2026 San Gabriel Valley Food Passport: Third Round of Reviews

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Hello Tech readers! Time for the third round of reviews where I explore the San Gabriel Valley food scene with the 2025 MySGV Food Passport. This passport is valid from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, so I have been trying to explore as many restaurants as I can in 2026! For this issue, I grabbed dinner with my Caltech bestie, Kayane, and then we went for ice cream.

Baja Cali
Passport description: “Marielena and Jaime infuse cultural pride and resilience into Baja Cali Fish & Tacos and Girasol Cocina Mexicana”
Passport benefit: Buy any bowl, get a bowl free

Exterior and interior of Baja Cali. (Photos: Victoria Davis)

Kayane and I stopped into Baja Cali for dinner and LOVED it! I ordered the Birria Bowl and Kayane ordered the Shrimp Bowl. I also ordered the Birria Nachos to have for lunch the next day. (It was just as good warmed up the next day as when I ordered it!) Kayane also ordered a Shrimp Taco, and loved it so much she ordered more for lunch the next day too! The vibe inside was fun and the music was great. The seating was comfortable and relaxed, perfect for grabbing a bite after work. We both enjoyed the food and atmosphere, and would come back again! Baja Cali is a hit!

Birria Bowl and Birria Nachos from Baja Cali. (Photos: Victoria Davis)

Shrimp Taco and Shrimp Bowl from Baja Cali. (Photo: Kayane Dingilian)

626 Ice Cream
Passport description: “Amber Tan and Waldo Yan infuse Asian flavors and heartfelt hospitality into 626 Ice Cream, honoring family legacy and community in the SGV”
Passport benefit: Buy 2 soft serve & toppings, get 2 of equal value free (individual or kid-size).

Exterior and interior of 626 Hospitality Group. (Photos: Victoria Davis)

After dinner, Kayane and I drove to Arcadia for delicious ice cream. Thank goodness the timing worked out, as 626 Ice Cream only opens at 7 PM! We had no idea. It was a fortuitous outing. When we arrived at 6:57 p.m., there was already a line outside waiting for them to open! After sampling all their ice cream flavors, I decided to get Condensed Milk with Oreo crumbles and dark chocolate chips.

Ice Cream Flavors at 626 Ice Cream. (Photo: Victoria Davis)

For my free ice cream, I got Blueberry Fig with white chocolate chips and Cinnamon Toast Crunch toppings. Kayane got Condensed Milk with fruity mochi toppings, and for her free ice cream, she chose Nian Gao with mochi toppings. These flavor combinations were amazing! I loved how different the flavor options were. The ice cream was refreshing and light. The perfect palate cleanser after a meal! I think this is my new favorite spot for ice cream. Will definitely be returning to 626 Ice Cream again!

From left to right: Nian Gao with mochi, Condensed Milk with fruity mochi, Condensed Milk with Oreo crumbles and dark chocolate chips, and Blueberry Fig with white chocolate chips and Cinnamon Toast Crunch from 626 Ice Cream. (Photo: Victoria Davis)