[Temple City] [Chinese] Happy Noodle

Happy Noodle
麵對面
4815 El Monte Ave
Temple City, CA 91780
(626) 279-7558

My family has been going to Happy Noodle for years. It was really good when they first opened, back in 2007 or 2008. Then it became just ok. Then it was really bad for a while so we stopped going. Recently my parents went back to try the restaurant again, and it was good again. I don't know if it's because they changed owner, or changed chef, or some other reason, but my parents are happy that this close-to-home restaurant is good again. For my dad's birthday, we wanted to take him to a fancy Chinese seafood restaurant to celebrate. But he didn't want to, and insisted that he wanted to come to his current favorite restaurant, Happy Noodle. Well, it was his birthday, so we listened to his decision. And we had one of the best meals we've had lately at Happy Noodle.


辣油海帶絲 Cold Shredded Seaweed ($3.95)

My dad did the ordering. He ordered couple things he likes, and he also ordered a lot of other things that he knows we enjoy. Seaweed is my favorite Chinese cold appetizer ever since I was little. When we go out to eat, my dad often orders this dish for me. The Cold Shredded Seaweed at Happy Noodle was tossed with garlic and hot chili oil. It was very spicy, and I love it.



蒜泥白肉 Pork with Garlic Sauce ($4.95)

I took one bite of the Pork with Garlic Sauce, and couldn't stop raving about how good it was. The pork was sliced paper thin. It was so soft and didn't taste fatty at all. The garlic chili sauce was seriously addicting. The refreshing cucumber slices tasted so good after a bite of the spicy pork. I will order this dish EVERY TIME from now on.


擔擔麵 Dan Dan Noodle ($5.95)

Dan Dan Noodle was Dr. P's favorite. Ground pork, shredded cucumber, and the spicy dan dan sauce were the simple ingredients in this noodle dish. It wasn't that spicy, but just enough for that kick. The noodle was perfectly cooked. Simply delicious.


紅油炒手 Hot Chili Sauce Wonton ($5.50)

Hot Chili Sauce Wonton was very good, too. I think Happy Noodle really does their sauces well. Everything with sauces tastes really good here, especially when it has garlic, hot chili oil, and green onion.


水煮牛魚 Beef and Fish with Hot Sauce ($8.95)

Dad ordered Beef and Fish with Hot Sauce for Dr. P because he knows that's Dr. P's favorite Chinese dish. Happy Noodle's version was good, but it didn't taste the same as the Szechuan flavor that we are used to. It wasn't as spicy and numbing. Still good though.


紅燒羊肉 Braised Lamb ($9.95)

Braised Lamb was another of my favorite dish. The lamb was really tender. I especially like the pieces with bones. I think the meat near bones have more flavor. I really like this dish.


苔條魚 Fried Fish with Seaweed ($8.95)

Dad ordered Fried Fish with Seaweed for my sister-in-law, Ayami. She likes this dish a lot from Shanghai restaurants. This is probably the only dish I didn't like that day. I thought the fish pieces were really small, and it was very salty. Since there were hardly any fish inside the fried batter, it felt dry. I wouldn't order this again.

We also had a garlic sauteed vegetable dish I forgot to take pictures of. The Asian green vegetable was called "A-vegetable".  It was fresh and very tasty.


西葫蘆蒸餃 Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings (10) ($5.95)

Mom's favorite was Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings. The fat dumpling was filled with lots of veggies, tofu, and glass noodle.


三鮮水煎包 Mixed 3 Items Fried Stuffed Bun (8) ($6.50)

Everyone enjoyed Mixed 3 Items Fried Stuffed Bun. There were pork, shrimp, and veggies. I love how the bun was fried on one side, and soft and fluffy on the other side. The buns are Happy Noodle's signature dish. Must order when you visit!


酸菜白肉砂鍋 Sour Vegetable Pork Casserole ($8.50)

We finished the meal with Sour Vegetable Pork Casserole. Love the flavor of the soup, and the paper thin sliced pork.



We really enjoyed our dinner at Happy Noodle that night. Dr. P kept on talking about visiting this restaurant next time we're up in San Gabriel Valley again. We ordered a lot, ate a lot, and had a lot of leftover to take home.  All that food was only $85!! Dad was saying that if we take him to a fancy steakhouse, it would cost 4 or 5 times as much, and he wouldn't even like the food as much as Chinese food at Happy Noodle. Seriously, Chinese food has such good value. I'm glad Happy Noodle is good again. Hopefully it'll stay good this time.

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