Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
How Hard Is Coronavirus Hitting San Gabriel Valley's Restaurants?
LEFT: Chongqing special flavor boiled fish at Yun Chuan Garden in Monterey Park. (Ron Dollette/Facebook Creative Commons). MIDDLE: A trio of frothy boba drinks at Bubble Republic, a boba and snack shop in the city of San Gabriel. (Courtesy of Bubble Republic). RIGHT: Assorted hummus and dips at Hummus Labs in Pasadena. (Courtesy of Hummus Labs). (Photo collage by Elina Shatkin)
()
When Fiona Ng, the head producer at KPCC's AirTalk, asked me early in the coronavirus pandemic if she could write a story about a Monterey Park hot pot restaurant offering a crazy deal — giving away a pot to anyone who ordered takeout — I jumped at the chance.
Every week, she would pitch me new ideas. She didn't go hunting for these stories. She discovered most of them while she was out and about, living her daily life.
A native of Hong Kong, Fiona has lived on and off in the SGV for more than a decade. She's fluent in Cantonese and speaks Mandarin well enough to get by. And since she doesn't cook, she eats out... a lot. That kind of unique perspective and boots-on-the-ground experience is rare, and it can't be taught.
Fiona's initial story evolved into a short series about COVID-19's impact on the San Gabriel Valley dining scene — old school restaurants pivoting to stay afloat, new ones struggling to establish themselves, diners banding together to show their support. These stories only scratch the surface of the 626's vast and diverse restaurant culture but we hope they offer a glimpse into an ecosystem that doesn't always get enough attention.
Support for LAist comes from
—Elina Shatkin
A takeout hot pot from Uniboil, a hot pot restaurant in Monterey Park.
()
Order A Hot Pot — Get The Stove And Pot For Free
While some restaurants have been able to adapt to the brave new world of takeout and delivery, that's not so easy for hot pot joints. They involve groups of people sitting together at tables with embedded stoves, cooking meals in bubbling pots and sharing the same ladle to dispense broth. Alan Pun, who owns Uniboil in Monterey Park, knows this better than anybody. So he's trying something unique — throwing in the stove, the pot, the ladles and the fuel with every takeout order. READ MORE
()
How Does A Boba Shop Revamp And Reopen During Quarantine?
Competition among the San Gabriel Valley's boba vendors is fierce. That's why Michael Tu decided more than a year ago that Bubble Republic, his cheery San Gabriel shop, needed a facelift. On February 24, he closed the cafe for what he thought would be a four-week remodel. He reopened in late March to a changed world. READ MORE
Support for LAist comes from
()
Chengdu Taste, LA's Premier Sichuan Restaurant, Fights To Survive
You can't talk about Sichuan cuisine in Southern California without name-checking Chengdu Taste. Since opening in 2013, the Alhambra restaurant has won heaps of praise and cultivated a diehard fanbase. Co-owner Sean Xie figured 2020 was the year to expand. Like many of us, he's rethinking his expectations. READ MORE
()
When Life Gives Your Restaurant Lemons, Use Them To... Make Hummus?
Joseph Badaro was raised in Temple City but he likes to say he grew up in his mom's kitchen. Standing at her side, he learned how to roll grape leaves and soak, boil and blend garbanzo beans. He knew that one day, he would open a restaurant. He didn't expect it would be in the middle of a pandemic. READ MORE
()
How Facebook Foodies Are Fighting To Save San Gabriel Valley Restaurants
For San Gabriel Valley lifers Alan An and Brian Ngoy, food is much more than a hobby -- it's its own culture. When stay-at-home orders required restaurants to close their dining rooms, the hungry duo started a Facebook group so friends and family could share intel. Three weeks later, they had 7,000 members and the group has become an indispensable resource for matching hungry San Gabriel Valley residents to nearby restaurants. READ MORE
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs. -
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
Best of LAist