While  all restaurants are going through hard times during this pandemic, it is the smaller ones that are facing  the most difficulties. If  you are looking  to  support locally owned  restaurants, here are three in Diamond Bar.

One such restaurant is Pho Hana, a Vietnamese restaurant located in the same plaza as H Mart off of South Diamond Bar Boulevard. The inside of the restaurant had a home-like atmosphere. The lighting inside was a bit dim, giving  the restaurant a warm feeling.

I ordered a plate of four egg rolls for $6.99, a chicken and rice plate for $10.99 and a large order of well-done brisket rice noodles for $10.99. The food at Pho Hana had less salt compared to other pho restaurants I have eaten at, which I prefer. The egg rolls tasted less meaty than other egg rolls I’ve had, which gave them a nice fresh flavor. The noodles tasted very similar to other pho restaurants I have eaten at, but they still had good flavor and portion size.

 The last item was my least favorite: the chicken had very little flavor even when eaten with the sauce they provided alongside it. The food and the restaurant had a comforting feel, I will definitely be going back to explore more of their menu.

 Hungry Bulldog House, which has a very modern aesthetic featuring a wall plastered with the restaurant’s logo,  serves many types of curry. It is located off of Golden Springs Drive near South Pointe.

 I ordered spicy rice cakes for $9.88 and curry pork katsu for $12.88. The spicy rice cakes were a bit chewy and tough, but they had good flavor, as well as a decent amount of spice. The curry pork katsu had a light flavor and texture to it. The katsu was a little bit tough for my liking but worked well with the curry and rice. The curry also had some corn, carrots and other vegetables creating a balanced meal. Despite some unfavorable textures, I still enjoyed the meal.

The last restaurant is one of the most popular spots in the city, Julie’s Cafe. The restaurant serves primarily sandwiches, the overall aesthetic of the restaurant was very simple, one wall was lined with many different china that had some novelty. It is located in the Diamond Bar Town Center. 

 I ordered the Honey Sausage for $6.35 and the Turkey Avocado for $9.50. The Honey Sausage was a sandwich with egg, cheese and honey glazed sausage all on a toasted plain bagel. The sandwich had an overpowering bagel flavor which masked the flavors of the contents. 

The Turkey Avocado was a very simple sandwich with turkey, avocado, mayo, tomato, lettuce and cheese. It had a very refreshing taste to it. I would recommend this restaurant for its wide variety of sandwiches and salads, which can make for a light and healthy meal.

Eating local is simple and convenient right now as online ordering and pickup in-store has become more accessible.