The thought of eating a 1000-year-old egg salad doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, but if it’s by design, then so be it. The famous Chinese creation is also known as century egg. To prepare this dish, hard-boiled egg soaks in a paste that could include ash, black tea, salt and lime. This process results in brown, gelatinous “whites” that resemble pork skins, and firm, pungent, black yolks.

Sugar Spice Cafe resides in the plaza next to the Hilton San Gabriel. Dylan Ho from Dylan + Jeni suggested this restaurant prior to a recent ownership change. They’re best known for dumplings and house-made noodle dishes. Their savory 1000-year-old egg salad ($6.43) impressed me most. Chopped egg on silken tofu slabs arrived in a dressing of soy sauce and cilantro.