With a name like that, I had to try it out. It’s an Asian fusion restaurant in beautiful, downtown Baldwin Park. They serve “handcrafted artisan fried wontons”, “craft sandwiches”, and “artisan iced tea”. Their sandwiches are eclectic. For example, their shrimp Po’ Boy comes with shrimp tempura.
I ordered the special where I could get a chicken cutlet sandwich and four “jumping wontons” for $3 more. The chicken cutlet appears to have been deboned chicken leg meat (thighs and drumstick), marinated (possible a soy-based sauce) and then breaded and deep-fried. It came with lettuce, tomatoes, and chost pepper jack cheese on ciabatta bread. The overall height of the sandwich was about 3 inches.
It was delicious. I could have eaten only half of it and saved the rest, but the fried chicken cutlet wouldn’t taste good, so I ate it all. The ghost pepper jack was a let down. It tasted like pepper jack cheese with a minor amount of spiciness. Adding jalapeño slices would’ve been spicier and probably have had more taste.
They cleverly use pictures to describe the contents of the fried dumplings. I had to ask them to find out that the vegetable picture meant it had ji cai. There are several types of fried wontons available: pork, pork & ji cai, pork &. mushrooms, srhimp & mushrooms, crab & cheese, etc. They resemble Shanghai wontons in shape. The cheaper ones sell for under $8 for 8 and more than $10 for 12. The more expensive ones (e.g. with seafood) are $2 more.
I had the pork and ji cai wontons. They were tasty, but there’s no way I’d pay for a full order. The price is too much for how little you get.
Finally, I tried the Old Time Milk Tea. The Old Time Black tea had a distinctly different taste from the plain black tea. I can’t really describe it except the Old Time version has more of a roasted flavor. Anyhow, it was pretty good, but I should have ordered it with less sugar.
Overall, I was satisfied. I think I’ll stick with the sandwiches next time. The neighborhood is not known for having huge amounts of Chinese residents, so any restaurant there must adapt to the tastes of the locals in order to survive. Maybe that’s why everything is described as either “artisan” or “craft”.
Half the fun was trying to find it. I drove down the Maine Ave., but at the spot where it’s supposed to be located, Maine Ave. took a sharp right turn while the street changed if you went straight. It’s almost hidden behind another building.
4021 Maine Ave., Baldwin Park, CA 91706