Happy Family

Wendy, Eloise, and I took my mother-in-law to Happy Family vegetarian restaurant in Monterey Park for a birthday lunch on Sunday. The appetizer? Lettuce cup with minced squab. Super light, kind of crispy, subtly sweet, and perfect for a warm afternoon.


Our main dishes, which actually arrived before the lettuce cubs, were the chicken nuggets and mustard green with bean curd sheets. Something a little salty and slightly bitter. After tearing off the fried exterior, we fed the mock chicken to Eloise and she was into it.


So far, so good. We also ordered one dish that was new to us: crispy oyster. Ever so slightly coated, the insides were squishy and warm--maybe like Chinese gnocchi. Eloise liked the non-fried parts of this dish, too. No dipping salt for her.


Whether Eloise has a vegetarian diet is ultimately up to her, but I'm stoked that she's already digging the mock meat. Happy Birthday Popo!