Hilton San Gabriel, Los Angeles, CA USA

Ordered at the Hilton San Gabriel in the heart of San Gabriel of Los Angeles, California.

“Anywhere except Chinese food,” Jake told me as we made dinner plans.

A tourism industry veteran, Jake was traveling for business and staying in the heart of Chinese-American culture in Southern California: San Gabriel.

If you’ve heard of gentrification, imagine Chinification. Nearly every restaurant, café, store, establishment, etc, was created by and for the Chinese living and moving to this area. Even the architecture resembled the newly built streets of northern China. For me, someone who lived in China for 2 years, it was hard to tell the difference between downtown San Gabriel and the Haidian district of Beijing.

Jake’s ample business meetings took him on a tour of San Gabriel’s Chinese restaurants, and I understood why he needed a break from it.

But where could we find a western meal in such a place? At least one that wasn’t fast food? Enter his hotel: the Hilton San Gabriel.

We sat down, ordered drinks, and caught up. Fantastic conversation on the evolution of the Chinese traveler to America. I once lived and breathed this topic, and now I sat on the sidelines like a curious spectator watching a game unfold.

The moment called for club sandwiches. And Jake knew all along the Hilton San Gabriel’s western restaurant had a club sandwich.

A traditional hotel club sandwich, Hilton San Gabriel did a solid take on my favorite meal. A very classically inspired creation, I approved of every ingredient besides the American cheese, which made the meal feel like something you’d get at the Hilton in Beijing. In fact, with the ambiance, service, and plating combined, I realized in that moment I could have been in Beijing having the exact same meal with the exact same conversation… if not for the avocado.

The best part about this meal? The waffle fries. Kudos to Hilton San Gabriel for having some of the best waffle fries I’ve enjoyed in years. Crisp on the outside, al dente on the inside, and perfectly seasoned.

I loved dinner with Jake, it was a blast. A special occasion enjoying club sandwiches together in San Gabriel, I went home with fond memories I would not soon forget.

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