Dai Ho Restaurant

Dai Ho Restaurant
9148 Las Tunas Dr.
Temple City, CA 91780


Dai Ho Restaurant. Local Taiwanese expats and Chinese Americans pack this Temple City noodle joint every Saturday afternoon, most vying for a taste of the house specialty—a steaming bowl of “Beef Noodle Soup,” or Niu Ro Mien. As a popular Szechuan noodle dish, the spicy flavors of Niu Ro Mien have dominated the palates of Taiwanese locals for years. Composed of a mixture of chili paste, tomatoes and beef shank, the Niu Ro Mien broth serves up an aromatic combination of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors. The noodles are often served al-dente and topped with green onions, pickled mustard, and bok choy for extra flavor and garnish. Dai Ho Restaurant serves up a delicious version of Niu Ro Mien—one loaded with extra chili oil and garlic for a pungent and often scalding kick in the mouth.

During college, a Taiwanese American friend and I would make a monthly pilgrimage to Temple City (no pun intended), in order to satisfy our relentless cravings for Dai Ho’s “Beef Noodle Soup.” Needless to say, we would always leave satisfied and happy, ready to spend the rest of the day watching USC football in a proverbial food coma. During this period, we also became familiar with the establishment’s infamous proprietor, known lovingly as the Chinese “Soup Nazi.” The “Soup Nazi” would often insist on certain dishes and spice levels for customers, no matter the protest, and also shamelessly point to the “NO READING NEWSPAPERS” sign for loitering patrons.

Other key dishes to try at Dai Ho include the “Tofu with Jalapenos and Cilantro,” and “Soy Sauce Eggs.” These side dishes serve as an excellent compliment to the often extreme spiciness of the Niu Ro Mien broth. For more simple fare, the establishment’s “Dan Dan Mien” offers a straightforward, yet delicious combination of noodles, peanut sauce, and chili oil.

In conclusion, Dai Ho offers some of the best Niu Ro Mien in Los Angeles. If you’re interested in trying a classic Szechuan Taiwanese dish, Dai Ho should definitely be on your list of places to visit. Although non-Asian patrons are rare here, you don’t have to be Chinese to slurp some noodles!

Sunset Siam

5265 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 467-8935

Sunset Siam. Located adjacent to the Best Value Inn on Sunset Boulevard, one might easily bypass this nondescript Thai eatery. Upon hearing that they serve a sweeter version of the classic Chinese breakfast within a Los Angeles Times food article, I decided to venture the unchartered four blocks east of my apartment for the good of ethnic foodies everywhere. Interestingly, this area of Sunset lies on the border of Little Armenia and Thai town—an area peppered with Armenian groceries and famous cheap eat staples such as Zankou Chicken. The tiny establishment was packed with local Thai’s slurping savory rice porridge and munching on Chinese fried doughnut (youtiao), while a Thai television station blared local news from Bangkok.

Inside, we were handed menus with pictures of various breakfast items. We decided on the “Hong Kong Rice Porridge,” the “Chinese doughnut” and the “Tofu with sweet ginger syrup.” Growing up, my Chinese mother would make porridge (xi fan) with leftover rice from the previous night’s meal. This dish was especially great during the winter time and we’d “spice it up” with a salty pickled egg or dried pork. The “Hong Kong Rice Porridge” at Sunset Siam came in a large bowl with pieces of chicken, pickled egg, and scallions. The saltiness of the pickled egg blended nicely with the meatiness of the chicken and crisp, yet refreshing flavor of the scallions. The tofu with warm ginger syrup contained large pieces of soft tofu in a sweet and spicy ginger broth. The Thai youtiao was a bit heavier than the typical Chinese version, but truly delicious in the condensed milk dipping sauce.
Overall, I enjoyed the “Thai” version of this classic Chinese breakfast. Our meal came to a whopping total of $11. Aww, yeeaah.