Tam’s Noodle House

This casual Hong Kong-style café in San Gabriel and Rowland Heights serves an affordable Chinese breakfast menu (available 8–11am) plus a wealth of well-executed cha chaan teng classics like stir-fried beef udon, pineapple buns and salt-and-pepper fried tofu. Every style of noodle we’ve tried here has been excellent, from the wonton soup to the decadent flat shrimp-roe noodles which are served dry with protein choices like beef belly and pig feet. Be sure to order the cheung fun (steamed rice rolls), which come to your table soft, velvety and ready to be doused with sweet soy sauce. However, we don’t recommend coming here with more than six; unlike Chinese banquet-style dining rooms, the tiny no-frills space isn’t particularly suitable for large groups.