Welcome to Meanwhile, In SGV a regular feature in which TC, our fearless leader in all things San Gabriel Valley, brings word of restaurant openings, closings, and other unsung, curious neighborhood goings on.
1) Alhambra: The health department shuttered Banh Mi Che Cali on November 16 for "vermin harborage" and "vermin infestation." Now, after a complete kitchen renovation the restaurant has reopened. New menu signage is in place plus new asphalt in the parking lot. Workers are also currently sporting full food safety attire. Prices the same. 647 W Valley Blvd.
2) Rosemead: The long awaited and previously reported expansion of Shaanxi Gourmet is complete. However, the menu remains hopelessly cryptic. 8518 Valley Blvd., Ste 102
3) San Gabriel: OShan Island, an LAT Find merely a year ago, has been replaced by Taipei Bistro. The new joint offers homestyle Taiwanese rice plates (pork hock on rice, etc.) with no MSG. Since a Taiwanese restaurant would not be complete without beef noodle soup, a few versions of Taiwan's national dish are available as well. 704 W Las Tunas Dr., Ste E3
4) Monterey Park: DPZ just finished a complete interior remodel, but the dilapidated sign remains. This is the Ding Pangzi "deli" which serves up pan-Chinese breakfast items. The Ding's "restaurant" which serves Szechuan food to the right of Ding Pangzi is unchanged. 123 N Lincoln Ave.
5) San Gabriel: My Ngoc has shuttered. Butcher paper covers the windows; no sign of what's coming next. This long standing pan-Vietnamese restaurant at the corner of the San Gabriel Superstore complex never quite caught the public's fancy. The expansive menu also featured many Chiu Chao noodle soups, but was always overshadowed by the success of nearby Kim Ky and Mien Nghia. 608A Valley Blvd.
·All Meanwhile, In SGV Coverage [~ELA~]
— TC
