According to an article published by CNBC, 60% of restaurants close in their first year, and nearly 80% shutter by their fifth anniversary. Knowing this, I’ve always been amazed to learn of restaurants that have been open for 30 years or more. One such restaurant is the Mandarin Noodle House. As part of my SGV tour, I recently visited their restaurant.
I arrived there at their advertised opening hour of 10:30 a.m. While they had an “OPEN” sign on their window, the door was locked. A few minutes later, a tricked-out black GTI MK7 pulled up and carefully parked next to the door. The driver profusely apologized for opening late and motioned me inside.
It turned out that the driver was Denny Mu, a third-generation owner of the Mandarin Noodle House. The family business was established in 1978 and known as the Mandarin Deli Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Temple City, and Northridge. Hearing this from Denny, I remembered visiting their Chinatown location many years ago.
Unlike many Chinese restaurants where service is non-existent, Denny is upbeat and quick to engage his customers in conversation. He is adept at handling his Chinese-speaking customers and can speak the latest lingo of the younger English-speaking customers. He adroitly services his tables and somehow manages to answer the phone for take-out orders.
Beef Noodle is one of the dishes that placed them on the map in LA when they originally opened in Chinatown. They continue this excellent dish with optional hand-pulled noodles that are thick and chewy and are placed in a flavorful broth. The chunks of beef are tender; fresh cilantro adds both aroma and flavor to this dish.
At the recommendation of Denny, I also tried their Dry Noodle in Bean Sauce or Zhajiangmian in Chinese. After seeing it, I instantly recalled eating it in the past. I mixed everything together well and the black bean sauce nicely adhered to the noodles making it extremely tasty. The naturally bitter taste of cucumber enhanced the salty umami flavor of the bean sauce.
Because I waited for him to open, Denny comped me on a salad sampler. Each of these was delicious in its own way. The Pig Ear’s Salad is a popular Sichuan salad. The ears are thinly sliced and crunch with a delicious taste of star anise. Cucumbers and cilantro instantly brighten the flavors of each bite. It is an excellent spicy salad for a hot summer day and nicely complements their entrees.
The Preserved Egg with Tofu also known as 100-year-old egg is a mound of diced tofu drizzled with a sweet and spicy sauce and topped with shaved bonito flakes. The preserved egg is made by a slow pickling process and achieves its color from ingredients such as soy sauce and black rice vinegar. For some, it is an acquired taste.
When you visit Mandarin Noodle House, make sure that you go with others. It’s fun to enjoy Chinese food with a group. Denny will take good care of you.
Mandarin Noodle House, 701 W Garvey Ave, Monterey Park, CA; 626.570.9795
Mandarin King, 17092 Devonshire St, Northridge, CA 91325; 818.366.8999