IN THE San Gabriel Valley, the cuisines of Shanghai and the surrounding Jiangnan region never quite bask in the same attention afforded to the Sichuan firebrands that have arrived over the last decade — nor the Cantonese and Taiwanese standard-bearers that preceded them. WangJia Restaurant helps to adjust the spotlight, reminding diners that Shanghainese culinary traditions, in their varied and subtle nuances, have their place. The menu at WangJia Restaurant in San Gabriel spans nearly 150 items. Ask owner Lulu Luo and her son Kevin Ma for guidance. They’ll steer you to dissected crab and oval rice cakes in a sauce that tastes wonderfully of crab roe; massive yet spoon-tender lion’s head meatballs; and “red-braised” dongpo pork with squid and threadlike tea tree mushrooms. Above all, heed their advice and order xian rou cai fan, fried rice with salt pork and greens. The elegance of its seasoning makes the rice taste amplified, as if its pure, sweet flavor has been piped through surround sound.

• 800 W. Las Tunas Drive, Suite 300, San Gabriel, (626) 872-0618, wangjiarestaurant.com

Braised minced eel in brown sauce, left; salty pork and vegetable with rice; crab with Shanghai rice cakes; stir-fried shrimp.