I was quite famished for Chinese food one evening and decided to try this place over Postmates. Truly eye-opening considering this restaurant is quite small with a tiny parking lot. Situated inside an 8 parking spot lot, this restaurant has limited seating. During lunch rush, getting a seat may be difficult. I drive here after I tried them in Postmates because I want them to get all of my money. Postmates charges a service fee to the restaurant when you order from them so they always end up double-dipping: they charge the restaurant AND you to use their service. However, because they charge the restaurant a percentage of their sales, restaurants will often increase their prices on Postmates. So the prices you see are often inflated by 20-30% to offset the greed of Postmates. I come here quite often now for takeout. The staff speaks English well enough and my Mandarin takes care of the rest. I've had their braised spare ribs and cabbage rice dish. The savory flavor of the ribs worked wonderfully with the stir fried cabbage. The sauce ends up being absorbed by the heaping portion of white rice underneath. However, the true reason I come back is their desert: chilled pear and white wood ear soup. MY GOD. Sweet without being saccharine, thick without being too goopy. If you've ever had white wood ear as a desert drink, you know what I'm talking about. There is NO OTHER desert as cooling and refreshing. To amplify the cooking nutritious effect, they also add goji berries and jujubes--the two kings of health when it comes to Eastern Medicine. To this deliciously cold soup, they had one full Asian pear, hollowed out and cooked until divinely tender. On a hot summer day or after a long day of work, I can think of no other dish that puts a smile on my face. I'm going to eat through their menu and report back. Update: Tried two new dishes today (in photo). Simply delicious. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - From top to bottom: Chilled Braised Snow Pear and Rock Sugar Stir-fried pork belly with jalapeños Chongqing Spicy Chicken - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

Will not be coming back here. We ordered soups, rice, and meat plates with no updates for 45 minutes. Zero check ins from wait staff or drink refills. Flies throughout the dining area made the experience worse. The table behind us arrived much later but received all their food (similar dishes so should be similar preparing time) before us. When leaving, staff confronted us about extra gratuity and even ran outside the restaurant to do so. Very unprofessional service and horrible experience. Also, I suggest investing in a bug zapper. read more

Stopped by Bao Kee Cafe many times and really enjoy their food. The shop itself is on the smaller side, so seating can be a bit limited--because of that, I usually just order takeout. My wife typically places the orders online, so I don't always know the exact dish names, but we've had a variety of their rice plates with different meats and vegetables, along with dishes like steamed pork ribs and fried fish. Everything we've tried so far has been consistently good and satisfying. The staff are usually friendly, which always makes the experience better. Overall, a solid spot for a quick and tasty meal--especially if you're grabbing it to go. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

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Came in for lunch at this very small, quaint Chinese café. The waitresses were very nice and welcoming. They specialize in healthy soups and traditional Cantonese dishes. The seating is limited as its a small restaurant. I ordered the braised pig feet with bean curd, the steamed minced patty, and blanched vegetables. All the food was delicious and reasonably priced. Just note that rice costs extra. We also tried the coffee and the red bean drink, and both were honestly terrible definitely skip the drinks. Overall, great food, friendly staff, awful drinks. read more

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THE BEEEEST CANTO FOOD IN THE AREA!! Hands down made with love and filled with healing and nourishment. This is THE place I go to when I'm feeling under the weather (they're on ubereats and the soup still is hot and amazing) or when I'm craving that special home cooking taste. I always order a soup ($15) and honestly haven't tried that many because I alternate between ginseng (both goji ver and black silkie ver) and cordyceps. These 2 have healed me from the inside out. Their pork patty with salted egg ($13) is also THE best EVER !!! So tender, juicy, bouncy, perfectly flavored. They're generous with meat and toppings. The rice comes on the side so it's not soggy at all. These cabbage on top is also well flavored and crispy!!! Not soggy mushy. Drinks wise, VERY good and you KNOW it's homemade! The herbal tea ($6) and plum juice ($6) were sooooo good. The herbal tea has cooling properties and it is SO good on a hot day. Sweetened but not too much, so the herbal tea flavor still comes through. The plum juice comes with little osmanthus flowers and is the perfect combo of sweet and sour. Peach gum and snow fungus with papaya ($8)-- ok ok hear me out ... I know that combination of words seems really weird but it's REALLY good! It's like Chinese jello almost? It has a light syrup with jujubes (rehydrated, not the wrinkly kind), lotus seeds, papaya, white fungus and peach gum is like chunks of collagen. Not too sweet, but definitely sweet enough to be dessert and clear your palette, and the papaya is super fresh and sweet. I loooove this place so much. Please go support!!! There's not that much indoor seating (4-5) tables and exactly 1 outdoor table. Tiny lot but street parking in residential areas around there shouldn't be too bad. read more

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I came across Bao Kee Cafe on Yelp, read their reviews about them having "one of the best steamed pork" in the area: and decided to stop by and see for myself. The steamed pork with salted fish was definitely a 9/10! I will keep coming back just for this dish! As for the restaurant itself, definitely a small mom and pop family owned business with a small seating area (about 4 small tables). The parking is rather small but with street parking available. Not located in the best area either, but I will keep coming back for the food. Service was excellent, the staff were friendly and attentive. Highly recommended! read more

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Background On Visit: Drove past this shop many times, but last month I decided it was time to finally patronize this shop. Specialty: Shop specializes in herbal soups. Restrooms: No public restrooms Credits Cards: They're accepted. Visitation Rights: Patronize the shop three times (1 time at the shop and the other 2 times was take-out. Location/Parking: Located on the corner of Lashbrook and Garvey Blvd.. Parking can found either in their small narrow private parking lot, on Lashbrook, or on Garvey Ave.. Ambiance/Decor: Neat small little show with minimal modern furnishings. They do have a table setup if you want to eat outside. Service: Service was okay. Hard to flag down a staffer, but eventually they will get to you. Food came out at a decent time. Food Of Choice: Note: Not all dishes come with rice. So add $2.50 for their crystal rice. 1) Bitter melon soup. Soup was delicious and what made it even better was that it was BOGO! 2) Stir fried cauliflower with preserved meats- Loved the vegetable. It's not the traditional cauliflower. It's taiwanese which is characterized by its looser, more spread-out florets, longer stems, and a sweeter, more herbaceous flavor compared to standard white cauliflower. I also liked the chinese sausage (Lap Cheong). 3) Half crystal chicken: Crystal chicken was good also. There were some pieces that were a bit tough to eat, but wasn't a deal breaker. 4) Braised duck with bean curd: Everything about this dish was superb. The duck meat was tender. The bean curd absorbed most of the flavor of the duck and sauce, and the sauce was tasty. Bao Kee Cafe: Definitely coming back to try other items on their menu. read more

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Small mom& pop restaurant. Very 廣東 台山 Cantonese Taishan family style menu for lunch and dinner. Their chicken rice is delicious, juicy tender brown chicken, fragrant rice, just not very Hainan style but I will order again. Their curry pork chop rice, the curry sauce was very yummy unfortunately the fried pork chop was very dry inside. Want to love it so much because the fry job was done right but the meat was too dry. We also order the Chinese sausage salty egg meat Pattie on rice 台山臘腸鹹蛋肉餅飯. That was delicious! They can accommodate bigger group (6+) but best to call ahead. Easier for 1-4 person. There is a free small parking lot on the side and street parking. Even though I gave it 4-star (cuz of the pork chop), I would definitely return to try other items. read more

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If you're craving real Cantonese comfort food, Bao Kee Cafe in South El Monte is the place. No frills, just honest, homestyle cooking that tastes like something straight out of a family kitchen. My absolute favorite is their hometown preserved sausage and cured meat over steamed rice (腊味饭). The Chinese sausage is slightly sweet and smoky, the cured meat is rich and savory, and the steamed rice soaks up all the flavorful juices perfectly. It's simple, deeply satisfying, and hits that nostalgic "home-cooked" note that's hard to find. Portions are generous, prices are reasonable, and the food always comes out hot and comforting. If you love classic Cantonese rice dishes and authentic flavors, Bao Kee Cafe is a hidden gem worth returning to again and again. read more

Braised Japanese Tofu w/ BBQ pork. Alvin, the waiter recommended it, and it was outstanding. Great service. Small shop, but great vibe. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

1st time I came here, I LOVED this place. The 2nd time...everything was so salty...whhhyyyyy??? I'm also kind of sad that the clay pots didn't come with rice. -Fried Hainan Chicken: DO NOT FALL FOR IT!!! It's not Hainan Chicken that's fried. It's just a fried chicken thigh with regular steamed rice and a chili dipping sauce. -Beef Noodle Soup: Delicious! I was worried the gristly pieces would be too hard/chewy for my mom but they were cooked perfectly. It wasn't too soft and it still had structure. I don't think I've ever had it so perfectly cooked. -Japanese Tofu Clay Pot: So.Salty. Skip! -Braised Beef Clay Pot: So.Salty. But the beef was just as delicious as the noodle soup. As I was eating this I realized that the noodle soup is probably just as salty but because of the noodles, it helped with the saltiness. -Zhong: A bit on the salty side but tasty. My mom says they're much bigger than other places and at $6, a great deal! read more

Local favorite serving homestyle Cantonese dishes, some noteworthy is the intestine soup (pictured) and clay pot dishes. Service was mandarin / Cantonese speaking but I would guess they speak some English or just point at the pictures on the menu. Just 6 tables or so with some limited outdoor seating. Try to get there earlier or later than the lunch hour rush, we get there usually at 11:30am there are always tables available. read more

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Pretty cute cafe and friendly staff. Food tastes authentic. I felt the sauce with the duck plate was too salty. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Duck - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

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The best steamed pork patty I can find in SGV right now, perfectly bouncy, with your choice of salted fish, salted duck egg yolk, or dried squid toppings for it. This is a Toisan cuisine specialty store and it shows in their signature steamed pork patty. You can get it in a large portion family style on right on top of rice in a smaller serving as an individual meal. The rice here is fragrant and individual grains are plump and do not stick together, excellent control of water and cooking time by the chefs on the rice. They also make an extra effort in the selection of the rice brand, and steam cook them in individual foil pans for optimal flavor and texture, they're serious about their rice and they deserve credit for that attention to detail. I also enjoyed their white pepper and pork stomach soup, the internal organ is well cleaned and washed to reduce musk, and further balanced in cooking with the whole white peppercorns. I would recommend getting the preserved meats or pork patty on rice on your first visit here to get a feel for their signature before exploring the rest of their menu. read more

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I wished Bao Kee was a bit closer to home. I thought their foods were amazing. Hainan chicken rice was authentic and their ginger scallion oil was bomb. Portions were ginormous. Each dish was enough for two meals. Would def order again! read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Hainan chicken rice - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

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Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Overall: 4/5 I work in El Monte, and am fairly certain that my coworkers and I have been to every asian restaurant in a three mile radius. Of the restaurants we have been to, this is among the best. I had the beef tendon noodles, and it was a good mix of everything. The beef tendon was as soft and fall apart as a lenient parent trying to be the "cool mom". The noodles were springy but not undercooked. The broth was on the saltier side, but still flavorful. Service is good here. The waitresses are available and willing to make adjustments to your dish if needed. All in all, a solid joint in the area. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - N1. Beef Tendon Noodle Soup - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

Great small restaurant to eat at. The service is very pleasant. The food here feels very homey and reminds me of my grandmas cooking.

I think the soups by themselves would be a 5, but the other dishes are mediocre. Bao Kee took over the old Spicy Moment location. Service was nice. Cute little place. The parking lot is a bit hard to park in though. I'd park on the side street to make it easier. I would go back for the soups. Everything else so got such as the pig ear, salted fish rice, and duck were fine b he nothing to write home about. I think I would give another type of rice another try as well as some of their deserts next time. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

yes for their herbal soup! small little gem that makes really great herbal soup just like how my mom and mother in law did it. small size serves 4-5 people read more

So much good food that I have a hard time finding at other Chinese restaurants even in the SGV area! The wait staff was friendly and the food was delicious. Overall a super cute spot and I will be coming by whenever I'm in the area! :) read more

Small, family run business. Getting my car fixed nearby and noticed this establishment is another new restaurant. Decided to give it a try. It's a winner! Service was fine - didn't have any issues. Only tried R4. Signature Pork Ribs and Sausage over Rice & Hong King Style Iced Lemon Tea. Very happy with my order. It was rather delicious/tasty and fresh. Looking forward to trying other items. read more

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I literally LOVE this place and I'm so glad I found it on UberEats. It's so good that I've tried almost everything on their menu. It all started with their signature steamed pork rib and from there I tried their soups and the other rice dishes. Everytime I drink gingseng goji chicken soup, I think I'm making myself healthier. That's probably not true but it's how I feel after drinking that soup. The only thing about the rice dishes is that they usually just put like 2-3 pieces of veggies. That's not enough veggies to me but I still love their food. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

This is a hidden place in the area. It serves authentic Canto food and soup. They have lots of soup choices and it comes with small pot with lots of ingredients. They also serve steamed dishes which I love the most. They do combo as well and it's good for at least 2 ppl. The parking is a bit small so as the inside. Staff is friendly and attentive. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

I came to Bao Kee because they have so mnay delicious authentic cantonese style soup. This is definitely the right spot if you're looking for authentic hong Kong Style food. We ordered the coconut chicken soup and the pork ribs rice. The soup deserves 5/5. The flavor is so good and the presnetation is so cute. The soup serves inside a coconut. Pork ribs has a lot of good flavors, comes with chinese veggies as well. Portion size is average for the price. Restaurant size is small and 1 small table outdoor. I would love to come back to try the other rice dish. read more

One of my new discovery as I am always on the lookout for good HK style cafe food/restaurant. I had not been to the physical location yet but this is based on the to-go orders I've ordered. The HK milk tea is definitely on point as to the milk vs. tea ratio. Not too sweet as to overcome the taste of the tea. It has none of the condensed milk type MT that I dislike as well. Food wise the price is reasonable and the portions are just right. So far my favorites are the pork patty with salted egg and the Hainan chicken rice. read more

Great service and cute interior. We ordered wonton noodles soup and spicy intestines noodles soup! Great flavors and generous portions. The noodles cooked just right! We finished with Chinese sticky rice in bamboo leaves (zongzi ) that's was delicious too! I'll come back to order more Zongzi for Dragon Boat Festival! Lol read more

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Our first time here for dinner. It was delicious and very tasty like homemade. The soup was great and no NSG I think. I am not disappointed with the Zong we brought home. Very friendly people. read more

Bao Kee Cafe - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

I saw this place on postmates and they had buy one get one free hainan chicken rice. I order Hainan chicken rice, special pork ribs with sausage rice, and pork patty with salted fish rice. All the rice dish was top notch. The ginger sauce/dip on the chicken makes the dish. The stand out rice dish would be the pork ribs with sausage so gooddd. Also, ordered soup from them we did the red ginseng soup with black chicken, tasted like home. Definitely something my mom made growing up. read more

This is one of the best comfort Cantonese restaurants. You can't go wrong here. They get the taste just right. (Will taste out there if you aren't used to southern China cuisine.) Portion sizes are good; we got 4 dishes for 2 people and we have enough for lunch tomorrow. Try their signature pork ribs and Hainan chicken! read more

Bao Kee Cafe - R1. Signature Steamed Pork Ribs - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

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How come I didn't know about this hidden gem sooner? Their combo dinner was $50 for 4 choices of dishes, we were party of 4, it was perfect for us, the server were friendly and they recommended the pepper chicken with pork stomach soup. Definitely authentic and delicious. I didn't encounter any issues about the service or the food. The eggplant and the Chinese style meat loaf exceed our expectations, will be back for more soup read more

Delicious!!!Quite impressive with their authentic homestyle Cantonese food.So far the best Hainan chicken rice I have ever had in the 626 area. read more

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First time trying this place and big disappointment. Ordered soup noodle, oh boy, so nasty couldn't eat it. Noodle was definitely not fresh , soggy and all broken. The cook probably took noodle from the freezer and dumped that in hot water to soften. Hubby got noodle as well with beef brisket, he said brisket was not soft hard to eat. Will not return for sure. Oh , that old woman there needs to learn customer service skills . read more

Family runs this small shop. Nostalgia food and just how my mom used to make it. 10/10 service and authentic food

A hole in the wall place that offers many types of herbal soups. Ordered to go but the food took longer than usual. Prices were kinda high for what's offered. I most likely will go to other places instead of here. read more

I hope I won't get sick bc I am just aware of that my crispy Hainan chicken rice is undercooked and raw chicken, it is gross I hope I won't get sick! read more

Bao Kee Cafe - It's undercooked and raw chicken, this is gross. I think they didn't check the food temperature at all.... - Cantonese Near Me - South El Monte, California

200% no msg, food was good, family style restaurant, good service and price is reasonable.

A little new and unassuming restaurant in Rosemead. Their specialty are Steam rice in a tin pan, and individual herbal soup. There are many different kind of meat or vege you can put on the steam rice. The best thing is the portion is huge (one person can hardly finish) and you can easily take it to go in the original tin pan. Very convenient and clever. Their herbal soup is unique. If you desire some good soup and do not like the run of the mill flavors in other places, you can come try their various flavor herbal soup. I tried their duck soup and their hai nan chicken steam rice. Both are good and I will go back to try other flavors. They also offer milk tea but I would advise to stay away from that. It is sub par. read more

ordered a loster with ginger & spring onion which they highly recommend. I was a little bit worry about the loster won't be fresh, but there's a brand new store, I gave them a chance! I accept the loster not a live one, however, use strong salty sauces to cover the loster not fresh is unacceptable. it turned out very disappointed me! the dish costed me $26.6 + tax. other orders were so so. if they did use strong sauce to cover the unfresh seafood taste, now I only hope they didn't recycling the coconut for the soup! it's a new store, once, an unpleasant smell around. 2 person, 4 orders eat in a den on the wall, not even a restaurant, $84 and some changes, very pricy . 不会再回头的店。他们极力推荐姜葱炒龙虾，在半岛试过消费满多少钱，姜葱炒龙虾特价。结果很不新鲜的龙虾。想想这家下店新开张，一份姜葱炒龙虾$26.6，心想给他们一次机会吧！结果超级失望，和半岛一个德性！蒸饭没技术性可言，那块肉饼可圈可点。现在唯一希望他们那椰子鸡汤的椰子不会重复使用吧。这家店小吃店却有着大餐馆的价格。两人点4个东西，$84快多。 read more

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we ordered tofu with BBQ pork, the kitchen ran out of char Siu and replaced it with sausages, never notified us and charge us the full price. The sausages tasted bad, the food is on the oily side read more

This is a highly recommended cafe. The menu items are all authentic hometowns style, tried the soup and a steamed rice pot with salty fish, excellent tasty. Definitely I will come back to try other menu items read more