Went here last night, and had to write a review. The food was PHENOMENAL. Definitely authentic Shanghai style cuisine, and it was sooo good. 10/10 would recommend. This is a small restaurant, nothing fancy but for sure hits the spot. Staff was friendly, and food came out relatively quickly. Price was great too. read more

No 1 Express - Shepherds Purse noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Had the signature braise pork, Yangzhou fried rice and Shepards purse wonton noodle soup. Good price, large portions, and very tasty. Yelp says closed at 9 but it was open till 11pm read more

No. 1 Express is a super casual, made-to-order Chinese spot that's perfect for a quick, no-frills meal. You order at the counter and can eat in or take it to go. The space is very basic and simple, but clean and comfortable--definitely more about the food than the ambiance. The staff was friendly and even pointed out some menu recommendations. I ordered the dumplings and they were excellent--juicy, flavorful, and tasted freshly made. For the portion and price, it felt like a great value. If you're nearby and want fast, freshly made Chinese food, this is a solid, reliable stop--especially for the dumplings read more

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This place is open late so it's a good affordable pick if you're in Arcadia and out of options at night but the food here is okay. The braised pork rice was the best thing I had here as the pork was flavorful/tender and was accompanied by tasty sauce that went well with the rice. The crispy duck was a bit dry. I also had one of the wonton noodle soup dishes and the soup in this was bland. Might come back to try other items if it's late and everything else is closed. read more

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2025.09.08 2pm was nervous when I saw they have remodeled, no more Dumpling freezer by the front door. Food stayed consistent, however. I ordered online and everything was ready and well packed at the time promised. Very easy pick up, with staff friendly. Enjoyed all the favorites, duck with rice, braised pork rice, stewed beef brisket with potatoes rice, and dried green beans. read more

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The restaurant is inside the UPS & USPS plaza, so plenty of parking. The server was very welcoming and recommended a few of their signature dishes after finding out that it was my first time there. She recommended their crawfish rice and malatang, and I chose the latter. The to go order was packaged very well, and they were accommodating in swapping out the beef for lunch meats as I don't eat beef. It's more like a cooked hotpot with vermicelli rather than the malatang from Yintang or YGF. Def spicy and a bit too oily imo but acceptable. Will visit again to try the crawfish rice and their handmade dumplings. read more

No 1 Express - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Environment is decently clean. Food is ok / average priced, service is ok. Going in, expectation was low considering the price point. Issue mainly with the taste of food, imo you can find another restaurant near by with similar food offering but much better taste. 3HE in TC would be a much better choice, for example. We ordered a spicy beef noodle and a pork chop rice. The soup of noodle tasted like hot water with spicy sauce, you can tell meat was not really cooked in it. Noodle itself is just standard. Pork chop rice the pork had a funky/smelly taste (frozen for a while or not fresh). There's a tomato egg side dish, was bland. Everything is pretty meh overall. If you're looking for cheap, may be an ok option. Personally, I would not come back. read more

Sometimes I just have meat cravings. Crispy salty meat. I was supposed to have had duck w a friend a couple days prior, they sold out. Kismet that I ended up in the parking lot across from this place. I went back and forth between duck and pork belly but not every place had duck so that settled it. Short wait but it was worth it. They have fridge/freezers w food made in them that you can just buy so that's really cool! Lotta foot traffic while I waited. They're steady busy even if no one's eating inside. Great portion for the price, but beyond that it's mother effing delicious!!! I ate entirely too much in the car. Low key couldn't stop! But I did save some and made an amazing ramen the next day. I loved it and will absolutely be back! Highly recommend!! read more

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We found this place around the area open late during a weekday. We just came back from a long drive from NorCal so something simple, easy, and warm was exactly what we needed at night. Everything was reasonably priced with decent portions. The lady working there was also very friendly. I ordered the spicy beer soup with rice noodles. I'm used to Taiwanese spicy beef stew noodles but this is more of a China-style soup noodles. It is more of the mala numbing spice, good thing I asked for little spice. It was very flavorful and satisfying. I've ordered a tea egg on the side but this bowl includes a pan fried egg already. Looks like it's known for their braised pork belly and duck. Will try next time! read more

No 1 Express - Spicy Beef soup with rice noodles - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

First here and did not disappoint. All the food was really good. We were all the only ones there but we had great service and I will be back again. read more

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Number 1 express is my little secret dinning place. Want some thing quick? Don't know what to eat? Tired of eating at home? Feeling cheap? You can even impress your date here! Food never disappoints and the portions came out just right. Where else can you get a braised pork belly meal for 10.5 that tastes awesome? They have specials 7 days a week around 11 dollars the comes with two side dishes and rice. Other than red 99 near by, this place is my second favorite for a quick bite. read more

On a Tuesday evening around 6PM, there was only one other table seated, and the employee was mixing ground beef. She was very sweet, and offered suggestions despite the language barrier. She also asked if I needed utensils or napkins with my to-go order. The place did give off authentic vibes, with there being minimal english throughout the restaurant (e.g. menu, spoken language, etc). We ended up getting food to-go: - Chongqing Noodles $8; very simple noodle dish with no soup. Szechuan, numbing flavor, with one fried egg and a dan dan noodle texture. I prefer my noodles bouncier, so it personally was not a favorite. - Shrimp Wonton $11; not much shrimp flavor. More pork than shrimp. I wouldn't get either of these again, but their rice dishes look promising. read more

No 1 Express - Chongqing noodles $9 - like dandan noodles w/ szechuan. Wish there was protein and veggies aside from egg ): needs more texture - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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sweet mama! do not be deceived by the looks of this place because the food here is absolutely scrumptious, the portions are so generous, and the prices are juicy. we got the lu rou fan & fried chicken katsu with rice and both dishes were fire, and most importantly, filling. the lady working behind the counter was also super nice and gave us recommendations since it our first time here. definitely will be stopping by again for another late night meal read more

No 1 Express - lu rou fan & chicken katsu - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

We walked in with the intention of placing a to-go order. We ordered the shiitake mushroom and beef rice and the braised pork rice. We paid, and stood near the front, waiting. So far, so good, everything is normal. A few minutes later, the woman who took our order comes back and says she's sorry but they're out of beef, and asks me to pick something else. I ask what they do have available, and she suggests the hot and sour beef rice. What? I thought you just said you were out of beef? I ask her, to make sure, and she says they can do the hot and sour beef rice, but not the mushroom and beef rice. I ask her if they're out of mushrooms, and she says no, they don't have beef. I have no idea what's going on, so I decide to steer away from any beef dish, and I ask for the bamboo shoot and chicken rice. Instead of just charging me the $2.50 difference, she says she has to give me a refund for everything and then charge me for two items again. OK. So we go through that rigamarole. As we're waiting, my friend suggests that maybe they prepare/mix the ingredients for each dish beforehand, and don't actually mix the ingredients as they're cooking. Which is fine, and explains why they are out of the shiitake mushroom/beef mix but have the hot and sour beef mix. About 10 minutes later, the woman comes back out and says they don't have the bamboo shoot and chicken. What? At this point, we've been waiting for 15 minutes (and there's only one table of people in the restaurant, so it's not like they're busy), so I don't know why it took them so long to figure out they're out of one thing. I also have no idea how a restaurant doesn't keep track of things as they run out. Most places keep track of it so that when a customer tries to order something, they can be told the restaurant is out before the order is placed and the customer pays. She says she has to do a full refund again, so we go through that again. She then asks what I want to order, and I tell her that we're done, and that I'll go somewhere else. It's ridiculous that a restaurant that is not cooking anything (the one table of people were finishing up their meal) doesn't know what they have in stock or not, and takes 15 minute to tell a customer twice that they're out of two different things, after they've taken payment twice. read more

Absolutely awful. The food was spoiled, and to top it off, there was a shirtless man working in the kitchen -- completely unsanitary. I told them very clearly NO sesame because of a food allergy, and when I got home, one of the dishes was covered in sesame seeds. That's not just careless, it's dangerous. Never coming back. read more

So yummy! Stopped by for some late night take out. Everyone was really friendly. Food was delicious and they give you a lot for your money. We got one of each dumpling and it was very delicious and couldn't finish it all! Next time I'm in the area definitely getting take out again! read more

No 1 Express - We got take out and could not finish it all. So yummy! Assorted dumplings with chile and soy sauce. - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

We ordered, 94) Yangzhou Fried rice, 19) Braised Pork, 46) Fried Dumplings, 30) Chicken Katsu Curry, and the 47) Pan fried bun. Fried rice is really good. Has pepper in it. Very tasty. Food came out really fast. Good service too. It's open late too which makes it perfect for a late night snack. read more

No 1 Express - Pan fried bun - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I really liked it here, it was quaint. The windows were all cracked, the dining space felt more like a bar scene, low lighting and lots of red. The lady that took our order was very nice and welcoming. The food was pretty good all around, prices are great and they send out your plates as ready. Obviously went for the NO 1, thought it was really good, also got the ribs pretty much the same just different parts. Had the jelly, it's served cold, was ok to me, my friend ordered seconds. Braised beef noodles were amazing and so was the black pepper chicken, I reordered that. Will return! read more

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Food was reasonably priced. Stewed pork wasn't as sweet as I liked but it was very soft. Crispy duck rice came in huge portion. Loved the hot and sour diced beef rice and spicy hot pot. Both were very flavorful. I'd skip the chicken legs and pork chop though. Both were very dry and hard. read more

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So underrated, my go-to comfort chinese food in the 626. Extremely fair prices for great grab and go dishes. It feels like a hole in the wall bc there aren't too many customers on any given day, but their recipes beat a lot of larger Chinese eateries around for me, especially the Cold Chicken noodle - a must try, I rarely have tried any noodle this perfectly savory and sweet! So refreshing too. Service is always the same staff making it feel cozy. read more

No 1 Express - cold chicken noodle - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Stumbled into here by a security guard in the complex. Their braised pork rice was really good and delicious. Will be back....very soon again. (lol) This shopping complex seems to be relatively quiet, but rest assured a trip to check out No1 Express is well worth it. read more

A very inexpensive place to get all the Chinese classics. I always come here to pick up some braised pork belly rice paired with one of my favorite Chinese dishes (tomatoes and eggs). This last visit my food was fresh and the service was quick when I ordered two takeout plates. Would highly recommend for some very cheap eats read more

No 1 Express - Duck Rice - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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This place is honestly one of the hidden gems not just throughout Arcadia, but also, throughout the WHOLE San Gabriel Valley. If you're looking for one of the most authentic restaurants, look no further than No. 1 Express in Arcadia! They offer an authentic cultural atmosphere that truly immerses diners in the rich experience of Chinese cuisine. Food: 5/5 The menu features a wide range of traditional Chinese dishes made with fresh ingredients and expertly prepared by talented chefs, like Sauerkraut Fish (酸菜魚湯) to shrimp wonton soup (蝦球餛飩湯). What I liked most about each dish was: not only were they cheap, they were DELICIOUS. Each dish bursted with flavor and the taste of each of them was very concentrated in the soupiness of the wonton, ensuring a truly satisfying dining experience from start to finish. Service: 5/5 In addition to its authentic cultural atmosphere, No. 1 Express also prides itself on providing great service to its customers. The staff is attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu, always ready to offer recommendations or answer any questions guests may have. Whether it's helping with food allergies or dietary restrictions, ensuring prompt service, or simply making sure everyone at the table has everything they need, the team at No. 1 Express goes above and beyond to make every dining experience memorable. Atmosphere: 3/5 I got takeout because I didn't really want to stay inside the restaurant for that long. The restuarant did seem a little dirty on the inside -- lots of boxes since it's a family-owned business. read more

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Saw other good reviews and wanted to give this a try, we were the only ones there and were welcomed to take a seat. After we ordered our food though, I noticed their 'C' food rating posted towards the bottom of the door... Which dated early in July of this year. We did not stay to try the food and I paid for what they did bring out to us. read more

Love coming here! Usually order my go-to: the braised pork belly or the duck with rice. Can't go wrong with either option. Flavors are amazing and their portions are great. read more

Been living in Arcadia for more than 2 decades and yet our 1st time here. That's goes to say about how abundant and fortunate we have it with food options!!! We first tried Tofu King next door and that's a 1st & last. We tried some of the new items there but $60 for 2 is just too much!! And NO water service killed it for me . So for similar food, #1 Noodle Express is a better option for us and brought kids with us this time. Most of everything was delicious thought Kang Kang Food Court's pan fried buns are still better! I did like the wonton seaweed soup which is a rare find. The fried duck rice was surprisingly good and unique since we've only had it at Cantonese cafes. Why 3 stars? Service was a bit slow despite being the only table dining in. Wanted the temperature of some of the food to be hotter! Onion oil noodle better at other places so for those reasons, 3 stars adequate and would still return tho. Jair don't know when if ever with so many options. read more

This Taiwanese restaurant is actually pretty good compared to the restaurant next door called tofu king their service is actually better and the food is cheaper. I actually like there rice dishes it's very tasty and more affordable then some other Taiwanese restaurant . Reminder do Don't try tofu king There rice dishes have eggs with tomatoes n cabbage witch blends great with there rice read more

Yummy rice bowls and fair prices especially considering they are located in Arcadia. Their rice is fluffy and soft!! Not dry like many restaurants like to cook it. We ordered the braised pork and rice, fried chicken leg and rice, and side of katsu pork cutlet. Braised pork and rice. Their braised pork belly with soy sauce was well seasoned and more savory than sweet (I have a savory tooth so I was afraid it would come out sweet so I'm glad it didn't). The soysauce pairs very nicely with the bed of rice it sits upon. The side of marinated cucumber and cabbage was not too salty or sour, so it was perfect for me. Fried chicken leg and rice. Chicken still juicy and nicely seasoned, not too salty. We ordered an extra side of fried chicken leg because we thought the rice order came with only one, but lo and behold there were two fried chicken legs per rice box. Yay! It's not a breaded fried chicken, but rather fried with the skin which brought out the flavors of the chicken well in my opinion. Katsu pork cutlet side. It was slightly crispy and not too salty. It came sliced in a box and served with katsu sauce so it is easy to share. I probably wouldn't get this by itself again but perhaps it tastes better when it is still hot. Ordered during weekday dinnertime via FanTuan delivery app. They had fast delivery, even though we ordered right before restaurant closed. read more

No 1 Express - Braised pork and rice, fried chicken and rice and side of fried pork cutlet - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I had the hot and spicy crayfish with rice for a late dinner. The dish consisted of cucumbers and crayfish in a numbing spicy sauce over a large portion of rice. The flavors consisted of some saltiness and spiciness, but were not overwhelmingly so and went well with the rice. Overall service was good, and prices are inexpensive. The establishment is located in a tiny plaza and was easy to find parking when I went, although it may be tougher to find a spot during busier hours. read more

No 1 Express - Hot and Spicy Crayfish with rice - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I keep seeing it in SGV group so I went to try it. I thought it was pretty good. I got a lot of stuff on the menu just to try everything in case it's a one time thing but I wouldn't mind coming back. Although the fried pork was so so after going back home, it was pretty good when I stole one to eat in the car. I would say they prob need to consider making their own sauce instead of just giving me mayo and ketchup though...lol. That was a bit whack. The chicken leg is consider fried chicken leg but it wasn't really what I would say as "fried chicken leg." It tasted ok though. The scallion noodle was pretty cheap, wasn't my favorite but it was only $5.50 and it came with a fried egg. they were known for their braised pork belly and duck. I wouldn't say the pork belly was the best I've had considering a lot of places make this but it was pretty tasty. It definitely wasn't the worst I've had. Maybe could be a little more tender but since I order it as the whole dish(and not with the rice, I thought it came with quite a bit. I thought the real stand out was the duck. I really liked it. It was really flavorful and really tasty. I've just finished the leftover and it was still really good. Highly recommend the duck, but I think it was translated as crispy duck? it isn't crispy though lol. I would definitely considered coming back. read more

No 1 Express - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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We had the fried chicken, braised pork belly, fried pork chop and crispy duck combos. For an appetizer we had the pan fried pork buns. I thought the food was fantastic. The fried pork chop was really tender and crunchy on the outside. The skin on the crispy duck was so tasty and the duck meat was so tender. The braised pork belly was also delicious. The pork belly was so tender and the sauce was so good all over the rice. The prices were really good. Our bill was about $52 for five orders and we were really full. I think that is a real value nowadays. I can't wait to come back to try some of the other dishes on their menu. read more

COVID-19: Social distancing is enforced at this establishment. All of the staff wears a mask. All customers are expected to wear a mask too. The staff also wear gloves. There are some hand sanitizers available for customers to use. This place is available for take outs and has no outdoor seating available with limited capacity. They are also sanitizing in between customers. While I was grabbing my food from this establishment today, I asked if they had any special offers and they weren't offering any at the moment. They currently don't have happy hour. They also do not allow pets in their establishment. Parking: This establishment shares a parking lot with several other establishments. Prepandemic, parking was a massive pain in the butt because the parking lot is small. However, during the pandemic, there are plenty of parking spots available. Just beware though, some parking spots are smaller than others. So your car may get dinged. Food: I ordered the crispy duck to go. The crispy duck was so yummy and mouthwatering. Definitely very crispy and crunchy. However, I have two complaints, which is why I decided to take off one star. First, they forgot the sweet and sour sauce that I had asked for. Second, for $14, the portion was a bit small. Low key disappointment in the amount that they gave me for the price. Oh well. The food was still good though. Staff: The staff here are very welcoming and nice. Super easy and quick checkout. They take credit card and cash. No credit card minimum. read more

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i love their crispy duck rice!!! it's only like $11 and it's super delicious. sometimes they forget about me if i sit down to eat though--i think it's more of a takeout place. great prices and really good food though read more

This place is fire!!! It is literally number one! Their food is absolutely delicious and savory. Its cooked to perfection. All the flavors of the dishes that we've tried complement eachother. The textures, the flavors, the everything is just heaven in our mouths. Everyone here is really nice too. Do not miss out on trying the food here. I'm so glad we didn't and we will keep coming back to try new dishes. read more

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This place was recommended by some Chinese foodie group and I decided to check it out since people were suggesting it. Well, food is affordable that's for sure. But here's the breakdown. It looks like the restaurant may be still in soft opening stage? There were boxes and stocks everywhere, that leads me to think they're not quite ready for opening? With that said atmosphere and ambience is near hit a it seems more mom and pop shop. Service was good. Staff was friendly and helpful. But then again, we were the only customer My friend order the braised beef combo rice (牛腩飯). It's a tad on the sweeter side but tasty. Beef was very tender and not chewy, the tendon was well cooked but still got a bounce. That's some talent. I ordered the crispy duck which was a miss. The duck was dry, way too salty. But then again I like the Peking or HK style roast duck with moist tender meat, a bit of fat and crispy skin. This crispy duck felt like an old leftover duck that's been deep fried to be refreshed for service. I also ordered the pan fried bun (生煎包). That's just say you pay for what you get. It looks fine but it's doughy, meat is dry, no juice flows out when you bite into it. I was given a very little vinegar, which is ok as I have a giant bottle stocked at home. Overall, braised beef rice is good. But I'm not a fan of the crispy duck nor the pan fried bun. If I'm in the neighborhood, I may return if I were to crave for the braised beef rice. But then again, I've had amazing braised beef elsewhere. read more

The spicy beef noodle soup was so good. The noodles were soft and it was a big portion for a good price. The ambience is quiet. They have a TV, but it wasn't on when we walked in and we were provided service very promptly! read more

No 1 Express - Spicy beef soup! So bomb and it's HUGE! Not too too spicy where it's unenjoyable I think it's pretty manageable as someone who likes spice - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I usually hate chinese food because I always eat it everyday (im asian) but I could eat at this restaurant any day of the week. The staff are welcoming and make me feel like im family and the inside is so inviting and warm and filled with delicious smells. I love this place. read more

Super awesome place with authentic food choices. The service is A plus. Can be a regular spot for someone live nearby. read more

No 1 Express - Outside - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

We found this little whole in the wall and are pleasantly surprised how tasty everything is! We order the Shepherd's Purse, Crispy Fried Pork Rice, and the Braised Pork. DELICIOUS!! Definitely coming back!! read more

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The chicken legs were bleeding and I was so sick of eating such undercooked food I wouldn't eat it again. I was a person who ate such food not long after surgery, and the consequences were unimaginable. I will also tell my friends to avoid lightning. read more

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