My Northern Cafe lunch today:
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Is the El Monte location the same owners? Web search was inconclusive
Looks like they are either the EM location more for take out.
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Honestly, I don’t know
Trying to get over a horrible cold this week and was craving soup at night. Fortunately I found Luyixian in Alhambra was open late. Kind of hard to find but well worth it, bright clean and inviting with a delicious looking Szechuan menu.
My beef noodle soup was just perfect and hit the spot. The noodles had a wonderful toothy texture, the broth was rich and deeply flavored, almost like a heartier pho broth with hints of anise, and the braised beef was tender and delicious. So happy to have found a great late night Szechuan option in Alhambra. I 
SGV
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Maybe not “under the radar” per se, but Ho Kee Cafe is a pretty good go-to whenever we’re in the SGV.
Arcadia
Beef Brisket with Turnip Clear Soup
Braised 2-item: Tofu and Beef Stomach
Dried Scallop and Egg-White Fried Rice
We actually prefer the fried duck jaws with “spicy salt and pepper” and use some of the leftover fried garlic and chili to mix into the fried rice.
Afterwards, always Nest Tea for Honey Oolong boba, 25% sugar, regular ice.
San Gabriel
Beef Brisket with Turnip
BBQ 2-Item
Fried Duck Jaws
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Just to clarify, there are 2 locations? Do you feel one is consistently better than the other?
There are actually 3 locations (2 in San Gabriel, 1 in Arcadia). I’ve only been to 2 of them: the San Gabriel one on Del Mar and the Arcadia one on Las Tunas. I have not been to the San Gabriel one called “Ho Kee Cart Noodle” on Valley Blvd.
I like both the San Gabriel Del Mar and Arcadia locations. I tend to frequent the San Gabriel Del Mar more for noodle soup and takeout. It does offer a pre-order menu for private dinners in the back just as the Arcadia one does. The Arcadia location is a little bit newer and brighter inside, and it’s better for
dinners imo, especially special occasion dinners in private rooms (even if it retains many casual menu options as well). I tend to do the San Gabriel Del Mar one for lunch more often and the Arcadia one for dinner (especially because we like to get boba after right across at Nest Tea).
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The one in San Gabriel offers Hong Kong style breakfast as well, while the Arcadia one does not.
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If we’re talking about stuff that’s a little bit under the radar, I have fallen in love with the Baldwin location in Arcadia of Lao Xi Er
They have some special noodles occasionally with lamb tripe and other stuff which is wonderful. The basics are different kinds of noodles from SHANXI (shānxi) (Datong,Taiyuan etc) not from SHAANXI (shânxi) (xi’an, xianyang, yan’an)
Their knife cut noodles are excellent. The specialty I think are the cats ear noodles (mao erduo) Think a slightly larger chewy orrecchiette.
They have a normal hand pulled noodle. And they have a type of noodle, helaomian (I think it means something like housewife noodles but I don’t know I wasn’t familiar with the characters) which is a type of noodle extruded. They put it into something like a big ricer, the dough that is, and then force it through to make the noodles. Then they’re cooked. Do you have a choice of getting some of those noodles with most of the dishes.
They also have a wonderful dish made out of potato jelly maybe it was called hun yuan… it’s the only dish like this on the menu and there is a sign outside explaining the origin.
This is not a “Greek“ Chinese cuisine like the classical age or classical six depending on what sources you read. Or classical four they have banquet food and street food and everything in between. Officials cuisine and bourgeois cuisine etc.
(I guess yunnan, Sichuan, Shandong, huaiyang, Min-fujian, Guangzhou. You might add zhejiang and in a pinch hunan well the last two are kind of derivative and the very last when it’s real like at the Hunan restaurant in the great mall is incredibly spicy incredibly oily. Then again, I did go for a place to try that specialty of Wuhan the dry pot. Let’s just say you need a lot of people and it’s very Samey samey)
Anyway I adore this place. I hope enough people go to keep it going but not so many that I can’t get seated
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Do you have an address or link?
921 S Baldwin Ave Suite G-H
•
(626) 348-8836
There is a second restaurant nearby. I don’t think they’re competitors I think they are two branches but I prefer this one. It’s just past Santa Anita if you’re going south on Baldwin from foothill Boulevard or from the I-210
Bob, Lao Xi Noodle House has been discussed a lot here. You even went to the original location on Live Oak Ave., supposedly based on my article:
You reply below how much you enjoyed the “wife special noodles”
Lao Xi Er (Lao Xi Noodle House), 600 E. Live Oak Ave., Arcadia
Lao Xi Noodle House, 921 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia
Interestingly, the Baldwin location (which they were pleased about, having a larger kitchen), was formerly the second location of Shaanxi Gourmet. There’s been a lot in-between, but was Shaanxi, now Shanxi.
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The Santa Anita was pretty packed when I went, so I suspect (and hope) they are doing fine. 
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Went to the Baldwin Lao Xi for the first time recently and was also very impressed. Don’t have much to add except that it was dope. Oh and the sesame noodles were probably the best I’ve had - usually find it a reliable if not thrilling dish, but these were legitimately great.
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Wow, 2015 - seems a lifetime ago!
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Given all that has happened in the world since then,… it indeed does seem like a lifetime ago.
::sigh::
is there any relation? I know San Gabriel and Arcadia are the same owner, I thought Ho Kee Cart Noodle was just a rip off?
I’ve only been to San Gabriel Del Mar and Arcadia on Las Tunas, but then saw what I thought was the third location as Cart Noodle on EDIT: their website for Order Now. Sorry a bit drink now
guess you’re right!!
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