This Is TASTE

535: Southern California Road Trip: Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley

Jan 29, 2025

Kristie Hang is a journalist known for her insights into the San Gabriel Valley's restaurant scene, while Chris Yang is the talented chef and owner of Yang's Kitchen. They discuss the vibrant food culture of Southern California, highlighting must-visit spots like Mercado González and Rye Goods. Kristie shares hidden gems in the SGV, such as Banh Mi Hoa Phat and Good Alley, while Chris talks about the artistry behind his unique dishes. The conversation delves into the importance of local ingredients and the rich culinary diversity of the area.

58:46

Episode guests

Chris Yang

Kristie Hang

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast emphasizes the importance of community support for local dining, especially in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires.

At Northgate Market, the hosts discover the vibrant flavors and cultural significance of regional Mexican cuisine through their culinary explorations.

Christy Hang's tour of the San Gabriel Valley reveals a rich culinary landscape shaped by diverse immigrant backgrounds and innovative food culture.

Deep dives

Support for Wildfire Relief

The episode opens with a heartfelt message of support for those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, encouraging listeners to engage in local dining as a way to support the hospitality community. This serves as a reminder of the importance of community solidarity during challenging times. Listeners are provided resources to donate to relief efforts and motivated to contribute to the bustling restaurant scene. This theme of community resilience underlines the entire episode, framing the culinary journey that follows.

Intro

2min

Culinary Adventures at Northgate Market

5min

The Sourdough Journey: From Grains to Community

10min

Exploring the Vibrant Food Scene of Good Alley

2min

Reviving Chinese Culinary Artistry

7min

Culinary Journeys and Local Flavors

16min

Savoring Southern California: A Culinary Adventure

16min

Culinary Delights of Southern California: A Memorable Dining Experience

2min

Today we have a very special episode. Visit California invited us out of our New York City studio and over to the West Coast for a food-focused road trip around Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley. We start our journey at Mercado González at Northgate Market in Costa Mesa, where Aliza and Matt share an incredible afternoon walking around the mercado looking for pozole, churros, and many more surprises along the way.

We hit the road for our next stop, a visit with Sara Lezama, the owner of Rye Goods, an acclaimed sourdough bakery and deli with three locations throughout Orange County in Newport Beach, Tustin, and Laguna Beach.

Next on our road trip, we head to the San Gabriel Valley, where journalist Kristie Hang gives us a tour of some of her favorite new and under-the-radar restaurants, including Banh Mi Hoa Phat, Good Alley, and Bistro Na’s.

We stay in the SGV for a conversation with chef Chris Yang of Yang’s Kitchen, which has firmly become one of our favorite restaurants in all of California. To close, Aliza and Matt share many more discoveries from their road trip around Southern California.

More places we visited: Folks Pizzeria, A&J Seafood Shack, Burritos La Palma.

And a great hotel for your future home base in the SGV is the Hilton San Gabriel.

To donate to California wildfire relief, visit Restaurants Care.

This very special episode of This Is TASTE is supported by Visit California. While this episode was recorded before the LA wildfires in January, all of the restaurants featured are open for business, and we can’t think of a better time to pay California a visit for your own food-obsessed road trip. Dining out in LA is one way to help support the city, and these truly were some amazing places. Questions about visiting LA now?

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