Casual Taiwanese Restaurant
I recently visited Pine & Crane to enjoy some Taiwanese food for lunch after a long time. This restaurant first opened in Silver Lake, and perhaps due to its popularity, it has also opened a location in DTLA. The place we visited was the DTLA branch, and it was so crowded that we had to wait in line for quite a while to place our order. However, when it was our turn, they opened up an outdoor seating area, allowing us to sit down immediately after ordering without any wait.
The menu items we ordered included Wonton Noodle Soup, Three Cup Chicken, Beef Roll, and for drinks, we chose Sea Salt Cream Cold Brew and Brown Sugar Milk Tea. Pine & Crane seems to be a drink hotspot as both beverages we ordered were incredibly delicious. As it was labeled Lightly Sweetened, the Sea Salt Cream Cold Brew had just the right amount of sweetness, perfectly complemented by the smoothness of the sea salt cream. The Brown Sugar Milk Tea was also not overly sweet, and the boba in the milk tea was chewy and delightful.
Next came the main dishes. First up was the Wonton Noodle Soup, which was about 95% similar to the one I had at Joy, a sister restaurant. The noodles seemed a bit different, but I couldn’t notice any major differences. Since I enjoyed it so much at Joy, I finished it all without leaving a bite behind. It’s definitely a recommended dish that appeals to everyone. The second dish was the Three Cup Chicken. This dish features chicken cooked in soy sauce, and if it had glass noodles, it would taste almost like a steamed chicken dish. It wasn’t salty and was perfectly seasoned, making it delicious when paired with the rice that came with it.
Finally, we had the Beef Roll. I expected this to be the first dish to arrive as an appetizer, but it came out last while we were eating the main courses. It seemed to be a popular item as I noticed each table ordered one. The flavor of the Beef Roll was a bit different from what I had imagined; the meat was thin and tender, and the cucumber inside added a refreshing touch to what could have been a heavy flavor. There was also a sauce inside that tasted similar to the honey used in hotteok, giving the experience of wrapping beef and cucumber together like in hotteok. Writing this down makes it sound a bit strange, but it was really delicious.
Pine & Crane DTLA
If you’re looking for a casual Taiwanese restaurant, I recommend visiting Pine & Crane, which is filled with a variety of Taiwanese dishes and drinks.
