Not sure exactly what’s changed, but it’s definitely got more neon (on the inside, in case you weren’t sure).
I saw things there that I wish I could unsee. In fact, things that I need to unsee. And it has nothing to do with the food.
I suppose the food could be described as a hodgepodge of Taiwanese beer food, mixed with some Sichuan favorites, and a couple of Hunan specialties. All of which were neither memorable nor despicable.
Cinnabar
(Lower Azusa and Rosemead Blvd., Rosemead)
And the fishtanks? Still there? How about the anti-aircraft artillery setup outside?
The fishtanks were gone before Moonlight opened. I don’t think the anti-aircraft guns will ever be moved.
Recently tried this place after driving by and seeing some positive reviews on yelp. I’ve now been twice, and needless to say, I’m a fan. I do hope they get a 3-way liquor license soon, though, as the bar is simply overbuilt if all they’re ever going to do is beer and soju.
Entryway
Overall service was adequate, as was the food. The bean curd cold plate was pretty generic–not bad, but nothing to go out of one’s way to order. My dining companion liked the noodles best, but that tends to be one of his favorite dishes to order anywhere. I was impressed with the sizzling rice cake dish, as I haven’t had anything like it in a long time, and certainly not as well-prepared an iteration; this dish took me back to the kind of old-school Cantonese fare from American Chinese restaurants. I liked the plethora of high-quality seafood (note: that is NOT imitation krab, but krab-flavored fish cake), so I felt this was a modern, elevated take on a childhood favorite.
The dessert is basically sweet fried rice cakes with peanuts on top. It’s okay, wouldn’t go out of my way to order it, though.
Not pictured: Yogurt Soju Cocktail (not really worth it)
I came back a little over a week later with my parents, as I knew my father would enjoy the sizzling rice cake dish (he did). Note: this time there was far more of the krab fish cake at the expense of the squid tentacles and rings, so seafood mix may vary from order to order. Not pictured
The sizzling rice cake dish was the only repeat dish ordered; new dishes we tried (based on yelp popularity) included:
House Special Flavored Fish Fillet
This is delicious, and seems to be their signature dish. Almost every table orders this, and I can see why. Great balance of flavors: savory, vinegary, numbing, cooling, etc.
Another popular item coming highly recommended from yelp, and we could see why. This was our table’s favorite dish; the flavor explosion had everyone exclaiming, “Mmmm!” after their first bite. Lots of garlic, ginger and general umami.
This was on the vinegary side, but quite tasty. Cabbage was still quite crunchy, and the pork belly provided a nice savory element and textural balance.
Although we didn’t order it, we got the rice cake dessert again free of charge. This was a bit too foreign for my parents’ palates, but it was the same quality as previously. Not pictured
Overall, Cinnabar is a hit! I think if I took my first dining companion back and ordered more like my most recent visit, he’d enjoy it much more.
1/2 Stars (out of 5)
