The Other Valley

You really don’t have to leave the San Gabriel Valley to get a good meal.

Cafe Jacoulet, 91 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. (818) 796-2233. Style: Westside-style for grown-ups with Pasadena prices. Setting: Decorated and decorous. Recommended dishes: Menu changes daily but you might find deep-fried won ton skins layered with raw tuna; asparagus with shrimp and saffron sauce. Cost per person: $20-35.

Dal Rae, 9023 E. Washington Blvd., Pico Rivera. (213) 723-1061. Style: For those who want a restaurant like it used to be. Setting: Steakhouse masculine. Recommended dishes: New York steak; porterhouse; Caesar salad. Cost per person: $25-$50.

Harbor Village, 1111 N. Atlantic Blvd., Monterey Park. (818) 300-8833. Style: Busy Hong Kong-style restaurant worth waiting for. Setting: Huge with crystal chandeliers, tuxedoed waiters. Recommended dishes: Barbecue meats on bed of crunchy jelly fish; whole steamed catfish; tripe; rice cakes filled with peanut butter. Cost per person: $10-$30.

Monique’s, 618 Shopper’s Lane, Covina. (818) 332-4902. Style: French-Hungarian for the hungry. Setting: Shopping-mall homey. Recommended dishes: Homemade pork sausage; Hungarian-fried bread; goulash. Cost per person: $15-$25.

Restaurant Lozano, 44 N. Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre. (818) 355-5945. Style: Mexican-Southwestern for the health conscious. Setting: Earth tones with textured walls and exposed air ducts. Recommended dishes: chicken soup; wild mountain salad; stuffed pepper. Cost per person: $15-$20.