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    WangJia Restaurant

    4.4 (109 reviews)
    ModerateShanghainese

    WangJia Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    WANGJIA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    S S.

    I'm more than happy to support a family owned business, but when I went here on 4/20/2024 it was clear everyone working in here is trying to cut corners. There was no air conditioning, and little to no ventilation. Our party of 5 was sweating nonstop in the middle of April, and left the restaurant smelling like oil and smoke. As Anthony Bourdain once said, you can tell the cleanliness of the kitchen from the cleanliness of the bathroom. In this case, you didn't even need to look that far. One of the older gentlemen working there straight up spit a ball of his phlegm into a waiting cart of dishes waiting to be taken into the kitchen. Nice. Honestly, I might be willing to be a bit more lenient on the above offenses, if the dishes actually tasted good. Unfortunately, please see my photo of the fish dish we ordered. It was a muddy mess that tasted as bad as it looked.

    Three Meat and Vegetable Soup
    Novia E.

    A wonderful mom-and-pop establishment that specializes in authentic Shanghainese cuisine. The experience was truly exceptional! The pork dishes were incredibly flavorful and addictive, leaving me wanting more. Their fried chicken had just the right amount of spiciness, creating a deliciously fiery taste. Additionally, their pan-fried bao was delightful and doesn't smell bad (like kang kang's) . If you're looking for a place to enjoy delicious and authentic Shanghainese food, Wangjia Restaurant is definitely worth a visit. The guy who works here is hella funny and friendly!

    Steamed dumplings
    Mike L.

    Highly recommend this place. Food was excellent. Try the shredded pork with garlic. Also the fried rice with shrimp. You can't go wrong Excellent service excellent quality and more Highly recommend the dumplings also

    Mapo Tofu
    Brian V.

    From my limited understanding, this is a Shanghainese or Shanghai-style Chinese restaurant. Lots of different dishes to order that are served family style and meant for sharing. Came here for my first time yesterday with two buddies. The place was smaller than I thought, but sizable enough to accommodate some large parties. Feels very modern, but reminds me of those old-school Chinese restaurants where you would go with your family on the weekends. The prices were really reasonable, especially when you have a small group and you factor in per person. Plus, this feels like a family run operation and the folks here were super friendly. They treat you like you they knew you for a while even if it's your first time in. What we ordered: Sheng Jian Bao - one of the main reasons I wanted to go here. Haven't had a lot of these dumplings from different places so I wanted to try this place for sure. Comes in an order of four served with vinegar. Very nice chew with a very nice crispy crunch on the bottom. I was worried of soup squirting out, but after one careful bite, I didn't think it was going to be a problem. These were tasty. Mapo tofu - had a nice kick to this without being overly spicy. I'm a big fan of mapo tofu and it's done really well here. The spice seemed a little mild at first but as I ate more, I could feel my mouth getting a little bit numb in a good way. Super flavorful. The stir fried shrimp and the soy sauce duck was also very good. We ordered these because we saw some other table have them and they look delicious. It was a great way to round out our meal for our group. Wonderful service with friendly people, delicious food at a reasonable price, and a chill atmosphere. There's really nothing bad I can say about this place. I'm guessing it could get a little busy and it might be hard to score a table because of the size. We came here on a Sunday night and was able to find parking along the side of the building.

    Shanghai Salty Pork Soup
    Bella S.

    My family and I came to try this place because we wanted to try something new around the area and this place had pretty good reviews. Unfortunately, we were not impressed. The quality of the ingredients used were subpar. 1. Shanghai Style Smoked fish (1/5): This dish usually uses small yellow fish, but here, I think they used catfish. They only used parts of the fish so you couldn't even tell what it is. It was very fishy and oily. 2. Shanghai Salty Pork Soup (3/5): I thought the flavor of this was not bad. It tasted nutritious and hearty. However, the elders of the family were quick to pick out that it is below standard in that it lacked ingredients. They said it usually has vegetables in it, but here, all they put in were a few pieces of pork and canned bamboos. 3. Fish slices in White Wine Sauce (2/5): This is always one my favorite dishes when going to Shanghainese restaurants. Sadly, they did such a bad job on this dish. The fish they used was likely old as it had the stinky fishy taste to it. The sauce was too watery (supposed to be thick) and the flavor was almost all vinegar taste...There goes my enamels. 4. Cumin Lamb (4/5): This was the only decent dish we had here. The lamb was cooked well so that it did not have that gamey taste. Coupled with cumin, it was delicious. 5. Pan Fried Pork Buns (3/5): Very doughy. It had more bun than filling. It was not very juicy... no juice came exploding out. The meat filling lacked flavor. Without the sauce that came with this dish, it was hard to enjoy it. 6. Eight Delicacies in Hot sauce (2.5/5): If you want numbing lips and heartburn, this is the perfect dish. It was all hot sauce coated on a variety of mixed vegetables and meat. The beef in this dish was not tender at all. It was so hard to chew it to the point of almost being non-edible. The potato, broccoli and Cauliflower were the only things worth eating. 7. Beef Fried Rice (1.5/5): Tasted burnt I typically dislike writing negative reviews, but I wanted to be as honest as possible, so others can make more informed decisions when deciding whether to try this place out. Personally, my family and I cannot recommend this place. My family said everything lacked flavor and they all thought they had COVID for a moment. We all left feeling like our hunger & appetite were not satisfied. We ended up going to the bakery nextdoor to eat some delicious fresh bread instead.

    Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce - very good
    David C.

    Okay, so while the food is very, very good, they really got the 5th star because of the young male server, who had me and the missus in tears laughing the whole night because of his funny (or maybe bizarre answers to some of my questions regarding food, drink, and using the bathroom). The restaurant is small, and there were a good amount of people inside, but there was no wait. I have tried one of the last restaurants that was in this location years back and didn't love that one, but this is good authentic Chinese food. Looks family run and operated, with a tiny staff - I think dad cooks, mom does the register, and son is the waiter. There may be street parking out front, but there is also a tiny lot in back. It is cramped back there, though, and the spaces are made way too tiny. When we went to leave, I had to get in the passenger seat and climb over, because the car now parked next to us was too close (even in their spot). The bathroom is another issue. We went in, and my kid had to use it. Unfortunately, it was locked and no one was coming out. It was so long, we asked the waiter to do a wellness check on whoever may be in there, in case they had died on the can. Turns out the door is broken and sticks, so if you go there, you're gonna have to fight the door to get in the bathroom. Don't assume someone is in there. So, in the Yelp pictures, there were some good looking pictures of ribs. I showed the waiter and asked what dish this was, because there was one rib dish listed on the menu. He said to me they don't have it anymore cause it's a white dish. I was like, what? (I'm white-ish and the missus is Chinese) He explained it was the kind of dish white people like, so they took it off the menu. That was hilarious moment #1. Then, every dish we ordered, he warned was too spicy (I assume for a gwei-lo like me). We assured him we liked spicy and ate authentic szechuan food all the time. He still seemed worried for us. That also had us giggling, especially when he kept trying to get us to not order the spicy pork noodles. He suggested every other noodle listed. Hilarious moment #2. Then I asked about the "noodle pot stickers". Were they actually pot stickers with noodles inside? No. He informed me that the people who printed the menu were lazy and made mistakes and they were too cheap to fix them. Hilarious moment #3. I asked if they had beer. He explained they did but couldn't sell it. I asked if they were waiting on a liquor license, and he said no. They were just too lazy to apply for one. I wondered if it was something like I had to order something and they would then give me a beer for wink-wink free. No. I could go across the street to 7-11 and buy some beer if I wanted to bring it in. So, I asked what they're doing with the beer in their fridge, to which he responded they drink it with friends. I had tears rolling down my cheeks from laughing so hard. Anyway, NONE of the dishes were spicy at all. A lot of times I suspect they see me and think I can't handle it, so they refuse to make it spicy like they normally would. I usually order everything extra spicy at other places, and it still never comes out spicy. The waiter was shocked at the end when I told him nothing was spicy. So, we had the pan fried pork buns, which were some of the best I've had in the SGV. Wish there were six instead of 4, but the pan fried bottoms were so nice and extra crispy, and the meat was delicious. We asked for white vinegar to make a dumpling sauce with soy sauce and chili oil/paste. The waiter said they didn't have it, so I asked his mom, and suddenly it appeared. We had the fried spicy chicken, which was really good. The shredded pork with garlic sauce was a large portion and very good in flavor. The stir fried string beans were fresh and good. Wish they had minced pork, but still good. The spicy pork noodles were enjoyed by everyone else more than by me. I wish they were actually spicy, and the sauce wasn't my favorite. Still, we were pleased by all the food and will definitely be back soon. I strongly recommend giving this place a try. Good for the belly and good for belly laughs if you ask too many questions. Go!

    Shanghai Style Fried Rice
    Jungah L.

    Very good Shanghai style Chinese food in San Gabriel. Good quality and tasty. Staffs are very friendly.

    Pork belly
    Kristin A.

    Went with a crew to try so many dishes! Unfortunately, I don't know all the names of the dishes but the surprising bite for me was the soup.

    Fried Scallion Pancake
    Rachel K.

    WangJia is a cozy restaurant with friendly staff and excellent traditional Chinese food. The restaurant is small and intimate, with a very "mom and pop" local feel. Since it was listed on the LA Times "101 Best Restaurants in LA" for 2022, it can sometimes be busy on nights and weekends. Since there's no lobby, if it's full, the waitstaff may recommend ordering takeout instead of waiting for a table. The food is terrific! The blends of spices are robustly seasoned. Starting with the basics-- the scallion pancake is flaky perfection, and an excellent partner to any saucy dish. The fried bao are a chewy, crispy mouthful of richly seasoned meat -- the accompanying sauce is tangy and a little sweet. Highly recommend the eggplant in garlic sauce, with a light garlic flavor and a deep, savory umami sauce. A standout was the mapo tofu, with melt-in-your-mouth silken tofu and a remarkable Szechuan pepper sauce that's above and beyond other local restaurants.

    Steamed buns aka xiao long bao.
    Mary L.

    We came to get some authentic dishes and were not disappointed. The sauteed eel is really a good deal and very delicately done. My sister loved the Shanghainese ribs braised with a great tasting brown sauce. The seafood hot and sour soup was also very tasty. The fried beans was ok as the beans got a little tough. All in all this place is pleasant, quiet and no hassle. My favorite server, the owner's son is, always very polite and much obliged.

    Pan Fried Bao, 生煎包 (@studio52.la)
    Carolyn N.

    One of the most authentic restaurants that serve Shanghainese in LA. Food: if you love Shanghainese food, you will probably love eating here. They have some of the most authentic Shanghainese dishes here that surely invokes nostalgia. Unlike some other Shanghainese restaurants, their food really reminds you of old-school home cooking. I especially love their pan fried bao (生煎包) and their smoked fish (熏鱼)。But the pan fried bao is something that needs to be enjoyed fresh, so if you're taking out, I'd suggest you pick it up and time it just right, else it gets soggy and you will miss the magic of this juicy bao. Restaurant: small space but nice and clean. Again, it reminds me of home. They have a parking lot right in the back. They do takeout and is available on @chowbus_official too. Service: nothing super special but I like how they don't bother you while you eat. Prices: not the cheapest in Sgv but it's still reasonable. The portions are reasonable but don't expect to be stuffed or leave with leftovers. Overall: 4/5 love their food, just wish that the pan fried bao is more "takeout friendly" so I can have it everyday even during the pandemic

    老上海酱鸭 Shanghai style soy duck

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    WangJia Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    Shanghailander Palace - Red Braised pork

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    3.5(281 reviews)
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    Came back! My aunt and uncle invited us to watch here again given how much my son ate last time and…read morelike the food as well. This time we sat in the middle on a round table, they ordered the pork, fried fish fillet, and noodles again which were just as good as last time. The new dishes we tried were ok such as the stir fried rice cakes, water celery (?) which was new and not our favorite, cold chicken with ginger soy sauce, seafood hotpot, and the best new dish was the sweet spare ribs. I didn't use the restroom last time so this time I did and it was clean, two stalls, and two sinks. We also got a look at the banquet rooms which they had plenty and we thought "what a nice place for a banquet event". Not a bad idea! It was quite expensive, for just us 5 (with my toddler son) the total was a bit much but we did order a lot and I did enjoy the food!

    Joined a relative for dinner, He says it's literally the…read moretaste of Shanghai. I'll admit the taste is very good, all the dishes that were brought out were good except the water celery / water dropwort. It had some kind of vinegar or wine taste to it. My partner said taste like stringy mud. Today's not too busy, the service was excellent. I feel like they paid a lot of attention to us because they had the extra staff floating around (amazing by the way) it made us feel like VIPs We sat in the main hall, looks like there are private rooms available. The main dining area is well lit, Shanghai industrial era decor and some led screens. This place seems like a nice place for a small banquet.

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    Red 99 Grill Bistro - Steamed halibut

    Red 99 Grill Bistro

    4.3(406 reviews)
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    My parents said this place is popular since they do a lunch and dinner special that is cheap and…read moretastes good, so we came here for dinner on a Friday. Their dinner dishes are all $12.99 which is super rare! They usually have long wait times (can be up to 30mins) but today was not that crowded so it only took around 20 minutes. They are not super big inside but they do have two private rooms where we got seated with another party, which wasn't bad since we each just eat our own meals. They give free tea, which tasted like pretty good quality tea, and I drank quite a few cups. They also give free edamame and miso soup as appetizers, which was nice. The miso soup has some seaweed and soft tofu which I enjoyed. We ordered the Stir Fried Dry Bean Curd w/ Pork, Braised Pork in Brown Sauce, Stir Fried Cauliflower (not spicy), Fried Squid in Three Flavor Sauce, and the Shanghai Style Sweet Sour Pork. They are super busy but all the dishes were served fast, within 5 minutes of each other and only after maybe 10 minutes from when we ordered. The dishes all looked super good and not too oily. The portions are also reasonable for the price and is just enough for our group to share. My favorite was the Stir Fried Bean Curd w Pork and the Braised Pork. Both were flavorful but not too salty. And the braised pork was had the right amount of fat and the meat was cooked just right so it was tender and not too dry. The others were also seasoned well and we enjoyed it. The least favorite was the Shanghai Style Sweet Sour Pork because it was more sour than sweet and didn't have much meat on the bones, but I still thought it was pretty good. All the dishes were good and very worth the price. It is not something you can find easily at dinner time, especially with this quality. The white rice is also free of charge which is so rare! I recommend this place if you want cheap authentic Chinese food and great service with free appetizers. Just be prepared to come early or there will be long wait times. I will be coming back again.

    They give complimentary edamame and miso soup…read more My favorites are the shrimp and the crispy fish with sweet and sour sauce. Its basically just shrimp but they have vinegar sauce yoy can pour or dip. The portion is decent too. The crispy fish had no bones in it and the sauce was amazing with the fish. Fish wss really crispy. There were pieces of shrimp in that dish too. Ordered what my mom kept describing as bo luc lac//shaking beef but it was different. It didnt have enough pepper too it and it was sweeter. I looked at the menu and it said honey pepper. So makes sense why it was sweet. The garlic pieces were good. Some were still half raw so it was extra spicy. I thought the sweet and sour pork would be the same sauce as the fish but its different. Ot was more of a savory sweet sauce. I guess thats why its a shanghai version. Not sure if they sell the other one anymore that ive seen pictures of. I didnt try the snow peas but it mustve been good since it was all gone and we didnt have to take it home.

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    Shanghai No 1 Seafood - Braised Pork Belly in Brown Sauce.

    Shanghai No 1 Seafood

    3.0(744 reviews)
    1.7 mi
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    Shanghai No.1 serves, you guessed right, Shanghai cuisine. It's on the 2nd floor of an old plaza,…read moreand can be accessed by stairs or elevator. Outside of the restaurant, there's an outdoor space where they seem to store extra chairs and tables. I suppose it can be set up for Al fresco dining since I saw a solo customer at a small table. The interior shows a lot of red and a hint of classy decor at some point. There are some private dining rooms down a hallway but I'm not sure if they're being used. The main dining room has mostly tables for 6 or more, and some smaller ones for 4 along the perimeter. I suspect most people come for their very reasonably priced lunch specials because that was the only menu given to us, so we went along. Food: Crispy fish filet with seaweed. Compared to many other places, their fish contains a lot more seaweed in the batter, and served with vinegar, which is very weird. Ideally, it should have a small side of salt & white pepper mix. 3.5/5 Hunan tofu: Full of flavor, hint of heat with shredded pork. Delicious. 4.5/5 Steamed whole fish: This was overcooked and the fish was a bit dry, and could use more flavor. 2/5 Braised pork belly in brown sauce. Fatty, meaty, tender and rich, served with a few quail eggs as opposed to stewed eggs. 5/5 Of you like pork belly Sautéed shrimp in egg white was not what we expected. Thinking it was a dry dish, instead it resembled shrimp in soft tofu with some light broth. Not my favorite. 2.5/5 Beef and scallions: All beef slices were very tender, and the scallions added a nice fragrant flavor to this dish. 4.5/5 The service was energetic, as if the servers appeared excited about something. The vibe was bustling and the noise level just increased over time so we just stopped talking. This recent visit was better than the previous ones, and I'll likely go back for their beef and pork belly dishes.

    Shanghai No 1 Seafood is now New Shanghai No 1 Seafood after closing for a year and reopening, but…read moreeverything seems to be the same as before. Feature is their $12.99 specials which are definitely a good value.

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