Inside The Chinese Food Mecca Of Los Angeles [Chinese Food: An All-American Cuisine, Pt. 3] | AJ+
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- Опубликовано: 16 авг 2017
- Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley is the Chinese food mecca of the U.S., representing dishes from most regions of China. In this video, we'll learn how the newest wave of mainland Chinese immigrants are impacting the food scene.
Watch Part 1: How Chop Suey Saved San Francisco's Chinatown • How Chop Suey Saved Sa...
Watch Part 2: The Untold Story Of America's Southern Chinese • The Untold Story Of Am...
Resources:
“Ethnoburb: The New Ethnic Community in Urban America” by Wei Li
Special Thanks:
Chihuo (吃货)
David Chan
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Los Angeles really has so many hidden food gems..
Holy shit. That feeling when you're watching random videos and see the street you grew up featured in the video.
Same here but I live in the east coast now, miss SoCal though...
Oh my gosh lol you too??
I love to see it!!!
My cousins grew up in Irvine, and I grew up outside Philadelphia. My parents are from Taiwan, and I'm a person who played football and enjoyed listening to rock music. I kid you not, when I visited California for the first time, the big culture shock was experiencing the Chinese communities out west, putting my mother in her comfort zone. I did not anticipate that. My parents were pigging out every night.
I am Mexican, LA raised. Its been a great food culture turn around in SGV. Those Meg a-Millionares have up-ed the Chinese food game, Thank God. Valley BLVD. is so specific, I dont even know what I am eating but its wonderful! I lived near Korean community and found the food experience but the Chinese is over the Top in SGV.
Valley Blvd. and Garvey Ave. are the two main roads to hit up for a slew of endless Chinese flavors. Garvey Ave. is a bit older in terms of when it was first developed, but you can't really go wrong with either.
Chinese food is the grossest, cheapest, and sick food on this planet no wonder you enjoy it it's very unhealthy
@@JesusGodHolySpirit3 Yes, judge all Chinese food equally because as we all know, it's all the same, AMIRITE? 😏
I was in LA recently and just happened to stray into this area. Best Chinese food I've ever had.
I grew up as a Cantonese Chinese American in Boston and then married over to San Gabriel Valley about ten years ago. Please do an episode on the Chinese community in Boston as well. There is also a Boston Chinatown. There are more Cantonese speaking immigrants originally due to Guangzhou, my birthplace, the capital city of Guangdong province, being a major port city for two millenia since the Qin Dynasty general Zhao Tuo established the Nanyue Kingdom there. Most oversea Chinese were of Cantonese origin originally. Boston’s Chinatown and Chinese community, with Quincy being a second Chinatown (my parents still live there) are mostly Cantonese and Toisanese (Toisan in Cantonese or Taishan in Mandarin) speakers. When I moved to Los Angeles County living right on San Gabriel Boulevard, I was surprised to see so many Mandarin speakers from all over China. San Gabriel Valley is like a second Chinatown to the Los Angeles Chinatown, similar to Quincy, Massachusetts is like a second Chinatown outside of the Boston Chinatown. Monterey Park is nicknamed “Little Taipei” 小台北. We border on San Marino and Arcadia, both of which are wealthy districts with million dollar houses. I graduated from Boston Latin School, the oldest school in America founded in 1635 by Puritans. Harvard, founded one year later in 1636, being the oldest University in USA, was founded originally for our school’s first graduating class. Massachusetts ranks number two in education and health. I kind of miss Massachusetts for its education and healthcare, as Boston is the number one hospital city in USA with a lot of Harvard Medical School (number one medical school in USA) affiliated hospitals such as Mass General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital where I have worked at before. The school system here in Los Angeles isn’t as good as in Massachusetts, but the amount of variety of Chinese from different parts of China definitely amazes me. Arcadia High School and San Marino High School are highly sought after schools in this area by the Chinese, although their national rankings aren’t as high as Boston Latin School.
Sorry for comparing my experiences living in two different parts of USA (northwest and southwest) and sharing my experiences and comparisons. Don’t feel offended if you are from San Gabriel Valley. Just a comparison I constantly do comparing where I grew up and where I currently reside. I wish Governor Newsom could clean up the air pollution in Los Angeles. I kind of miss the clean air in Massachusetts and the history and culture in Boston, the birthplace of American history. You will find Chinese families pushing their kids into exam schools. You see that in Los Angeles with San Marino High School and Arcadia High School, and you see the same in Boston Latin School, all of them being exam schools. I wish there wouldn’t be Affirmative Action against the Asians because Asians strive hard to enter exam schools in USA, while quota are often given to the blacks and Hispanics as minorities even though Asians are way more minor in USA. When it comes to exam schools, I wish it would be fair competition instead of using Affirmative Action to discriminate against the way more minor group of Asians.
You guys are KILLIN it! Great content - can't wait for more.
Hope to see this series continue sometime and explore Queens' Flushing or Manhattan's Chinatown
My parents moved to San Gabriel in 1980 when there was majority caucasians and struggled to get jobs and earn income. I think it's hilarious you interviewed Clarrisa rolling in her daddies S-Class talking about struggles of chinese immigrants lol. Also these new influx of rich asians has ruined the 626 area, its no longer affordable and overcrowded
Money talks and BS walks, welcome too Amerkia. I bid you Peace.
I personally welcome the Rich Chinese.
I too welcome rich Chinese just to stick it to the Communist Party of China
and stick it to White Americans who think they own the USA.
Whether it's Canada, Australia, or any decent European countries, the Chinese drive up the property costs.
Don't interview the rich Chinese kids that don't know anything about the struggles of low-mid class Chinese immigrants.
This is a really nice series and I thank you for doing it. You can even go more in depth and I'm sure a lot of us will follow you.
Monterrey Park gets a mention! Excellent job Dolly, every episode is engaging, informative, and thought provoking.
As a Chinese American born and living in the SGV...there's definitely a lot of resentment against Mainland Chinese. Many of them bought up properties in cash. This has led to expensive housing prices for everyone. Houses, sometimes historic are knocked down to be replaced with huge mansions that take up the maximum footage of a property only to be left empty.
不愿意用英文评论是在怕什么呢
That is a source of resentment for sure. I also grew up in the SGV (Alhambra) where my father was a real estate broker in the 80s and 90s. His office was in San Marino, and 85% of his clients were from Taiwan and mainland China. I think the differences in business practices between the cultures is a source of resentment as well. That being said, the food game in the SGV in the last five years is sick!
No doubt the food is great, but do you see the Mexican Elite setting up camp here? No But the Chinese (Asian) do it all the time, they start with restaurants and nail shops and end up with your house and your whole neighborhood.
Frances Carranza You sound jealous! Is it because you are not friends with the Mexican Elites? If you were, you would know they are buying the million dollar houses too.
I'd say thank you Chinese immigrants if I were a resident in that area.. I'd sell my house and make a fortune, upgrade to a nicer house in an area without chinese immigrants and keep the rest of the cash .....if it's some wealthy white man buying up houses, bet you wouldn't dare complain....when is it a sin to pay for your house upfront instead of going through a 20 year mortgage anyways?...so now being in debt is the ethical thing to do?...BTW, Being a Chinese American doesn't exempt you from being a racist..you ain't going to be complaining if your neighbourhood is bought up by whites, that's for sure.. slave mentality..
Everyone talks about the southern accents from video 2, but Clarrisa's vocal fry is really on point.
Wow I watched the entire series I learned a lot. The Chinese bring so much to American Culture. I think that’s the beauty of American culture is that there are so many cultures within it to make it what it is. I had no idea the Chinese worked the cotton fields and built a community in Mississippi during Jim Crow. And to think people question them as they’re foreigners is astounding and flat out ridiculous. The one woman’s southern accent is thicker than syrup! I think some people just want to be mean and hateful or their just stupid or both. But this series was fantastic 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Loved learning about SGV and the new food scene. I'd been familiar with the LA Asian communities in the 2000's, and now see it has changed so much. Appreciate that you included social/(non-) assimilation issues in the story. It's not all about hedonism. Very professional and slick video production, look forward to seeing more. Thank you.
You have made a great series. Looking forward to more.
I'm so glad this series popped up on my feed. I really enjoyed learning more about American Chinese and the struggles and successes they faced. Really well produced 👌🏼
I loved seeing the different Chinese restaurants and virtually getting to experience the SGV area. Definitely a place I want to visit!
Many Chinese operate restaurants, dental, doctor's office, accounting, businesses and IT, but Chinese are lacking in politics, so Chinese don't have a loud voice in government.
For example, another prison building is about to be setup in Manhattan Chinatown, the Chinese local people oppose it, but is unlikely to stop it from happening.
American Chinese are not as united as Vietnamese Chinese.
Hopefully one day, Taiwanese, Uighers, Mainlanders, OSC, can all unite and act as a family as 500 years ago, we shared the same ancestors.
i’m from alhambra and chinese food is a big part of the culture here for everyone. when we get together with friends it’s normally for pho and boba.
Wish we had these many Chinese restaurants in New Jersey lol very beautiful culture 🇨🇳🇺🇸❤
Great series. Stories well told. I enjoyed all three parts. And with SGV was closer so I could try some of that food!
7:32
Those reasons seem inaccurate.
I would say the 3 big reasons why Chinese parents send their kids to America are as follows:
1. Study at a prestigious American school without having to compete in the Chinese Gaokao. Graduate. Make money in America or go back to China where a cushy job secured by their family awaits them.
2. Study at a prestigious American school without having to compete in the Chinese Gaokao. Graduate. Make money in America or go back to China where a cushy job secured by their family awaits them.
3. Healthier environment, away from the rapid industrialization in China.
Literally zero of the Chinese families I know of have sent their kids to America for nebulous concepts of liberal democracy.
Thats what i thought too
It was only her opinions. Beside, she is in camera, so say the politically correct thing.
hahahah
@@indrasiswanto1161 yeah like the whole diversity thing. Yeah right.
she came at age11, so probably she came with her family. for her it might have been that way
I was hoping this segment would capture the "true" Chinese American experience of SGV. From the the little market Din Hao that cater the 1st batch of fresh Taiwan products to World Journal Newspaper to the 1st Shao Mei on Valley with a mah jong table in the back. Who can forget the little aunty that worked off her a** on Mission Blvd/Las Tunas....and who wouldve thought her sausage later evolved into Sinbala....Thats just the Taiwanese side......What about the Chinese Vietnamese, Chiu Chow Cantonese , the explosive Hong Kong Cafe scene after 97'. Its because of these little restaurants, that sold comfort food at a very reasonable price at that time when all of us are adapting to this new country. If you live in SGV like I do, you know this is a horrible representation of our community. Many of us came from hard working class family, its truly a shame that multi million dollar homes and mega corporation Chinese restaurant that many of us dont even get it or like to eat is representing our community.
I graduated from a high school in the SGV in '07. I know this is a terrible representation of the communities here. It's especially insulting to the whites who embraced the populations with open arms- a slap in the face
Yeah, and remember Peng Yuan, the first high-end Chinese restaurant next to the Ding Hao market on Atlantic Blvd? Good luck trying to get a reservation for dinner on Friday or Saturday there.
Yea, truly annoying. Many of the new Chinese immigrants are from rich families from Mainland China. This truly does not show the struggles and diversity of the San Gabriel Valley. There's still plenty of poverty among the Chinese populations. Just Google "Neither Human Nor Ghost: Chinese Immigrants Scrape By In San Gabriel Valley’s Boarding Houses," an amazing article done by LAist.
Now that you said that, I want to see a video on what you talked about 😅
The United States is a big nation of immigration, diversity, and multicultural. Chinese immigrants built American railroad system and they are businessmen today.
@@BlendedCreeper probably because the chinese sits between the white and the black, thats why.
Blend Creeper you can look up "black Wall Street" befor you open you stupid mouth. 400 years of structural roadblocks to asserting god given autonomy...
Blend Creeper: WTH is wrong with you?
@@BlendedCreeper 💯
I am so fascinated by the many different foods and cultural traditions on our planet, I cannot imagine feeling "threatened" by it.
Usually it takes an actual **threat** for me to feel threatened..... not food, music, outfit, or skin tone.
Thanks for this amazing series!
This series is really cool because I`m learning a lot I didn`t know about. I grew up in Orange County, but left southern California many years ago, so I don`t know how the region`s changed. You fill in a lot of those gaps for me. Thank you!
"Just because we are serving the table doesn't mean we have a seat at the table." Now that is deep AJ+
I'm 100% Pa'ke....Love love love this series!!! Makes me grateful for those before me. Thank you!
Thank you so much for making this!
I wish there were more of this series! Good job!
Great series thank you ! Love it!
the SGV is a mecca for both Asian and Latin cuisine, a lot of cultures have their own restaurants
Interesting series, thanks for making it. Hope to visit sometime.
I have enjoyed all three of these. Thank you.
Thanks for another great episode!
love this series`! good job!
so much fun! v glad to discovered your videos!!!!
My husband and his parents being from Arcadia I've gotten to know the 626 area fairly well. Myself being an all around mutt (French Mexican American) I really appreciate the diversity of this area. It's not just heavily Chinese influenced, but also Vietnamese, Korean, Hmong, Thai, etc. You'll also find lots of fusion style restaurants owned by young entrepreneurs where their take on more traditional cuisines can be really refreshing. One of my favorite fusion hot pot restaurants to visit in SGV is Jazz Cat. My husband's career moved us out to San Diego a few years ago and I really miss the 626 area. Especially more now knowing my husband recently accepted a transfer to Washington D.C. ... I'm going to miss living in California. Goodbye amazingly good diverse accessible food & sunny winters and hello unpredictable long snowy winters...😅
Enjoyed watching this video. May you succeed in all that you do.
I grew up immediately south of the SGV and went to community college there. it really is an awesome place. Lots of great restaurants and grocery stores
Super good video! I live super super close to the SGV and I always go to these places just to walk around and eat food, I'm super happy there's a video about the SGV and all the food there is!
SGV: we have been invaded by rich mainland Chinese.
Vancouver, Canada: first time?
I'm hispanic but I friking love Asian food. I am so upset that in Florida there is no good legit genuine Chinese food. I see this video and I just want to travel for the food. No shame!! I want it! Feed me chinese food! Or any Asian yummy food!
Okay.
Rant over.
Sounds like there's a business opportunity in FL...
;--; this makes me so happy because not many people have eaten authentic asian food.
Lol and I bet you have never had authentic Chinese food? The Chinese food in the US located in these area codes are much much better than the authentic version because of the ingredients being of higher quality. You want authentic Chinese, come and live in China. Most foreigners I’ve met here if not all, do not like Chinese food. And these foreigners are from all over the world, mainly from the West. Been living in China for 5 years and the food is an acquire taste for sure.
if you love Mexican , and Asian food, L.A is the place
I have enjoyed your series. Thank you sharing.
love this series
Excellent series! Well done.
excellent series!
If this video is part of a series, can you please put links to the other parts in the description box?
Why does this remind me of Richmond and Burnaby, BC? Especially Richmond. I've never gone to California, but I've been to Vancouver before. My parents immigrated there back in the 90's, but they moved back to Hong Kong, and I was sent to school in the UK instead of North America. Every time I'm back in the 852, I'm happy, as the UK doesn't have much of a Chinese community and I miss the food. I'm learning how to cook in my spare time as a result.
Having been to both, Richmond BC and SGV are very similar!
I'm mad because this series was so short!
Los Angeles and the greater L.A area has the most diverse range of authentic Asian food outside of Asia..the Bay area, New York, Vancouver all have amazing Asian food...but the greater Los Angeles area is king at the moment..
Man, this channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Super high production values!
This is my first (being alive when youtube/possible the internet was created) comment ever. We need more and more and more and more of ABC's (sorry Asian born Canadian...yes not American but we are neighbors) that speaks to what our history is. To keep it simple, please do more. Our voice and culture need to be heard. This clip is awesome.
The way they prepare their food is truly a great art in itself.I don't think I will leave the place if I am invited here. Maybe only if I have to see the bill to come !
I've eaten at so many of these places, and I LOVE THEM!!!!!!
Happened across this and loved it.
Great program! 🌷Great eye opener, Thank you for this fun educational episode. ❤The host looks like a famous Egyptian singer named Shereen.
Excellent series!
Def gonna check out the 626 night market next time i'm in Cali. That was great, thanks Dolly!
Curtis Charlton don't come to the 626. It's a trap. You'll never make it out alive.
Just prepare yourself, it's wall to wall people at night market.
Curtis Charlton the 626 night market is just a bunch of food trucks. It's great food, and you can get some awesome stinky tofu. However, u will wait in long lines and be stepped on by thousands of people. Don't wear nice shoes when you go, I made this mistake once. They hold the 626 night market at the Santa Anita race track.
Most of those stuff selling there can be had in restaurants for lower price. I feel like 626 is totally a rip off.
Night Market is a rip off but the issue is that everything is ease of access. If you dont know where to go for food then yeah its a good place to visit.
You have to continue this series... It's really educational for young Asian American trying to find their identity or facing discrimination still in 2020
Not much people discriminate a billionaire Black person, just as not much people will discriminate a billionaire Chinese. Wealth can put you in a different category or more enjoyable freedom.
Great series!
Love this series
This is my neck of the woods, lived there for 30 years before moving to the east coast. Used to hangout at Focus Plaza (Valley/Del Mar) back in the day. That entire plaza/shopping complex used to be a drive in theater years ago. Nice to see this clip of where I used to live for many years...
tnx.very nice shows
Food writer driving an S-Class? WTF am i doing wrong?
Location, Location plus to play you have to pay.
P Pha ...probably rich parents
It's an older model so it's not that expensive
Daddy's hand-me-down.
P Pha That's a real cute infant/baby!!!
I bee 3 months out of SGV back in my birthplace(Puerto Rico) and I really miss SGV😔 can wait to go back. Just being living there two years and I fell in love with it.
My best friend is from China, and I’m so glad I met her.
Thanks AJ, I'm East Coast Chinese American, will definitely visit SGV soon.
Awesome video!
My family and I are from Toishan/Taishan, and I never knew that the men from there were some of the first immigrants to this country. Pretty cool.
I grew up in Monterey Park so this is home for me when I come home to visit family and friends we meet up and enjoy all the great food
Great series.
i dont understand how this channel hasnt blown up yet
massive respect
I see, Arcadia, Alhambra, Monterey Park. You go to the "floating teapot" 0:36 mark. That's Temple City! Temple City REPRESENT!
Las tunas and rosemead
Psh, TC doesn't count. You're just sandwiched in between the "better" cities 😁
Temple City we always get ignored. We're such a tiny city.
Where’s San Marino though??
forget about el monte
I used to walk down Valley Blvd all the time! From east LA to San Gabriel!
excellent work.
nice! love the last sentence
just finding out about this channel and it is awesome. hostess is beautiful and great at her job.
I remember 626 Night Market's inaugural showing. They assumed 6,000 people would show up... it had 30,000. Super packed!
They've moved it to Santa Anita Park, easing the crowding by a ton! Highly recommended!
0:10 hahaha I always go to this plaza with my wife and her family. Vege Paradise is there and it's a Vegan Chinese food spot that is actually pretty awesome.
I lov your show !
I love your videos
for 9 years i lived in this area: temple city (around las tunas and temple city blvd), san gariel (north of valley blvd then rosemead blvd+las tunas dr)....bring back the memories
Wonderful. Reminded of my Chinese Housemate's food
Feels weird seeing the places you've been to so many times in the video.
You should do a series on the SGV night market.
that makes me miss SGB and all the awesome food there
Love the difference that make cities great.
So homesick.
Awesome series. I feel proud to be a Chinese American
i grew up in this area ish (more pasadena/altadena), had a 626 cell as a kid (then 818), and had friends in san marino, monterey park. rlly nostalgic for me watching this video. my mom is mainland not taiwan so i always felt like i was walking an interesting boundary but we frequented the area bc of 99 & dimsum haha.
There's a 99 ranch and an H-Mart in Katy Texas and I love them. Wish there was one in my home town.
It's a bit of a Beverly Hills version of most (i.e. more metropolitan) Chinatowns but it's still definitely unique and worth checking out.
Omg, you have to try the black sesame glutinous rice ball dessert at Din Tai Fung 😍
If you're thinking about checking out the 626 Night Market, bring lots of money and have a lot of patience. The food is expensive and parking is almost impossible to find.
Back in the 70’s Diho market on Atlantic started it all!
I used live in Rosemead an go the restaurants and markets, it’s really good experience
so cool