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) South El Monte: Federal Brewing, South El Monte's first microbrewery, has been approved to serve the public starting today. Three vegan beers are available immediately: blond ale (4% abv), American amber (5%), and American wheat (5%). The microbrewery is the combined self-effort of Diego Benitez, a Caltech PhD in chemistry with a post-doc in quantum mechanics and nanotechnology(!!!), and Kevin Ogilby, also a chemist. Federal has been approved to brew since July but has only been allowed to fulfill commercial orders until now. Benitez and Ogilby designed the chilled fermenting tanks to battle the SGV heat and all tanks were manufactured in-house. A beer garden is already in the works, and Ogilby says there are plans to build a Breaking Bad-style beer chem lab. Trial hours at the tasting room is 3 to 7 p.m Monday through Friday and 2 to 10 p.m. on weekends. 1822 Chico Ave.
2) San Gabriel: Jue Wei Kitchen has replaced 818 Shaokhao. This is a blatant knock-off of the 5000-branch strong Jue Wei franchise in China which sponsors Twitter chats as well operates branded gas stations. The menu at this "shanzhai" Jue Wei mimicks the Chinese original and hence is home to all things quacky. Some of the offerings are: braised duck wings/tongues ($56 per pound)/chin/head, and the infamous duck neck; basically, everything but the duck breast. The menu here makes the Peking duck at Chi Lin seem rather innocuous while simultaneously making the the entire DuckTales cast uncomfortable. 818 E Valley Blvd.
3) Rosemead: Noodles King just replaced Pho Valley this month. The restaurant is touting freshly made carb based dishes including, but not limited to: beef rolls, a variety of noodles, xiao long bao, shen jian bao, dumplings, and Tianjin noodle threads. 8632 E Valley Blvd. Ste J
4) Alhambra: Belly Buster Sandwiches caught fire last week due to faulty bathroom wires. No one was hurt, but owners do not expect to re-open for another two months. 1142 W Valley Blvd.
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