Update:
We thought we were done with this Zha Jiang Mian Journey, until @JThur01 had to go talking about trying some Beijing / Northern-style variations of the Noodles with Soybean Sauce, so it was off to part 2! 
Beijing Tasty House
Beijing Tasty House occupies the building that’s been flipped so many times that even though we don’t get to the San Gabriel Valley very much, even we noticed that there were new restaurants every time we went. 
Browsing the menu, it is massive, with lots of Northern dishes, but also a large section for Szechuan spicy dishes as well.
Cucumbers in Garlic Sauce:
These were refreshing, crunchy with a nice snap for the chilled Cucumbers, and surprisingly not very garlicky, even though it was topped with a decent amount of Garlic.
Zha Jiang Mian (Soybean Sauce Noodles):
Their Beijing-style Noodles with Soybean Sauce comes with Yellow Soybeans, Edamame, Shredded Cucumber, Celery and Bean Sprouts. They gave you just enough of the Soybean Sauce to cover all the Noodles.
Mixing everything together, it was a primarily salty-savory taste. The textural contrast of the soft Noodles with 2 types of Beans, Cucumber, Celery and Bean Sprouts made it interesting, but flavor-wise, it felt kind of one-note from their salty Soybean Sauce.
House Special Grilled Lamb Dumplings:
Our server mentioned to our Chinese friend that they served Handmade Dumplings, so we ordered a plate of these. When “Grilled” Dumplings arrived, you could tell immediately that they lacked the nice pan-sear to make great Gyoza. It looked really light.
It was even more apparent after the first bite: Thick Dumpling skin, decent chew, but no crispness on the bottom of these Dumplings. 
The Marinated Ground Lamb was fine and quite gamy.
Beijing Tasty House
172 Valley Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
Tel: (626) 573-3062
Bistro Na’s
We already tried Bistro Na’s version when they first opened up, but felt it was good to give them a revisit and see how the flavors might’ve changed / improved. Walking in, the decor is still as gorgeous as always.
Dragon Well Tea:
As before, they have a good (but limited) selection of distinct Teas to try (a nice upgrade from the generic Hot Tea served at most San Gabriel Valley restaurants). Their Dragon Well Tea is wonderfully fragrant and delicate and great with our meal.
Diced Honey Black Pepper Beef:
We wanted a little protein (and some variation) trying all these Noodles, 
so we ordered one of our favorites on the menu, the Diced Honey Black Pepper Beef (thanks again @chandavkl). While it’s hard to tell visually, slicing into each piece, the Beef Tenderloin is medium-rare and so tender! 
The combination of a nice punch of Black Pepper, the sweetness of the Honey to offset the Soy Sauce-based salty flavors made this really delicious.
Beijing Zha Jiang Mian (Traditional Beijing Noodles):
And for this Northern Chinese / Imperial Cuisine specialist, their Zha Jiang Mian arrives with Edamame, Shredded Radish and Shredded Cucumbers along with a small tea cup-size portion of their Soybean Sauce.
We remembered our first visit’s experience being way too salty (and there was a lot more Soybean Sauce), so this was probably a good thing (the reduced amount). Giving it a good stir…
There was seriously just enough Sauce to coat the entire bowl of Noodles. And taking a bite: The Noodles had a decent chew and bite, the small bits of Edamame, some Shredded Cucumber and Radish helped to offset the salty-savory flavors of Bistro Na’s Soybean Sauce, and overall it was pretty good(!).
Everyone enjoyed Bistro Na’s version more than Beijing Tasty House, with both being on the more savory-side (zero sweetness) compared to other versions on this journey from other regions.
At $6.95 for this bowl in one of the nicest settings for a Chinese restaurant in L.A., we’d be back for that (and some of their other dishes).
Bistro Na’s
9055 E. Las Tunas Dr. #105
Temple City, CA 91780
Tel: (626) 286-1999
Happy Noodle
We really liked the wonderful Vegetarian Steamed Buns and Dumplings on our visits here a few months ago, so we didn’t mind returning to try their version of Noodles with Soybean Sauce thanks to @ipsedixit’s suggestion.
Beef Roll:
Happy Noodle’s version of the Beef Roll was a surprise: There was a nice toasty sear on the outside, filled with a balanced flavor of Stewed & Sliced Beef, not overly salty, with enough spices and Green Onions and Cilantro to make each bite a joy.
Shandong Zha Jiang Mian (San Dong Noodle with Soybean Sauce):
Our SGV friend points out to us that the Chinese name for this dish calls it a Shandong version of Soybean Noodles. Mixing it up…
This falls under the @paranoidgarliclover experience of places giving too much Soybean Sauce. However, taking a bite… it’s really unique! @ipsedixit was right: There’s a burst of White Pepper, a pleasing “Chinese Gravy”-like taste, as if you were eating a delicious bowl of a rustic, homely version of Zha Jiang Mian, like eating at a relative’s house perhaps.
It was quite tasty and had a nice subtle heat (from the noticeable amount of White Pepper running in each bite). And at $6.95 for this huge bowl of Zha Jiang Mian, it makes it one of the best values on this journey so far as well.
(Cash Only)
Happy Noodle
4815 El Monte Ave.
Temple City, CA 91780
Tel: (626) 747-8143
Lao Xi’er Noodle House
Cold Dish (Choice of 3 Items: Cucumber with Hot and Sour Sauce, Pig Ears Salad, Sliced Pork in Soy Sauce):
The Cucumbers in Hot and Sour Sauce were a departure from the usual Cucumber appetizer at various Chinese restaurants we’ve tried: There was an absence of Garlic, replaced by a punchy, light-medium spicy Hot Sauce. This was a nice change and still enjoyable, but I think we prefer the Garlic version more.
The Pig Ears Salad was basically Chinese-style Stewed & Chilled Sliced Pig Ears seen at many places. Lao Xi’er’s version was a bit more salty and one note than many places, tasting mainly of Soy Sauce.
The Sliced Pork with Soy Sauce tasted literally like its name. Chilled, Stewed Pork (looking like Sliced Headcheese) had some nice lean and fatty bits, but also started tasting a bit one note after a few bites. We’d probably skip their Cold Plates offerings next time.
Noodle with Soybean Paste:
One noteworthy aspect of this dish is that Lao Xi’er makes Handmade Noodles for this dish, which sounded wonderful. When it arrives, we see they serve long strands of Cucumber and a generous amount of their Soybean Sauce, and that’s it (no Edamame or Yellow Soybeans, etc.).
The first thing that we notice is how nicely chewy the Handmade Noodles are. It is very apparent that Lao Xi’er’s Noodles here are the star.
Unfortunately, the Soybean Sauce is really… bland(!). 
It looks like a nice savory “Gravy,” but the visuals belie how bland it tastes. It’s not even the reduced Salt, but the lack of any real savoriness from the Ground Pork or anything else.
Lamb Dumplings:
Lao Xi’er also makes their own Dumplings by hand as well, so we wanted to see how these were. They were medium thickness, with a good chew. The Marinated Ground Lamb filling was also quite zesty, filled with a bit of Lamb Broth / Juices in each Dumpling, which was nice.
At $8.25 for their Zha Jiang Mian, Lao Xi’er Noodle House was one of the most expensive bowls on this journey, with great Handmade Noodles and the blandest taste out of all of the places we went to, which was really unfortunate. Consider their other (more recommended) offerings over the Zha Jiang Mian.
Lao Xi’er Noodle House
600 Live Oak Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91006
Tel: (626) 348-2290
Pine & Crane
Pine & Crane is one of those interesting spots: Bringing authentic Chinese / Taiwanese cooking to a neighborhood outside the San Gabriel Valley in Silver Lake. We visited Pine & Crane a while back when it was first talked about by our veteran FTC’ers, but it felt like a good time to go back and try more of the menu.
The decor inside Pine & Crane is clean and gentrified (in a good way) compared to most generic white drywall places in the San Gabriel Valley. There’s a nice cold case of daily fresh “Salads,” and I loved the chalkboard featuring 6 Loose Leaf, Handpicked Teas from Taiwan. We choose:
Alishan Jin Xuan Tea:
This was floral and delicate, but also robust enough to enjoy with all of the dishes we ordered.
Traditional Cold Appetizers - 2 Items:
Wood Ear Mushroom Salad:
Nicely chilled, crunchy and gelatinous, it was well-seasoned and tasted just as good as Wood Ear Salad offerings in the San Gabriel Valley.
Lotus Root Salad (Ginger, Chili Oil):
The Lotus Root Salad had a nice crispness, and subtle crunch which made it really appealing. The judicious use of Chili Oil prevented it from being overpowered and it was just the right amount of heat for our group.
Scallion Pancake:
Visually pretty, looking like it was fried just right, the actual taste was fine. It was a touch too thick and slightly doughy, but it still had a bit of crispiness which was nice. If it was just a bit more savory and thin (leading to more crispiness) this would’ve been amazing.
Pan Fried Pork Buns (Sheng Jian Bao):
Just like Green Onion Pancakes, we’re always looking for a great Sheng Jian Bao (Pan Fried Pork Buns). With the attention and care Pine & Crane exhibits in many aspects of its operation, we were hoping for greatness.
Unfortunately it was not here with these Pan Fried Buns. First, the Black Sesame Seeds felt like they were randomly sprinkled / thrown on these Buns, resulting in a messy look and some Buns getting almost no Black Sesame, while others had a decent amount.
The bottom sear or “socarrat” as @J_L mentions for this type of dish at Tasty Noodle House is barely present here (as seen in the pics above).
Biting into it…
… results in a doughy, bready, dryish filling. It tastes more like a Steam Bun (Steamed Char Siu Bao in terms of texture) than a Sheng Jian Bao. There’s no juice or liquid either, having been absorbed into the Bun. The ones at Tasty Noodle House (Sawtelle) we had recently were much better.
Three Cup Jidori Chicken (Chinese Basil, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Rice Wine):
Thankfully their Three Cup Jidori Chicken brings things back nicely: You’re treated to an extremely fragrant, nutty, sweet and salty dish with tender morsels of Jidori Chicken that’s been cooked for hours. It was delicious! 
I loved the bursts of herbal aroma from the Basil, and then the Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce and Rice Wine combination Sauce over Steamed Rice. This was as good as many places in the SGV.
Pea Shoots:
As @JeetKuneBao and others have mentioned, Pine & Crane’s strength might very well be their daily, rotating offering of fresh, locally grown Sauteed Vegetables. You’ll find the day’s choices at the front register where you order.
We chose Pea Shoots which arrived nicely wok-sauteed, perfectly cooked, tender and redolent of Garlic.
Zha Jiang Noodles (Kurobuta Pork, Black Bean Sauce, Cucumbers):
This sounded great! Using Kurobuta Pork for Zha Jiang Mian? That’s unheard of at most authentic Chinese restaurants serving this Noodle dish locally. We couldn’t wait.
Sadly, their Zha Jiang Noodles tasted just OK. It wasn’t bad, but you couldn’t really taste or appreciate the Kurobuta Ground Pork. The Black Bean Sauce they used kind of overpowered everything else. The Shredded Cucumber and bits of Firm Tofu were fine, but it tasted rather one-note (their Black Bean Sauce) and was one of our least favorite versions on this journey.
Potstickers (Kurobuta Pork, Taiwanese Cabbage):
Their Potstickers were fine: It had more sear than the Pan Fried Pork Buns (thankfully), but still lacked enough wok sear on the bottom to give each Dumpling a nice appealing crispy-crunch quality. The seasoning was also kind of salty.
Overall, Pine & Crane presents a nice way to enjoy authentic Chinese food in a neighborhood that sorely lacks it (away from the San Gabriel Valley). It’s not destination worthy, and I think we’d agree with some of our FTC’ers (@bulavinaka? and others) that if we’re driving out to Silver Lake and crave Chinese food, we’d rather drive the extra 15 minutes to the San Gabriel Valley unless we’re going to be in the area.
There are some good standouts - I love their Taiwanese Tea selection, fresh locally grown Chinese Vegetables (constantly rotating new ones), and the Three Cup Jidori Chicken - but also some dishes that just weren’t as good as a few places around the SGV (or Sawtelle in the case of the Sheng Jian Bao).
Pine & Crane
1521 Griffith Park Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Tel: (323) 668-1128
Cindy’s Kitchen (Revisit)
We couldn’t finish this 2nd part of the Noodles with Soybean Sauce Journey without a visit to our current favorite - Cindy’s Kitchen - so off we went to see how it compared to all of the new places we tried.
5th visit:
Zha Jiang Mian (Soy Bean Dry Noodles):
As before, we immediately appreciated the large mixing bowl that their Soybean Sauce Noodles arrived in, as it allowed you to easily mix everything together (like a large enough Salad bowl to make sure everything is mixed right for Salad & Dressing).
Look how finely diced the ingredients are, it is incredible.
Then after mixing, taking a bite…
This long-stewed, slow-cooked taste comes through in Cindy’s Kitchen’s version of “Soybean Sauce”: The finely diced Firm Tofu, Ground Pork, true balance of savory with just a little bit of subtle sweetness (not just pure salt), the vibrant Shredded Cucumbers and Bean Sprouts with the Thin Noodles…
SO GOOD!
The flavors here are just incredible. It just hit all of our happy places of our palate! Everyone in our group agreed that Cindy’s Kitchen was their favorite place on this 2nd Journey. Thanks again @ipsedixit.
Ultimately, our favorite Zha Jiang Mian (Noodles with Soybean Sauce) after 2 long trips on this journey was Cindy’s Kitchen.
For an alternate, tasty version: Chong Qing Special Noodles (with the super wide Fettucine-like Handmade Noodles).
For Beijing / Northern version: Tianjin Bistro.
It was a lot of fun again traveling to all of these places to try new offerings. Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone.
Cindy’s Kitchen
16409 Colima Rd.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Tel: (626) 961-0789
