Met up with my sister and her brother here for lunch. The wife found this place from a tiktok video…read moreand we decided to try it since we didn't get to try a lot of Taiwanese food on our trip to Taipei. When you come in, there is a sign that tells you to order before being seated. My sister and her bf had yet to arrive so I placed a sizeable order for the 4 of us. Luckily, they were there (waiting in the car) so I told them to walk over so we can be seated. I ordered 2 orders of chiayi chicken (1with white rice and 1 with brown rice), 2 orders of thousand layer pancake (1 with egg and 1 with egg and cheese), shrimp wonton, dance dan noodles, wonton noodle soup, hakka mochi and forbidden rice pudding. For drinks we had a few of the shaken iced green teas and 1 taro milk tea (my sister said it didnt taste like taro) Everything was great. I was surprised my sister's bf liked the food. The chiayi chicken was good with a bit of the chili sauce (sambal). The thousand layer pancake was good if you dip it in the black vinegar (mixed with chili oil and a little soy sauce). The shrimp wonton were surprisingly light and tasty. The dan dan noodles was balanced my medium thin sliced cucumber. Everything was portioned very small so you can try everything.we didnt get additional sides because were getting full. The desserts was what I was looking forward to and it did not disappoint. The hakka mochi reminded me of the soy pudding stalls in singapore that had mochi balls filled with a black sesame paste and peanut paste inside. This is what the hakka mochi was but in dry soft chewy form with black sesame and peanut grains to top it off. For my sister, it reminded her of the filipino dessert pichi pichi. The forbidden rice pudding reminded me of a soupy version of the filipino dessert biko. It had chunks of sweet potatoes and tapioca. Also very good but my bias is the hakka mochi. The ambiance was bright, bustling and inviting. Very small tables perfect for a quick bite. Highly recommend if you want a tapas style lunch that doesn't break the bank.

Came here with my friend on a Sunday about 15 mins before opening and there was already a line of…read morearound 20 people outside, so we knew expectations were going to be high. This Taiwanese spot in Highland Park is the sister restaurant to Pine & Crane and definitely has that same modern-casual energy with comforting dishes and efficient service. After looking over the menu, we ordered the minced pork rice with braised eggs & pickles, shrimp wontons, Dan Dan noodles, and two clamshell buns -- one with pork belly and one with five spice beef. The Dan Dan noodles were pretty classic and straightforward. I've definitely had better versions elsewhere, but it still hit the spot if you're craving something familiar. The minced pork rice, however, reminded me so much of my mom's braised pork and egg dish. It had that comforting home-cooked feel to it, though I did think it was missing a little something at first. Once I added soy sauce, black vinegar, and chili paste, it completely transformed the dish and gave it the perfect oomph. Same situation with the shrimp wontons -- the custom sauce combo really elevated the flavors. Now onto the clamshell buns: this was the star of the meal. We each picked different proteins so we could try both. I got the pork belly while my friend got the five spice beef, and we both agreed the pork belly was by far the more flavorful option. Super tender, savory, and balanced perfectly with the soft bun. For dessert, I got the forbidden rice pudding with coconut milk and sweet potato/taro balls. I appreciated that it wasn't overly sweet, and I loved the chewiness from the taro balls paired with the purple rice. Service was smooth and efficient from ordering at the front to food arriving at our table. I also liked how attentive the staff was with dessert timing -- they give you a card to attach to your table sign when you're ready for dessert instead of bringing everything out at once. Small detail, but thoughtful. The restaurant itself also had a charming aesthetic with traditional Chinese accents and cute up-cycled Asian jelly cans being used as utensil and napkin holders. Overall, portions were generous enough that we had leftovers, and the pricing felt fair for the amount and quality of food. I already want to come back to try more items like the thousand layer pancake and the Chiayi chicken rice next time.

We ordered 6 different dishes for the table to try.. Only 2 of us had been here prior.. BUT we will…read moreALL be back.. They were quite busy but the staff was very efficient and very cordial as they managed getting all of us fed and satisfied.. EVERY dish that we tried, was fantastic.. Order with confidence that your meal(s) will all be great.. Thank You..!!

I recently had lunch at Pine & Crane and it was a fantastic experience. The atmosphere is modern,…read morelively, and perfect for a casual meal with friends or family. The menu offers a great selection of Taiwanese-inspired dishes, and everything we tried was fresh and full of flavor. Popular times like Dan Dan noodles, beef rolls, and dumplings really stand out for their taste and quality. The ordering system is quick and efficient, and the staff were friendly and helpful throughout the visit. Portion sized are generous, making it great value for the price. Overall, it's a vibrant spot with delicious food anfun vibe. I would definitely come back again soon!

Liu's Café -- That Soup Is a Hell of a Drug…read more Let me set the scene. You're a family man. You did your research. You found a place with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, great prices, and a reputation for the real deal. You're feeling good about yourself. You load up the wife and kids, plug in the address, and pull up to... a sidewalk that smells like a bus station bathroom at 2am, with a full cast of characters shouting at each other over the last open seat at the bus stop. I looked at my wife. After years of marriage, we don't need words anymore. She sent me a full telepathic paragraph: "You brought our children HERE? I don't see a single other child on this entire street. Explain yourself." I sent back: "Bib Gourmand. Trust me." She replied -- out loud this time -- "This better be worth it." The second we walked through the door, the street chaos evaporated. A young gentleman greeted us immediately, and the moment he clocked the kids, he skipped the "order at the counter" routine and sat us at a table on the spot. My wife looked at the menu, looked at the prices, and said, "Let's order one of everything." I was doing a full touchdown celebration inside my head. She's in. We're in. God is good. Food hit the table within minutes. Like, embarrassingly fast. And then -- the beef noodle soup arrived. The smell alone should be illegal. My entire family went silent. The broth had this deep, bone marrow, collagen-rich, buttery complexity that somehow carried every bold, layered spice note all the way across the Silk Road and landed directly in my soul. When I bit into that beef shank -- tender, melty, absurdly rich -- I had to fight every instinct in my body not to let out a falsetto shriek sensual moan like Prince in Purple Rain right there at the table. I am a gentleman. I held it together. Barely. Now. About my son. He finished his portion. He paused. He looked left. He looked right. And then -- slowly, deliberately -- he lifted that porcelain bowl and licked it clean. My innocent child. Licking a bowl in public like a man who has lost everything and found it again in beef noodle soup. Liu's Café, look what you did to my family. Here's the verdict: this is an absolute, non-negotiable MUST GO. Best beef noodle soup I've had in my life. Bring your friends, your parents, your kids -- whoever you love. You'll get to watch each other become completely unhinged over a bowl of noodles, and honestly, that's a bonding experience money can't buy. Would I walk past sticky sidewalks and dried-up mystery puddles to get back there? Yes. Would I navigate that whole chaotic scene again with the family in tow? Without hesitation. Would I, hypothetically, shove dirty weird characters into moving traffic to clear a path through a crowd by any means necessary just to secure a bowl? ...I'll plead the fifth. Rick James had cocaine. I have Liu's Café beef noodle soup. Shoot, that beef noodle soup is a hell of a drug. Give it to me, baby.

The hype was so real that I didn't get the chance to try Liu's Cafe until recently!…read more French Toast 3.5/5 - Yummy but it's deep fried and very heavy. Despite being fried, it didn't taste super greasy but it has a cream filling so it's very cloyingly sweet. Pork braised rice 3/5 - Very mediocre and didn't impress me much Wontons 4.5/5 - Great flavor and reminds me of DTF without the price tag. Pairs great with both the rice and sesame noodles Sesame Dandan Noodles w/ Chicken 3.5/5 - Very thick sesame sauce probably from being kept in the fridge. The noodles are very al dente - I actually think it tastes better on day 2. Sauce could be thinned out a little. I don't get why the lady makes us queue outside when there's no one at the register. I walked in just to avoid the sun (since no one was at the register anyway) and she made us go back outside. Food comes out fast - within 5 minutes. There's one gender neutral restroom, street parking only.

Had a long layover in LA after my flight to San Francisco got canceled, so instead of sitting at…read morethe airport for 6+ hours, I decided to finally check out Pine & Crane in DTLA. It's been sitting on my saved list for a while, and honestly, this turned out to be the perfect opportunity. The space itself is bright, clean, and welcoming with warm woody tones throughout. Casual setup where you order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. I had already looked through the menu beforehand, so the real challenge was narrowing down what to order for one person. I failed at that... and I'm very happy I did. Started with the Pig Ear Salad 滷豬耳朵. Braised thin sliced pig ears dressed with soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, scallion, and cilantro. OMG. So good. Tender, flavorful, perfectly braised, with that satisfying chewy texture done right. Also got the Fried Peanut Salad 五味花生 with garlic, cilantro, scallions, vinegar, and Thai chili. Super crunchy, bright, refreshing, and honestly addicting. I added a cup of the Hot & Sour Soup 酸辣湯 too. Organic tofu, beech mushroom, carrot, bamboo, woodear mushroom, and egg. Super comforting with a really balanced tang and peppery heat. Not overly thick or heavy like a lot of Americanized versions can be. Exactly the kind of soup you want during a long travel day. For noodles, I ordered the Dan Dan Noodles 擔擔麵. Sesame-peanut sauce, cucumber, cilantro, crushed peanuts. Delicious on its own already, but I ended up adding some of the fried peanuts from the salad into the noodles and it became even better. Then the Three Cup Chicken 三杯雞 with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, and Thai basil. I do wish it had a little more wok hei, but overall the flavor was still really comforting and savory. Extremely good with rice. Had a glass of Gewürztraminer alongside everything, which paired surprisingly well with the spice and aromatics. Their wine list leans more organic / natural wine focused, which felt very LA in a good way. Ended up sitting at a high top next to one of the managers and had a great conversation throughout the meal. She ended up hooking me up with the Traditional Shaved Ice 傳統刨冰 with grass jelly, red bean, boba, sweet potato balls, taro balls, brown sugar syrup, and condensed milk. I was already planning to order it anyway, and wow... I finished the entire thing. The brown sugar syrup was incredibly fragrant. Packed the leftovers to-go, and that ended up becoming my dinner after landing in San Francisco later that evening. Flight cancellation somehow turned into a really great food day.

I understand that it's a busy Sunday evening, but there is no one at the counter to take the order…read morefrom a long line of customers, but there's sufficient time to redirect traffic because the line was getting so long that was blocking the entrance.. It's very poor workflow, not to mention negligent customer service. The management should really take notice before business goes under.

My wife and I visited Little Fatty while on a short LA business trip. We didn't have reservations…read more(I recommend a reservation) and the host told us the wait would be about an hour and this was a Monday night! She told us that we could be seated at the bar immediately, which is what we opted for. She placed us at a lower portion of the bar with two seats, which was perfect. The bartender, Justin took our drink and dinner order and I have to say, he makes amazing cocktails! We had egg rolls for an appetizer, which arrived very quickly and went well with our cocktails. I ordered a rye old-fashioned and my wife ordered a house creation, "Jesuit's Tea Party," which she enjoyed. For our entrees, I ordered Hainan Chicken and my wife had the Walnut Shrimp. Mine was really good, but I have to say I like the Walnut Shrimp better. They have their breading skills dialed in, so next time I think I'd go with something fried. All in all a great experience. Great vibe and everyone was very friendly and attentive.

Little Fatty is an Asian fusion restaurant that specializes in Taiwanese soul food. David Kuo is…read morethe chef and owner of Little Fatty. The restaurant was previously called Status Kuo and then rebranded to Little Fatty. It is also attached to a bar called Accomplice Bar. [Parking]: Metered parking only and I was able to find a spot two blocks away on Grand View Blvd. [Reversation]: For parties of 6 and smaller, reservations can be made on Resy. For parties of 8 and larger, there is a minimum spend of $75 per person prior to tax & gratuity. No-show fee = $15 per person. [Experience]: The receptionist greeted our party just outside of the restaurant and checked us in. Outdoor tables were available, but our party opted for indoor seating. The lighting was dim with a romantic and casual dinner vibe. At the end of the meal, the staff offered our table hot towels to clean our hands. [Menu]: Menu highlights on Resy include Chinese BBQ Pork, XO Fatty Noodles, Walnut Shrimp. Other Yelp highlighted items include Orange Chicken, Beef Roll, and Hainan Chicken. Burger Tuesday is offered ONLY at the bar. A bowl of rice is an extra $4.00. The staff also gave our table a cute cocktail menu with drinks named after each LA neighborhood. *** Squid Ink Xiao Long Bao (shrimp and pork soup dumplings, fresh ginger - $18.00): Only came with 6 pieces of dumplings. The dough was a bit thick and the flavor was just alright. XO Fatty Noodles (rolled rice noodles, XO sauce, bean sprouts, garlic chives, fried shallots - $22.00): The noodles tasted slightly salty. I couldn't tell whether I had sliced pork belly or flat noodles in the dim lighting and it turned out to be thick slices of flat noodles. Orange Chicken (orange soy-based sauce, dried chilies, orange zest - $22.00): Super crispy orange chicken, but it was crunchy type of crispy and tasted a bit dry. Walnut Shrimp (mayo, candied walnuts, sesame seeds, red cabbage - $25.00): his dish came with lettuce and looked really nice. The flavor was solid and it tasted very healthy. *** Personally it was an overpriced experience for mediocre Asian fusion food. I would much rather visit Jade Rabbit in Santa Monica for cheaper and more delicious Asian fusion food or Din Tai Fung in Santa Monica for a more consistent dumpling and noodle experience. The only reason to come here is for the date-night vibe. Honestly, the food tasted more like Northern Chinese fusion cuisine than Taiwanese fusion cuisine.

Delicious food served extremely promptly - hot, fresh and full of flavour. Friendly staff, chilled…read moredecor and even great drink choices - definitely would recommend!

i really don't think you could go wrong with any choice off the menu! the service is always great…read moreand quick. i was actually quite surprised by the braised pork belly over rice. this is such a classic dish that i've always loved from my childhood and they made an amazing version of their own. just this alone was able to keep me full and happy. the cucumber pickles are a nice touch! even if you're not well-versed in chinese food, the menu is a great introduction to delicious staples that you typically can find in asian restaurants! went right before dinner so parking was easy and it wasn't busy.

My wife loves food, and one of our personal goals is to visit as many Michelin starred or highly…read morerecommended restaurants as we can. Over the past few years, we've been to 30+ tasting menu spots, and this one truly stood out. From the food and service to the wine pairing, this ranks among our very top experiences. Every dish felt well-crafted, with very clear and distinct flavors. Nothing felt repetitive or overlapping, and each wine pairing created a really nice balance with the course. Also, the portion was actually enough. Many times, we've spent $1K+ on a meal and still left feeling hungry, but this one felt very satisfying. We will definitely return for more.

Truly a lovely experience--from the minimalist decor to the artistic dinnerware used throughout the…read moremeal. Each dish was thoughtfully presented and paired with a meaningful story. It was a long dinner, but absolutely worth it. ENJOY! PS: There is structured parking at The Row in DT.

Some call it comfort food, others might call it fine dining on a budget. That evening we went-- it…read morewas simply an amazing dinner. Anything you can eat you any night you don't have to cook is usually a great night out. This evening was no exception. Our waitress was kind and accommodating. Positive energy, drinks filled and smile that felt genuine. The ambiance of the restaurant was bar like, but with adequate seating for dining in. Everything was prepared wonderfully and had tremendous flavor. I recommend trying their Hui Tou, stuffed with pork or beef, pork and leek pancakes, they also have vegetarian options. Their pork shumai was delicious, xiao long bao's soup dumplings were flavorful. Delicious. I definitely need a second trip here to try their soups and more of their variety of dumplings.

I'm convinced Hui Tou Xiang is one of Hollywood's best-kept secrets for Chinese food. I've been…read morehere five times now, and they consistently deliver - every single visit has been excellent. Our go-to dishes are the cucumber salad (refreshing and perfectly crunchy), green scallion pancakes (especially good with the chili sauce), pork shumai (better than Din Tai Fung imo), and the spicy pork wontons. On our most recent visit, we tried the sesame noodles, and I've been daydreaming about them ever since. The staff is always friendly and attentive, the vibes inside are great, and there's a solid drink selection with cocktails, draft beer, and bottled options. And the price point? Outrageously reasonable, especially in this economy. Consistently delicious food, great service, and incredible value. Highly recommend!

loved the interior and the vibe!! would go back for drinks or din just for it…read more asian peruvian fusion- super interesting and works. the scallop crudo was rly good (best ive had in a while), dan dan mien was good, si yao chicken and fried rice was fine.

3.5 stars. Outdoor ambience was very cute and felt like an escape from the city. Food was good but…read morenot great. Went with a group of four and we tried a variety of dishes: cucumber salad, Dan Dan noodles, veggie dumplings, roasted chicken, lomo saltado, and okra. Everything was good but nothing stood out as exceptional. The protein dishes were priced a bit too high for only coming with fries, but again, they were tasty. Service was friendly but a bit slow. It's a large outdoor space (with some indoor seating too) and they didn't have enough staff to accommodate. Overall, it was a decent experience but don't know that I will be rushing back any time soon.

MIAN completely blew me away. From the moment I walked in, the aromas set the tone for how good the…read morefood was going to be. I started with the house made chili oil dumplings and they were unreal. The dumplings were perfectly cooked and the chili oil with black vinegar was so good I ended up using it on everything. The staff was incredibly kind and happily gave me extra sauce when I asked. The spicy beef noodle soup was the standout. The beef was insanely tender and the broth was perfectly balanced with just the right amount of heat. The noodles had great texture and held up well in the soup. I also tried the Chengdu zajiang noodle and loved it. The sauce had that numbing spice and deep flavor, and the egg on top made it even better. Every bite felt intentional and well executed. The pickled cucumbers deserve their own mention. Crunchy, tangy, and full of flavor, easily some of the best I have had, even better than Din Tai Fung. On top of all that, they offer great deals after 3pm with discounted noodles and half off beer. MIAN is easily one of the best noodle spots around and I would come back without hesitation.

I don't know if there's a place in this area (or in the 5-mile radius, for that matter) that offers…read morealmost two full meals' worth of food for 12 dollars (at happy hour), y'all. This place definitely smacks; I'm always getting me some beef noodles with L1 (a littleeee spice) and M1 (a little numbing oil) and it's perfect for my dainty tastebuds. The service is usually pretty quick, but they do a lottt of meal-making during happy hour (3-6) so it's arguably a little slower then. The ambiance is pretty spare, with some placemats that explain mung bean soup and some lower-key Chinese decor throughout. It's a simple place, but it really does get the job done. I'll be back!