Having recently discovered La Simbala, I've quickly become a fan. Their food and especially the desserts are all good, and the service is friendly. I've come most often for the massive shaved ice which offers options of a wide variety of traditional toppings - the almond tofu is especially so flavorful and delicious! The rice plates are good and definitely try the Simbala sausage. But our favorite far and away is the popcorn chicken which is again super flavorful and crispy. Just note that they take a break in the afternoon. Private parking lot with lots of parking. read more

La Sinbala - Menu 3/23 - Taiwanese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Will update review whenever I come back and dine in + try different entrees; however, I was a teeny bit disappointed with my order. I haven't been back to Sinbala in probably over a decade, and I was looking forward to my meal with all the stellar reviews.. Yet the only thing I ended up REALLY enjoying was the popcorn chicken. Everything else was genuinely passable. The oyster pancake was simply not my cup of tea. It wasn't bad, but personally there's not much cohesion to this dish in my opinion. The texture is just soft and mushy, and the flavors are all kind of muddled. Wouldn't get this again. The deep fried pork chop dry noodle was disappointing because the pork chop was kinda dry and the noodles lacked depth & flavor. The sinbala sausage rice was decent - lots of taiwanese sausage albeit thinly sliced.. the sides were also pretty good. Overall, would recommend the popcorn chicken! The total cost was also very reasonable for 4 dishes. For these reasons, I would come back to find dishes more up my alley :) read more

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The food was delicious I got the pork chop rice, popcorn chicken and shaved ice. The pork chop rice was really good. The pork chop peice was pretty big.the popcorn chicken was good. The shaved ice was so good and a perfect dessert for the summer. The staff was really nice. The place was clean read more

La Sinbala - Taiwanese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Sinbala just HITS THE SPOT everytime. It's been a while since I've been here and a friend was craving it so we decided to stop by after a hike. I ordered the popcorn chicken rice and guava green tea. My friends got the cold noodle, shaved ice, oyster pancake, watermelon juice, and a sausage rice. It was a lot of food. I was able to share my popcorn chicken rice and split it between 3 people and we still had leftover chicken. The chicken was well popcorned and super flavorful and juicy (all dark meat). The rice and veggies were ample and delicious. The guava green tea was very sweet but I honestly needed the sugar after a long hot hike. The shaved ice was good and it was packed so that the ice and toppings are separate, even the sugar sauce is separate and the ice didn't even melt at all during the long 15 minute drive back. Amazing. Prices have definitely gone up a little bit since it first opened like a decade ago, but it's still a great deal and reliable place to have a comfy Taiwanese meal. They're cash only unless your order is over $30. No indoor or outdoor dining as of 6/19/21 read more

Always the best comfort food!! I always get their braised pork with bamboo shoot but they didn't have the bamboos the last time we ordered so I got the pork chops instead and they were just as good! The shrimp pancakes are always a must but they also offer oyster pancakes, which I haven't tried. They use to only accept cash but now they do accept credit card. Maybe it was the pandemic that pushed them? Also, with the pandemic, they set out a table by the door and don't let anyone inside. I love how they have the new takeout containers where it separates the rice and veggies and eggs so it doesn't get all mixed. Their veggies are always cooked to perfecting, the eggs seasoned to our likings, and rice forever fluffy. I love this place read more

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Love this place! This has been my go-to for quick and delicious Taiwanese food around the Arcadia area. Beware they are cash only if your order is less than $30. Make sure to check their hours before going and put your name down earlier if you want to dine in-- they tend to get really crowded at dinner time especially since only half of their restaurant is open for dine in right now. Their take our option is quite popular as well-- just call ahead and pick up later to save time. I've always ordered their Taiwanese sausage tice that comes with cabbage, minced meat rice, corn, and tomato egg and it never disappoints. The whole plate was $10.88 which is pretty reasonable especially during these inflation times. You can also order their raw Taiwanese sausage by the pound. We also got the spicy and sweet cabbage which was quite the kick. Actually pretty spicy which I appreciate. They also have a drinks menu with slush, tea, and other dessert options. Will try next time! read more

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The food here is amazing we love it!!! We got dumplings, popcorn chicken, and the Simbala sausage which was SUPER yummy. The employees are very nice and made sure to get us seated quickly. The atmosphere here is of a warm nice restaurant which is very welcoming. Over all I would give this more than 5 stars but since there is all that is I'll give them 5 stars. 10/10 recommend coming here if you're in the area! read more

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Hubby & I stop by here once in a blue moon to fulfill our Taiwanese shaved iced craving & the typical Taiwanese dishes. Parking: the plaza can get pretty packed during the weekend as it shares with a supermarket and numerous stores. Service/Ambience: the servers are usually very friendly. It's a little restaurant that gets crowded very quickly. Food: -Sinbala Sausage Rice: Hubby's' favorite dish. -Eel Rice: The price increased during COVID. -Shrimp Wonton Vermicelli: This is my usual dish that is light for an entrée. Steamed vegetables & minced meat are added to the soup. -Pork/Shrimp Stew Noodle Soup: I'm a big fan of these two dishes during the winter. -Chinese Napa Dumplings: The steamed dumplings taste decent. I believe they also sell frozen dumplings. -Oyster Pancake: This appetizer is pretty solid & a typical Taiwanese street food. -Steamed Vegetable w/Minced Meat Sauce -Spicy Wontons: The wontons are very soft and tasty. -Fried Green Onion Pancake -Taiwanese Shaved Ice: this is the best item on the menu as it's very difficult to find a traditional Taiwanese shaved ice place in LA. read more

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Terrible experience. I used to go here often before. So I decided to take my mom and show her what it's all about. The food was good, but portions were not like before. It was definitely more expensive. I paid and needed to leave earlier since I had an appointment. I noticed there was no receipt, so I took whatever receipt was left at the table. Next thing you know, my mom called me and said that they were looking for the receipt and something else. I drove back to return the receipt which by now they were waiting for me at the parking lot. When I returned the receipt they asked why I didn't leave more tip. They stood there blocking the parking lot until I give more tip. I ended up scrambling for whatever cash I could find in my car which was more than a 25% tip. I felt like I was robbed at gunpoint. I am NEVER coming back. read more

Most visits up to LA/Arcadia area include a meal from Sinbala, and it's because their food is always consistently good! - PARKING - Shares a parking lot with other businesses, and although it can get crowded, there's always some spots available! - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - I've only ever done take-out from this restaurant, so I can't review the service of dining in. We usually call in our orders and our food is always ready to be picked up when we get there. The restaurant itself is a bit small, but there are a few tables outside as well. - FOOD - Sinbala Sausage Rice ($11.29): One of the main dishes we order! The Sausage is so unique and is always satisfying. I love that they give the sides of corn and cabbage on the side to help break up the flavor fatigue. Cold Chicken Noodle ($9.98): Another go-to for our group! If you like peanut-y flavors, then you'll love this! Definitely a dish that I would lean towards more during the summer months as it's super refreshing being cold noodles, and alongside the cucumbers, it's delicious! Popcorn Chicken ($9.07): I wanted to try their Popcorn Chicken and thought the portion size was just slightly smaller than expected for the price. I also didn't eat it fresh, so it wasn't necessarily crispy, but the breading and flavoring was good. - OVERALL - A great spot to grab-n-go for quick meals! Would definitely recommend trying the Sinbala Sausage Rice or the Cold Chicken Noodle! Some other friends had the Pork Chop Rice and Beef Noodle Soup as well, and they mentioned it was good! read more

Sausage rice 10/10. Pork chop rice 9/10. Popcorn chicken 9/10. Vegetable dishes 7/10. Staff service 10/10. Friday lunch capacity 40% full. Been coming here for over a decade. Never dropped in quality, always delivers a great meal. *tip: You can order larger quantities of sausage or XLB's premade ready to cook and make it at home. read more

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Food was great. Servers were nice. We got there early, but by the time we left there was a line.

I couldn't believe it. My wife picked up a spaghetti dish for $16. What a joke. It wasn't enough for 1 person and there was no sauce. It basically was cooked noodles in water. It had maybe 1/8 oz of ground beef and maybe 1 piece of celery I think. It had no taste and I was still hungry when I finished. Keep in mind I am only 115 pounds. Don't order here, it's a waste of money. read more

Gave this place a try and was severely disappointed. They got our order wrong and was just generally not too friendly (alas, it is an Asian restaurant) Food was mediocre at best. Popcorn chicken was just so so in flavor, oyster pancake was meh, Taiwanese sausage was ok, pork belly was dried, squid noodles ('pottage') was lacking in flavor. In general, just nothing was very good. read more

This shop is a bit small and definitely shows its age, but 100% worth it. I was a bit skeptical at first, but seeing the line of Asian locals, I could tell that it was a trusted place. After getting seated, the menu was actually fairly big with many options. I ended up getting the wonton soup, sinbala sausage rice, and spicy wontons. It was fairly quick to arrive and smelled amazing. Everything was amazing. From what I hear, the Sinbala sausage rice is a must-try if you come here, but everything else was amazing. This was definitely a comfort food place and reminds me of my family's cooking (even though I'm not Taiwanese!). Highly highly recommend. read more

I wouldn't say the food was fantastic. We spent $150 there but didn't feel it was worth the money. We tried so many traditional Taiwanese dishes but nothing stood out and mostly mediocre. The tempura was not great at all. The squid soup was bland and the fried pork chops and chickens were meh. read more

Used to be one of my favorites growing up but it's very mediocre now. Card is not accepted on transactions under $30 so I had to buy two of the same item, the sausage rice dish, which I used to get all the time growing up. I was so excited for the tomato egg but it's much worse than it used to be. Seems like maybe less tomatoes are used and eggs are overcooked. The sausage rice itself isn't great either. Service was a bit rude. I've never eaten in the store but as someone waiting to pick up, there's not really anywhere to wait so it gets a bit awkward and cramped as the restaurant isn't set up all that well. My childhood self is disappointed :( read more

really good, must try the sinbala sausage!! taste exactly like taiwan i even ordered the frozen ones to take back to the bay area ! read more

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One of my go to for Taiwanese food in San Gabriel valley. My favorites are Taiwanese sausage bento, pork stew soup, oyster pancake and their shave ice. read more

I have been coming here for over 10 years and i always get the sausage rice. It used to be $10 and now its $14...the sausages are also smaller and dry. It is no longer worth the price. They only accept cash and you can call ahead to order. They get your food ready quickly. The cabbage, eggs and corn still taste the same but the sausage is harder and smaller. The rice tasted a little hard and dry. This food reminds me of my younger days but i cant justify it for the price point anymore. read more

La Sinbala - $14 now - Taiwanese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I had the spicy beef stew noodle soup and it was fantastic! There were nice chunks of beef and there was a good amount of vegetables which I appreciate. It had a good amount of heat, I was sweating and my lips were on fire. I also had the sausage and garlic. I had no idea how satisfying that dish was. It sounds really simple, but it was really good. We also had the spicy win tins, Japanese beef bowl and the Tonkatsu which were okay. Will I come here again? Yes!! That bowl of spicy beef noodle soup was one of the best I've had. read more

Delicious food! From their appetizer to main course to dessert! Will come back and back and back.. I want to try everything and I love how they have pictures of all the items in their menu. Staff were nice, a lot of parking, outside we were here on a weekday lunch time and it's not too crowded. read more

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Legit Taiwanese food!! I don't have to go to Taiwan anymore. I can just come here. meat ball = delicious gelatinous outside, yummy meaty inside, tangy sauce. pork stew with noodles: bah genh (excuse my anglo-cization of Taiwanese) My favorite Taiwanese soup!!! Only legit Taiwanese restaurants have this!! chinese sausage (with fresh garlic slices) shaved ice: HUGE. enough for 4 people. you get 5 add ons! we chose: grass jelly, boba, lychee, red bean, almond jello (oh yum!). all yum!!! and molasses!!! yum yum yum. read more

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Wish there were more of these spots spread across Southern Cali. I love the dishes, I love the service. The thing that keeps me coming back is the shaved ice. I don't have to go to another spot to get dessert for my kid. I had two kids in tow so I didn't get a chance to take photos but will next time I go. The spicy beef noodle soup was the star. read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review for Sinbala yet. I love their taiwanese sausage, and all their rice plates are great - the rice comes with a little bit of minced pork, and the side veggies are always so satisfying to eat. For some reason, the homestyle stir fried cabbage, the tomato/egg, and the corn are just so comforting to eat with whatever rice plate you get. Personally I always get the taiwanese sausage rice plate, but you can also order just taiwanese sausage as a side if you want to try it but also get another dish. Their oyster pancake is pretty good as well and reminds me of Taiwan. I've been going to Sinbala since college when their rice plates were less than $8, and inflation has not been good to the prices but the food is still great! I always make sure to come here whenever I'm in the LA area. read more

Ok ok. Sinbala, the classic Taiwanese eatery in Arcadia, and probably all of Southern California. You're not coming for fine dining. You're coming to Sinbala for the homie Taiwanese taste with classics such as Taiwanese sausage rice, beef noodle soup, and maybe an oyster omelette. Sinbala has managed to offer affordable and solid meals. I love coming on weekday lunches as it reminds me of when I was high school. Pork chop over rice, chicken leg rice, and sausage rice are my go tos. The service is snappy. They've got this place running like a machine. You can be in and out in 15 minutes with a rash and fulfilling meal. The ambiance is casual. Busiest during lunch and dinner hours. Plan for about a 10 minute wait on weekends. Weekdays will be good to go and seated right away. The menu is extensive. Try out plenty of traditional Taiwanese eats here. Worth the trip if you're craving some authentic Taiwanese goodies. Oh yeah, sorry but not a huge fan of the stinky tofu here. But let's be honest, there's not a great stinky tofu place in SGV. Yet? Prove me wrong. read more

More than 20 years ago, while working for a local Chinese American bank, my coworkers and I frequented a few Taiwanese restaurants down around the Valley Boulevard proper. Only one of them is still there, which is too bad... Because there's something about Taiwanese sausage that, when prepared correctly, it's like nothing you've ever enjoyed. Two decades later, I was surprised and pleased to find this restaurant just a mile and a half from my home, hidden in plain sight in the same shopping plaza as one of my favorite frozen yogurt places. In somewhat spontaneous fashion, I walked inside, grabbed a menu, and made an order to go. While I was standing there, I noticed that while Covid protocols are in place, the place was lively. Plenty of wait staff, and all of them seem to be hustling. As you might imagine, I ordered up their sausage rice plate, and got a vermicelli noodle soup to go. Lots of cool stuff on the menu here, and not too expensive... Seems to know it's place in a strip mall. After a short car ride home, I was exceptionally pleased with my meal. The grind for the sausages is more course, which gives them a nice chew, and plenty of sweetness in the spices. Can't go wrong with a bite that has a little bit of sausage and a little bit of rice. I should've got a drink, but washed it all down with a Coke. The noodle soup was a meal in itself, but that's never stopped me before. Honestly, I need to stop here more. New Year's resolutions being what they are, maybe I don't... But I'll definitely be back, maybe on cheat day. read more

I picked up the food yesterday, and the lady charged me $50 flat for 2 oyster pancake and 2 popcorn chicken. I asked how much was the oyster pancake, she said $14. According to the menu price 24 days ago, it was $11.79 only. So, I calculated the total with tax, it only came out to be $45.78. I left, so I didnt go back to argue about the price. But I felt like I was scammed, and I would never go back there again. My sister went and got charged the same way. Something is really shady going on there. If the owner doesnt know about this, he/she should investigate. If it was the owner who did it, well shame on you. read more

Line: Saturday lunch, had table for 4 Parking: parking lot Service: very attentive Came here for lunch with family. The food comes out quickly and the flavor is good. We order chicken rice, dumplings, and beef noodle soup. Can't go wrong with satisfying your craving here. read more

If I have a visitor in town and ask me to take him to try out some authentic Taiwanese restaurants, DinTaiFung (the original store in Arcadia) would be my first option. SinBala would be the second! I've been coming to SinBala for years and I've never found a dish here is not authentic. The owner is Taiwanese! Everything is legit! We seldom go on weekends cause we hate the wait, but the waiting time during weekdays isn't too bad! Sometimes, we just get seated right away. Oh, and you gotta try their sausages, that's my number 1 recommendation of this place. It tastes like the grilled sausages we get from the street, but a cleaner version. You can buy from them too, I think 8 or 10 sausages in a bag, I'm not so sure the numbers but it's so good! It teaches you how to cook it and it's actually very easy to make at home! I also recommend you to try their shaved ice, they let you choose 5 toppings and I think they use brown sugar, the most traditional way, to mix with it! That's how we do shaved ice! Toppings are all delicious too! Thumbs up! There are really so many good stuff for you to try out, like papaya milk, meat ball, pork rice cake with cilantro, stewed dishes, squid stew soup with noodles (oh I love this dish), literally too many! Def a hidden gem in the 626 area! We LOVE this place! Note: CASH ONLY!!! read more

La Sinbala - Taiwanese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Good place for Taiwanese food. Pretty authentic but brought my cousin visiting from Taiwan and he said it was just ok. For someone who isn't as familiar with the local food, it's good. As expected, price has risen with the pandemic, but still reasonable. I really enjoyed the dessert (red bean with taro balls) as it was not too sweet and warm for a cold day. Would be back to try their cold dishes! read more

Let me tell you, no where has Taiwanese Sausage Rice as scrumptious and delicious as this place right here! Once you try this place, you will not want to eat it anywhere else. The sides that come with the rice are amazing and equally as delicious! Their prices are reasonable and service is usually pretty quick. Aside from the Taiwanese Sausage Rice, I really like their Crispy Chicken Leg Rice. Give it a try if you get the chance to! The only downside is that they are CASH ONLY. read more

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You need to update your Actual prices on menu if your dishes are going up in pricing so quickly. This is extremely absurd that your Taiwanese sausage dish went from $12 to $13 in less than 7 days. I understand inflation, but this is not honest. Even their fried tempura dish went up. There is a newly opened neighboring Taiwanese Eatery where I'll be frequenting instead. As well, if you are keeping track of your expenses, they don't give receipt. I don't really like not being given a receipt. When I called to order on phone, the clerk did not even give me the total price on phone. He just told me to pick up in 15 minutes. Usually, I'm told a total. Something is fishy happening here. I won't be going back. While the dish is good, it's not worth $13. There are other cheaper places and many other types of cultural food around Arcadia, not for me. read more

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Easily one of my favorite Taiwanese restaurants to go to whenever I am in the San Gabriel/626 area! My go to order whenever I come here is the Fried Pork Chop Rice. The dish comes with a perfectly crisp fried pork chop, a bed of rice with minced pork, cooked lettuce, scrambled eggs, and a vegetable medley - carrots, corn, and peas. I absolutely love this item because it tastes like something you would get at home. Last time I visited, I also ordered the Chicken Roll (Ji Juan). From what I can discern from tasting it the item contains finely diced shiitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, and chicken. There's probably other ingredients in it, but those are the most noticeable flavors when tasting it. The dish itself is very nice since it has a soft and goey texture which is extremely flavorful. Definitely worth trying if you've never had it! Overall a great place to come to when you're looking for some authentic Taiwanese food at an affordable price. Will be back again in the near future! read more

La Sinbala - Fried Pork Chop Rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Been coming here as a kid (easily over a decade). Authentic Taiwanese food and everything is delicious. Whenever I meet someone new to the area and they either ask for recommendations or want to go out and try some great food, this is always my go to. You can't go wrong with the sausage rice, XLB, popcorn chicken, and my all time favorite, the shaved ice. read more

Sinbala is the place to go for authentic Taiwanese food! They have a variety of bento lunch meals and noodle soups. Beef noodle soup- super authentic served with flat flour noodles. Tastes just like Taiwan! Taiwanese sausage- my favorite. It's so good Dessert- Shaved Ice with almond tofu, grass jelly, mochi ball, and aloe with condensed milk. Everything is really good here read more

It's authentic Taiwanese Cuisine. Decent service and prices. My favorites are their spicy beef noodles, oysters pancake, and Taiwanese sausages. read more

I was recommended by a friend who works around the area. I was told that their sausage is amazing. Since Im not so huge on sausages I ordered a beef noodle soup, which was rich in flavor and tastes traditional and herbal. I loved it! I took a bite of my friend's order (sausage dish) and I regretted that I didn't order the same one as hers! Overall food was amazing and the quantity as well! read more

La Sinbala - Sausage with Tomato Egg. Super good. - Taiwanese Near Me - Arcadia, California

We first tried the Rowland Heights Sinbala and we weren't impressed by the food we had. We decided to give it another chance as it was close to the LA Arboretum and I'm glad we did. Sinbala is a Taiwanese restaurant focusing on Taiwanese comfort foods. Not the most healthy, but definitely flavorful and delicious. There was a slight wait on a Saturday night but we were seated quickly. We tried the Sausage with garlic, dried minced pork noodles, and the pork chop rice. All the dishes came out very fast. It felt like less than 5 minutes. Prices are all reasonable and portions are pretty good. NOTE: CASH ONLY 5/5 sausage with garlic: slightly sweet Taiwanese sausage and it goes perfect with the garlic. You get a good amount and it's enough to share. Tastes very authentic and it's a must get when you're here. There's a variety of other flavors of Taiwanese sausages that we might try next time. 4/5 pork chop rice: The Pork Chop Rice comes with garlic cabbage, minced pork on the rice, and eggs with tomato. The sides are definitely a plus to the dish. The pork chops are thin as others have said, but we still enjoyed it. The flavors were good and texture was authentic. Maybe the fried chicken leg rice might be the thing to get instead next time. 3.5/5 dried minced pork noodles were not what we were expecting. We thought it was lu rou noodles but it was actually different. It was slightly bland and had lots of cabbages, one piece of pork, 2 shrimps, one egg, and lots of noodles. I don't think we'll get this again. read more

La Sinbala - Pork chop rice and Taiwanese sausage with garlic - Taiwanese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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I was eating and something shiny caught my eye. I look closer and found a metal wire in my food. read more

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