Plan

A strip-mall counter on East Valley Boulevard whose beef roll is the dish people drive for, a flaky scallion pancake rolled around sliced flank steak, hoisin, cilantro and green onion, cut into rounds. The rest of the menu is Shandong noodles and dumplings and it is all cheap. You order at the front, sit at a laminate table and it arrives fast.

Mon to Thu, 11am to 9pm. Fri and Sat, 11am to 10:30pm. Sun, 11am to 9pm

A bright counter at the Valley Boulevard end of Alhambra that opens at eight and serves Chinese breakfast until half past ten, soy milk and youtiao and radish cake. The dish it is known for is the Shanghai pan-fried pork bao, sheng jian bao, browned flat on the bottom and still full of soup. You order at the register, take a number and sit at a shared table.

Daily, 8am to 9pm. Breakfast menu 7am to 10:30am

A very small place on Valley Boulevard with a handful of tables that has been doing one dish since 1982, poached chicken over rice cooked in the fat, with ginger-scallion, garlic-chili and dark soy on the side. Order the dark meat for two dollars more. The rest of the board is Macanese and Malaysian cooking and the baked seafood casserole is the other thing regulars order. Closed Sundays.

Mon to Sat, 11am to 9pm. Closed Sun

A corner beer bar on Main Street in downtown Alhambra with thirty-eight taps, a long bar and a patio facing the sidewalk. It has been there since 2009 and the food is ale-house cooking, burgers and pizzas and tacos, served until close. The noise level is conversational rather than loud and nobody works the door.

Sun, noon to 9pm. Mon to Thu, 11:30am to 10pm. Fri and Sat, noon to 11pm

Three generations of the same family have been making ice cream on West Main Street since 1937, from a business the Fosselmans trace to 1919. Everything is made on the premises and the flavor board has taro, lychee and ube on it alongside the butter pecan, which is Alhambra telling you who lives there. Cash only, bills and coins, no cards at all.

Mon to Sat, 10am to 10pm. Sun, 11am to 10pm

The original location, on the corner of Valley and Garfield since 1951, with the neon sign and a walk-up window. Order the world famous pastrami dip and expect a pile of meat that needs two hands and a stack of napkins. Chili cheese fries come in a portion sized for a table. It is open until one in the morning every night of the week.

Daily, 10am to 1am