I honestly forgot. The geography gets fuzzy in that area.
It’s like how the panhandle of Florida is really southern Georgia.
That center just north of the 5 fwy and Red Hill is a prime example. It houses Yang’s Braised Chicken which I found to be average. Not sure how far north it will go, I see the move East much faster in growth. They are opening a 168 Market in Chino which will have a food court with beer and wine apparently, and that same Chino Spectrum Center is being slowly taken over by Asian restaurants.
I was a bit surprised to find a couple of way-South county places on the list. I used to work right near where Little Kitchen appears to be (Dana Point) but never knew it was there. China Moon, on the other hand, I used to go to all the time. Even owned a business in the same center. Jackson and Vanessa have always done a fine job but it seems like the menu might now be a bit more adventurous than in past years. Need to go back soon.
Caveat that virtually all listings of best Chinese restaurants are written to be “geographically correct” as I previously discussed.
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Sometimes the OC Weekly includes Cerritos and Long Beach places in their articles and I’ve wondered why.
What is it about Cerritos that you think makes it OC-ish (aside from proximity)?
It developed more recently than other nearby cities like Downey, Norwalk and Lakewood. Rather it was like much of OC, remaining largely agricultural and in the case of Cerritos, dairy, as it’s previous name of Dairy Valley indicates, through the 1950s.
Because both are literally just over the border via the 91 and 405. Same reason sometimes Thousand Oaks gets mentioned in reference to places recommended for the SFV.
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I’m guessing the lack of pre-1960s structures and land use patterns.
Thanks for the tip @js76wisco. Went Saturday for lunch and really enjoyed it. We were the only non-Asians and our waiter didn’t speak much English, so ordered what we could compare to other spots.
Won ton soup was excellent, orange chicken good too and I believe Peking pork.
Will definitely go back.
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I’m glad you chimed in @Midlife. I live just up the hill from China Moon and had a few bad experiences years ago and never went back. Will give them another shot.
I hope you do. Their food has always been rather “Westernized” (certainly compared with most places in Irvine), but I’ve known them since their first little place, in Lake Forest and I’d overlook an issue or two for a satisfying meal without the drive North.
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Will go this week. It’s such a luxury to be able to walk someplace decent, especially in my neighborhood.