Easy Earthen is a new, smaller outpost of the original Earthen Restaruants located in Hacienda Heights, Calfornia, that features the most popular items from the original Earthen in a short, one page menu.
(click on the picture for a larger version @ flickr)
Easy Earthen's setup is also relatively simple. The customer orders and pays at the counter instead of at the table, and all food items from the menu are presented in color on the large poster boards. Servers do however take care of the rest of the experience, bringing the items to the tables, asking for any necessary items, filling up on water, and busing tables.
The House Chicken (7 USD for the small size) is a very popular item at the original Earthen, and is done in the same style at Easy Earthen. The chicken is firm, if not a bit boney, but it is the garlic sauce that makes the dish definitely worth ordering. It was fabulous with the bed of sliced cucumbers below the chicken, and we even requested an extra saucer of the sauce to dip other items into.
Service was exceptional that day thanks to the watchful eyes of the manager's wife from the original Earthen and the manager at Easy Earthen. They gave us this julienne vegetable salad, which consisted of julienne carrots, bell peppers, and scallions with a tart vinegar dressing. On that hot summer day, it was extremely refreshing to have something cold and light to start the meal.
Dumplings arrived next at the table. The Pork Steamed Dumpling (8) (5 USD) is relatively light in flavorings, rather showcasing the pork's flavor instead in small, neat packages. The dumpling skin is thin, yet chewy.
The manager ended our meal with some complimentary Pork &Napa Bun(s) (5 USD). We took these home since we had already ordered a lot for four people, but we liked how the bread was soft and the meat not heavily seasoned with additional ingredients.
Easy Earthen provides most of what people like at the original Earthen at lower prices and in a convenient, to-go form. It is a great option for those who often order take-out due to the high-quality plastic containers used to pack the food; do reuse these containers to conserve the environment though! Although Easy Earthen is smaller, the flavors produced here are just like that of the original Earthen's.
Easy Earthen (Facebook)
18303 Colima Rd. Suite A
Rowland Heights, CA, 91748
Tel: 1-(626)-964-2800
Service was exceptional that day thanks to the watchful eyes of the manager's wife from the original Earthen and the manager at Easy Earthen. They gave us this julienne vegetable salad, which consisted of julienne carrots, bell peppers, and scallions with a tart vinegar dressing. On that hot summer day, it was extremely refreshing to have something cold and light to start the meal.
Dumplings arrived next at the table. The Pork Steamed Dumpling (8) (5 USD) is relatively light in flavorings, rather showcasing the pork's flavor instead in small, neat packages. The dumpling skin is thin, yet chewy.
The Pork Pot Sticker (5 USD), on the other hand, takes the same dumplings used for the pork steamed dumpling dish, and pan fries the dumplings to a crisp.The crispy factor provides additional flavor to the dumplings, but I like these pot stickers or the dumplings dipped in the garlic sauce more.
The Beef Noodles Soup (5 USD) is a smaller portion compared to the original Earthen, but packs the same spicy and moderately beefy flavors.
What has changed from the original Earthen are the noodles. The manager commented that making fresh noodles was not possible in the small kitchen, and so they found these flat noodles which are ordered from a supplier. Since then, Easy Earthen has changed the noodles for the beef noodles soup, and so I do not know how those will taste. We felt the noodles at the original Earthen were better than these noodles, which were not very chewy and thin and flat.
We also ordered the Combination Plate (10 USD), which consists of a large platter filled with various julienne vegetables, shrimp, imitation crab, and fen-pi noodles. However, this is not the entire dish.
A side dish of napa cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and beansprouts is meant to be mixed with the noodles to complete the dish.
Mixed together, the combination plate is quite refreshing and has some heat due to the mustard in the dressing. We like the chewy noodles which contrast with crunchy vegetables and tender shrimp, eggs, and imitation crab. The garlic sauce, placed here, also makes for a delicious addition.
The Pan Fried Veggie Dumpling (more commonly referred to as "chive boxes"(jiu cai he zi) ($5) is not vegeterian. Like some other restaurants, Easy Earthen adds silverfish to the usual mix of clear glass noodles, chives, and eggs. I don't really care for the doughy texture of the outside though.
The Beef Noodles Soup (5 USD) is a smaller portion compared to the original Earthen, but packs the same spicy and moderately beefy flavors.
What has changed from the original Earthen are the noodles. The manager commented that making fresh noodles was not possible in the small kitchen, and so they found these flat noodles which are ordered from a supplier. Since then, Easy Earthen has changed the noodles for the beef noodles soup, and so I do not know how those will taste. We felt the noodles at the original Earthen were better than these noodles, which were not very chewy and thin and flat.
We also ordered the Combination Plate (10 USD), which consists of a large platter filled with various julienne vegetables, shrimp, imitation crab, and fen-pi noodles. However, this is not the entire dish.
A side dish of napa cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and beansprouts is meant to be mixed with the noodles to complete the dish.
Mixed together, the combination plate is quite refreshing and has some heat due to the mustard in the dressing. We like the chewy noodles which contrast with crunchy vegetables and tender shrimp, eggs, and imitation crab. The garlic sauce, placed here, also makes for a delicious addition.
The Pan Fried Veggie Dumpling (more commonly referred to as "chive boxes"(jiu cai he zi) ($5) is not vegeterian. Like some other restaurants, Easy Earthen adds silverfish to the usual mix of clear glass noodles, chives, and eggs. I don't really care for the doughy texture of the outside though.
(making green onion pancakes)
We do like the Onion Pancakes (3 USD) however. Light and thin, these pancakes are crisp and speckled with plenty of green onions. We wish that the onions were more fragrant though. These are great eaten with the garlic sauce or the house chicken.
The manager ended our meal with some complimentary Pork &Napa Bun(s) (5 USD). We took these home since we had already ordered a lot for four people, but we liked how the bread was soft and the meat not heavily seasoned with additional ingredients.
Easy Earthen provides most of what people like at the original Earthen at lower prices and in a convenient, to-go form. It is a great option for those who often order take-out due to the high-quality plastic containers used to pack the food; do reuse these containers to conserve the environment though! Although Easy Earthen is smaller, the flavors produced here are just like that of the original Earthen's.
Easy Earthen (Facebook)
18303 Colima Rd. Suite A
Rowland Heights, CA, 91748
Tel: 1-(626)-964-2800
Comments
Thanks! It won't be entirely food, so hopefully your weight stays constant.
elmomonster,
No problem! It opened about maybe four-five months ago (I went in August). They say this is the "official" Earthen outpost.