Yi Mei Chinese Pastries

 

0

3

Fatty C.

South Pasadena, CA

Yung Ho is one of the few places that offer soy milk and Chinese style breakfast in LA (it also serves lunch items as well).  I like it very much since it's got my favorite sweet rice roll with dried minced meat in it. And of coz not to mention the "lor bak go with egg". I am going there this weekend.

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24

300

Lillian L.

Monterey Park, CA

This is the Shit place to get some real authentic Chinese breakfast.......Or it was up till last year when there was new ownership.  *SIGN*..
I miss the real food....!!!!

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Elite '08

145

268

Tony C.

Los Angeles, CA

Once long ago I'd written a glowing review for this Monterey Park classic... Alas it was lost. Actually, no it wasn't. I looked at Judy W's pix and they looked like the EXACT same ones i took on the EXACT same cell phone and freaked out...

Now that they have a new menu I feel like I can move on.

First, look at all Taiwanese Yelpers and their reviews. It's like we don't know any better. 25+ years, still eating at the same damned restaurant. This joint was here before I even migrated to this lovely country.

In the last 6 months, I've eaten at every TW "deli/restaurant" in the SGV  that I know of. Every Shau May, Kang Kang Shau Mei, Mei this, Yi that. Come the first Taiwanese meal of 2008, Yi Mei on Atlantic beckoned, and delivered.

Still the best. except for soymilk. The Vietnamese tofu joints have taken over that niche. Screw it. They can have the soymilk, cuz i'll take YM's egg pancake, oyster omelette, rice noodles, gua bao, shao bing, mi jiang, you name it, this is it.

You want some Chinese rice cake for New Years? Better order it soon. They're taking days off next week.

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0

2

Jackson W.

Arcadia, CA

I used to go to this place as a kid and its as authentic as it gets.

The Yiu Tiao is amazing fresh. Yiu tiao literally means oil strip.
Its just fluffed up dough deep fried.

The secret to making the dough rise is to add  trace amounts of ammonium.
When u order this stuff in Taiwan thats exactly what they do.
This place tastes sooo good  that it makes me think they do the same.

Get a fan tuan a rice roll. Its a classic its good.

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1

11

Ethan S.

Monterey Park, CA

i like is place~~cos is so good and yum yum

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1

7

siantie h.

Jackson Heights, NY

best soy milk, best pork feet 'mee-swa'

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Elite '08

115

218

Albert H.

Los Angeles, CA

Yi Mei is the spot. You want some good ass Chinese breakfast? Go here, they won't do you wrong. Even though I've been here a great many times, many years ago, I never wrote a review because.. Well, I don't eat Chinese Breakfast all that often? And I couldn't remember how good their food was.

Honestly, I don't really dig two big components of Chinese Breakfast: YouTiao and Savory Soy Milk. Blasphemy, I know. But ShaoBing? I love it. I had some from Yi Mei today and damn.. I need to eat at Yi Mei more! MMmm. Flaky, yet substantial. Stuffed with Beef and Xue Cai. Perfect. Maybe a dab of.. hoisin sauce? Quibbles. It's Delishhh!

Their business can be erratic. Some days (like today), all of their tables (only four) are full and there's a line just to order take out. Other times, the places is empty and lifeless. I think most people just grab some breakfast and go. And while it's not the hot trendy spot to eat, they've got history and much appreciation from the locals.

They sell all kinds of great, tasty things! I personally recommend the ShaoBing obviously, but also their Egg Roll and Sticky Rice Roll. We bought some Radish Cake for Chinese New Year. We were also strongly tempted by the selection of Cong You Bing, Zong Zi and a variety of both Bao Zi and Jiao Zi. So much to taste and try!

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6

51

Christina L.

Pasadena, CA

The place is OG Taiwanese status; the best and only Taiwanese breakfast place I go to.  It has always been in the same location and never expanded, the epitome of OG.  Unfortunately I am really american when it comes to eating, and although I partake in a shitload of different ethnic foods, I stick to a few key favorites and have yet to expand.

You cannot go wrong with the following:

1) Soy bean milk, unsweetened
2) Me Jiang (peanut flavored)
3) Fan Twan (rice wrapped around shredded pork and you tiao) Their original one comes with this chinese root vegetable in it, which I absolutely hate, so I always ask for it without that.  
4)shiao bing you tiao
5) green onion pancake

Downfalls:  
-Better brush up on your Taiwanese/Mandarin/Cantonese, yes the lady at the front counter speaks all three, but English is NOT one of them.
-Don't expect stellar service, she stands behind that counter and stays there.  
-Don't go with a group, I suggest buying to go...they have about 3 1/2 tables, most of which are filled with baked goods that are cooling.  
On a side note, can I just say that they have this Hispanic lady worker that puts your order together, and SHE speaks Mandarin...it was a total trip when she read off my order to me in Mandarin, but I think she can help you out if you ask her.

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1

23

J W.

San Gabriel, CA

Five stars all the way .  This restaurant deserves more reviews than it should...i guess not enough chinese people are yelping yet = /

This restaurant has been around for as long as I could remember...since I came to the U.S. 17+ yrs ago.  This is the ideal place for the taiwanese sticky rice/soy milk breakfast.  I have to say their noodles and the turnip cake WITH EGG is scrumptuous!!!!! They have this house special soy/garlic sauce that deserves significant praise!

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Elite '08

153

543

Jonas T.

San Francisco, CA

Not the nicest looking bakery out there but everything is cheap and fresh. I love their mochi - sesame, peanut and red bean. This is an ideal place for a Taiwanese breakfast.

JONASAPPROVED!

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172

322

j u m a.

South Pasadena, CA

My favorite place for salty soy bean millk.  

They have good sticky rice rolls with chinese donut inside.

Probably the best place in LA for glutinous rice bowls

You have to buy the blocks of turnip cake to bring home and cut up and fry it.  Fantastic turnip cake, if you eat there make sure you put the garlic sauce on it.

They have a decent roast beef shiao bing, meat with pickled vegetables in a flakey pocket

Gua-bao, steamed bun stuffed with braised pork and picked vegetables with peanut sugar and cilantro

Ba-wan, translates to meat ball, it's a meatball wrapped inside a starchy pocket that is translucent when cooked, stuff with mushroom and bamboo shoots iniside, it's delicious.  

Great place to get stuff to bring home to cook

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8

52

Jefferson L.

Santa Monica, CA

OMG.  I love this place.  If I'm ever anywhere near this part of LA, I make it a point to stop by.  Eating the delicious Taiwanese goodies makes me feel whole again.  I love their Ba-Wan (shredded pork, shitake, and bamboo wrapped in rice cake covered in sauce), Gua Bao (pork belly with pickled greens in steamed bread), Shredded Daikon Pastries, Wa-Guai (Rice cake with dried daikon, pork, and ginger sauce), their various Buns and Taro or Daikon Cake, as well as their frozen dumplings.  They also have pretty good Yu-Fan (Taiwanese style sticky rice) and Ji-Juen (Chicken Rolls).  OMG, I think I could keep going but you oughtta just visit to know what I'm talking about.  Anybody who misses Taiwan food or wants to try it out should hit this place up.  It's cheap, lacks decor (what do you expect) and cash only.  Enjoy!

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Elite '08

50

337

Lynrei V.

San Francisco, CA

yo.

this is the real deal.
forget about the looks of this place or the health inspector score of B,
this is where you get some really delicious pastries - taiwan style.

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Elite '08

543

384

judy w.

Pasadena, CA

Update 4/13/08

Got my shao bing yao tiao cravings partially satiated today. It was good but I still feel the salty soy milk is better at the Rowland Heights location.

Bought a few large tubs of the cold dou-hua and it comes with peanuts and sweet syrup inside. It wasn't too sweet (as they usually are when pre-mixed in) and the peanuts complimented the dou-hua deliciously. Not as good as V P Tofu, but still pretty good.

Good dou-hua = happy tummy = happy judy w.

*tack on an extra star to make it a 4 star joint*

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food here isn't as fresh and well made / prepared as the one in rowland heights.  it's got your usual sesame shao bing bun with roast beef and pickled veggies, or chinese doughnut, or soy bean milk craving fulfillers though.

last time i had the soy bean milk soup here, there was way too much sesame oil. and when i dropped by today to pick up a few items to go, i noticed there wasn't a soul to be found other than the owner/an employee in the kitchen.  not a very good sign. but i suppose i would attribute the flow of business to its location.  my sis commented on how the roasted pork tasted weird today in the sesame bun.

yet, you can still depend on it to satisfy the urge to merge with a chinese doughnut and some soy milk.

and it has a "B" rating! (whoa)

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72

103

Annie C.

Los Angeles, CA

I've lived in LA my whole life and have watched the "cool Chinese restaurants" migrate from Monterey Park in the 80's to Alhambra in the 90's and now over to San Gabriel, but Yi Mei, will always be my favorite.  This tiny hole-in-the-wall Taiwanese deli/bakery is the OG restaurant which all ABC's grew up on if they were raised in LA.  

And more power to them for thriving in the same shopping center that was once home to Ding Hao (oh yea, your parents went there years before 99 Ranch was ever open!).  Other restaurants there have come and gone, but Yi-Mei hasn't even changed their CHAIRS since I've been little.  

This is the place to go for a Taiwanese breakfast of soymilk and those oily fried things that you dip in it.  Everyone should also stock up on the vegetable meat buns which make a great lunch and are ready after 2 minutes in the microwave.  The zhong-zi (sticky rice with meat in the center and wrapped in tea leaves) are also made fresh and seasonally.  Everything is always out on the tables because it probably just came out of the oven.  If you miss home cookin, go to Yi-Mei for your fix!!

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46

84

Rennie C.

Monterey Park, CA

Yi Mei! I can't believe I forgot all about you. Your soft soymilk and warm stuffed buns. Please forgive me. I don't know how I could have lived without your pork sesame sandwiches and cold noodles.  I'll make it up to you with five stars from Yelp. Now that I found you, I will never let you go again. I love you. Please don't ever leave me. What will I eat in the morning?

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Elite '08

30

170

Henry L.

Cupertino, CA

What is it about this tiny little bakery shop that makes me go there everytime I'm in the LA area? Is it the awesome soy bean milk or the beef shao bing or the fresh chinese donuts? Um, YES!

They also have an excellent selection of buns for you to take home.  The range is pretty wide, so you'll unlikely find nothing you like.

This is my favorite Chinese breakfast in LA.  But beware, Chinese speaking (and probably reading) required.  

While I've never had a problem getting a table, this restaurant can seat a total of 24 people.  Hopefully not many people will see this and they will stay empty for me.

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