Funviralpark In contrast, top bbq noodledoes a great job living up to its name and sticks to the dim sum gospel from 10am to 3pm. Before there were all-time dim sum outlets, it was. And in our various Chinese communities, it still is.
Top BBQ Noodles is located in one of the most food-intensive strip malls. Over the years, Gateway Plaza in Artesia, just west of Normandy, has been home to the United Nations’ culinary scene, including Teriyaki Hawaii, Torimatsu, Tea Station, Aunty’s Cafe, Chile Verde, El Polo Inca, Kanpachi and Curry House. and continues to be , Tapioca Pho, The Crab Shack, California Fish Grill.
In the middle is Top Barbecue Noodles. It’s a large restaurant with an extensive menu and the pictures of all the dishes look very nice. But if you’re looking for price, you should look to the much smaller, photoless takeout menu. This shows that Top is a ‘Hong Kong style’ eatery where you can ‘taste the difference’.
Having been to Hong Kong many times, I was able to understand that the style has influences from all over China. So do many international restaurants, including Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, and American cuisine.
I haven’t been to Hong Kong since it returned to Chinese rule, so I don’t know how much Hong Kong has changed. And those memories are that I am so well fed at every meal, especially at the small, unremarkable noodle and smoked meat joints in the alleys off the main streets.
As I perused the extensive menu at the top, I remembered the joy of spending an evening eating roasted duck noodle soup, hearty BBQ pork noodle soup, and even Hainanese chicken rice. Online community moments. This is a strange trend as it is nothing more than chicken and rice.By contrast, the crispy pork belly and rice on top is much more appealing. ) is even better.
If you can stop by at lunchtime, the dim sum menu is relatively straightforward, but hits all the right notes, as do the rice combos. There are sou dumplings called xiao long bao (another craving object, and in this case, worthy of the title).
There are also steamed spare ribs, shrimp wrapped in yuba, lotus leaf glutinous rice, and chawanmushi. Again, there is a combination option of char siu, chicken and duck top BBQ mix buns. It is very thoughtful for those of us who want to taste everything.
The first thing that catches your eye when you enter the store is the meat hanging from the smoker. Roast duck, pork char siu in honey sauce, chicken (on the bone or without).
But you should also be aware of the crazy art on the walls. One of them is dedicated to martial arts legend Bruce His Lee, annotated with the world of wisdom he shared in his all too short life. “The key to immortality is first to live a life worth remembering,” it says. At Top BBQ, he definitely has his life.
Another wall is decorated with cartoonish pictures and words such as “Hello”, “Please be seated”, “Have a good time” and “Life starts with water”.
The downside of the night I visited was that life didn’t start with the server until I got off my phone long enough to take my order. He had two servers running that night, both of which appeared to be texting. I tried to interrupt it, but it went nowhere for a while.
Isn’t that the curse of the times? I look around the restaurant a few times and notice that most people are sitting at tables with their mobile phones. It can not be helped. Eventually I was served. I don’t think the cook was texting while he was assembling my noodles.
Merrill Shindler is a freelance dining critic based in Los Angeles. Email [email protected].
top bbq noodle
- evaluation: 2 stars
- address: Gateway Plaza, 1425 Artesia Blvd., Gardena
- information: 310-819-8413, www.topbbqnoodle.com
- cooking: Lunch is yakisoba, noodles, gyoza
- when: daily lunch and dinner
- detail: exotic tea
- atmosphere: Located in a restaurant-filled strip mall just below Peruvian Yakiniku, this brightly lit casual cafe serves a variety of dishes, but sadly dumplings are only served at lunchtime. Sometimes dumplings are just after dark.
- price: About $18 per person
- In the menu: 10 dim sum ($5.25, 10am-3pm), 13 appetizers ($4.99-$14.99), 9 barbecue dishes ($13.99-$46.99), 16 hot dishes ($14.99-$23.99), 12 seafood dishes ($17.99) ~ $31.99), 12 noodle fried rice dishes ($15.99-$17.99), 7 barbecue rice dishes ($12.99-$17.99), 10 noodle soups ($10.99-$16.99), 5 soups ($13.99-$15.99)
- credit card: MC, V
- Meaning of the stars: 4 (World class! Worth going anywhere!), 3 (Best, even exceptional. Worth going from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (Good place to go to eat. Neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry and nearby but don’t get stuck in traffic.) 0 (Honestly not worth writing about.)
