Wah's Golden Hen

Loved this place. Missing it today and wanted to give them a shout out. The owner was super nice and the food was great & reminded me of the classic Chinese takeout spots I grew up with in NY. Hope the Wah's Golden Hen family is enjoying retirement!

I went to Los Angeles City College and lived off Virgil when I discovered this Gem! So sad to hear they closed, but Glad to hear Mrs. Wah is enjoying a well earned retirement! She was a kind, lovely person who greeted customers like they were family!

My favorite Chinese Restaurant!

After learning about their closing, I decided to pick up some of their dishes the night before Christmas Eve. The owner was wonderfully kind and very accommodating. Their Americanized Chinese food is exactly what you would expect from the 1970s, and it was good. It's no wonder they've lasted for 50 years. I'm sure Covid-19 influenced their decision shutter the restaurant after dinner service tonight (which was at 7:30 pm) and start 2021 happily retired. They will be missed.

Hidden gem hole in the wall! I'm a big fan of little chinese places that can dish out some great food, good portions and an affordable price. This place has it all.

Julie, our hostess and daughter of the owners, was telling me that their stuff is made fresh daily, never frozen or refrigerated. Their wonton dumplings are hand made by her parents and cooked up that morning. If there are dumplings that don't make it onto your plate, they go to dumpling afterlife!

We tried the Mongolian beef and wonton soup. The Mongolian beef is super tender and their wonton soup is unique and won't leave you with a sodium induced headache-coma. Inside the wonton soup is cabbage, mushrooms, shrimp, carrots, onions, pork and of course their signature hand wrapped delectable wontons.

I hope the pictures below do this place justice!!

It was insanely hot out and the ac was amazing inside. The owners were so nice, food was great, and they have their own parking lot.

It was amazing food and a nice experience - I can't wait to go back.

It's sort of the Americanized Chinese place I've been looking for in LA for years.

Also the prices are awesome!

Over 30 years ago, I was a chubby little three year old coming from the Philippines to reunite with papa who came over first. This was The Chinese spot he first took us to. There was no other. Mama and me loved this place. Those crispy fried battered magical egg rolls will be remembered forever. I Remember her, the nice owner, who always gave us extra almond cookies and always remembered my family throughout the years, even when we had left LA long before. We'd always make a pilgrimage here through the decades. I'll always remember those dark red chairs and the drawing of the whole fish special on that whiteboard cause five year old me thought it was drawn so pretty. The combination chow mein and those famous egg rolls is indelibly marked on my tastebuds. I can't even google a recipe for those egg rolls, nothing comes close. Like a happy dream that no one will know about now. This place was the definition of a hole-in-the wall, dismal seedy parking, graffitied outside walls, but that didn't stop anyone from coming and eating here. Everyone ate here, from business suits, to the Philippine consulate, to my little ordinary family. I'll miss this little place where we ate like kings.

Thanks for the delicious food and happy memories.
Have a beautiful retirement. You deserve it. We wish your family well.

I grew up eating Wah's Golden Hen. It's one of the best Chinese restaurants in East Hollywood.

I also order the house fried rice, beef with string beans, salty squid, and mongolian beef. My mom loves the wonton and egg drop soup. The service is so quick. The prices are very reasonable for the proportion of food they give you.

When you order a lot of food to go, they place it in a box for you. It's convenient and the food is less likely to spill.

The East Hollywood area is really changing because of gentrification. I really want everyone to eat here to give a hard working woman their business. Nina is truly one of a kind. Every time I come here, she greets everyone with a smile and she knows everyone by name. Her customers are that loyal to her.

It's cash only. There's street metered parking right in front and a small parking lot to the left of it.

I will definitely come back. This place is amazing.

Several years ago I was locked out of a friends apartment located a few blocks away. It was pouring rain that day.

I was waiting a long time at the restaurant for my friend to come with the key.

When I explained to the lady (Mrs. Wah) my situation, she promptly brought out some tea and cookies and sat right down at my table and we proceeded to converse for a good two hours! She was so especially proud of her "grandbabies"!

When my friend finally came, she sent us both home with carry out dinners, on the house!

Sweetest kindest lady ever, and she earned a customer for life!

I truly wish the Wah family all the best in their retirement.

I recently learned that Wah's is closing down. This was the go to place for my mom and I when she was the administrator at Virgil Convalescent Hospital back 40yrs ago. She often worked late and I would meet her at the office and we would go to Wah's to bring home food when she didn't want to cook. This was high praise because she herself was a gourmet Chinese cook and working super mom. We would get the Beef Chow Fun and gailan.
Lot's of wonderful memories here. Thank you for being such a staple for so long. Happy Retirement!

So sad that this place is closing :(
Over the past 6 years I've loved eating here and the ambience inside the restaurant, loved the delicious food, loved the friendliness of the owner and loved seeing the cutest grandma in the kitchen. Wah's Golden Hen will truly be missed.