P P POP
ADDRESS: 127 N Garfield Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754
WEBSITE: https://www.pppoprestaurant.com/
Xiao long bao has long been one of my favorite Chinese dishes to eat. After my wife Cami and I took our first trip to Din Tai Fung together, we’d periodically go back whenever we felt like we needed an XLB fix. There was one weekend that we were planning a trip over to Monterey Park, and so we decided to look around at the Chinese restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley to see if there were any local XLB spots that we could try. That’s how we ended up stumbling across P P Pop when browsing Yelp.
The restaurant had some really great reviews on Yelp, and the food photos looked really good, so we were definitely excited to give it a shot. The storefront itself is very unassuming, located right next door to an Asian grocery store. We got there a little after they first opened on a Sunday, and we were able to get seated immediately. But it must be a popular neighborhood spot, because 45 minutes later when we were leaving, it was fully packed and there was a line of people probably 30 deep waiting for a table.
P P Pop seems to specialize in Taiwanese noodle soup, but also serve a variety of other rice, noodle, and dumpling dishes as well. A lot of reviews had mentioned the Taiwanese popcorn chicken as a favorite, and I’m always down for some fried chicken. In addition to that, we also decided to go with the pork XLB, along with the beef fried rice and the pan-fried pork bao (sheng jian bao), which is another one of my favorite dishes from Shanghainese food. Cami also got a passion fruit green tea, which surprised us both by coming out in a glass the size of a beer stein.
The kitchen worked extremely quick, despite the restaurant getting progressively busier as time went on. The popcorn chicken arrived out first, and it was truly a massive bowl. With light breading on the outside and very crispy, but still juicy on the inside, the popcorn chicken made for a fantastic appetizer, along with the fried bits of Thai basil in the bowl. The beef fried rice came out not too long after that, which had egg and scallions mixed in with the strips of beef. It certainly made for a good complement to the popcorn chicken when eaten together.
Our XLB and the pan-fried pork bao took a little longer to prepare, but it was good since we were working our way through the first two dishes. The pork XLB was great, with plenty of broth inside the dumpling and the meat having rich, savory flavor. The pork bao had the crisp pan-fried bottom, while still maintaining the soft bao texture for the rest. There was also some broth inside these buns too, so you had to be careful not to burn your mouth by eating too quick. The garnish of the sesame seeds and scallions on the top helped add a subtle hint of flavor as well.
All of the plates were served family style, and the portions are definitely generous. We had quite a bit left to take back home after we were done. Price-wise, it was comparable to when we go to Din Tai Fung, although I felt like we ended up getting more food for what we paid. After the experience we had and walking out to see all those people lining up to eat, it felt like we discovered a neighborhood gem. If you’re also a fan of XLB, I highly recommend giving P P Pop a try, but get here early to beat the rush.
Let’s now take a look at P P Pop Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Pork Xiao Long Bao **
Steamed soup dumplings, 8 per order.
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** Beef Fried Rice **
Strips of beef mixed in with eggs and scallions.
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** Pan-Fried Pork Bao (Sheng Jian Bao) **
Pork bao with a crispy bottom, garnished with sesame seeds and scallions.
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** Taiwanese Popcorn Chiken **
Lightly breaded and fried chicken thighs, with crispy Thai basil.
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And finally, here are my rankings for P P Pop:
Food: 5 / 5
Every one of the dishes that we ordered was delicious, and the portions were very generous. (The Taiwanese popcorn chicken lived up to the hype.) We’ll certainly be back to try other things that sounded appealing on the menu.
Atmosphere: 4.25 / 5
The dining area seemed to be more on the functional side, with there not being too much décor up on the walls aside from photos of the restaurant’s more popular dishes. Even though the tables were closer together, I didn’t feel like we were too bunched up with other guests.
Service: 4.25 / 5
The waiters were usually pretty attentive to the dining area and looking to see if anyone needed help. The kitchen was able to keep up with the pace of food, despite the restaurant getting pretty crowded as time went on.
Price: 5 / 5
For the price of the dishes that we paid and the amount of food that we got, I definitely felt like we got our money’s worth. The quality of the food was great as well, so that made the price points even better.
Overall:
18.5 / 20
(93%)
Categories: California, Restaurants
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