Restaurant Review: Pine and Crane

It’s been a long time coming, but I finally got to check out Pine and Crane in Silverlake. This place is highly in demand and ultra cool. Specializing in authentic Taiwanese street food, they are one of the most popular restaurants in the city. On any given night, expect a wait. But it is a fast-paced eatery, so tables turn quick. The setting is perfect for dinner with friends or a loved one. But how did I like it? Let’s just find out.

I’ve wanted to go to Pine and Crane for a long time. It’s a staple of LA dining, to say the least. The room is beautiful and unique and is reminiscent of a food hall crossed with an elegant cafeteria. It doesn’t feel cramped or claustrophobic. The tables are spaced apart, and the noise level is perfect. We ordered at the counter before being seated. It’s a very efficient process. After being seated, one of the 4 or 5 servers constantly turning tables brought our food to us almost immediately.

Our order was as follows; pan-fried pork buns, Dan Dan noodles, and three cup chicken. The food was beautiful and well-plated. Each dish looked inviting and vibrant. Portions were generous by any standard, especially for the price point (which was also impressive). As I said, I haven’t much experience with Taiwanese food so take my opinions with a grain of salt. But everything looked great so let’s move into the flavors.

The pork buns were the star. I’m a huge fan of dumplings (who tf isn’t?), so this was great. Nice spongy bread with minced pork filling. The flavor lacked luster, but when dipped in soy, the whole thing sang. Great comfort dish. The Dan Dan noodles really challenged me. I’m a massive fan of peanut anything, and these were definitely heavy in that department. Creamy peanut sauce with very thick noodles was definitely a fun thing to eat. But I didn’t get much depth or diversity of flavor, and the dish became a little heavy after a few passes. The three-cup chicken was good. It was laden with a thick, sweet sauce and served with green onion and peppers. The meat was perfectly cooked, and the dish was fantastic, teamed with the white rice served next. I really liked it. But it didn’t stand out much for me from a really good Taiwanese or Chinese takeout chicken dish with sweet sauce. No knock. All enjoyable. But simply a little underwhelming.

We ordered the most popular items on the menu. So this is a pretty fair analysis. The whole experience was fun and exciting. The restaurant deserves a lot of praise for what they’ve built, and its system is impressive. The service was so efficient without feeling rushed or annoying. We felt welcome at every turn. The food was delicious but just a little less so than my expectations. Over all, I’d like to return and get the minced pork and scallion pancake. The menu has so many fun turns to take. So I’d say this was a success but not a favorite.