I went on Clarissa's second SGV Chinese food tour several months ago and it was just an excellent experience. As one who enjoys food tours because of the variety of food, the information that I glean from the guide about the neighborhood and the food, and the fun of meeting other foodies, this tour lived up to all of my expectations. Meeting early on a Saturday morning in San Gabriel Square, a group of 9 of us met for the "Four Tastes of China" tour. Clarissa took us to some of her favorite restaurants and we sampled a variety of dishes from various regions of China. 1. Chengdu taste - water boiled fish, toothpick beef, mung bean noodles, cold garlic noodles, dan dan mian. ***Everything was very spicy! 2. Bebe Fusion - oyster omelette, three cups squid, stinky tofu 3. Shaanxi Gourmet - stewed pork burger, bread pieces in beef (lamb) broth 4. Wang Xing - soup dumpling with crab and pork, shalom bong Goodies from Oh My Pan Bakery & Tea were not included in the tour price but Clarissa took us by there and people could buy pastries. There were several dishes that I hadn't tried before such as the oyster omelette and stinky tofu. Although I probably would never order either of them again, the beauty of this tour was that it exposed me to dishes that I otherwise likely would never have tried. Also, unlike most food tours that I've been on, this was not a walking tour. Per Clarissa, this was intentional so that we could cover more ground and so that she could take us to great restaurants which didn't happen to be within a few blocks of each other. Given Clarissa's background as a food writer for the LA Times and her in-depth knowledge of Chinese food, she was a fantastic guide, despite the fact that it was only her second group tour. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and although I was stuffed after the first stop, I'm glad that I managed to keep eating! read more

Clarissa Wei is an awesome host when it comes to Chinese cuisine. She is great at describing the origins of various dishes, their histories, and differentiating between various Chinese regions. The Spicy on Spicy Food tour was in a huge Chinese district in the SGV where most of us had no idea how to get around to different Chinese restaurants. Trying different kinds of Chinese dishes like Hunan, Cantonese, and Szechwan gave our taste buds a thrill ride. The walking definitely helped us put the food down for more. It was also a great experience some socializing and networking. Met producers, a technology director, and someone who can actually speak some Mandarin. I want to go on another food tour with Clarissa and other foodies. P.S. Beware the peppercorns!! They'll numb your tongue!! read more

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I've never done a food tour that I've really, truly loved... until this one. I did the "Spicy on Spicy" walking tour last July in SGV and was blown away with the quality of the food and with Clarissa's endless knowledge of Chinese food. She is a professional food critic and answered ALL of my endless questions about the regional differences & cooking techniques with ease and great specificity. Here are the places we visited and the food we ate: - Lucky Noodle King -- dan dan noodles & scallion pancakes - Hunan Chili King -- spicy sole filet, cold cucumber, mapo tofu - Tasty Dining -- small pork feet dry pot - Spicy City -- fried chicken cubes, cold platter, crossing over bridge noodles - Wang Xing Ji / Juicy Dumpling -- large juicy dumpling, pork dumpling - Kee Wah Bakery -- egg tarts We never had wait for a table or food, since Clarissa had worked with the businesses ahead of time to get us special accommodations. We learned a ton about many of the regional Chinese cuisines, got to experience the differences between types of chilies/peppers/peppercorns, and had a great time eating, laughing, and moaning over how good the food was. Clarissa later emailed us the information about the restaurants we ate at, along with articles she'd written about each one. So if you want fantastic food and a VERY knowledgeable guide, sign up for a tour with Curated Gnomes! read more

Clarissa knows her stuff - a professional food writer, she took us on a tour of SGV, highlighting spots I had never been to before. Her insider knowledge of the area, pre-existing relationships with the restaurant owners, and delicious choices in food made for a great (and filling) experience. I enjoyed meeting everyone on the tour and the different dishes were all delicious - yes, even the stinky tofu, which isn't my favorite but it's really not as bad as it seems. I can't wait to go back to some of these spots. Thanks Clarissa for a great time! read more

Another foodie checking in. I was interested in this food tour since Clarissa took Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods to a bunch of places in SGV (http://clarissawei.com/2013/02/15/eating-the-san-gabriel-valley-with-bizarre-foods/). I didn't take that tour but I really wanted to learn chinese food from someone who really knew what she was talking about. I was not disappointed. Clarissa was quite knowledgeable about the owners, cooks and the background of the region of china we were dining at. If you want to eat "authentic" chinese and learn about chinese culture and chinese history through food, do yourself a favor and attend one of her tours. read more

My wife and I have been to a number of the best-rated restaurants in the area, and were worried that when we took this tour, there might not be much new stuff for us. Thank goodness we were still interested in the tour. It was awesome! We were a small group, we had some amazing food, and Clarissa was incredibly knowledgeable about almost everything we could think to ask. My wife is a voracious reader of all food-related things, especially Asian foods in Los Angeles. The other guy on our tour is a chef who just got back from 4 years in Vietnam, and is opening his own restaurant soon. Both of them learned a lot and really enjoyed the food. And I'm not an expert, so I learned a ton and absolutely loved the food. At some point, Clarissa said something along the lines of "I'm not a food critic. I care more about culture, and the story that food tells." This is super clear in her food tour. She's not going to tell you all about how to prepare these dishes. She'll teach you about the culture and the history that created them, and that created the restaurants you visit. Keep your eyes out for the dates for this tour. It's absolutely worth every penny and all of your anticipation. read more

This was one of the coolest things I've done in LA. I love good Chinese food but don't know that much about it. I learned so much and ate so much great food. The atmosphere was informative and informal and fun! I had questions about other restaurants that I had forgotten the names of (she immediately knew which ones I was referring to including one in NY) Also, walking is such a good idea if you are eating a lot... i'd love to plan all my meals to have walking in the middle of them! Can't say enough good stuff! It was really great! read more

My husband and I attended a Regional Chinese Food Tour with Clarissa this past weekend. We highly recommend taking her tours if you are an adventurous, open-minded food lover. It's hard to go on any food tours and enjoy it if you're picky or not open to new things. This is especially true for the Asian foods. Clarissa took us to 5 spots within a span of 4 hours. Each spot specialized in a different type/region of Chinese cuisine, for which she explained the origin and characteristics. Growing up eating mostly Chinese-American and Cantonese food, this was a great eye-opener. Trying so many new dishes from several provinces of China gave us a better appreciation for all the different spices and flavor profiles used in each region. I have to admit that I didn't necessarily like everything we ate...especially the stinky tofu :P...but I love trying new things. The good dishes far outweighed the bad ones for me. 15 courses later, I was beyond stuffed! You definitely get more than enough food! As far as Clarissa's credentials, she's more than qualified. She's a professional food writer who has been published by many well known newspapers and magazines. She's also well traveled and knows her shit! We look forward to our next tour! read more

Did Spicy Walking tour; lots of pepper potent dishes from a variety of areas in China. Good group of people and plenty of facts about the ingredients and preparation. We had a little mix up with the number of people attending, and that was handled graciously. The spots are all close together, and the walk portion is pretty easy. If this sort of food tour interests you, it's worth trying. read more

I had the opportunity to join Clarissa in one of her food adventure tour recently. It was absolutely one of the best investment my wife/i committed to since we explored many popular and hidden spots within the San Gabriel Valley. With thousands of restaurants to choose from Clarissa knows her food and picks out the cream of the crop. No only did we tried the most popular dishes from each restaurant, but we also learned the history behind the various types of cuisine and insightful knowledge about their culture. Clarissa's tour is extremely educational and delicious. Be sure to subscribe to keep yourself updated for upcoming tours and events. read more

This tour was one of the funnest and most satisfying odd little things we have done in Los Angeles since we moved here in 2000. Clarissa was the perfect knowledgeable guide and our group of 8 got along terrifically while we scarfed the best Chinese food from numerous provinces over a period of 4 hours. I highly recommend this tour as a way to be guided through what can be seen as a dizzying array of options in the San Gabriel heart of the greatest Chinese food city in the country. Thank you, Clarissa. Long life! read more

Very fun. Interesting too. Clarissa gives you history lessons on the different foods and the region as well. She was able to order the meals based on our dietary needs as well, such as no pork, which was great. At the end she took us to a tea house and they did a tea ceremony with us which was very cool. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the experience was better than I had expected. I would definitely recommend this. read more

I took the Spicy on Spicy Walking Tour with Clarissa this past weekend not expecting too much but a taste of some spicy dishes. What it turned out to be was a casual, educational food tour with good food and camaraderie. The food we tasted turned out to be very good (especially the Dan Dan Noodles at Lucky Noodle King and the Mapo Tofu at Hunan Chilli King). Clarissa is very knowledgeable and hospitable and the casualness of the tour prompted a comfortable and friendly environment for all attendees. I highly recommend this tour if you're interested in spicy food and want to become more knowledgeable about Chinese spicy dishes, the regions they come from and especially if you want to have an enjoyable afternoon tasting them. Don't feel intimidated or worry if you don't have anyone else to go with. I went solo and had a great time! read more