Tasty Noodle House – Great Addition to the South Bay

Lomita has recently built a nice collection of quality Asian eateries. Pacific Coast Highway or (as the locals call it, PCH) happens to be where they appear. Given the trends, Pho and ramen are to be expected. The latest two entrants are Chinese restaurants: Ruiji Sichuan Cuisine and the Tasty Noodle House.

The San Gabriel Valley is home to most of LA’s best Chinese food. After seeing a Sichuan restaurant and more recently a Shanghai noodle restaurant near my house, I became encouraged that I would be making fewer 1 ½ hour drives to get great Chinese food.

The Tasty Noodle House has its own parking lot which is a nice feature these days. Walking inside, I noticed that they broke the stereotype of an authentic Chinese restaurant because it was very clean inside. I had no problem finding a seat each time I visited the restaurant.

The service is impressively fast; the first dishes were delivered to my table in less than five minutes. My server warned me that the Shanghai grilled pork bun takes 20 minutes to prepare and asked whether that was ok. I confirmed that it was ok to proceed.  

Cilantro and fish dumplings

The Cilantro and Fish Dumplings had a smooth and slippery texture. It was filled with white moist fish and had a nice burst of cilantro. I was happy that the fish lacked bones.  

Because it was cold during one of my visits, the Spicy Prawns Noodle Soup hit the spot. A bowl of noodles with soup was served with a plate of jaja mien meat sauce. I mixed both together and enjoyed the hearty taste of spicy ground pork mixed with noodles in a chicken based broth. The combination of flavors is something to remember: warm, spicy, savory and heavenly.

Ginger Scallion Beef with noodles

The beef in the Ginger Scallion Beef with noodles reflects the way that Chinese chefs prepare beef before it is stir fried. It was marinated, thinly sliced and tender. The sauce contained sesame oil which gave it a nice fragrance and taste.  

Grilled Pork Buns

Steamed pork buns are readily available throughout LA, but I’ve never experienced a Shanghai grilled pork bun. Bao buns are filled with a large pork meatball and a small amount of soup inside. They are both chewy and crispy, full of flavor, and fun to eat.

Pan fried pork chops with scallions and sticky rice cakes

A popular Shanghainese street food dish is pan fried pork chops with scallions and sticky rice cakes. The rice cakes are approximately the size and shape of a US quarter. The sticky nature of them clings to the delicious sauce.

I will definitely return to try some of their other dishes. This was a great find.

In addition to Lomita, they have other locations in Hacienda Heights, Irvine, Cerritos, Chino Hills and San Diego.

Cash only under $15.

Tasty Noodle House, 2373 Pacific Coast Hwy, Lomita, CA 90717