Whatever Tea Lounge, San Gabriel

The flavors of Asia are subtly incorporated into the drinks at Whatever Tea Lounge. The staff whirs together slushes and milk teas flavored with exotic options such as kumquats, wintermelon, and lychee. From there, can be added a bit of Asia's unique food textures with the addition of chewy boba pearls or bits of grass jelly. But when creating the food menu and wallpapering the walls of the kitchen, chefs use explicitly Asian recipes. They season short ribs with a generous amount of black pepper, fry up pork chops with rice, and even create a crispy fried shell around green-tea ice cream.