeries have been busy cranking out tray after tray of mooncakes, with many o ... More >>
Blogs
September 12, 2011
More Fun With Pigs: Pig-shaped Mooncakes
Jim ThurmanPig shaped mooncake. While normally round or square, mooncakes can also be found shaped like fish or rabbits (representing the Year of the Rabbit), but it's this little pig that caught our attention. While animal shaped mooncakes are primarily aimed at kids, who doesn't love anyth ... More >>
Blogs
September 8, 2011
Green Tea Shaved Snow Food Fight: Salju Dessert vs. Fluff Ice
Jim ThurmanMatcha green tea shaved snow with red bean & mochi at Salju Dessert Taiwanese shaved ice has been featured before at Squid Ink, and with good reason. It's perhaps the perfect summer dessert. However, as good as shaved ice is, it's just so 2010. This year, it's all about the next le ... More >>
Blogs
August 15, 2011
85°C Bakery-Café Opens in Hacienda Heights
Jim ThurmanLine at grand opening of 85°C Bakery-Café, Hacienda Heights The number of international chains with outlets in Los Angeles County grew by one when 85°C Bakery-Café opened in Hacienda Heights on Saturday. The Taiwanese chain, with nearly 500 stores in Taiwan, China and Australia ... More >>
Blogs
July 21, 2011
Stinky Tofu Food Fight: Tofu King vs. Lee's Garden
Jim ThurmanTaiwan style stinky tofu, Tofu King Let's get it out of the way. Stinky tofu is, for many, an acquired taste. It's simply outside of the food comfort zone of westerners. We'll admit the smell can be off putting to the uninitiated, but its bark is much worse than its bite. And rea ... More >>
Blogs
July 5, 2011
The Fall and Rise of the House of Pies Send Us Your Photos of Surviving House of Pies Buildings
If you've given a thought to the House of Pies, the longtime coffee shop and restaurant at the corner of Vermont and Franklin in Los Feliz, chances are its either been in contemplation of a piece of pie or noticing the unusual architecture. There was a short period when the distinctive, angular, cot ... More >>
Blogs
June 28, 2011
Squid Ink Food Writers' Most Reviled Childhood Dinners
southerbornandbredgirl/flickrFried chicken livers With food, one person's penance is another's pleasure. Many parents view dinner-time as an opportunity, not just to share food and company with their beloved offspring, but also to exert control. Sometimes kids are picky and sometimes parent ... More >>
Blogs
May 3, 2011
Squid Ink's Most Beloved Discontinued Products: Well, A Few of Them
DSL in Jaz/flickrWe hardly knew you. Our favorite convenience foods are like friendly co-workers holed up in the next cubicle over. We meet them, like them, grow accustomed to their presence in our lives, and then, just as soon as we realize we can't quite imagine life without them, they di ... More >>
Blogs
April 26, 2011
The Hong Kong Waffle Where to Find One in the SGV
Guzzle & NoshHong Kong Waffle, Tasty Garden, Monterey Park. One of the most popular snacks on the streets of Hong Kong is the Gai Daan Jai, or "egg waffle." Made from simple ingredients: flour, eggs, baking powder, evaporated milk, starch, sugar and water, the thin batter is cooked in a disti ... More >>
Blogs
March 22, 2011
The Spudnuts Saga: A Bite of Donut History
Jim ThurmanWhat was the first nationwide donut chain to reach Los Angeles? Krispy Kreme? You're not even trying. Dunkin' Donuts? Not from around here, are you? Winchell's?, Yum Yum? Getting closer, but no. The answer: Spudnuts. Brothers Al and Bob Pelton were working as an appliance salesman ... More >>
Blogs
March 7, 2011
Top 9 Now-Defunct L.A. Fast Food Restaurant Chains The Return of #3
Del Taco Corp.With the further expansion of Chick-fil-A in Los Angeles, the recent announcement of Papaya King coming to Hollywood and the arrival of Australia's Oporto to the Southland, we at Squid Ink thought it was an opportune time for a trip down memory lane. Here, in no particular orde ... More >>
Blogs
February 7, 2011
San Gabriel Valley Update: Bamboodles Closes Other News
Jim ThurmanYu Pin replaces Bamboodles With literally hundreds of restaurants in a relatively few square miles of the western part of the San Gabriel Valley, nearly constant openings and closings are guaranteed. And for every door that closes, a new one opens. That's the case with Bamboodles ... More >>
Blogs
February 3, 2011
Chinese New Year: Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit -- By Eating Rabbit in the SGV
With today marking the beginning of Chinese New Year, and 2011 being The Year of the Rabbit, we thought it only appropriate to sample a variety of dishes featuring the honored animal. While Americans generally consign rabbit to the mantle of "exotic meats," the use of rabbit is not uncommon in som ... More >>
Blogs
December 30, 2010
San Gabriel Valley Comings and Goings in 2010
Jim ThurmanShu Feng Yuan (a.k.a. Shu Feng Garden) closed its San Gabriel location in 2010.The restaurant scene in the San Gabriel Valley is something that is in perpetual flux, and that was no different in 2010. Some restaurants added locations -- a few to the point of becoming burgeoning loc ... More >>
Blogs
December 23, 2010
R.I.P. Shu Feng Garden in San Gabriel
Jim ThurmanSteamed pork belly with mixed flour at Shu Feng Garden in San Gabriel.An already dreary December day became downright bleak for lovers of Sichuan cuisine with the news, tweeted by food blogger Sinosoul, that Shu Feng Garden had closed their San Gabriel location. Just 14 months ago ... More >>
Blogs
December 2, 2010
Konjac: Where to go in the SGV
Jim ThurmanSlice of konjac Last month Squid Ink told you about Skinny Noodles, a brand of shirataki noodles made from konjac or konnyaku, and it's remarkable claims - zero calorie, low carb, high fiber, low sodium and gluten free. Today, we take a look at the use of konjac in Chinese cuisine ... More >>
Blogs
June 25, 2010
Eat Like a Montevidean at Uruguay Café Where to Watch the Uruguay Game
Jim Thurmanempanadas - beef (left), chicken (right) With the World Cup in full swing, it's time to welcome the cuisine of yet another country to the Los Angeles food scene, that of Uruguay. This nicely coincides with La Celeste, Uruguay's national team, advancing to the round of 16. Located ... More >>
Blogs
April 2, 2010
Top 10 Ethnic Markets in the San Gabriel Valley
In February, Squid Ink brought you the Top 10 ethnic markets in the San Fernando Valley. For this installment, we move from one valley to another, from the 818 to the 626, and thus to the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to supermarkets catering to the large local Chinese community, there are also s ... More >>
Blogs
March 22, 2010
Mochi Pizza? Japanese Pizza Chain "Strawberry Cones" Comes To San Gabriel Valley
Saturday's grand opening in San Gabriel marked the formal arrival of Japanese pizza chain Strawberry Cones to the United States. Located in a mini-mall adjacent to the Hilton Hotel, the chain opened their first store in Sendai in 1983, and currently has 200 stores in Japan. International expansion f ... More >>
Blogs
November 30, 2009
Top 10: Late Night Asian Food spots in the San Gabriel Valley
If you're looking for the most authentic and diverse Asian cuisine anywhere in the Los Angeles area, one should look no further than the San Gabriel Valley. The same applies after midnight. Even then, despite somewhat limited options, you can find a good variety of regional styles available until ... More >>
Blogs
October 20, 2009
Top 10: Readers' Picks of Late Night Dining Restaurants
Opinionated diners agree, Top 10 lists are highly subjective. For a city as large as Los Angeles, it's no wonder we missed a few great late night dining spots (see our recent Top 10 Late-Night Grub For Nocturnal Foodies). Which is why, dear readers, we decided to put together another kind of Top 10 ... More >>

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