Edesian Feast: Earthen - 口品小館 (Hacienda Heights, CA)

Monday, February 18

Earthen - 口品小館 (Hacienda Heights, CA)

What's the great part about being in Southern California? Chinese food! And good Chinese food, at that. Another favorite of my SoCal inhabitants is Earthen, a Chinese restaurant known for their House Chicken [山東燒雞]. Since it was a large group of people and we had dinner "family style," I was fortunate enough to try quite a few of their dishes. We had quite a few dishes between us, so I won't bother with each one...

The House Chicken (10.95) wasn't at all what I had expected, as it was soaked in a special soy sauce (and maybe vinegar, etc.), appeared to be roasted, and topped with a generous portion of cilantro, garlic, and shallots. The portion was generous, and the chicken was tender and flavorful with the sauce and condiments - delicious enough for me to have seconds! Hidden beneath the chicken are marinated cucumbers, and I couldn't stop picking at them 'cause they were so tasty! We also had the Pork (I think) Fried Rice, which wasn't too salty or oily, and good with the other dishes. The Seafood Noodle Soup was alright, and not my favorite of the night, but fortunately we did get Pan-Fried Dumplings [鍋貼] and Scallion/Green Onion Pancakes [蔥油餅], which are classic favorites! The Pan-Fried Dumplings weren't bad - filling that wasn't overly oily or salty - and fried just right. The Scallion Pancakes here were probably the best ones I had this time on my fooding trip in L.A., as it was just the right amount of dough and crisp. The service was decent, and I enjoy not having to pay for extra condiments and tea, which to me, is just ridiculous!