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Recession Obsession: Cheap-Enough Organic
Gone Organic Fishin' | Sea Bass Salad
A Recession Obsession is, 1) a meal so great that it stays in your mind long after digestion's end, and, 2) plays nice with your sensitive wallet. Is there a better place than Los Angeles to eat a wide variety of amazing food that so happens to be inexpensive? Probably not. We're as lucky as we are well fed. We last obsessed over Mercado La Paloma near USC, and Tandoori tacos on the Miracle Mile. Today, we obsess...
Organic is not-so-secret code for expensive. (Even though LA organic is cheaper than other cities.) Expensive is code for not for Recession Obsession readers. That was until this author/adventurer stumbled upon Green Zone in San Gabriel.
We’ve ate San Gabriel (aka Chinatown 2.0) before. It’s home to wonderful cuisine that can be laughably cheap. Fuse that world with the Hollywood organic scene and you get Green Zone. It’s an organic place that’s pricier than its strip mall neighbors, but whose prices are like eating at a discount version of a typical organic joint. That’s why Green Zone is LAist’s latest Recession Obsession.
Asian-ish
Green Zone's Asian influence is definitely noticed on the menu. While their dishes aren't too traditional, they offer a mild fusion that doesn't flaunt itself. It's a humble, winning formula.
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Entrees are about $8 each. The fish, a few dollars more than that (the above salad was $11.) That sea bass was fresh, not fishy, and melted in my mouth (not in my hand, which would be weird.) I had pangs of longing the next day. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this heart is ready to gnaw on some organic sea bass as though it were my last meal prior to getting The Chair.
The Hainan Chicken with Jasmine Rice (pictured) is wonderfully enjoyable as well. The jasmine rice was so tasty that I would have ordered it in a mixing bowl and used a wooden cooking spoon to jam it down the piehole.
The deep fried Salmon triangles were the perfect appetizer too. Warm, indulgent, crispy, and fun for the whole family (if your whole family is in attendance.)
Photos by Caleb Bacon (Twitter) for LAist
- Green Zone Chinatown 2.0 | 534 E. Valley Boulevard | San Gabriel 91776 | (626) 288-9300
Where do you eat cheap-er organic? Comment Below!
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
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