Chang'an - San Gabriel

DineLA #2, July 2018 Summer Edition, Lunch Menu $20. Afterwards, we got down to ordering (highly recommend getting everything we got): Appetizers: 1) Wei-jiao Tofu (Deep-fried silken tofu cubes). Simplicity at its finest. The small cubes were plentiful, crispy, hot and fresh. Sprinkled with seasoned salt and served with garlic dipping sauce, a delicious appetizer to start with! 2) Garlic Chicken Wings (6pcs): Garnished with chopped garlic, orange and green bell peppers, this too, was also a tasty appetizer! The chicken wings were fried nicely and the meat was tender and juicy. We did find two wings that looked kind of red when we got near the bones, but luckily, the remaining four pieces were cooked thoroughly. Main Courses: 1) Tenderloin Cubes: A hearty and huge portion! The tenderloin cubes were super soft, which my Mom and I really liked. This dish was a little sweet for my Mom's taste, but perfect for me. Served with sautéed mushrooms, broccoli and an edible bird's nest, not only was presentation on this dish adorable, but tasty as well! 2) Braised Pork Belly: Just like the tenderloin cubes, the braised pork belly was also delicious and super soft too! Best of all, the braised pork belly chunks were huge and cooked with ginger, so that you won't experience that greasy feel aftertaste. The bok choy served along with this dish helped balance out the meat ratio. Grill (Skewers): 1) Short Rib: The short rib meats were hearty and seasoned nicely. 2) Filet Mignon: Soft, tender and a bit saltier than the short rib meats. White or Brown Rice (You only get one bowl per person). Mom got the white rice and I got the brown rice. Both were cooked nicely and generous portions. Service: On point! The servers here are nice, polite well-trained. They're very attentive our drinks were never empty. Overall, DineLA #2 was a fantastic compromise! This little tiger cub got to continue her DineLA adventures, while the food and pricing pleased her frugal Tiger Mama, lol!

The food was excellent; well-prepared, very good presentation; it came out a bit quickly but we never felt rushed. The service was top notch by any standard; the wait staff was friendly but not intrusive; they were helpful but not demanding. The birthday gathering for 13 people went very smoothly and we were very satisfied.

The lobster and scallop are very fresh and delicious. The waitress is nice and overall experience is good. Will bring friend there next time.

This is not a review. We reserved on OpenTable, drove (out of the way) to get to the restaurant for our 10:15 pm reservation only to find that the place was closed. It was completely dark, no one inside. As if it had not been open at all that night. Either the restaurant or OpenTable made a big mistake in listing available times.

Was difficult to talk because of noisy talk of Chinese people