Joy
Taiwanese restaurant · Highland Park ·
Taiwanese street food classics like dan dan noodles & pancakes
![Joy by Joy on York [Official Photo]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70591146/cc.0.png "Joy by Joy on York [Official Photo]")
Taiwanese street food classics like dan dan noodles & pancakes
"When you hear the term Fast Food, you probably think of drive-thrus, pre-made burgers, and assembly line burritos. The food might not be good, but it doesn’t have to be. You’re just looking for something to eat in your car. But fast food, lowercase - food that is fast - is different. These are neighborhood spots like a fantastic deli, a burger stand, or a taco truck. They serve affordable, quick meals that come from the heart, not from under a heat lamp. It’s the kind of food you form a bond with, even if you do end up eating it in your car. Joy, the Taiwanese place in Highland Park, may be the ultimate version of a fast food spot - it’s a great place for a filling, affordable lunch or dinner, served at a speed that gives any corporate chain a run for its money. Yes, there’s a grab-your-own drinks case, a deli counter full of cold sides, and occasionally-lackadaisical cashiers. But Joy is also always packed with people gathered around small tables, ordering multiple rounds of sake slushies and sharing steaming bowls of food. They’re here because it’s an easy meal. But that doesn’t mean the meal isn’t also excellent. photo credit: Jakob Layman Narrowing down your options isn’t easy - the menu is huge, and since everything is under $10, you’ll be tempted to order all of it. And honestly, that’s not a bad plan. There’s a silky mapo tofu with a ton of flavor, a lightly-yet-perfectly spiced minced pork over rice, and rich dan dan noodles with jidori chicken, cucumber, and cilantro. We also love the thousand layer pancake, a savory, crackly flatbread that’s folded-up and loaded with chili sauce, basil, and (for an extra $3) cheese and egg. No matter what you order, you won’t have to wait long to eat it. At Joy, you will definitely spend more time looking for a table than you will waiting for your food to arrive. And after the first dish hits the table, the food just keeps on coming. It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but it’s also impressive - and the food is unlike anything you’d get at a chain restaurant. So yes, Joy is a fast food spot. A fantastic one. But no matter what you want to call it, after a speedy meal here, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll want to come back for more. photo credit: Jakob Layman Food Rundown Cold Sides The deli case cold sides change often, and bear absolutely no resemblance to whatever’s cooling in the deli case at Ralph’s. Our favorites are the bamboo shoots, the pig ear salad, and the wood ear mushrooms. photo credit: Jakob Layman Thousand Layer Pancake A good litmus test to see if the person you’re going out with is worth another date is the thousand layer pancake - if they don’t like it, delete them from your phone. photo credit: Jakob Layman Minced Pork Over Rice We will never come here and not order this. It may just look like some ground pork over rice, but once you try it, you’ll realize how seriously addictive this spiced pork is. photo credit: Jakob Layman Scallion Sesame Bread Sandwich With Pork Belly This upgraded version of a pork bun comes on house-baked scallion sesame bread, which is so good that we literally buy it by the loaf (it’s on the menu for $12). photo credit: Jakob Layman Dan Dan Noodles With Chicken When you get them plain, these are pretty standard dan dan noodles - but add in the jidori chicken, and somehow, it just takes this dish to another peanut-y, sesame-y level. photo credit: Jakob Layman Mapo Tofu This isn’t the spiciest mapo tofu around, but it’s some of the best in town. The tofu is the perfect silky consistency, and it packs the kind of pungent punch we like in our mapo. photo credit: Jakob Layman" - Brett Keating
"If you want to visit the Taipei night markets without having to hop on a plane, tuck into Joy, a charming, casual counter-service neighborhood spot helmed by Vivian Ku. Instead of street stalls, you’ll be greeted by the same cozy vibe you’ll find at Ku’s sister restaurant in Silverlake, with warm brick walls, maple church pew benches, lots of natural light flowing in from the oversize windows, and delicate touches of Chinoiserie throughout. Don't miss the perfect thousand layer pancake (a flattened, savory croissant-type creation stuffed with cheese and egg), the slack season noodles with rich pork broth, or traditional Taiwanese shave ice with red beans, taro balls, boba, and grass jelly." - Celeste Moure
"Joy is a popular Taiwanese restaurant that's convenient when you want a satisfying meal in less than a half-hour but would rather eat popcorn kernels off the floor of your car than do a drive-thru. Owned by the same people as Pine & Crane, the order-at-the-counter spot has a small menu with a ton of variety. They serve daily cold appetizers, a few different soups, noodle and rice sections (we love the salty, savory Chiayi chicken rice), and fantastic sandwiches made with their flaky homemade scallion sesame bread. Almost everything falls under $15, and even when it's crowded, you can be in and out before your meter expires along York." - brant cox, sylvio martins, andrew ryce, cathy park
"With noodles, rice bowls, and thousand-layer pancakes to be had, it’s no wonder that most folks stumble out of Joy on York properly stuffed and likely without dessert. Try to hold back on some of the savories, because the hakka mochi is worth saving room for. Served alongside mugs of warm tea, the mound of mochi arrives dusted in irresistible peanut and black sesame powders. Note: Don’t be intimidated by the queue. Though reservations are not required, it moves quickly." - Eater Staff
"If you’re trying to save time and money but don’t want to settle for fast food, head to Joy on York’s brick-walled dining room. The counter-service spot in Highland Park serves homey Taiwanese dishes that you can snack on or combine to create a full meal. Pull up a stool near their big street-facing windows and munch on satisfying dishes that arrive quickly: sesame scallion bread, dan dan noodles, shrimp wontons, and three-cup chicken. Or go with the $15 “Joy Combo,” which comes with a choice of cold appetizer, cup of soup, and entrees like pork belly over rice or five-spice beef." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder