Nestled in a strip mall, this cozy North Chinese spot serves up hand-pulled Shanxi-style noodles and hearty beef noodle soup that are totally worth the drive.
"This Northern Chinese restaurant, located in a strip mall next to an old par-three golf course, won’t catch your attention from the street. There are only seven tables, and the blinds are often drawn, but don’t let that dissuade you: this has mastered hand-made noodles like Lionel Messi has penalty kicks. If it’s your first time, order the wife’s special noodles, which arrive with a trio of toppings: tomato and egg, fried pork, and a minced meat and black bean stew similar to jajangmyeon. The spicy cold noodles, cat's ear soup (named for the noodle's pasta shell shape), and the stir-fried knife-cut noodles are all worth driving across town for, too. " - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder
"The fantastic hun yuan cold jelly at Lao Xi Noodle is just the thing on a hot summer day. Dig into a bowlful of bouncy potato starch cuboids submerged in sesame paste, vinegar, and chile oil with a heap of julienned cucumbers. The cold jelly is unexpectedly light with an unforgettable vinegary bite." - Cathy Chaplin, Matthew Kang
"In the San Gabriel Valley, Lao Xi Noodle House is offering a $25 special which includes the choice of a noodle dish with sauce, and a vegetable on the side. If dining with someone else, try the $45 special that adds in an order of dumplings as well." - Rebecca Roland
"This Northern Chinese restaurant, located in a strip mall next to an old par-three golf course, serves some of the most unique (and tasty) noodle dishes in the SGV. There’s only seven tables and the blinds are often look drawn from the outside, but don’t let that dissuade you. If it's your first time, order the wife’s special noodles, which arrive with a trio of toppings: tomato and egg, fried pork, and a minced meat and black bean stew similar to jajangmyeon. The staff will talk you through the menu, explain that all the noodles are made in-house by hand, and strongly discourage you from ordering too much food. Which you’ll do anyway. Don’t skip the lamb soup noodles, with small, round rolled noodles and a fragrant, herb-filled soup. " - Jess Basser Sanders
"Sporting two locations within a mile of each other in Arcadia — one on Baldwin and another on Live Oak — a city already quite blessed with Chinese food let alone terrific noodle spots, Lao Xi noodles command one’s attention for its superbly executed bowls of Shanxi-style noodles from husband-and-wife owners Joe Tao and Ellen Li. Fittingly, the Wife’s Special noodles with pork, tinted with a tomato-and-egg sauce with stir-fried pork belly, offers a picture of the creative but regionally based flavors here. Daoxiao-style fried pork noodles (the house special) come studded with guoyou pork, wood ear mushrooms, and scallions in a black vinegar sauce." - Eater Staff, Matthew Kang
