|
Reviewer: Foodnut.com Pine & Crane 1521 Griffith Park Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026 (323) 668-1128 |
Why did we dine here? – Pine & Crane is a fast casual Taiwanese Chinese restaurant in the hip Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. It has 4.5 stars on Yelp with almost 2000 reviews. We had to see what all the hype was all about.
Insider Tip – Come with several people to eat Family Style
Cuisine – Chinese – Taiwanese
Location – Silver Lake, Los Angeles
Opened – 2014
Service – Pine & Crane is an order at the counter, get a number spot, they help you get seated. There are lots of people circulating to help bring your food, add items, and more.
Verdict – Pine & Crane had a large cross section of LA, with lots of hipsters and a smattering of Asians. Accessible Chinese food in a cool atmosphere. While some of the authenticity and edge maybe lacking, the place is very popular with its audience.
Many of the customers would intimidated by a more authentic Chinese restaurant in the SGV. The owners also run Joy on York.
Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Maybe. 1 Hour? No.
Pine & Crane Signature Dishes – Three Cup Chicken, Beef Noodle Soup, dan dan noodles
Pine & Crane’s Menu has all the classic Taiwanese dishes with lots of vegetarian options. Gluten free options too.
Pine & Crane Food Picks:
Scallion Pancake ($4.50) was uniform and had a good browning but need more scallion flavor.
Cold appetizers (2 for $6.50) – Bean curd, lotus root. Both were above average.
Three Cup Jidori Chicken ($14) Chinese Basil, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Rice Wine was decent. More basil would be good. Boneless chicken makes it less flavorful. 5Joy in Foster City, CA makes a mean version.
Mapo Tofu ($12) Organic Tofu, Kurobuta Pork, Sichuan Peppercorns was a nice rendition of the classic. Not too spicy.
OK: (Order if you like this dish)
Panfried Pork Buns ($8) Kurobuta Pork, Cabbage, Black Sesame, Scallions had good flavor but no soup. Also needed more char.
Jasmine Milk Tea ($3) with boba – Average.
Passionfruit Green Tea ($3.50) – Average
Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None
Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?
Restaurant Map:Pine & Crane Overall Rating: 
(Very Good
Come Back? 
| Food Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Service Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Atmosphere Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Value Rating: | (Good) |
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary
| Alcohol: | Beer, Wine |
| Attire: | Casual |
| Parking: | Street |
| Reservations: | Yes |
No Comments