101 Noodle Express — Restaurant in Alhambra

Yet another authentic Chinese restaurant to check out in San Gabriel valley area here in the city of Alhambra.

My wife had seen this noodle joint on IG and of course we love checking out new places for Chinese eats.

The rainy weather brings on the Noodle appetite and 101 Noodle Express did not disappoint. We ordered a feast even though we came for some noodles. Started off with some Dan Dan noodles, steamed / fried pork and shrimp dumplings 🥟. I got their eggplant and pork noodles in a light yet flavorful broth which was quite delicious for a new taste for me. We also got their Yang chow fried rice and chicken chowmein. Chicken chowmein was decent in flavor however they could bump up their fried rice game which lacked a bit.

We were patient with their service because there was only 1 server who was quite polite and courteous to us. I felt empathy for her because she had 8 other tables to wait on (1 that had a party of 8) and that can be stressful while taking care of pick up orders and the phone ringing all at the same time. They could have staffed the restaurant with at least 2 more employees to allow a better form of service.

The dining area was clean and organized. Their restrooms could have used a little love, like a little bleach down and air freshener.

101 Noodle Express would have gotten an easy 5 star rating if it weren't for a couple of setbacks. Otherwise the noodles here were quite delicious.

We will be back to check out some more of their noodle...

I used to go to the 101 Noodle Express in Atlantic Square all the time, but it closed. Then with COVID, I hadn't been back to this restaurant in years. Today, while shopping at 168 Market, I spotted it again and decided to give it another visit.

Pulling into the parking lot, it was a little tricky to figure out the spaces since the lines were faded and it was dark. But since the restaurant was empty and there weren't any cars around, I figured it didn't matter much--so I just parked.

I ordered my go-to favorites: Shandong chicken and onion pancakes. I noticed right away that the price of the onion pancakes has doubled since my last visit. They used to be about $4.50, and now they're over $10--OMG, inflation really hit hard these last 6-7 years! The Shandong chicken, though, was only around $12 back then and now is about $15, so that one didn't increase as much. Taste-wise, it was just like the good old days. I really love the sauce in the Shandong chicken--it pairs perfectly with the cucumber. The onion pancakes were still good, but honestly, I think they're overpriced now.

Service was good, probably helped by the fact that I was the only customer at the time.

When it came time to pay, the waitress asked me to pay in cash, but I didn't have enough with me. She reluctantly accepted my credit card. I'm guessing it has to do with how tips are shared when customers pay by card versus cash. Oh well--next time, I'll try...

First & foremost, this restaurant is a cash only establishment. Make sure you bring cash if you want to eat.

Second, you must know it's good if a nearby restaurant, practically 2 doors down is empty while this one is bustling with people.

There is a station for take out and also the same station where you pay your check. I had ordered takeout. I ordered the beef and beef tendon noodle soup with the hand torn noodles. You have the option of two types, hand torn or normal. The hand torn does cost about $1 and some change. To be exact it is $9.20.

There is no seating area for those waiting on their takeout and the wait took approximately 10 minutes for two of the noodle soup and 1 beef pie roll.

The portion is right with all considerations of the price and that it's takeout. The amount of noodle we received fit perfectly into the plastic container of soup. I personally thought the noodles could have been better. They didn't have the smooth noodle like texture I was expecting but the soup was great. They also provide you with many pieces of beef, though more tendon than beef but I didn't mind because I like tendons.

Overall a great place that I would revisit for my traditional...