2026 San Gabriel Valley Food Passport: Fourth Round of Reviews
Hello Tech readers! Time for another round of reviews where I explore the San Gabriel Valley food scene with the 2025 MySGV Food Passport. There remains only a few places in Pasadena still to explore: Birria Master, Edwin Mills, O’Seyo Shabu Shabu, All India Café, and Star Leaf. Birria Master’s hours are 5:30 PM to 11 PM, so its been a tricky place to find time for as the early bird I am! Edwin Mills is a place I tried to go on Valentine’s Day, and then again with Kayane another day, but we got distracted by Bath & Body Works and a craft fair, so never made it. I am determined to go there before the passport expires though! Star Leaf is super pricy, so I probably won’t try that out, but encourage Tech readers to go! I’ll try to hit O’Seyo and All India next time. For this issue, Kayane and I went to Lee’s Hoagie House again (haha!) and explored the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market.
All photos by Victoria Davis.
Lee’s Hoagie House
Kayane and I already tried this one out, but it was so good we went again! This time I wanted to try their $6.99 burgers (delish!) and Kayane tried their California Cheesesteak. Kayane made the smart decision to order a hoagie—Lee’s best menu items. I was curious about their burgers—I love a good cheeseburger—and it was great! The ¼ lb Cheeseburger comes with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and homemade thousand island dressing. Yum! I will admit, though, that their Meatball Hoagie was WAY better, so next time we go I’ll try another hoagie on the menu. Kayane loved her sandwich. The California Cheesesteak is made with 8 ounce rib-eye steak with mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and provolone cheese. It was another stellar lunch at Lee’s. Can’t wait to go again! Kayane and I hope to become regulars!
Cheeseburger and fries by Lee’s Hoagie House.
California Cheesesteak by Lee’s Hoagie House.
Cairn Cookies – South Pasadena Farmer’s Market
Passport description: “Lisa Liu is the founder of Cairn Cookies, crafting nostalgic, flavor rich treats that bring comfort and joy to the San Gabriel Valley”
Passport benefit: Buy 6 cookies, get 6 cookies free
After work one Thursday, Kayane and I drove to the South Pasadena Farmer’s market! It’s a tiny farmer’s market held at odd hours on a Thursday, but it was an adventure we were excited to embark on. The motivation? Cookies. According to Cairn Cookies in the SGV Passport, these cookies can only be purchased at the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market. I was surprised their business doesn’t have an address! So we finally made a plan to go to the farmer’s market in search of these cookies. We found them! They had SO many cookies; it was my version of heaven. I bought six cookies: Mint Chocolate Chip, Christmas Cookie, Peanut Butter Pretzel, White Chocolate Macadamia, Honeycomb Toffee Brownie, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. Then I got another six of the same flavors FREE. It was glorious. Kayane and I also stopped by an Italian booth, Japanese booth, and the McGrath Family Farmer’s booth. Kayane bought squid ink pasta and tiny vegetables. I bought Sweet Miso Dressing. It was a good day of exploring new foods and flavors to add to our kitchens. You should definitely check out the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market, and pick up some Cairn Cookies!
Honeycomb Toffee Brownie by Cairn Cookies.
California Cheesesteak by Lee’s Hoagie House.
Kayane happily purchasing tiny vegetables and edible flowers at the South Pasadena Farmer’s Market.