Pine & Crane Restaurant Reviews

Come for the crab and ambience.

If you come here with buddies or take friends from out of town, this is really the place for it. The rest of the dishes are extremely weak and small portioned with very average to terrible flavors relative to price and what you can get elsewhere in Chinatown. The crab comes in the $60 range, but again, don't come for just the taste alone.

This place is incredible when it comes to ambience. No one is rushing you to leave, dropping subtle hints to gtfo with the check, or ordering more. If you come, eat crab, talk, and use R&G as the platform for conversations with some good friends, it's the best in the city.

If you come hoping to get the best taste in Chinatown and the best dishes, it's really not it.

Awesome tea! Make sure to ask for more hot water after your first pot, free of charge and just as strong

Ace veggie potstickers and the peanut salad is fantastic.

Incredible value, phenomenal food, little bit of a queue but everyone seated v fast

Great spot for taiwanese food. Everything is solid on the menu.

hands down cure for the common cold. best sullungtang in town. perfect broth which is definitely an artform...

Pretty good Taiwanese food for this area.
Food wasnt greasy or over powered by spices. I like the atmosphere inside. Pretty cool spot.

We ordered:
Dan dan noodles- pretty good but was a bit too salty
Beef roll- it was delicious
Won ton noodle soup- bland
Cold potato salad- good stuff
Taro milk tea- chunky taro in it. If add soy milk its really thick
Passion fruit tea- very refreshing and on the sweet side

They have a good variety of menu choices. The spicy shrimp wontons were deliciously amazing. The restaurant is small so it may take a bit to get a table during peak time. But the restaurant is worth it.

Wow, amazing service only matched by beautiful dishes. The Three Mushroom Cup dish is just poetry. Decibelios with the wait!

Omg the food was absolutely delicious!! We shared some dishes so we could try multiple things. The food tasted so fresh too. Loved the potstickers, chive pancake, the soup and the tea was lovely. Will definitely be back when I'm in town. Note: this place is kind of small and can get pretty crowded but it is definitely worth the wait.

Had lunch delivery the pan fried buns survived the 25-min long drive and still tasted amazing, and the spicy shrimp wontons didn t go soggy and were honestly one of the best shrimp chao-shous I ve had (Taiwanese here).
I did pop those beef rolls in the countertop oven for a few minutes to restore the crispy texture, otherwise everything was

Great small Chinese eatery in the neighborhood.
The dishes of Mapodoufu, three cup chicken and vegetables are all very good.
Dandan noodles so so, not much flavor.

I really like the place and the food. Very good. Relax place.

This place is just INCREDIBLE!!!!
The price amazing
The service awesome
The food unbelievable

I can recommend this place 100000%!!!
Don t think it, Just GO!!!

Great place highly recommend their T is great I love the fried rice chow mein and they had a great ginger soup great tasting pretty nice restaurant pretty nice scenery from the outside and in side is very Up to date with the restaurant businesses Recommend if you're in the area you do stop by the food is exquisite you'll love it

Pretty good Taiwanese food for this area.
Food wasnt greasy or over powered by spices. I like the atmosphere inside. Pretty cool spot.

We ordered:
Dan dan noodles- pretty good but was a bit too salty
Beef roll- it was delicious
Won ton noodle soup- bland
Cold potato salad- good stuff
Taro milk tea- chunky taro in it. If add soy milk its really thick
Passion fruit tea- very refreshing and on the sweet side

One of my favorite Taiwanese restaurant in Los Angeles. Beef noodle soup is great, totally recommended.

Tried everything on the menu at this point and I always come back to the bamboo shoot salad, spicy shrimp wontons, and any of the market greens! Perfect meal... Add a tea set or beer to round it out. I love Taiwanese food but it can sometimes be quite heavy. The California influence on this place is obvious and lends a light, fresh touch.

a must visit if you re in LA - the menu has a nice balance of light and heavy foods for both vegetarians and meat eaters. the consistency is pretty unparalleled. I ve been more times than I d like to acknowledge and the food gets better every time as the restaurant has the uncanny ability to create its own nostalgic sensibility. you gotta try the beef roll, mapu tofu, potstickers and any and all of the teas.

I got 3 things: pancake, noodles, buns.

Review: Good - But the scallion pancake was dense and didnt have very much flavor. The dan dan noodles had good flavor but were not spicy at all, and the chili oil they had didnt have heat to it. Buns somewhat undercooked. There were good flavors but it was lacking in execution

Pine and Crane is a small fast-causual Asian (Taiwanese-Chinese) restaurant in Sunset blvd and Griffith Park blvd on Silverlake neighborhood. I came here to grab a late lunch on a Saturday. Indoor vibe was welcoming. Dining area was spacious, organized with a long community center wooden table. You need to order first at the order counter before being seated. It took me some time because the line was long. It was peak (4 pm) hour and it was crowded. I ordered passion fruit black tea with boba, white rice and jidori chicken. Their utensils/water were self service located at the front counter. The icecold passion fruit black tea was refreshing and deliciously served in a 16 oz thick glass cup with a metal straw which I think was cool and environmental friendly; boba (an extra 50 cents) was sweet soft and chewy ball with gummy-bear like texture. Jidori chicken (chicken, chinese basil, soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil) was tasty, soft and flavorful and its sauce was thick and a bit too much soy sauce. Serving was above average. Service was fast. Prices were reasonable and competitive. Street parking only and can be difficult given its on Silverlake area. Staff were nice and professional. Overall I had a good food and dining experience.

The dinner menu did not disappoint! It was a rainy night, so everyone was crowded in for soups & hot food. Highlights: hot tea, pork dumplings, beef roll, bean sprouts, & Mapo tofu!

Not so impressed by the food or service. We ate an organic tofu dish and did not finished it.

This is a very unique and wonderful place to eat with several friends. It was a new experience for me when I ate there the other day. The food was delicious. The rice was cooked perfectly. I even liked the tofu, which was a first for me. I will definitely be visiting again when I am in the area.

A solid find in silver lake. We trekked from our west LA posts to that of silver lake to try this restaurant!! Had been recommended to us by a bunch of people :)

FOOD: You order food/pay and then get seated. We got the beef scallion roll, which had cucumbers and meat inside. The meat to cucumber ratio was even, but I wish it was more mixed rather than the cucumber to one side and the meat to the other because one of my bites would be only cucumber or only meat. The scallion pancake was light and delicious.

THE STARS: Beef noodle soup was SO GOOD. the beef was tender and the soup was so flavorful without being heavy and salty. The noodles were almost udon like, thick and chewy. Lots of bokchoy. Delicious.

They RAN OUT OF CHICKEN :( so when we went on a 1pm on Wednesday we had to settle for the mushroom three cup instead. This was not bad.... the flavor of the sauce was sort of sweet and heavy and the mushrooms soaked up the flavor. After a while though, the flavor
Got kind of tiring--but luckily there's rice to wash your palate.

Ambience: really crowded on a Wednesday at 1pm--that's how you know it's good. The line moves fairly quick, maybe ten minutes of waiting for us.
The bathroom was sort of clean-- one was broken and there's only two so that was sort of disappointing.

The restaurant itself is a very cute date spot but fairly loud--don't really think it's a good intimate date spot but nice place to try with a couple of friends :)

Love the 3 cup chicken. Always packed but worth the wait. Which isn't terrible anyway :)

This was so good! I had the three cup mushroom, and we shared the scallion pancakes, wood ear mushroom salad and five spice bamboo appetizers. My (Taiwanese) wife had the three cup chicken and loved it. If we lived in the area, we d eat here all the time.

Clean modern interior, good service - order up first. Well made Chinese food with a modern twist.

A simple bowl of beef soup cures all!
I love to put spicy radish and a lot of green onions into my soup. So delicious. I can come here everyday.

One of my favorite spots to go to with my friends and family! The portions are small but the quality of the food is definitely there. Some of my favorites are the spicy wantons with pork, fired pork noodles, and hot and sour soup! I recommend checking this place out if you are around the mall.

Order the fish in chili sauce then take the leftover sauce home and use it for two meals at home. It's WONDERFUL. Try to go when it's half empty or it's too noisy to talk. Decibels when full: 80. Love the fact that I can get both delicious Chinese food and good coffee at the same place.

Even though the inside is closed off the professional aspects of Pine and Crane is still top notch

Dan Dan noodles are really good with great flavor. The milk tea has a very strong, bitter, tea flavor and is not sweet at all. Spicy wontons are great, comparable to Din Tai Fung.

Nice place. But I think the food is overrated slightly...

Very good food, but quite annoying (to my taste) beer selection.

One of my home local favorites, the food is great the staff is very friendly, it is a family-owned business, Vivianp the owner is an amazing person who puts a lot into the restaurant, and it shows in her restaurant, it's filled with great personality

Overall the place is pretty good and the food tastes fresh. Yes you could find better versions of the individual dishes in the SGV but you wouldn't be able to get all the dishes together like at Pine and Crane. The prices are fair and the environment is cool.

Food was delicious (highly recommend the spicy shrimp wantons not super spicy). But what blew me away was the service. Really appreciate the hospitality. Keep up the great work!

Great Taiwanese food. I highly recommend the dan dan noodles and the pork potstickers. The vegetarian mapo tofu is good but light on the vegetables which is the reason why I'm giving this review a four-star. Also, I wish they had bigger tables and more chairs to accommodate the patrons.

Delicious food, amazing beef soup and vegetable pot stickers

Authentic Taiwanese food in inviting hipster chic decor. Get the three cups chicken, the beef roll, and the potstickers!

Omg! This is the best restaurant I have ever had!
The food is authentic and the service is so amazing.
They smile to the customers from their deeply heart. I can just felt it!!!!

This is a pork palace, if don't dont eat pork its pointless going. 80% of the menu is pork. Other than that, great restaurant. Food was good. Very busy so you have to be committed. Wish they offered the dishes with other meat/vegetable options then I'd commute there at least once a week.

worst beef noodle soup I've ever tasted in my life (I've lived in TW) beef rolls also pretty trash. dandanmian was good, but that's really about it. clearly an establishment for white folks with subpar taste in Silverlake

Good food and vibe. A bit of a wait outside but worth it

Amazing food that does not break the budget. Very tasty, pork dumplings are to die for, mapo tofu was a highlight too. Beware of the queues during peak hours, although those move pretty quickly since you order at the counter and the food is pretty quick to arrive.

The best place for vegetarian mapo tofu. Go during off hours or get stuck waiting for a table with the other hipsters.

The minced pork rice is good and the oyster pancake is good too. Both dish could make you feel full very fast though. The noodle soup we had was very plain so it's up to personal preference, but the noodle in it was very nice!

Better than eating Taiwanese food in many places in Asia. Will visit every time in Los Angeles.

I really liked this place. Great renditions to Taiwanese classics. I also loved the fact that they have some great Taiwanese Oolongs! I'm glad they give you a timer and a separate vessel to decant your tea. So many places neglect the fact that tea is easily ruined when over-steeped. I had their DanDanMien which was really delicious, however slightly small for the price.

Best Taiwanese I ve ever had.!! Definitely my Top 3 spots in LA.
They just didn t have the buns but everything is still bomb delicious

Taiwanese/Americanized Asian food. Although it's pricey it's good and the service is superb!

Loving the food out there!! The dan dan noodle is soooo good!
And It s also cheap!
Cons : they don t take reservation so you can wait for a hour a table if you go there on week ends...

Great dish, affordable price, but usually have a long queue

Friendly staffs and good food. Order, wait in line for seat and dishes come right after when you got a table. Very efficient, save time :) our favorite is the dandan noodle. Fried pan Bun is good, but need a little bit more juicy inside the bun.

Incredible incredible food. The wait can be long on weekend nights. Went super day for lunch and only waited 10 mins. The food was incredible make sure you get the bean sprouts.

I don't even know where to begin with this establishment. It was all just... SO GOOD!!!! From the initial phone call to inquire about which sake would be best for warming at home, to the ordering process, then to the next call to see if we could push our order time back 15 minutes, to the FOOD which was absolutely delicious, to the call to the manager to ask about something that we mistakenly forgot to order, then to surprise text message I received with a bonus gift card!

Nina and the entire staff at Pine & Crane should be awarded for their excellent service and delicious food. I just wish I would have known about this restaurant sooner. Now I know the first place I will go for dinner once the pandemic is over.

Thank you Nina and Pine & Crane for making our engagement anniversary extra special. We can't wait to have a glass of sake with you in person.

Great food, great service, fun atmosphere. Only downside is the wait, but it moves quickly they ve got it down!

So damn fresh. So damn cute. And so damn good. Walking up the register I was immediately won over by a scene from the kitchen of dough being kneaded in preparation to make fresh noodles. That in itself is a huge indicator of the level of More

Some people will argue about the merits of the hipster/yuppification of Asian food, saying that it increases the price point and takes away from the comforting-hole in the wall element of foods rooted in culture and community, but Pine & Crane manages to take traditional Taiwanese dishes and elevate/update them into forms that may even be better than the originals in their focus on clean food. Less oily. Organic. And their vegetarian take on three cup chicken that uses oyster mushrooms instead of chicken is fantastic.

Definitely worth the wait! Service is great and the food is exceptional.

WHOA! Talk about a lot of food!

I met up with a couple girl friends for a lunch here and they weren't kidding when they said, "let's be foodies".

We got a little bit of everything, but my personal favorites were the milk green tea with boba and the gyoza. The dipping sauce that is paired with it is TO DIE FOR!

The parking situation, not going to lie, its pretty tough.. but goes for all of Silver Lake. Plan to walk a few blocks. Also, beware, I personally witnessed someone back out of a driveway and crash into a parked car and drove off... without leaving any information.

Really wish the parking situation was better.

Really amazing food, I especially love the rice bowls and soup dumplings. They also have a really cool selection of artisan teas- they're a bit more expensive than what you'd expect for a pot of tea, but well worth it for some suprisingly great flavors (I especially liked the Jasmine). Just make sure and get there before the dinner rush- the line gets crazy long.

Truly excellent Taiwanese cuisine. We sampled almost everything on the menu and it was all delicious! The stand out dishes for me were the pork buns, the dandan mian, and the fresh deli dishes (lotus roots, bamboo shoots, cucumber pickles) but you really can't go wrong.

That is really delicious!!! Same as in my hometown Taiwan!!!!!! Recommend to order sweet potatoes leaf

It seems like the line is often pouring out the door at Pine & Crane, because when we arrived, everyone knew the drill. You stay in line while looking at a menu, because then go up to order and pay. Then scout a table and then a server comes with your food. It seems like many moving parts are involved, but somehow everything is coordinated well.

The Taiwanese dishes here are fresh and light. The noodles come with lots of vegetables and nothing is overpowered. The beef rolls are really good and done right.

High quality, consistent and authentic. My favorites are the pork buns, five cup chicken, peanut noodles, spicy wontons, minced pork and beef noodle soup. That might be everything on the menu. It s the only place I take my mom when she visits. Simply delicious. Lines out the door daily, but they are efficient. Takeout and limited outdoors right now but they pack everything well.

A friend and I tried several dishes.

The bamboo shoots salad and lotus root salad were both quite tasty.

The spicy shrimp wontons, layered pork pancake and dan dan noodles were all very pedestrian. They weren't bad, just nothing special. None of these dishes were really elevated over their SGV counterparts. As an example, the dan dan noodles at 101 Noodle Express, for me, are much more toothsome than Pine & Crane's dan dan noodles.

This place is amazingly great food and beverages everytime. Wish I could go more often, can only enjoy this fab place when I visit LA

Gets a little crowded around dinner time and we were asked if we could move to a smaller table. Not a place to linger and chat during peak hours. Great food.

Food is as delicious as always. Everyone is professional and friendly.

We have been going there for years now and not once was the food different or didn't taste exactly the same.
Everything is delicious there and at this point we have tried everything on their menu.
The least interesting item is the pan fried pork buns.
I wish the staff was friendlier and that they change the ordering system because the line can get long!

Really good food, horrible long line's. I remember the good ol days when this was a local spot only. Now the hypebeast foodies and the wannabe hipsters flood this location.

Thanks to my friend for suggesting this place, because I would never in a million years consider driving out to Silverlake for Taiwanese food when it is usually readily available in the SGV. But I have to give props to this place because I was actually quite amazed at how delicious and authentic everything tasted.

We decided to venture out to hipsterville on a Friday night and there was a decent line out the door when we arrived, although it moved pretty fast. The way the restaurant operates is that you first place your order and pay for your food at the cashier, then wait to be seated. The restaurant is small so the place gets packed, but the food comes out at lightning speed so they get you in and out pretty quickly.

We ordered the following items:

-Beef Roll ($6.50)
Cucumber, Cilantro, Scallions, House Hoisin

-Cold Seaweed ($3.50)

-Beef Noodle Soup ($9)
Beef Shank, Baby Bok Choy, Preserved Mustard Greens

-Dan Dan Noodles ($7.50)
Sesame-Peanut Sauce, Chili Oil, Cucumbers, Peanuts

-Alishan "Milk" Jin Xuan ($5)
Sweet Milk, Light Honey, Toasted Almonds

The portion sizes were smaller than the typical portions you get at other restaurants in SGV, but the ingredients they use are fresh and locally sourced, and the food is definitely authentic Taiwanese. I loved that they don't change the taste of the food to cater to the American palate. The food was not overly greasy or overwhelmed by MSG either so that was much appreciated. There's really not many options for Taiwanese food in Silverlake so I can see how their business is blooming, but for those of us in the SGV, I probably wouldn't suggest driving out unless you are already in the area and craving Taiwanese food.

Tip* Parking is a hassle in this area since there's no parking lots so expect to find street parking nearby.

Excellent Taiwanese food with a hip, modern ambiance. The setup of the restaurant was a bit weird, you sit yourself after you order (no saving spaces!) There is a limited amount of seating in the restaurant. There's a few smaller tables against the wall and one large communal table. And you're only allowed to sit outside if you're ordering to go...(not sure the reason for this)

We ordered the pea shoots which were one of the daily vegetable selections. We also got the beef roll, beef noodle soup, and the minced pork rice. Everything was delicious, the minced pork rice was probably my favorite. The beef noodle soup was also quite good; the beef was melt in your mouth tender but there were only 2 pieces :(

They seem to offer a large selection of teas, boba, and taiwanese beer/wine. I would love to come back and enjoy more of their delectable Taiwanese cafe dishes and snacks.

Personally was not impressed. With all the quality asian food readily available in the surrounding areas im surprised this place is so popular.

I went here on a Wednesday night to grab dinner with some friends. The restaurant was packed when we arrived, but we were extremely lucky to find an empty meter right outside. I don't remember seeing a parking lot for this restaurant, so you must find street parking to eat here.

This is one of those restaurants where you order and pay for your food first and then you receive a number to bring to your table. The line to order food stretched outside the door, so it took around 20 minutes of waiting for us to finally place our orders. Once we ordered our food, we waited for tables to become available. It was a bit disorganized and we felt like we were blocking the walkway, but there wasn't anywhere else to stand...

My party ordered: beef rolls, shrimp wontons, beef noodle soup, dan dan noodles, zha jiang noodles, and a taro milk tea. We ate family style so that everyone could try more items on the menu.

I highly recommend the shrimp wontons, dan dan noodles, and zha jiang noodles. The taro milk tea was also delicious had taro chunks and the beef rolls was very fresh and not oily at all! My friend, however, did not enjoy his beef noodle soup and said that it was very bland. He also stated that he will never order it again.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal, but would rather go to SGV for cheaper Taiwanese food. I would come back again if I were in the area.

Has great outdoor seating with randomly spaced tables in a very spacious, quasi-public outdoor corridor off of Sunset, perfect for the covid era. Very reasonably priced menu -- Taiwanese with kind of an Asisn fusion vibe.

So cute and this is such an amazing example of how to modernize a traditional cuisine yet kept it COMPLETELY authentic to its roots.