Tangerine Chinese Restaurant (Little Tokyo, LA, CA)

Located at:
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Ste 202
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Date of Visit: 11/6/13


      I was a bit bewildered when I saw them renovating this space for a Chinese restaurant a while back. I mean a Chinese restaurant in the middle of Little Tokyo? Just sounded odd. But then figured why not? There are already some Korean, American and even some Pizza Joints here already. Man Little Tokyo is changing man... but i digress. So I was still itching for some Chinese food since the last spot I hit up didn't really satiate my cravings. And what better time to try this place out than now? 

      The place had a very welcoming and chill atmosphere. The interior was very clean, comfortable and modern. But the outdoor dining area felt very haphazard so we dined inside.
     Now during that time I was starving. And usually when that happened everything on the menu looked amazing to the point where I would just say "Give me one of everything!". Luckily my cousins were with me to keep me in check. I noticed on the menu that there were a few good lunch special sets. But i opted out and tried their full on plates. 

      Spicy Cold Arctic Surf Clam. An amazing appetizer. The surf clams were nicely cooked. And the flavors were just amazing. Though they were amazing it felt like all the flavors were just coming from everything but the actual surf clams. I think they were just there for texture purposes. There is usually a very subtle sweetness to them that gets totally overpowered. The spiciness was a bit of a creeper and was kind of amped up by the massive amount of garlic. Which i loved. I could have just ordered a plate of these and a bowl of white rice and be totally happy.

      Aloha Shrimp - "Stir Fried Shell-less Shrimps  with Pineapples in Mayo" Very well executed. The shrimps were cooked nicely and the batter was nice and crispy. Which is usually a biggie for me. The creaminess from the mayo and the sweetness from the pineapples eaten with a shrimp makes it such a tasty combo.

      Filet Mignon w/ Black Pepper Sauce. Another amazing dish. The meat was perfectly cook. Didn't have to chew for ages. And they were not too heavy on the pepper so the flavor of the meat could still come through.

      Cold Squids w/ Five Spices Soy Paste. The squids themselves were just practically flavorless and just felt overdone. And since it depended on the sauce it had to be awesome right? wrong. I don't know what went into that alchemical sauce but it just was not for me. Not a fan of this dish.

      Taiwanese Style BBQ Eel Over Flavored Sticky Rice. I'm normally not a fan of eel and usually take a pass on it. But I'll make an exception for this one. The eel itself was very fresh and very moist. They didn't drench the eel with some heavy sauce but rather really let the flavor of the eel come through. The sticky rice underneath was just alright.

      1.5Lb Lobster with Truffle Oil Sauce. Rather torn about this dish. On one hand the lobster tasted fresh and was nicely cooked. But flavor just didn't seem like it was all there. The lobster flavor is definitely present but as for the truffle oil part... not so much.
     Overall I think the food was above par. The only thing that was holding it back was that squid dish. The only thing I would lament about is how greasy some of the dishes are. As a joke I would normally say the shinier a dish the tastier it is. But in this instance it's just ridiculous. Especially the surf clams. There is a pool of grease (possibly from the chili oil) underneath the clams. Same goes for the filet.
     The service here was very good. They friendly, prompt and checked up on us every now and then. No complaints.
     They for sure serve up some delicious Chinese food here. I will definitely be back to try more of their dishes or even their fancy shaved ice. Until then I'm giving this place two thumbs up and a full face.