Known for their breakfast fare, this basic, strip-mall counter serve offers classic Taiwanese meals.
Hours
| Friday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Monday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 7 AM–7 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 943 W Duarte Rd, Monrovia, CA 91016
Phone: (626) 275-8785
Website: http://www.yimeideli.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Beef Roll (牛肉卷餅) $9.00
Sweet Rice Roll (甜飯糰) $5.35
Flatbread & Chinese Donut (燒餅油條) $5.75
Salty Rice Roll (鹹飯糰) $5.75
Soy Milk (豆浆) $4.25
I was going through a phase for Taiwanese breakfast during lockdown & had strong cravings for rice rolls (飯糰). They’re essentially rice burritos make from glutinous rice wrapped around fillings: Chinese donut (油條) & dried pork floss (肉鬆), with some variations of pickles & veggies. I found Yi Mei in Monrovia, just a couple of miles from my brother’s & asked if he wanted to have brunch with his nephew.
The restaurant is located in a plaza anchored by Good Fortune Supermarket off Duarte Rd. & 5th Ave.; while the plaza offers a moderate amount of parking spaces, I had to circle the lot to find a spot just before lunch rush. The dining space is a tad cramped with a couple dozen seats of 2 or 4 tops, though you can probably join the tables for a larger party. It’s quite hot in July & there’s no a/c, so it may be an unpleasant meal due to the sweltering heat. There’s a unisex restroom on the right in the back so you may miss it with the large refrigerators blocking your view.
I looked at their menu so I knew what I wanted, but had a couple of questions about a couple of items. The cashier is abrupt, not rude, but it feels like he’s tapping his feet so you feel a need to hurry up & place your order. I ordered the basics: Beef Roll, Sweet & Salty Rice Rolls, Flatbread & Chinese Donut to see if they’re any good. Considering the amount of foot & phone traffic, my order was ready fairly quick.
Both rice rolls were tasty, but the Chinese donut was not as crisp & fluffy as I would like so it was a bit stiff & too chewy (not in a good way). The glutinous rice wrapper:filling ratio wasn’t very balanced, I felt there was too much rice & it was a tad dry that I needed to flush it down every couple of bites. The beef rolls were also tasty, but the pancake:filling ratio was also off. The roll is wrapped in a thin, chewy pancake, stuffed with aromatic but skimpy beef slivers that’s sweet & savory, offset by refreshing crunch of peppery cilantro. The flatbread & Chinese donut was executed best… the flatbread was flaky, with a crisp crust & soft, chewy interior; the Chinese donut was the same, with a crisp exterior & fluffy interior. Normally, I like dipping it in congee but it would have been too much for the 3 of us. We brought our water bottles so I didn’t order any drinks, but we guzzled our waters & M was still thirsty so I added a large soy milk. The soy milk was sweetened just barely enough; it was mild & creamy with a beany, earthy taste. And the perfect thirst quencher on this hot summer day!
I like their menu but the execution could be better. Service is not exactly friendly, but they are fast. The menu is diverse with enough variety at competitive price points. I miss the good ol’ days when a satisfying breakfast costs about $10/person. Yi Mei is a solid Taiwanese breakfast place, just a bit far to purposely dine here, but worth repeat visits if I’m in the area.
Having tried many similar spots across LA, this is by far the worst.