Yang’s Kitchen

When Yang’s Kitchen opened in 2019, it had our immediate attention. The order-at-the-counter Taiwanese-ish restaurant in Alhambra was a breath of fresh air, serving delicious, creative food in a space that felt like the breezy, second-floor cafe of an upscale bookstore. We even put it on our Best New Restaurants Of 2019 list, enshrining our affection for this inventive neighborhood spot.

Fast forward to today—with a year-long pandemic closure sprinkled in—and Yang’s is back with full dinner service, marking a new era for an operation that was previously daytime-only. With a well-curated natural wine list, thoughtful local sourcing, and a new lineup of profoundly original dishes, we can say with confidence that this is the most exciting version of Yang’s yet. 

If you had a chance to visit Yang’s in its early days, the stark white wood interior here will look familiar. There’s one big difference now, though: the letter boards that hang above the back counter no longer list the menu. That’s because Yang’s is now full-service (you’ll get the menus at the table) and also because one of the boards now highlights the local producers and farmers that Yang’s sources its ingredients from. The other highlights the restaurant’s commitment to sustainable food systems, paying employees living wages, and working with Zero Footprint, a non-profit that fights climate change through agricultural practices. It’s a level of intentionality and transparency that is not often seen in most big name restaurants, let alone a tiny cafe in the SGV.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Head to Yang’s during the day and you’ll find a menu of straightforward dishes that are designed to arrive quickly and fill you up. Think “set meals” with rice, soup, soy egg, and a protein of choice like braised tofu or chicken thighs. There are also customizable breakfast plates and big helpings of cold sesame noodles (our go-to order when the summer heatwave hits). We love Yang’s for quick breakfast or lunch when we’re in the area, but come dinnertime, the place transforms into something else: a full-on dining destination that you need to put on your calendar as soon as humanly possible.

During evenings at Yang’s, the lights are dimmed, soft indie music hums on the speakers, and friend groups huddle around tables ordering bottles of orange wine from Puglia at leisure. You’ll snack on decadent appetizers like creamy smoked fish dip with sesame sourdough from Bub & Grandma’s and fatty, aromatic pork ribs. And then there are the “Larger Bites,” a collection of dishes that aren’t just the best stuff on the menu, but are what elevates Yang’s into the upper echelon of LA’s food scene. Take the dan dan campanelle, a bowl of perfectly al dente noodles coated in a thick, savory peanut sauce, topped with mustard stems and crunchy chili crisp that  balance out the rich sauce. Prawns sourced from a sustainable farmer in Downey are sprinkled with spicy Chinese BBQ spice, grilled until crispy, then laid over a bed of creamy millet and shrimp jus—a spicy, briny take on shrimp and grits. And then there’s the Hainan fish rice made with dry-aged barramundi—a dish so flavorful and buttery, we wouldn’t blame you if you sent a “sorry, but it’s over” text to every chicken you’ve ever known. 

As excellent as these highlights are, you also get the sense that this new version of Yang’s is only getting started. Dishes are still being added at dinner, specials rotate on and off, and the “let’s try this” spirit that pervades the kitchen means there will most likely be more break-up texts in our future. 

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Food Rundown

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Hainan Fish Rice

If you order one thing at Yang’s, make it this. Available only at dinner, this Hainan fish comes with a thick, flaky cut of dry-aged barramundi atop a mountain of chicken fat rice doused in chili butter. It’s the kind of dish that everyone at the table will simultaneously take a bite of and then stare at each other in silence like they just got around the LAX loop without hitting the brakes. It’s that euphoric.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Dan Dan Campanelle

OK, we know what we said about the Hainan fish rice, but you also can’t leave Yang’s without this, too. There are all kinds of “modern” takes on dan dan around LA, but nothing compares to this version. Thick, al dente ruffled noodles are drenched in a decadent peanut sauce and mixed with mushrooms, bitter mustard stems, and chili crisp. When we say “drive-worthy” pasta, this is what we mean.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Aromatic Pork Ribs

It’s easy to get carried away with the “Larger Bites” section of the menu at Yang’s, so please remember the appetizers are also very good. In particular, these tender little pork ribs coated in a spicy house rub. They’re an ideal thing to pick at while trying to figure out which bottle of Burgundy you’re getting.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Smoked Salmon Hash

Yang’s daytime menu is more straightforward than what’s served at dinner, but it’s not without its signatures. Our favorite is the salmon smoked hash. It arrives as a massive, inch-thick square of hash browns, topped with salmon belly, lemon creme fraiche, wild trout roe, and sprigs of dill. There’s a lot going on, but it all works.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Black Pepper Steak & Crispy Potatoes

Sharing the same section of the menu with the dan dan noodles and Hainan fish is a bit like joining an acapella group with Celine Dion and John Legend—good luck being the star. But still, the steak and potatoes at Yang's isn’t afterthought. The meat is cooked a precise medium rare with a simple pepper crust, the smashed potatoes are somehow soft and crispy, and the savory, slightly pungent steak sauce is so good you'll end up eating it with whatever other dishes are still on the table.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Grilled Cabbage

There’s a lot of decadence on Yang’s menu, so we suggest ordering this as a nice starter to balance things out. The cabbage is nicely charred with crispy edges, and the pungent bagna cauda drizzled over the top provides a bright, salty snap.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Cold Sesame Noodles

One of the last remnants of Yang’s original menu, we'll always have a soft spot for this dish. It’s refreshing but also filling—perfect for a hot summer day—and considering the generous portion size, $15 is a great value if you’re looking for a quick lunch.