Pine & Crane

When I’m not at Pine and Crane, I’m thinking about Pine and Crane. I dream about the pork buns. Sometimes I’ll pick up a won ton soup to go. I’ve had almost everything on the menu, you can’t go wrong. Price points are quite reasonable.
Service is stellar. Everyone is really friendly.
I’m here about twice a week since discovering it. Always busy, with good reason. Beautiful interior, modern clean inspired. Why are you waiting?!

For the interior design/​service/​ambience I will give pine and crane a five star. However, for the food itself I think you can definitely get better options at SGV or do some homemade meals yourself.
The server was really welcoming and offered us to try the free samples of the cold appetizer. My favorite one is the bean curd salad, it’s very refreshing. For the main dishes, we ordered zha Jiang noodles, which is actually a lot different from the traditional Beijing Zha Jiang noodles but still tasty; minced pork rice, which is good but probably will be better with more sauce; and beef rolls, with too much cucumber but too little beef. For the portions that you’re getting, they may be a little overpriced, but at the same time you don’t have to drive as far to taste some somewhat authentic Chinese/​Taiwanese food at a hippy restaurant.

Authentic, yes!
Hipster, absolutely!
Loud, you bet!
Don’t skip the tapa section, this is how restaurants do it in Taiwan, small plates offering before you order even. Wood ear, bamboo shoot and bean curd salad are all classic and must order, try pig ear if you consider yourself an adventurous foodie.
You can’t go wrong with any item, they are all yummy. Since we are choosing vegetarian diet, Mapo tofu, dan dan noodle, pumpkin potstickers are dishes we order all the time, plus one market vegetable from the farm.
Beverage choices include beer and wine, really great tea (best value as you can share and re steep 12 times) boba and sea salt cream tea (uh?! Chinese would order this and if you never try it, it’s good) and what we love to get sometimes, AppleCider ROC style: D
Casual counter service and price is fair, we contribute about $ 35 – 45 per dinner for 2!
Me like a good Chinese restaurant in Silver lake;D

Three cup mushroom FTW! Stopped by here for the first time since I was in the area. I’ve been trying to cut down on meat when I can, so ordered the three cup mushroom rice dish. My buddy got the minced pork over rice that he really liked.
Gave in to split a beef roll to see how it was compared to others. It was great! Cucumber heavy, but not as greasy as other beef rolls and still delicious. Felt healthier too (if that’s possible) but without sacrificing flavor!
But that mushroom though! The dish didn’t even feel vegetarian. Big thick chunks of mushroom braised in deliciousness. Absorbing all the flavors.
It was so good I got another one to go.
Wish we had a spot like this in the valley.
Also… Affordable! Quality + price. Yay!

Modern restaurant décor, which is something that lacks in many Chinese restaurants. Well, simply because most Chinese restaurants don’t really put a lot of thought into the design and flow of the restaurant. So for a second, I thought maybe this place wouldn’t be authentic. I was wrong! The beef roll was the best and most authentic thing we ordered! I could probably eat nothing but just that! Spicy wontons, beef noodle soup, and three cup chicken were all good too. The food wasn’t hot hot, so it made me feel like it was sitting out for a long time before brought to the table. Regardless, I will bring up the beef roll again because that’s how much I loved it! Haha

Pleasantly surprised with this place.
PARKING: On Saturdays there is a farmer’s market so it’s best to park in a residential street and walk over. We were at the Lark Cake Shop earlier so we parked at the perpendicular residential street and didn’t have to pay any meter.
WAIT: We came at 11:40 am (they open at noon) and there was no one in line. We walked around the farmers market and by the time we came back at 11:50 am there was already one person in front of us. By the time they opened at noon there were at least 5 – 6 groups in line ready to order.
ATMOSPHERE: Inside is pretty simple and clean. Wooden tables with black chairs and a larger communal table in the middle either for larger groups or for smaller groups to share. They say you shouldn’t find a seat until after you order but I saw at least 2 groups sit down first.
You order at the counter, get your number then sit down and wait.
FOOD:
Zha Jiang Noodles — the noodles were fairly chewy and fresh tasting. A little on the thinner side and I probably would have liked them a little more al dente, but overall no complaints. I would recommend getting a spoon to get the leftover ground pork and tofu. Flavorful «gravy» with lean and fatty pieces of pork that seemed to be ground and the cucumbers were crunchy and tasty. No complaints here, the size is just enough for lunch but if you eat a lot get more appetizers to fill you up. It’s definitely not the most traditional that I’ve had but it is definitely very tasty, and it’s not a ridiculous amount of money (around $ 8 for both dishes).
Dan Dan Noodles — fiancé ordered this and it took a while to come out. I was ¹⁄₃ of the way done with my dish by the time his came out. It has the same noodles as the Zha Jiang dish. The only thing was that it didn’t have that spicy mouth numbing spice that most dan dan noodle dishes have. He said it tasted very fresh and good, you could tell it had good quality ingredients.
Overall, if you’re in the area it’s definitely worth trying. I saw a good amount of older asian families eating here so if they are ok with it, then it has to be good. Come early to avoid lines.

Yum! Enjoyed dining here. Had heard so many good things about this place and was excited to try it out.
Did not expect this place to be fast-​casual, but I do like that because it feels like it’s quicker. Ordered the pork dumplings, three cup chicken with rice, and the beef noodle soup. Everything was delicious! The pork dumplings however were a little plain and I won’t be ordering it again. I am excited to come back and try more items!
Worst thing is the parking. Silver Lake is the worst, and street parking is so hard to find. Finally found a metered spot on the street.

The first time service experience was frenzied and confusing. It was crazy packed with crying babies and all even on 5pm on a Saturday night. We tried to find a waiting list for a table, but there was none. There are two lines– not so apparently — the one to the left is to order, the right is for pick up for phone orders. Once you order, you stand around in the frenzy and wait for the waiters to seat you. I found that out the hard way by trying to find a seat after ordering and was asked to get up and wait instead. A simple sign at the door could’ve made all this easier to figure out!
On our order, one entrée came significantly later and we had to ask for it. The manager was sweet to offer a drink for the diner. They’re apparently having more customers than they can handle in an organized fashion.
As for the food– the scallion pancakes are good and crispy.
The cold small plate appetizers are small portioned and on the sweet side of seasoning.
The beef roll filled with cooked beef and fresh cucumbers was put in a nice crispy thin wrap, but lacked a sauce to complete the taste.
Beef soup noodles ($ 9) are chewy, meat is tender, Bok choy is young and perfectly cooked.
The jasmine milk tea with boba ($ 3.50) was a little watery, nicely sweetened, but the boba was kept too long and was slightly soggy.
The food is good, but it comes at a big hassle, and for me they marginally break even.

This place gets packed for dinner, even at 5pm! So… come at odd hours to avoid a wait: P
We had the:
beef roll: SUPER filling but not my fave… was a bit plain
panfried pork buns: absolutely LOVED these!
dan dan noodles: reminded me of DTF’s noodles, yum
three cup jidori chicken: my friends liked the chicken, whereas I thought it was pretty standard
sea salt cream jasmine green tea: if you like 85C’s drink, you will love this one as well!
Overall, this place is super busy and it takes a bit to get your order, but the food is good!

My first review of 2016 goes to PINE & CRANE!
Thanks to my friend for suggesting this place, because I would never in a million years consider driving out to Silverlake for Taiwanese food when it is usually readily available in the SGV. But I have to give props to this place because I was actually quite amazed at how delicious and authentic everything tasted.
We decided to venture out to hipsterville on a Friday night and there was a decent line out the door when we arrived, although it moved pretty fast. The way the restaurant operates is that you first place your order and pay for your food at the cashier, then wait to be seated. The restaurant is small so the place gets packed, but the food comes out at lightning speed so they get you in and out pretty quickly.
We ordered the following items:
–Beef Roll ($ 6.50)
Cucumber, Cilantro, Scallions, House Hoisin
–Cold Seaweed ($ 3.50)
–Beef Noodle Soup ($ 9)
Beef Shank, Baby Bok Choy, Preserved Mustard Greens
–Dan Dan Noodles ($ 7.50)
Sesame-​Peanut Sauce, Chili Oil, Cucumbers, Peanuts
–Alishan «Milk» Jin Xuan ($ 5)
Sweet Milk, Light Honey, Toasted Almonds
The portion sizes were smaller than the typical portions you get at other restaurants in SGV, but the ingredients they use are fresh and locally sourced, and the food is definitely authentic Taiwanese. I loved that they don’t change the taste of the food to cater to the American palate. The food was not overly greasy or overwhelmed by MSG either so that was much appreciated. There’s really not many options for Taiwanese food in Silverlake so I can see how their business is blooming, but for those of us in the SGV, I probably wouldn’t suggest driving out unless you are already in the area and craving Taiwanese food.
Tip* Parking is a hassle in this area since there’s no parking lots so expect to find street parking nearby.

626 (San Gabriel Valley) quality Taiwanese food, but completely repackage into a super hip dining experience. Not only do they serve boba drinks, Taiwanese apple soda (Apple Sidra), and Taiwanese root beer (Hey Song Sarsaparilla), I was surprised to find out that they also serve both beers and wines.
Parking: Street parking only and I was fortunate enough to find a spot approximately one block away (intersection of Griffith Park Blvd & Lucile Ave).
Pine & Crane does not accept reservations and you cannot save seats prior to placing your orders. The staff will give you a number after your orders and someone will bring the food to your table.
***
Beef Roll (Cucumber, cilantro, house hoisin — $ 6.5): Pretty good and definitely one of the least greasiest beef rolls I’ve had. (⁴⁄₅)
Potstickers (Kurobuta pork shoulder, Taiwanese cabbage — $ 6): Potstickers were somewhat dry, but the dipping sauce (sweet soy sauce with garlic) was amazing and really hit the spot. (3.5÷5)
Scallion Pancake (Made with house rendered lard, $ 4.50): Not too bad and pancake will take bigger if you dip a small amount of soy sauce. (3.5÷5)
Beef Noodle Soup (Beef shank, baby bok choy, preserved mustard greens — $ 9): Pretty decent (chewy noodle with somewhat light, but flavorful broth). Beef shanks were decent, but definitely not the best I’ve had. (⁴⁄₅)
Spicy Shrimp Wontons ($ 7): Not very spicy and wontons were pretty yummy. (⁴⁄₅)
Three Cup Jidori Chicken (Chinese basil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine — $ 13): Flavors were pretty much on the spot, but it was a bit too salty for my taste. Nontheless, Pine & Crane’s three cup chicken was far superior than ROC Kitchen’s three cup chicken. (3.75÷5)
***
In terms of taste, I’ll give B– to B+ to all dishes I’ve had here. Do I think Pine & Crane serves the best Taiwanese food in Los Angeles? Of course not (SinBala in Arcadia and Rowland Height, Old Country Café in Alhambra, and Corner Beef Noodle House in El Monte serve cheaper and slightly better Taiwanese food in my opinion), but I do think Pine & Crane is the best Taiwanese restaurant in Los Angeles (excluding the San Gabriel Valley).

I love Pine & Crane so much writing a review feels silly. Like, it should really just be a stream of heart-​eyes emoticons. But I saw that they needed a 800^th review (anyone who has ever encountered an Asian mom knows how special the number 8 is), and who better to do it than a super fan?
I’m going to assume you have the good sense to recognize that 4.5 stars and 800 reviews = a safe bet, and you’re only Unilocaling for help with the ordering because the whole menu isn’t a reasonable option. Props on the self control; let’s break it down based on your company.
FAMILY: Specifically, your lovely parents who would probably be better suited to a cozy, B-​grade health rating joint in the 626, but you’d prefer a place with better aesthetics and acoustics. Reassure them you haven’t forgotten your roots by ordering the very homey, authentic-​tasting dan dan noodles + mapo tofu + three cup mushroom. Load up on the cold appetizers (mu er and real seaweed salad, not the stuff you get with Japanese take-​out). Finish it up with a classy pot of tea (Dayuling is a crowd pleaser), which helps with both digestion and their confidence in your adulting abilities.
PEOPLE YOU ARE WOOING, PLATONIC: The panfried pork buns– soft and fluffy with a crisp bottom– are delightful and under-​appreciated, giving you instant ordering cred. There’s eight of them, so you won’t have to make the terrible decision between giving up a bun or the new friendship. Continue the conversation while noshing on the beef roll, pumpkin potstickers (seasonal), and spicy peanuts. Depending on the future bestie, pair with Taiwan beer or a sea salt jasmine milk tea.
PEOPLE YOU ARE WOOING, ROMANTIC: Everything above + a few glasses off the wine menu.
PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGOVER: Beef noodle soup, scallion pancakes, many cups of water.
Price-​wise, this place could easily qualify for the single $ range if you’re just ordering for yourself. A bowl of dan dan noodles ($ 7.50) or a beef roll ($ 6.50) are both generous enough to make a meal on their own. But what’s the fun in that?
Parking tips: It’s silly to expect to find parking on Sunset, and even if you do, you have to feed the meters. Opt instead for one of the two streets on the side of the restaurant– Edgecliffe Drive and Maltman Ave. They’re residential streets, with free parking on both sides. I haven’t had trouble finding a spot on Maltman even during the busiest of hours (Sunday lunch).
It feels strange to leave a review without any complaints, so I’ll end with one: bring back the pig trotters! They served this dish for such a short period of time I sometimes think I dreamed it. What a wonderful dream it was.

Pretty solid modern/​hipster/​americanized taiwanese food. It definitely isn’t your usual 626, cheap delicious chinese food, but as long as you know what they have here, they do what they do super well.
Everything is slightly pricey, but it’s not as bad as I expected at such a classy, hipster joint.
Definitely go for the dan dan noodles and spicy wontons, just don’t expect the authentic chinese dish. The flavors are definitely muted, but I think the dishes have their own unique textures and flavors.
Their teas are also great but a little pricey :(

So this place is basically a hipsterized (is that even a word?) Taiwanese restaurant. Considering it’s in Silver Lake I’m not surprised at the hipster vibe but it’s my first time seeing an Asian place with this vibe.
We went Sunday night and boy was it a mistake– because there was a half hour wait just to ORDER! the setup is as follows: get in line and order, take #, wait to be seated. The problem is, seating is quite limited given the number of patrons, hence the wait.
Luckily, literally everything we got tasted on point. I tried:
Zhajiang noodles: I would assume this to be one of their most popular items, and it tasted amazing. Noodle quality was the right amount of chewy, sauce and freshly sliced cucumbers complemented that perfectly.
Jidori chicken: Really tender and full of flavor. If I have to complain it would be that it was slightly salty, but it wasn’t a deal breaker.
Spinach: Simple, yet tasteful.
Definitely worth a try if you’re in the area and enjoy authentic Asian food. I would avoid weekend though, because of the wait and street parking being hard to find.
Overall, good food and love the fact that they use organic and fresh ingredients– highly recommend! Only thing is don’t come here to chitchat because it’s so loud you can barely hear the person sitting next to you.

***Pine & Crane is a nice café serving Taiwanese dishes as well as a few fusion options; the ingredients are high quality and local and the prices are reasonable, which makes this order-​at-​the-​counter eatery a great option for nearby residents; I did not love what I had though; however, Pine & Crane showed enough promise that I would be willing to give them another shot to see if other menu items are more suited to my tastes***
Pine & Crane is a restaurant I immediately wanted to like. It has the bright, clean décor of a contemporary but still rustic café and features quick order-​at-​the-​counter service that showcases very reasonably priced food (reasonably priced for the style of restaurant, décor and area). The menu also offers Taiwanese dishes that are not easy to find in this part of Los Angeles. Pine & Crane even integrates vegetables they grow from their own farm in nearby Bakersfield.
My experience at Pine & Crane left me disappointed though. I was hoping it would be the type of place that I would immediately plot a return visit after tasting some of their food here. While there were definitely some high points, I ultimately found what I had to be a little underwhelming. I would give them another shot, but I would try to do some more research to identify dishes that more align with what I am looking for.
I started with the chilled woodear mushroom salad and this was definitely satisfying. The woodear mushroom revealed a great thin but rubbery texture and it was nicely wet (but not watery) as well as seasoned appropriately with fragrant cilantro and bell pepper to provide a little bit of heat. It was a perfect starter – not too heavy and full of bright flavors to open up your palate.
I then had their potstickers, which were filled with butternut squash and egg. The potstickers had a great crispy wrapping and I liked the integration of egg in the filling. Unfortunately, the butternut squash did not stand out as much as I would have liked. It was not that creamy and its natural sweetness did not come across that much; this could have been hurt by the incredible heat (temperature not spice) of this filling.
For my entrée, I had the Zha Jiang noodles, which was slightly thick wheat noodles topped with ground pork that was mixed with a black bean sauce and then finished with julienne cucumber. The bowl looked great. The cucumber looked crisp and refreshing while the ground pork in the black bean sauce looked very meaty, hearty, savory, and comforting.
The cucumbers were great (very fresh). The ground pork in black bean sauce was pretty good too. It could have used more heat though the restaurant did have chili oil on the table to help out. The noodles though were not that good. They clumped up too much and tasted like they were overcooked. They were very soft and even slightly mushy.
Service was quick though lines get very long here and due to the big crowds, finding an open table can be difficult.
Prices are reasonable. Some will say that you can get these same dishes significantly cheaper in San Gabriel Valley. While that is likely true, I think it is more fair to compare Pine & Crane to similar restaurants in its area/​neighborhood. Given Pine & Crane’s portions and its utilization of fresh ingredients, I think it is a good deal compared to other similar upscale order-​at-​the-​counter restaurants in the Silver Lake area.
Pine & Crane is a great addition to Silver Lake as it employs the casual approach and local menu of its nearby competition but also integrates Asian ingredients, flavors and traditional dishes (there are several fusion and modern dishes too). I did not love the food, but I think those who live in the area will find Pine & Crane a worthwhile and not too expensive addition to their lunch, dinner and to-​go rotation.
Metered street parking is available.

This is my go-​to spot in LA for taiwanese food. It tastes so fresh and clean that I feel good after I eat here.
Always get:
3 sides! They switch up what sides they make, but I usually get the Wood-​ear mushrooms, crunchy potato salad (kind of bland but I drench it in the vinegar on the tables), and the lotus root (crunchy and light). You can sample these, so I recommend trying each one before deciding.
Beef Roll — pretty big beef roll and filling. I once again, am obsessed with vinegar, and drench it in the vinegar. Oops.
Beef Noodle Soup — warms me up when I am sick. Homemade noodles and that clean broth with chunks of meat that melt in your mouth. Does this even have calories?
3 Cup Jidori Chicken — makes you feel cozy, but nothing spectacular.
Minced Pork on Rice — solid.
Pretty much anything you get here won’t disappoint, and you can taste the freshness/​lack of MSG which is amazing!

This is literally one of my favorite restaurants in all of LA. The mix of clean yet sleek Japanese bench seating set against the hipster scenery that is Silverlake makes for the perfect friend or family gathering. You’ll see a wide range of customers from couples to 3-​generation tables. And the best thing of all is the absolutely delicious, authentic Taiwanese food served in a modern way.
The eats:
— taro milk tea: made of REAL taro. Seriously good.
— the cold side dishes: my faves – seaweed, cucumber
— beef rolls: flaky scallion pancake rolled with tasty beef slices. Literally the best dish ever.
— dan dan noodles: sesame sauce mixed with noodles plus crunchy julienne cucumber slices
— minced pork rice: yummy tea egg with pickled radish, stewed minced pork with soy sauce over perfectly cooked rice
I CANNOT wait to be back. I probably could eat here for forever… yes, sorta, kinda, yes definitely.

As a Taiwanese-​American, I think this place is a dream come true. My expectations for good Taiwanese food generally come with expectations of poor service, language barriers, and questionable health scores. This place breaks that association completely: Authentic Taiwanese comfort food served up in a clean and modern atmosphere with friendly (and English-​speaking!) service… I didn’t think something like this was possible!
How to order: Grab a menu, get in line (don’t worry, it moves fast), and order at the counter. Once you’re done, the host (ess) will help you get seated before your meal. There are a few larger tables which means you might have neighbors (nice touch: this is just like eating in Taiwan, but much cleaner!).
What to order: Whatever you want! Everything here seems to be delicious and the menu is in English so you’ll have no reading problems! In particular, I really enjoyed the Dan Dan Noodles and Taiwanese Water Spinach. Also, get a pot of tea! They have an extensive selection of great teas with subtle and delicious flavor combinations.
For the entire meal, my thought process went like this:
«Wow this tastes amazing!»
«Man, this place is so clean and nice!»
«I can’t believe this exists.»
Now, if only something like this opened up in the Bay Area…

I really wanted to like this restaurant since it offers the classic Taiwanese dishes in cool Silver Lake area but I was disappointed. They are close on all their dishes but it’s just not quite there yet. Everything was just missing something. The one thing I ate that tasted like Taiwanese food I can get in Monterey Park or even at Din Tai Fung was the Beef Roll. If I lived in the area and had to get my fix instead of driving far I’d come here, but then I’d feel I was satisfied and then have to go to Monterey Park next week. Ugh.
From what other Unilocalers say it can get crowded here but I guess we were lucky on the day of a Dodger game and US vs Mexico Soccer so not many people were out early to eat. Street parking in the area can get tough but I was lucky enough to find a spot.
Tip: You can easily miss the restaurant as the address says Griffith Park Blvd, tiny road, and you are most likely driving on Sunset. It’s right behind a tiny park, patch of grass.

Best thing here? The beef noodle and wonton noodles soups. The beef noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was beefy flavorful without being salty. It was served with the wider, flatter egg noodles. That was deeelicious! The wonton noodles were served with the thinner variety but just as good in its lighter broth. The spicy shrimp wontons was another tasty dish. Great for someone that likes a teeny tiny kick to their dumplings.
As hot as it was outside, I still ordered the Dong-​Ding which was great with the food. It’s an oolong tea with roasted barley and pineapple. It’s served with a little timer indicating exactly how long to steep the tea. Perfect.
This is wonderful Taiwanese spot outside of the SGV. There’s a decent selection of traditional appetizers like scallion pancakes, potstickers and pork buns. There are also vegetarian options too. Definitely worth a visit if you’re on this side of town.
It may be tough for a group of four or more though. The tables are small. It’s counter service with a handful of tables and one large picnic style seating area. Street parking is a hit or miss. Welcome to Silver Lake!