Happy Valley Village - Hacienda Heights

It already feels like home but it's a home I've never known. The booth-benches and chairs are all eye-sores, upholstered or cushioned with the hideous flower-print that only Chinese grandmas can find. They surround shiny tables holding deep black wok-pots of culture-revolution cooks. 

With a name like that, the food has to be authentic, and the shared plates are fantastic. There's a platter of smoky Hong Kong Red Sausage to start, softly savory and a little bit sweet. 

Cucumber and Wood Ear is a cold dish, fresh veggies sprinkled with sesame and nuts. 

Liang Pi is a southern treasure, thick, wide cold noodle-like strips so impossibly chewy they put al dente to shame. 

The presentation is so pretty, but they taste much better than they look after they've been mixed at tableside. 

Don't skip the shared plates, but the Stew Goose why you're here. Cleaver-cut chunks of bony bird are covered with tender meat, and gnawing is the only way to get it. The soup itself is so savory, and you can choose green beans or Chinese sauerkraut for free. The sauerkraut adds minimal sour, and its acid amplifies the meaty stew. There's also an endless list of optional add-ons, all of which are awesome. Green beans go delightfully soft as they boil in the broth, potatoes and frozen tofu soak up so much soup, bean curd sheets and vermicelli add the texture.

The fresh cornmeal buns are not to be missed as they’re made to order, stuck to the side of the pot and steamed in the vapors of stew. Eat one of these but have a Steamed Bread Roll as well. Those green stripes are spinach, and the fragrance it adds is indescribable.  

This meal and this style of dining creates the feeling of family as young and old crowd around. Dig in and don't be shy - let the stew seal the generation gap that only grows with time. For some, it's just another bowl of soup, but for the culture-revolution generation, the nostalgia is strong. It's a memory from before their life got better, and it's a tangible sample of history for their children who want to understand them more.