Dai Ho Restaurant
Taiwanese restaurant · Temple City ·
Authentic Taiwanese noodle spot known for rich beef noodle soup
Authentic Taiwanese noodle spot known for rich beef noodle soup
"Rain activates my desire to eat spicy foods, hot soup, or a combination of both. So while an atmospheric river drenched Los Angeles, I visited Dai Ho. This no-fuss Taiwanese beef noodle soup joint has been around since the ‘80s, slinging glossy bowls of chile oil–slicked noodles with a sign that says, “No book or newspaper reading, please.” The translation: get your noodles, eat, and go. Dai Ho is only open for four hours per day, six days per week, so I understand their no-nonsense attitude, which extends to the food. Yes, the famed beef noodle soup is gloriously rich and comforting; with its fistfuls of spinach and beef morsels that melt on the tongue, I understand why it’s a favorite. This time, though, the spicy sesame sauce dry noodles wowed me. The noodles are satisfyingly bouncy, each strand coated in the silky, nutty, heat-forward sesame sauce. They arrive with a mountain of sliced green onions on top, which add an allium bite while simultaneously refreshing the dish. I want to go back and eat this winning bowl of noodles again and again and again. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Matthew Kang
"On a rainy day I made a beeline for this no-fuss Taiwanese beef noodle soup joint that’s been around since the ’80s, where a sign reads, “No book or newspaper reading, please” — translation: get your noodles, eat, and go. Open only four hours a day, six days a week, the no-nonsense attitude extends to the food: the famed beef noodle soup is gloriously rich and comforting, with fistfuls of spinach and beef that melts on the tongue, but it was the spicy sesame sauce dry noodles that wowed me — satisfyingly bouncy strands slicked in a silky, nutty, heat-forward sesame sauce and piled with a mountain of sliced green onions that add an allium bite and refreshing lift. I’m already plotting a return for that winning bowl." - Eater Staff
"A meal at Dai Ho comes and goes before you can process how great it is. This small Taiwanese noodle spot in Temple City opens from 11am to 2:30pm and operates like a broth-powered conveyor belt (bowls arrive fast, noodles are inhaled, seats fill up, and then they empty). If it’s your first time or you’re here on a lone soup mission, the famous spicy beef noodle is the way to go. It’s sensational, both in terms of flavor and how it tingles your lips. It’s also large. Bring a friend if you want to explore the rest of Dai Ho’s minuscule menu, which features warm sesame noodles and various cold appetizers stacked next to the register." - cathy park, sylvio martins, brant cox, andrew ryce
"A meal at Dai Ho comes and goes before we can process how great it is. This small Taiwanese beef noodle soup shop opens from 11am to 2:30pm and operates like a broth-powered conveyor belt (bowls arrive fast, noodles are inhaled, seats fill up then empty). The famous spicy beef noodle slicked with chili oil is sensational, both in terms of flavor and what it does to our actual senses. It steams like a thermal pool and smells of Sichuan peppercorns and star anise that tickles your nose. The chunks of beef shank are so tender they break apart like jelly. It’s a bowl of soup we think everyone in Los Angeles should slurp at least once, even if the encounter is short and sweet." - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder, cathy park
"First things first: doors open at 11:30 A.M. here and close a few hours later. It’s so small a window you know they’ll pack the house. And indeed they do, with lines forming long before doors open at this popular Taiwanese restaurant.Once inside, things move fast. A concise menu hangs above the cash register, so take a look before taking a seat. Three surefire hits include the fiery beef noodle soup (one of the best renditions in town); the sesame dry noodles; and the beef tripe and pork shank. The food comes quickly—you won't need to ask for water and you'll have a pot of tea with a Styrofoam cup delivered promptly to your table. All said and done, you’ll be out in 20 minutes—but talking about your meal for weeks to come." - Michelin Inspector