Eat Joy Food

It’s a wonder anybody can find this place. Right off the Pomona Freeway, hidden in the back of a Rowland Heights shopping center stacked with restaurants, this Taiwanese favorite lives up to its name. Soft piano music fills the elegant space, which can be unusually relaxed, almost bordering on peaceful. On smooth warehouse floors, the tables are generously spaced, but the menu is like a tome, dense with a wealth of seafood preparations, delicately flavored consommés and classic rice dishes. Three cup chicken braised with garlic, ginger and basil is an obvious order, as is the fantastic salty fish and chicken fried rice, the grains glossy and puffed in a hot wok. Regulars know to ask about dragon whiskers, a seasonal green that rounds out the meal.