Southern Mini Town

As someone who grew up eating near-exclusively Cantonese cuisine, it took more than a few meals for me to understand and appreciate Shanghainese cuisine, at least beyond shengjianbao and xiaolongbao. I've tried most of the San Gabriel Valley’s heavy hitters, including Michelin-recommended Jiang Nan Spring, but the Shanghainese restaurant that left the strongest overall impression was this modest restaurant just a few doors away from Golden Deli in San Gabriel. Regional staples like soy-braised eel (made here with leeks), pan-fried rice cakes and red braised pork belly are classically prepared with minimal grease; Shanghai’s famous tempura-like fried fish with seaweed powder comes delicately crisp and lightly seasoned. With its subtler flavors and heavy reliance on plum wine and other spirits, Shanghainese cuisine can be difficult to understand at first, but Southern Mini Town makes it easy, all with minimal bells and whistles.