9461 Las Tunas Dr., Temple City 626-287-5500
Type: Taiwanese
Quality: !!! Price: $ Ambience: **
Like I mentioned before, I am not particularly fond of Taiwanese cuisine, but my Taiwanese-born friends and co-workers rave about this place. The owners used to run the formerly-popular QQ Cafe in the mini-mall just west of here. I wish I could give you a better run-down of this place, but for some reason, the spices and flavorings in Taiwanese food don't sit well with me, even though I'm Cantonese. FYI, there is a saying that Cantonese people will eat anything with a leg except for a table or chair. However, I heartily recommend for their Taiwanese slush. At $2.50 a pop for four toppings, it's a steal, even if you add 50 cents for the condensed milk. This is located in the mini-mall with the Donut Star donut shop in front. It's almost impossible to see from the street.
9441� Las Tunas Dr., Temple City 626-292-1128
Type: Taiwanese
Quality: !! Price: $ Ambience: *
As I wrote in my review for Won Won Kitchen above, this place is no longer as good as it used to be, based on feedback from my family and friends. It is certainly not nearly as popular as it used to be.
651 W. Duarte Rd., #F, Arcadia 626-446-0886
Type: Taiwanese
Quality: !!! Price: $ Ambience:
I haven't been here, yet, but again, my friends and co-workers give it glowing reviews, especially for the authenticity and taste of its sausages. You can also buy sausages here by the pound. While the name sounds like a college drinking game, it actually refers to the roughly 100 types of specialty-flavored juices, teas, slushes, and milks they serve. According to one of my Taiwanese co-workers, "Sin Ba La" refers to a game that used to be played (or may still be played) by sausage vendors in Taiwan. A sausage vendor will have a bowl in front of his sausage cart/stand. Instead of buying the sausage, any passer-by could bet a Taiwanese dollar in a gamble to get, say 5 sausages. Both the passer-by and the vendor each separately roll four dice into the said bowl. Each one rolls until they get two of a kind. These are discarded. The value shown on the remaining two dice are added together. The highest amount wins. Two sixes is an automatic win. If you roll a triple, you need to roll again. If the vendor wins, he takes the dollar. If the vendor loses, the passer-by wins 5 sausages. As they roll the dice, they yell, "Sin ba la!" I can't verify this, and I'm probably missing some rules of the game, but I don't think you should try this type of gambling at the restaurant. They'd probably give you a funny look before they laugh you out of the establishment. If you go here, let me know what you think.