101 Noodle Express

This place is good for some authentic Taiwanese food. We always get their beef rolls here. They make it soon good. The ratio of the beef to cilantro wrapped inside the think flaky wrap. It’s really really good. I would say that they have the best beef rolls that you can find in Orange County.
We also got their pork chop fried rice and their Dan Dan noodles. The fried pork chop rice was also pretty good. It turned out better than the pictures on the wall looked. I really liked the light crispy batter on the pork chop. They give you huge portions! It was enough to feed two people easily. The Dan Dan noodles were just okay. It could of had better flavor. It was a little bland.
Next time I want to try their fried dumplings and their juicy pork dumplings as well since I did see a lot of people ordering those dishes.
Overall the food was good and comforting. I will definitely be back to try some of their other dishes and definitely for their beef rolls!

This is a simple no-​nonsense restaurant that we typically use for take-​out. The food is good and the portions are generous. Our favorites are the hot and sour soup, any of the dumplings and the beef wrap. Parking in this center can be a pain, so it’s easier to come with a partner who can hop out of the car and grab your order.

First time here (or in an asian restaurant in general)?
Wave out to the counter girl, you are more likely to seat yourself
Come here during work/​school hours
M — Thurs
11 — 3 PM
It gets crowded with families during weekends and for dinners
Feel free to ask questions
Make a mixture of soy sauce — vinegar — relish
Order
shao long bow
the beef roll
Chow Nien Gow
And try a Wonton Soup
If they are busy: Walk Up And Pay At the Counter — I think they take tips there too.
These nice Chinese people bring their food and their culture =)

WARNING: this review will have a lot of relevant information about the food at this location. But, will not include the service. Yes, the service was bad… very very bad. But the food was amazing so I can not bring myself to give this place anything lower than a 4. Definitely not a 5 though.
Quick tip: HIRE MORE PEOPLE STOP BEING STINGY WITH WORKERS!!! YOU NEED IT! There are literally 2 old ladies who wait on everyone and they have no concept of service… AT ALL.
Anyways, past that. I came in with my mom since I was craving some dumplings and man oh man I was not disappointed! Looking at some of the previous reviews everyone was dissing the XLB (Xiao Long Bao) soup dumplings, I’m not sure what everyone else was having because I had the best pork soup dumpling of my life! It was juicy the meat was tender and the broth was delicious — not the best broth but with the soy sauce, chili oil and vinegar mixture it definitely was heavenly. 5 STAR OUT OF 5
We also ordered the Hot N Sour soup and it was the best Hot N Sour I’ve ever had as well! Amazing textures — crunchy sprouts, chewy mushrooms, soft tofu, and meaty beef. It was the most well balance hot n sour soup I’ve had! And the flavors/​consistency were on POINT. It had a slight sesame flavor to it and the soup was hearty and slightly thick just delicious. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THIS! 5 STAR OUT OF 5
We also got the beef roll and took most of it to go… It was delicious as well. Id give it a 4 star out of 5. Definitely good but didn’t blow me away but it was extremely YUM and a must have as well.
Overall despite the crap service and lack of attention due to them being severely understaffed and the ladies having a really bad attitude the food was amazing and this is the only time I’ve ever given a place 4 stars despite the service being bad. That speaks volume of the authenticity and flavors of the food we had this day !

I must say I am quite disappointed in this place. Or maybe I just don’t eat what I’m supposed to eat here. The beef roll has a ton of cilantro and I like a and js better so I don’t order it here. And I guess the other thing that’s good are the dumplings. which are also something I don’t eat very often.
I’ve been to this one before and remembered that the lamb noodles were pretty good but this time when I got it there was no flavor at all. I didn’t want to ask for salt so I ended up just eating all the lamb and not the noodles. It was also quite oily…
I like the thick hand cut noodles they have but if the soup doesn’t have flavor then it kinda sucks.
Womp womp.

After coming here regularly for a couple of years, tonight was my last time dining here.
The servers are amazing and they work their tails off. My hats off to them. However it’s the chef that has made me decide to not come back.
I ordered my pan fried dumplings and requested it to be extra golden which is not an unusual request and always request this because their pot stickers are kinda a hit or miss as far as how crispy or golden it is.
Tonight, my server said if it doesn’t come out how you like it, send it back and ask them to put it on the pan longer. Maybe the chef was grumbling about it to her in the kitchen when she put in my order? Why else would she recommend that?
Well it def didn’t arrive very golden so I requested one of the other servers walking by if she could ask the chef to make it a little more crispy. A few minutes goes by and another server brings it out and says the chef refuses to make it more golden.
Hmm, okay, pan fried dumplings or potstickers should have a nice golden brown at the base. It didn’t come out the way I had requested when ordering and I didn’t even touch the order before asking them to place it back on the pan for a few more minutes. That’s all it would’ve taken. My family had Chinese restaurants and growing up in them I learned that a few more minutes in the pan was all that it required. So, basically this chef has an ego that’s way too big or just simply lazy or perhaps both.
I said okay, didn’t argue with the server, not their fault. No problem, I most definitely won’t be returning here. Lots of Chinese restaurants around. No need to contribute to an establishment like this. The poor service is not from the ladies who work here. It’s the chef.

My boyfriend and I always get the beef rolls and soup dumplings ! It’s so good, always on point. The tea always helps with the meal as well.
Personally I really enjoy this place. Service is really quick to response and the food always comes out promptly.
Cash only! Highly recommend ! :D

I thought that they were just OK.
I came here with a friend because she was raving about them for days beforehand. We ordered to-​go, so I just told her to order whatever she felt like. She ordered: Fried Rice, Won Tons, Noodles, and some other beef filled dish that I can’t remember the name of. For four dishes it was $ 42 and some change. Pretty reasonable I thought. What we ordered could easily feed four people, and I had some leftovers I brought home.
The food, to me, was just OK. Kind of greasy and it gave me a stomach ache a few minutes after I was done. Maybe it was because I was so hungary, but I happily ate it all, despite how not great it was.
Service in the restaurant was fast and efficient. I liked that. They are cash only, so remember to go to the ATM beforehand!
I may go back here, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for them.
Cheers!

Me and my girlfriend were starving after a long day of snowboarding at Mt. High and I stumbled upon this place on Unilocal.It was pretty late and they closed at 1 so I called to confirm if we still had time to sit down and eat. We got the okay from the hostess so we headed over.
We arrived at about midnight and was seated quickly. We looked over the menu on the drive over so we had already known what we wanted. We sat for about 20 minutes before we were even received a greeting from our waitress.
I ordered the beef rolls based upon the reviews and my girlfriend got the oxtail soup. The beef rolls were really good. The oxtail soup tasted like hot water and flour. Noodles were undercooked and the soup could not be any more bland. The chef was probably too lazy to put the dish together properly since it was so late.
Overall the service was pretty bad. We never got a refill on our water and the waitress was actively ignoring other tables that were around us that were seeking help. The oxtail soup wasn’t even touched because of how poorly it was made. I don’t think we should have paid for the soup since it wasn’t even made properly. The only positive thing about the experience were the beef rolls. Despite the popularity of this place, I probably won’t come back. I should have just went to McDonalds…
If they don’t want to make the food properly or serve their customers, don’t welcome in customers and don’t stay open so late. It is as simple as that. This place gets a solid one star.

+ Amazing beef rolls
+ Fast service
— Limited seating/​small restaurant
— Long wait times
I recently started coming here and I’m very impressed with the food and service. It seems to be one of 2 or 3 popular restaurants in this older small shopping complex. The parking in this area isn’t the best because everyone is probably at one of the 3 popular places (or 99 Ranch Market). Wait times will be similar if you are here during lunch/​dinner peak hours.
The food and service is great here. I especially love their pork buns and beef rolls. The rolls come in pretty large portions, but you can just bring them home for lunch on another day. Prices are reasonable, but you have to keep an eye on the menu since they remove items/​change prices often with a sticky note. Some menus are updated and some aren’t so if your bill comes out to a dollar or two more for each item, don’t be surprised.
I wouldn’t say it is the cleanest and most modern place since it is so small, but don’t let it bother you too much. I would definitely recommend this place.

This place is definitely worth it. For a Saturday night at 7 in the heart of Irvine, we were seated and served very quickly. We chose the Fried Pork Dumplings which were excellent! Decent size and they come in an order of 10 which is perfect for 2 people. We were craving hot Noodles but not noodle soup. We chose #65 — Eggplant/​Pork Noodles. Amazing and our favorite dish so far. And #60 — Dan Dan Noodles. Everything was excellent, but our favorite was #65. Parking can be an issue but shouldn’t take longer than 5 – 8 minutes to find a spot.
Next time we come and there will be a next time, I plan on trying the Beef Roll

Those beef rolls really lived up to expectations. Mmm. In fact, I’m finally inspired to write this review because I just had beef rolls somewhere else that were NOWHERE near as good. The crêpe exterior is light and crisp, and there’s tons of savory, flavorful beef filling with a nice brightness from the greens. And if you’re a first timer, don’t be silly and uninformed like me — those pictures with a big plate and 6 pieces of beef roll are ONE order. I made the bad assumption that 1 roll (cut into 3 pieces) was one order… so we ordered two… well, I guess it was a good problem to have.
One surprising highlight was — oh dear, I’m sorry I don’t know the actual name of the dish — a cold salad/​appetizer of thinly sliced pig’s ear. The ear had a firm yet slightly springy crunch, kind of like super firm gelatin. It was really tasty and refreshing.
I was also a fan of the yeung chow fried rice, which was very well seasoned. Mmm, I just love rice.
Less exciting was the pork XLB. Not the worst; they were fine, but not as tasty as Din Tai Fung.
The hot spicy beef noodles were okay. We had the hand cut noodles, which was neat, but I found the pieces to be too big. The broth was kind of one-​note, not as nuanced as I’d hoped.
Least interesting was probably the dan dan noodles. The waitress did make sure that we were okay with a peanut-​based sauce, so I don’t know what I was expecting… the flavor was just not good at all. Tasted like mostly peanut butter with a few other things mixed in, not tasty. At least the XLB and hot spicy beef noodles weren’t bad — they were just suboptimal — I flat out didn’t enjoy the dan dan noodles. I totally concede that maybe I just don’t know what good dan dan noodles taste like and I could be crazy…
At any rate, there were some items I really enjoyed, and I’d be happy to come back again.

I was craving dumplings so I decided to try a new spot. I noticed that they have another location in Alhambra with lots of reviews. Its located right off the 5 freeway in the plaza across from A&J.
I ordered the crab soup dumplings, the beef rolls and the beef tendon noodle soup. The crab dumplings were okay, not as good as din tai fung. The beef rolls were kind of sweet and reminded me of phở, with all of the veggies. The beef tendon soup lacked flavor. I’d only recommend the beef rolls if you come here.

If u like gyoza, dumplings, pork roll pancake, fried rice. yum yum… this place is a must try. Its clean, great service, friendly and affordable.
However, try to avoid rush hours, it gets really packed and long line, but they r quick n efficient. We were seated in less than 30 minutes.
The foods are quite tasty and delicious. A must try.
The portion is quite generous too.

I was craving Honeymee and wanted to eat in this plaza for lunch. I found this place looking for xiao long bao in the area. I usually get XLB at Northern Café in Cerritos, but it hasn’t been convenient for me to go there. :(
I ended up feeling really cold and ordered something soupy instead.
Beef and Tendon Noodle Soup: I go this with the hand torn noodles. I was pleasantly surprised by the soup broth. It was flavorful but light. The noodles ended up being a little too soft/​mushy though. I still enjoyed it.
I will probably be back to try the XLB and dan dan noodles in the future.

With A&Js closed for construction, and Mama Liangs being but a distant, warm memory, my group turned to 101 Noodle Express for a rainy Sunday afternoon luncheon.
THE WAIT.
For a party of 5 (which they were not thrilled about), we waited about 20 minutes, which didn’t seem too bad. It helped that it was around 2 pm.
THE FOOD.
Our table happily shared
— Xiaolongbao
— Beef and beef tendon soup
— Beef roll pancake
— Green chive dumplings
We ended up having a decent amount of food leftover, and everything was very affordable. Only downside was the mess that is that area’s parking lot.

Food here is really good! Amazing beef noodle soups (soup is light but very tasty, and the hand made noodles have the perfect Q) and juicy plump xiaolongbao (the skin is a little thin though, and they easily rip, –1 star here). I’m not a fan of the beef rolls so I can’t comment on that but I know it’s also a very popular dish here. The only thing that can use serious improvement is the service. But if you’re coming to an Asian establishment expecting 5 star service then you must be living under a rock.
I normally love ordering cold appetizers at Chinese restaurants but the cold appetizers here are on the pricy side. I peeped at the neighboring tables and it looks really good; thin cut and perfectly seasoned. I opted out of cold appetizers here since they’re much cheaper (and still good, but different obviously) next door at Yu’s Garden. Yay for 2 lunches!
If you’re coming on a weekend expect a line. There are lines at other similar establishments (ex. A&J) so it’s unavoidable no matter where you go for beef noodle soup.
As always, cash only!

Came here on a busy Saturday evening. The list looked long, but we were seated within 15 minutes in the tiny corner restaurant. Parking can be difficult to find, but there are so many people coming and leaving that a little bit of patience is key.
Using Unilocal Reviews as a guide, we ordered the beef rolls and the dan dan with hand shredded noodles. Beef rolls were delicious with a good amount of beef and green onions — one order can definitely feed two people. I would suggest eating it all at the restaurant while it’s still warm and a little crispy, because bringing it home just makes it soggy. Also, was not sure if dipping sauce was needed, but we made our own with soy sauce, vinegar, chili, etc. and it was great.
Dan dan noodles were also good! Different than I expected in taste and not spicy enough (although I thought it had the little chili pepper symbol next to it on the menu), but as the meal went on I found myself enjoying it more and more! The sauce is peanut-​y with the minced pork, the cucumbers crispy adding texture, and the noodles were a perfect al dente! Be aware though, the noodles can be long and hard to eat if you’re sharing.
Service was really good quick, they definitely wanted people in and out as quickly as possible. Our meal only cost us ~$ 20! A steal if you ask me! Will come back for some comfort Chinese food.

Their sour and spicy soup NEVER disappoints. It is probably the best for the value they charge here too. I always come here with my family when we’re in the mood for some beef noodle soup, which is great too. Portions are very generous so be prepared to share it family style! Another thing I also suggest is the beef wrap with scallions (or greens as I call them). I’m not a big fan of the greens so I try to take them out but they make the skin so well here. Very fresh and crispy yet still chewy and goes great with the beef.
This place isn’t a glamorous restaurant and actually looks quite bland. There’s a section for cold appetizers in the back but you have to pay for those. Waitresses are pretty talkative and talk to each other when working! But it all adds up to the experience and vibe of a casual Chinese restaurant. Still recommend this place very much.

WHY MUST YOU BE CASH ONLY?! That was a pretty big disappointment.
Let’s get into the service. It took about 10 minutes to get someone to come and assist our group. My friend and I had our hand up to see if anyone would see us and help us. Eventually they did. I never got asked if I wanted water.
Let’s get into the food. I actually liked my food. I ordered the shrimp wonton soup. I thought it automatically came with noodles, but I had to order it on the side. That was an extra $ 3. I still got it because I really wanted it.
I also ate a beef roll and it was also good, just wished it was warmer. It was a little cold when in came out.
I would’ve given this a higher review if it were not due to the service and the fact that they take cash only.