As Arcadians, my family and I have been going to Sinbala for nearly as long as it has been open. Sinbala remains a favorite among the large Taiwanese population in Arcadia for a reason; the restaurant serves Taiwanese specialties such as Taiwanese sausage
rice and basil-scented popcorn chicken at a reasonable price and in a setting that feels like your favorite neighborhood restaurant. The servers are some of the same that have been there since the beginning and dining at Sinbala often means running into your own neighbors and friends. Its consistency feels more impressive: Despite its two-decade run, all the treats of my childhood from Sinbala — like shaved ice and mango slushies — still taste comfortingly the same. That and the devotion to true Taiwanese flavors is what keeps its fans coming back again and again.
What to order
- Sinbala’s popcorn chicken is a superlative version of the Taiwanese street snack: dusted with peppery seasoning and fistfuls of fragrant sweet basil that get fried alongside the craggy chicken bites.
- Sausage rice always hits my table first. Plump and pink sausage, mildly sweet with hits of garlic, get sliced on the bias and served over rice with sides of canned corn and homey tomato egg. The sausage itself has a snappy skin and can be ordered as an appetizer without the accompanying sides.
- Spicy beef noodle soup possesses a deep, unctuous broth that’s cut with a shower of vibrant pickled mustard greens and wavy egg noodles. A generous portion of tender braised pork completes the dish.
- Save room for the choose-your-own-adventure shaved ice. A brittle mountain of crunchy ice gets doused in burnt brown sugar sauce bittersweet enough to almost read as coffee. Up to five toppings are included; my favorites include the custardy flan, QQ-textured taro balls, and sweet red bean but there’s also coffee jelly, condensed milk, almond tofu, canned lychee, and more.
The vibe
Sinbala consists of two dining rooms and the atmosphere feels casual and quick. There’s a deli fridge that displays all the pickles and side dishes you can buy to take home, as well as an open area where you can observe the preparation of shaved ice and drinks. Tables are small; it would be difficult to dine here in a group of more than four.
What to drink
Sinbala has a robust tea and slushy menu that includes boba milk tea, icy taro slushies, and wintermelon juice. If you have a favorite boba order, it’s likely you can find it here.
Insider tip
You can buy raw sausages from Sinbala to cook at home, as well as frozen dumplings and wontons and frozen beef noodle soup to stock your freezer.
