Yang's Kitchen (Alhambra, CA)

Yang's Kitchen
112 W Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801
626-281-1035
www.yangskitchenla.com
Sun 08/04/2024, 07:55p-10:15p





It's been a while since I reported on anything in Alhambra, but without a doubt, the spot that I'd been wanting to try the most in the city was Yang's Kitchen, and I finally made it out there recently for a birthday dinner. The place was opened five years ago by Chef Chris Yang and longtime girlfriend Maggie Ho (they met in high school), and the food served is their own unique take on Asian-American cuisine.

About the Chef: Christian Yang was born in Alhambra in September 1990, the son of a Hong Konger father and a Vietnamese mother, and got interested in cooking early on. He graduated from San Marino High in 2008 and attended UC San Diego, attaining a BS in management science. During his tenure at UCSD, he participated in a student exchange program with the University of Hong Kong, and also secured internships in the fields of real estate, investment banking, consulting, and asset management. After finishing college in 2012, Yang decided to pursue cooking professionally and began working at Spice Table in Little Tokyo. Following the restaurant's closure at the end of 2013, he took a months-long culinary tour of Asia with Ho, then followed Bryant Ng to Cassia, which opened in June 2015. He served as sous there, while she worked the FOH.

Ho, meanwhile, was born in June 1990, and comes from a Taiwanese-Chinese family. She's also a class of 2008 San Marino High School graduate, and also went to UC San Diego, and also attained a bachelor's degree in management science at the school. She was part of a study abroad program at Peking University, and interned at LeisureLink before graduating early in March 2012. Ho continued to work at LeisureLink following her time at UCSD, but later became a real estate agent and joined Yang at Cassia following their time eating through Asia.

Once they were ready to open their own place, the couple partnered with real estate investor Allan Liao (also involved with Agnes) as well as Joseph Marcos (Ugly Drum, Pizzeria Mozza, Campanile). Together, they took over the old Mosaic Lizard Theater in Downtown Alhambra and debuted Yang's Kitchen in August 2019, serving Asian-American comfort food inspired by the partners' experiences growing up in LA. Initially, the restaurant was of a fast-casual, order-at-the counter, daytime-only nature, known for its beef noodle soup and scallion pancakes, but was still able to catch the attention of Bon Appetit ("The 24 Restaurants We Couldn't Stop Talking About in 2019") and Los Angeles Magazine ("L.A.'s 10 Best New Restaurants of 2019").

When COVID-19 struck, the restaurant transformed into a retail shop selling basic staples, then began offering food to-go a few months later. In April 2021, Yang's Kitchen reopened with a rejiggered menu that was more sustainable in terms of cost versus the prices that could be charged. The following November, the team launched a proper dinner service for the first time, replete with booze, and was immediately met with a "101 Best Restaurants in LA" nod from the LA Times. More recently, in January this year, Yang was deemed a "Best Chef: California" semifinalist by James Beard, while the New York Times declared Yang's Kitchen one of "The 25 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Right Now" in July.


Here we see the "Yang's at Night" dinner menu, which is Chinese-influenced, but clearly draws from Italy and Japan as well, at a minimum. Also pictured above is the restaurant's selection of sake, beer, cocktails, and sundry beverages. Click for larger versions.


A wine list managed by sommelier Jordan Chen is surprisingly legit, with some interesting picks and some decent pricing to boot. Corkage is $25 a pop, double that for magnums, and they'll even waive one corkage fee for each bottle purchased from the list. Click for larger versions.


Dry-aged Hiramasa, ginger scallion sauce, fried ginger [$19.00]
Dinner got off to a strong start thanks to these clean, concentrated cuts dry-aged kingfish, set against an aggressive, yet never overwhelming amount of pungent ginger.


Wine-wise, we began with a bottle of the Chavost Rosé de Saignée Brut Nature NV [$150], a blend of 67% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir. The Champagne displayed an earthiness on the nose, commingled with tart aromas of strawberry and citrus. Taking a sip, I found the sparkler bright, dry, and quaffable, its red fruit flavors offset by a palpable minerality and touches of herb.


Transparentsea Prawn 'Ceviche', pico de gallo, ponzu, avocado, crispy noodles, cilantro [$24.00]
In this tweaked ceviche, prawns were joined by a subtle, creeping heat and complementary flavors of pico and avocado, with the ponzu contributing an underlying savoriness that was key. I was a big fan of those crunchy miǎn gān noodles as well (a childhood favorite of mine), though my quibble here is that I would've liked a "snappier" texture on the shrimp.


Cold Crab Noodles, Semolina organic spaghetti, local dungeness crab meat, bottarga, fried shallots, shallot oil [$28.00]
A mound of Dungeness crab had all the sweet and saline flavors I was looking for, and meshed easily with the deep, onion-y savor of the shallots, with bottarga boosting the brine factor even further. Peas helped even out the headiness of the dish, and I liked the firm texture on those noodles, too.


'Secret' Potatoes, smashed Weiser Farms potatoes, aromatic chili cumin butter, chili crisp, scallion, cilantro [$14.00]
I don't know what's so "secret" about these potatoes, but I do know that they were damn good. The taters featured crisp exteriors and tender insides, and I loved the familiar, chili crisp- and cumin-fueled pungency of the dish, with everything perked up by zesty scallion and cilantro.


Grilled Cabbage, pepita bagna cauda, preserved lemon [$14.00]
Given that I'm a bit of a cabbage slut, this was a must-order item, and fortunately, didn't fail me. I was enamored with the crunchy, bitter, smoky character of the veggie, and how it melded so readily with the savory, nutty qualities of that non-traditional bagna càuda.


Smoked Pork Jowl Cha Siu, Peads & Barnetts pork, hot mustard [$19.00]
The char siu was another must-try dish, and also delivered in spades. The meat came out rich and nearly gelatinous, and showed off all the sweetly-spiced flavors I was looking for, along with some lovely crispy charred bits. Also key was that sinus-clearing hot mustard on the side, which did a wonderful job evening out the heftiness of the pork.


Prior to this visit, I wasn't aware of how strong the wine program here was, so I brought along a bottle of 2000 Château Léoville Barton to enjoy with the meal. The nose here was barnyard-y at first blush, but quickly transitioned to elements of jammy fruits, smoke, and this almost soy sauce-esque savoriness. On the palate, the Bordeaux was lithe and silken, with a core of black fruit bolstered by black pepper, tobacco, and mineral. With more time, the aroma became more dominated by that tertiary fruit, while taste-wise, the wine's floral nuances began making themselves more known.


Blistered Sugar Snap Peas, mushroom meat, fried shallots, mint, chives [$15.00]
Sugar snap peas came out wonderfully bright and crunchy, with a superb minty note, while just as crucial were the mushrooms and shallots, which offered up a counterbalancing depth and umami.


Braised Duck Leg with Taro, soy-braised Jurgielewicz duck leg, organic Yao Cheng Farms taro purée, chives, soy jus [$39.00]
A fork-tender, long-cooked leg conveyed the deep, duck-y flavors you'd want and expect. What was more unexpected was the accompaniment of taro, which served as a somewhat sweet (I believe there's coconut milk in there), but effective foil to the bird.


'Dan Dan' Campanelle, Semolina organic campanelle, Bih Shan mushrooms, mustard stems, chili crisp, scallion [$23.00]
The menu's one pasta dish was to my liking as well. The campanelle were lovely in terms of texture, and served as a fitting stage for the dish's restrained, yet identifiable dàndànmiàn-inspired flavors, which leaned nutty and sweet, with a tinge of málà and chili-powered heat.


Santa Carota Beef Cheek Stew, red wine, white rice, potatoes, carrots, parsley [$36.00]
In this Hong Kong-style cafe-inspired stew, chunks of beef possessed all of those deep, dark flavors one would desire, and when paired with the root vegetables, made for an eminently cozy dish that married perfectly with white rice.


'Hainan' Fish Rice, dry-aged barramundi, chicken fat rice, chili butter, ginger scallion sauce, pickled cucumbers [$37.00]
In our final savory, a fish-based riff on Hainanese chicken rice didn't quite capture the essence of the classic dish for me, but was delicious nonetheless. The barramundi was on-point texturally, being simultaneously flaky and meaty, while flavors were robust, refined, and dutifully enhanced by the chili butter. In addition, I liked the contrast provided by the pickles and especially that wonderfully zingy ginger-scallion condiment on the side. Also a triumph was the rice itself, which was well-imbued with the headiness of schmaltz, but yet rather elegant at the same time.


Shown here are the dessert menu and selection of after-dinner beverages. Click for larger versions.


Elaine's 'Purin' [$9.00]
I'm assuming that the "Elaine" here refers to CdC Elaine Chang, and what's apparent is that she can make a mighty fine, jiggly crème caramel, one loaded with all the dark, sticky, sugary notes I was seeking.


Accompanying our sweets was a complimentary pour of the Samuel Tinon '5 Puttonyos' Tokaji Aszú, a very fitting dessert wine teeming with mouthwatering flavors of honey, citrus, and apricot, all accented by pricks of spice.


Coco Melon Mango Sago [$16.00]
Coconut, melon, and mango made for a refreshing combination in this next dessert, and I also appreciated the textural contribution from the sago pearls.


Straus Creamery Organic Vanilla Soft Serve + Black Sesame Crunchy Butter [$8.00 + $2.00]
Last up was some super smooth, super creamy soft serve topped with a delightfully tāngyuán-esque sesame butter sourced from local producer Rooted Fare.

It took me way too long to visit Yang's Kitchen, but I'm happy to report that this dinner delivered just what I was looking for. What we're dealing with is essentially a deliciously unauthentic merging of disparate culinary traditions with Asian-American nostalgia and SoCal sentimentality, all resulting in a unique vision for cuisine that defies easy classification. I'm definitely looking forward to returning and seeing where the team takes this--one of my favorite spots in the San Gabriel Valley for sure.