101 Noodle Express

Ok here I go with another disappointing restaurant. I came in here because my friend recommended us eat here for Chinese New Years. The décor and environment was VERY modern! Lovely chandelier lights, clean setting, nice colors on the walls and tea glass cups.
Reason I’m giving 2 stars is based on the QUALITY of the food:
Beef noodle Soup: wasn’t impressed. strange flavor not much like what beef noodle soup is supposed to taste like. However, I did like that the beef was easy to chew on.
Beef rolls: outside roll was crispy and light, easy to chew on. Inside beef was nice to bite, slightly sweet sauce which was good, but there were way too many «tendons» inside I had to take them out since I didn’t want to chew on them. Hey also put way too many green onions inside.
Pork dumplings: blah, nothing special, none of the «omg it’s so good!» Taste as I was expecting. There was something off on the meat. I couldn’t finish a single dumpling.
Another tip: CASH ONLY! I couldn’t see it anywhere in the door. The waiter actually had to show me where it was which was hidden on the trash can area and the very front register (far away from the entrance door).
Overall, I wouldn’t come back. The place made me REALLY THIRSTY after leaving! I guess they use MSG then.

***CASH ONLY*** IT’S MENTIONED in places were people can’t really see… not noticeable.
Came here for the first time. I thought it would be as good as the Unilocalers here have described it. We ordered Xiao Long Bao, Beef Noodle Soup, Beef Rolls, and Pork dumplings. I’ve eating all these before, so I know the general tastes of each item.
When I ate the Beef noodle soup, I really like the noodles itself. It seemed hand sliced noodles and it tastes very aldente. However, the soup and beef wasn’t good. It didn’t have enough flavor like the other restaurants I’ve gone to. I wouldn’t say it tasted bland, but it didn’t have the beef flavor. I love xiao long bao, so I was really excited when it came out. I tasted it… it was hot, but the meat in the bao wasn’t good. Usually in other restaurants, the «soupyness» inside the bao is delicious, but it wasn’t for this one. It kinda tasted off to me. Like something is missing with the flavor aspect to it. I’m not sure if it’s the same thing with just the meat itself. or what kind of meat flavor or meat they use, but same was with the dumplings.
The only thing that I thought was good was the Beef rolls. they were as good as the other Unilocalers have mentioned. The breading was crispy and the flavor of the meat and sauce was sweet with tender meat. I liked the meat, but my sister didn’t cuz it consisted of a lot of tendon that comes with the meat.
The décor of the place is nice and clean inside. There’s beautiful chandeliers at the entrance and a smaller more inside.
Parking is probably hectic during peak weekend hours. It’s a center so there’s a lot of different restaurants all enclosed together…10+ for sure!

Portion is a lot for the price. Food is average. Overall a place for cheap decent food.

i was first introduced to this place in their alhambra location. i was happy with that one. then, i found out they also have a rowland heights location. i tried it, and was very satisfied, comparable to the alhambra location, while being much closer to home.
i have ordered spicy beef noodle, dan dan noodle, xiao long bao, chicken rolls, pork rolls, and both steamed and pan fried lamb dumplings. all were very delicious. i will keep coming here for northern chinese cuisine.

Although this place is in this really nice new center, this 101 location isn’t as tasty as the one in 626. Not sure if it’s Bc there hasn’t been enough time for the flavor to be built up on the stove or what… Anyways tried the beef rolls here and it just wasn’t up to par. When it came to my table it looked as if it’s was going to be really crunchy Bc it was golden brown. However, it wasn’t even crispy to the slightest and there wasn’t enough sauce/​cilantro in the roll. I even had to add a lot of the pickled chilies found on the table to make it a bit tastier. That being said, service was great here and the waiters are extremely attentive to your needs. They’ll even pack your left overs for you… Which at the other 101s they just hand you a box to pack yourself.

Service and dinning environment is good. Food falls apart. I order their house special beef noodle. Except for spicy, no other taste.

Been here a few times now.
Usually they have a pretty long wait on weekends. I noticed that the place has a pretty low review but the few times I’ve been here, my experience has been fairly positive.
I like their beef rolls, dumplings, and jia jun mien. The juicy dumplings (xiao long bao) are just okay. The restaurant is clean and bright given that it’s pretty new. The service has been good in my experience. One of the reasons I like this place is that their food isn’t too oily or salty– which for me is perfect since I’m a health nut lol but I can see how some people might not love it so much.
Give it a try and judge for yourself!
They also sell frozen handmade dumplings by the way!

I had tried the beef roll 牛肉巻,
XLB 小笼包,
pan fried dumpling 鍋貼,
spicy beef noodle soup 川味牛肉面
So far so good and the service was friendly. I also like the pickled chili on the table. Watch out for the delicious juice inside the XLB and the dumpling. When you bite into dumpling the juice may be shot to your coat. I just let it cooled a little bit and put the whole bao or dumpling into my mouth and let the juice run in my month.

It was ok. Can’t complain but also wouldn’t write home about it.

Cheap and delicious! Everything that we ordered was delicious and very reasonably priced. Definitely order the hot and sour soup and the beef roll. Also the shao long bao is excellent!

The resturant is located in a new plaza. When we came in, it was close to empty; only a few people eating. There are televisions and the interior looked new. This resturant has plenty of seating and very spacious.
~Note: Cash Only
:Drinks:
I got Coke. what more can I say.
:Food:
I got the Beef Noodle Soup with regular noodles. Unfortunately it didn’t satisfy my craving because the broth was bland. It had no flavor at all. I did enjoy the Bean Vegetable (Minced Pork) Rice. This dish is so simple but yet so flavorful. I liked it a lot! We also got the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, is way too hot for me!
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:Customer Service:
Friendly
:Rating:
2 Stars for the Beef Noodle Soup, 2 Stars for the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup; it was too spicy, Bean Vegetable (Minced Pork) Rice is 4 Stars, and Customer Service 3 Stars. I guess I will give it 2.5 Stars and rounding it to 3. If I’m craving for Beef Noodle Soup I would try another place.
:M’s Notes:
~Indoor Seating
~Parking Lot

Love the noodle and dumplings there. Only bad thing is that it is a CASH ONLY place.

The 9 of us ordered pan fried dumplings, XLBs, beef rolls, and pancakes.
The beef roll was kinda good. I liked eating that with the green chili thingy. I also enjoyed the pork XLB. The skin was too thick, but it was very tasty.
The other dumplings were just okay.
Friendly service!
3.5 stars! I would come back for its beef roll & pork XLB.
101 Noodle Express is kinda yummylicious!

I’ve tried 101 Noodle Express in other locations but a bit disappointed with this new location, although the décor here is nice.
I love getting the beef noodle soup, but it seemed really watered down and tasted pretty bland here. I got the hand pulled noodles and those were great, they were nice and chewy. The beef in the soup was nice and tender. We also got beef rolls and dumplings and those were good. The beef rolls came in six rolls. It was perfectly sauced inside and crispy on the outside. The food was not too oily and it all came in large portions. The service was alright. This place is CASH ONLY.
Overall, I still feel like the other 101 Noodle House locations are better. I would definitely come back if I was reealllly craving 101 Noodle House and in the area.

This is a new location in the brand new Pearl of the East Plaza in Rowland Heights.
This is the third 101 location that I’ve been to and it’s really nice to see a small Asian chain expanding while keeping the quality consistently good.
The fried dumpling (sort of like a pot sticker) is my favorite. They had a large variety of options with more than a dozen different fillings — pork, pork and shrimp, spinach shrimp, lamb, chicken and fish, just to name a few. They were perfectly fried to golden brown and the filling was tasty and juicy.
The XLB’s were good, although I found their skin a tad too thick. The filling was delicious and juicy. Definitely one of the better ones that you can find here in So Cal.
We also had a sour vegetable and pork noodle soup with hand-​torn noodles. Well, let’s say that you had to really like sour soup (almost like a pickled veggie soup base) to like it. Personally I love it, but it could be a bit over-​whelming for some people.
However, I didn’t like the hand-​torn noodles (maybe it’s just my personal preference) but I found them too thick and too starchy. I also didn’t like the texture which was a bit mushy.
The House Shan Dong Chicken Appetizer was bomb (some reviews commented that the portion was tiny, but this is an app, not an entrée! Duh!) The chicken was tender; the sauce was rich and flavorful. It was served with some pickled cucumber which was also delicious.
Overall, a consistent 101 experience, and I’ll continue to visit their various locations.

OH HAAAY 101 Noodle Express is back in town!
Location — There used to be one years ago in Diamond Plaza, but now that location has recently been converted into Gen KBBQ. This new location is in the new plaza behind Motel 6 off Nogales, Apparently, this plaza has been open for awhile, but due to the hundreds of other Asian plazas in the Rowland Heights area, it has been neglected. Either way, I was glad I found it. I will definitely try other restaurants in this plaza.
Food — I got food to-​go because i was in a rush to get home and study for the Bar Exam. I called in 15 minutes in advance and the food was ready when I got there. We got the beef noodle soup, two orders of the beef roll, and a shandong chicken. The beef noodle soup was really whatever. The soupbase was just okay. It had a lot of seaweed in it. When do you see authentic beef noodle soup with seaweed? Also, the handtorn noodles lost all chewiness by the time we got home. Maybe it’s better if we ate it there? The beef rolls were good. It lasted two people 3 meals, which is amazing. The shandong chicken we got for purchase over $ 20 with a coupon I found in my mail box. Maybe it was because it was free so it was like 85% cucumbers and 15% chicken. There were maybe 8 pieces of chicken? The sauce that came with it was bomb though!
Price — We got everything for $ 26 including tax. Since it filled up two people for 3 meals — I would say it was a great deal!
Parking — Since the plaza is new, there are a lot of parking spots available!

This plaza is behind Denny’s. Not hard to find. Follow the motel 6. You can’t miss it.
Parking is everywhere but the restaurants are kind of hard to find. Don’t just park anywhere or else you’ll be walking far.
101 noodle express is a Chinese spot with all great noodles and dumplings. Not as good as mama Lu but it’ll do.
The servers here are friendly and they speak all kinda of Chinese. Not just mandarin.
Pricing is good.
What to order– dan dan noodle and beef noodle soup.
Since it’s grand opening no matter wht you order they give you a free dish.
Food comes out fast. Nothing to complain about to be honest. Everyone is friendly and the food is good.

This 101 Noodle Express is tucked away in the Pearl of the East Plaza, along with Hide Out and Lobster Bay. There’s plenty of parking spaces but it does get packed on the weekends though. You’ll probably see some fancy shmancy whips around like Lambo’s, Ferrari’s and Porsche’s.
Décor is nice n clean and has mainly black & red interior. Service ain’t too shabby, they’ll come around and refill your water cups. They’re known for beef rolls, noodle soups and dumplings. I’m not exactly sure what’s in their green condiment but it’s quite addicting and good!
Mix up some chili oil, red vinegar, soy sauce, green condiment and eat it with the beef roll and dumplings! Bomb!

Ahhhhhh yes… Beef rolls. They started it all with the beef rolls. They used to be inside a food court in Diamond Plaza next to Life Plaza. Beef rolls were 6.50 at the time. It is not 8.99. Damn times have changed. But the rolls are still good.
I got the black bean noodles. 炸醬面。with the hand pulled noodles. SUPER delicious. Great sauce.
I got the three flavor plate. It has seaweed and bean curds and snow peas. It was REALLY salty.
Then their is the infamous xiaolongbao (XLB) 小籠包。they were out of the crab ones so we got the pork ones. It was good and it was filled with soup. I think it’s better than Ding Tai Fung. I would go here versus DTF any day.
Cash Only so bring cash. The restaurant itself looks very modern. Almost too modern. Will be back. Kinda pricy compared to other places like QQ Noodles 陽春麵之家

CASH ONLY!!! New restaurant in a new plaza. Traffic is slow, but it’s going to pick up for sure. I guess I found a new spot for beef wraps, scallion pancakes, and beef noodle soup! Definitely order family style here. Portions were quite big and prices were reasonable. Typical Chinese waiters, but they joked around with us a lot. Staff seem excited for the new restaurant and happy to be there. I totally appreciate that vibe! I’m loving it here!
SCALLION PANCAKE: This is the favorite one I’ve had thus far in Rowland Heights (and I live here haha). I like it because it comes in a big portion considering it was only $ 5. It was thin and not as fat, buttery, and floury like some I’ve had. AND it’s not as oily. YES. Some people eat it plain, but I personally like dipping it into soy sauce mixed in with a bunch of the chili oil provided on the table for the spicy kick I love.
HOT SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP/​RICE NOODLES: You have the option of getting regular noodles or paying 50 cents more for the hand torn noodles. No brainer, go for the handmade! Homemade noodles are wider and flatter and chewier and yummier haha. I tried it non-​spicy and it was good. I asked them to make it mild spicy. They happily obliged and all they do is mix in a chili oil (not the same as given on table). Definitely upping the spicy level next time, but I appreciate their spicy scale is true to request. As for beef noodle soup standards, it met it!
SOUR VEGETABLE W/​SHREDDED PORK NOODLE SOUP/​RICE NOODLES: Perfect if you’re looking for a simple soup. Safe choice. I liked the sour vegetable on top for an added flavor. It sounds worse than it is… I wish they used the word pickled vegetable instead.
LEEK & PORK DUMPLINGS: We ordered it boiled as opposed to pan-​grilled. The dumplings are quite big, but I wasn’t a fan of the skin they used for the dumpling. It was too thick for my liking, but flavor and taste was good. Lots of the «juice» in this dumpling, even more so than the mini crab meat buns (odd?). Will try the grilled/​fried version next time!
STEAMED MINI CRAB MEAT BUNS: They ran out of pork, so we ordered this instead. Our waiter actually told us it’s crab and pork mixed together? Confused, but I ate it anyway. Flavor was good. I could have eaten the whole order by myself haha. Their version did lack in the amount of «juice» in the dumpling compared to other ones I’ve had before.
BEEF ROLL: Pretty big portion that’s split-​up into six pieces. The amount of sauce in the rolls are perfect. I hate when there’s too much sauce and it makes the whole wrap feel soggy. Also, this roll isn’t too oily which is another plus. Definitely share!