There are probably no three letters in a restaurant name that make me hungrier than B, B and Q.
In one incarnation, BBQ was a clarion call for those hungry for the beef of Texas and the pork of the South — and often in these well-melded parts, for shops selling both. But the explosion of tasty Asian spots, mostly Chinese, with “BBQ” in their names has opened a brave new world of extreme — and extremely satisfying — flavors, with barbecue found in virtually all the culinary regions of China. You can’t follow the pork without a scorecard.
In Cantonese, barbecue is known as siu mai. And it’s not just marked in the names, but in the windows where whole ducks hang, and hunks of dark red pork cry out for consumption in quantity. Barbecue seems to have its roots in Canton. But in restaurants on the western edge of China, there’s a good chance of finding barbecue lamb.
I’ve heard tell of barbecue starfish being an object of desire in coastal Shandong. And barbecue freshwater fish from the Heilong River up near the Russian border. There are heavily peppered variations on the sweeter barbecue of the South in Szechuan, Xinjiang and Hunan. But there’s a ubiquity to barbecue pork, the much-loved char siu — a meat with a following that’s beyond cult. It stretches into every imaginable culinary enclave.
These are meats you’ll find at local destinations like Tasty Zone BBQ (523 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel; 626-872-2889), Xinjiang BBQ (306 N. Garfield Ave., Monterey Park; 626-288-3988), Feng Wei BBQ (133 W. Garvey Ave., Monterey Park; 626-307-7405), Sham Tseng BBQ (634 W. Garvey Ave, Monterey Park; 626-289-4858) … and Sam Woo BBQ, with numerous branches, too many to list, but pretty much everywhere!
Which brings us, in a notably roundabout fashion, to the culinary conundrum of Burnt Belly, the American/Asian barbecue stand in the lively Blossom Market Hall in the heart of Old San Gabriel. Blossom Market (www.blossommarkethall.com) is a joyous reflection of the much-stirred, endlessly bubbling and simmering melting pot that’s the San Gabriel Valley.
Along with Burnt Belly, the options include the Banh Mi Bar, Caribbean Gourmet, Sushi Rolland, Spotless Burgers, Café et Cetera, Manduyo Korean Fusion, La Olla Mexican, Rori’s Artisanal Creamery, Honey & Hive Acai Bar — and enough coffee (at AK Fresh Roast), tea (at Circle Tea Bar) and beer & wine (at Angel & Mason) to keep diners well-lubricated while wondering about the dashi and doenjang, along with the smoked brisket and farro, that make the miso collard greens unlike any ever tasted before.
Back at Burnt Belly, let us begin with the meats, which are…extraordinary. I’ve eaten smoked brisket from coast to coast. One of my favorite cookbooks is “The Brisket Chronicles: How to Barbecue, Braise, Smoke, and Cure the World’s Most Epic Cut of Meat,” by Steven Raichlen, which I’ve given as a gift to culinary friends over the years.
I am incredibly biased about brisket, possibly more than any other food. And I love the brisket at Burnt Belly. You don’t chew it; it melts before your teeth get around to it. The smoke is just right. The tenderness is perfect. The sauce is a wonder. This is a great brisket — and I’m not sure it’s Asian in the least.
Much the same can be said of the brisket burnt ends, which are exactly what they sound like — the edges of the meat that’s gotten more cooked, more crunchy, and more good with every second of smoking, and every chew. There are pork belly burnt end as well, giving a rare and wondrous option of two nigh-on perfect tastes, along with chicken — both a half and pulled. And that’s it…for the meats at least.
But then, with most dishes — one meat, two meats or three meats — there’s a choice of two sides. And decisions must be made. There’s a fine potato salad of Yukon Gold potatoes, smoked bacon and eggs, as good a spud salad as you’ll find in town, uncluttered with mayo. There’s a three cheese mac and cheese with bacon crumbles (they do like their bacon…and so do I!). There are caramel coated sweet potatoes — is it a side dish, or dessert?
And then, there are the miso collard greens. The presence of miso is unusual. But what then, are dashi and doenjang? Simply speaking, dashi is both a table sauce and a soup stock, the very essence of the elusive taste of umami. And doenjang is fermented bean paste, the result of mixing soybeans, brine and…time. It makes the collard greens sui generis, like none other.
But then, though so much at Burnt Belly is familiar, so much is…out of an alternative universe. This is not Asian barbecue. This is not American barbecue. This is also both at once. Only in the SG Valley — once again.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
Burnt Belly
- Rating: 3 stars
- Address: Blossom Market Hall (aka San Gabriel Masonic Lodge #546), 264 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel
- Information: 626-225-3642; www.burntbelly.com
- Cuisine: American BBQ with Asian touches
- When: Lunch and early dinner, Wednesday through Sunday
- Details: Soft drinks; no reservations
- Atmosphere: Surrounded by a wide variety of exotic food stands, Burnt Belly is a unique stand-out, with some of the best barbecue beef in town (the burnt ends rock!), along with some unexpectedly Asian side dishes. It’s a very tasty culinary adventure, with a beer and wine stand nearby.
- Prices: About $18 per person
- Suggested dishes: 1, 2 and 3 Meat Plate with two sides ($18-$26), 4 Sandwiches with one side ($13-$16), 6 Sides ($4-$8)
- Credit cards: MC, V
- What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)
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