[ Background ]
August 2024 on a Sunday at 12:00 PM
I actually stopped by LaoXi Noodle House with a few friends three years ago before I became serious about the San Gabriel Valley food scene and Yelp. This time, I intentionally decided to revisit the location on Live Oak Avenue since it's the one with a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide, classifying it as having "good quality, good value cooking" (
https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/arcadia/restaurant/laoxi-noodle-house ). There's a second location also in Arcadia but on South Baldwin Avenue. Both spots are mentioned in "The 22 Essential San Gabriel Valley Restaurants" article from Eater ( https://la.eater.com/maps/best-san-gabriel-valley-restaurants-chinese-asian ).
Located in the corner of a tiny strip mall, LaoXi Noodle House has an unassuming exterior. After walking in, I noticed the interior looked basically the same as three years ago. The wall near the front door showcases multiple framed newspaper articles detailing the restaurant's accolades. The decor is simple and modest with six tables that can seat up to four people each and a larger round table stashed in a corner that can seat up to six.
When I arrived, there was one party waiting for their take-out order and another party already seated. It seems I got lucky and beat the lunch rush since the entire restaurant was full within 30 minutes.
[ Food ]
The compact, double-sided menu displays six categories (cold dish, noodles, main course, house special, dumplings, and frozen dumplings), totaling in just 20 dishes.
If I recall correctly, I ordered the 14. Lao Xi'er Special Beef Noodle Soup last time. Therefore, I wanted to try something new. After learning about the owners' backstory and how a specific dish led to their marriage ( https://la.eater.com/2015/11/30/9821048/laoxi-noodle-house-handmade-shanxi-feature-arcadia ), I knew I had to try it.
So I ordered:
* 11. "Hun Yuan" Cold Jelly ($7.99)
This cold dish included julienned cucumbers juxtaposed with thick slabs of jelly noodles made from potato flour. The noodles were dusted with crushed peanuts (?). Everything was placed on top of a generous portion of sesame sauce that was mixed with a bright red chili oil drizzle.
My eating experience was a little messy since the noodles were slightly stuck together; when I tried separating them, I kept splattering liquid everywhere. I enjoyed the fun, bouncy texture of the jelly noodles. I could definitely taste the nuttiness from the sesame sauce, and the added spiciness gave me a sneezing fit while eating. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of the flavor of the sauce or the noodles. Personally, I wouldn't order this again, but if these ingredients sound good to you, and you're feeling adventurous, give it a try.
* 13. Wife's Special Noodle with Fried Pork (Helao Style) ($16.00)
The famous dish came with a bed of smooth, round noodles. It included three toppings: ground pork, tomato and eggs, and pork belly. Judging from older pictures, this dish originally came with bok choy; however, it was swapped with thinly sliced cucumbers instead. Be sure to mix everything together before digging in.
I enjoyed the savoriness from the pork bits. The tomato and egg component was a bit nostalgic since it's obviously very similar to the classic Chinese stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs dish, which I grew up eating. And I did like the noodle's chewy texture. But in my opinion, I would rather order the Lao Xi'er Special Beef Noodle Soup.
[ Service ]
After walking in, I was greeted by the waitress, who gestured for me to choose my own seat. She quickly brought over a menu and also graciously lowered all the sheer blinds to block out the sunlight.
The waitress came back a few minutes later. After I ordered, she mentioned that I could get my own water from the water dispenser next to the register at the front counter. There's also a fridge filled with cold drinks available for purchase. And on top of each table, there's a self-service tray with chopsticks, spoons, and condiments like soy sauce, chili oil, and seasonings.
So this restaurant is pretty hands-off, and I only interacted with the employee a few times. I did have to flag her down once I was ready to pay, and she promptly brought over the receipt.
[ Tips ]
There are a decent amount of parking spots since the lot is shared by a couple of businesses.
If you're also eating by yourself, I would suggest ordering just one noodle dish since they are pretty filling.
The suggested tip on the receipt is calculated post-tax. read more