101 Noodle

My roommate Meg and I celebrated the results of our Cost Management exam with a little treat at 101 Noodle Express tonight. They recently opened up a second branch in Rowland Heights which is good news for me cause the drive out there is a lot shorter! We came around 7pm on a Tuesday night and you wouldn't believe how packed it was.

The restaurant is located in a food court along with four or five other places but 101 Noodle was the only one that was even close to being filled with customers. We were seated after a 15-minute wait that was wisely spent drooling over everyone's food and quickly placed our order. (Note: the restaurant on the left side of the photograph is an Indonesian place - check out Elmo's review).

You'll be sure to spot an order of the Beef Roll ($5.99) on all the tables in the house. It's quite nice looking, isn't it? A flaky layered pancake is rolled around paper-thin, seriously melt in your mouth pieces of tender brisket, a dash of a thick bean sauce and plenty of cilantro and green onions. They give you six big pieces to an order - more than I could imagine finishing on my own (though I'm sure if I sat there long enough, I'd wipe the plate clean). Each bite reveals a play of crispy pancake with a chewy interior melting into slices of soft savory beef and the refreshing life of cilantro and onions. A little dip in some black vinegar helps to bring out the flavor and cut out a bit of the grease. It was on the oily side, but that's what the big pot of tea is for!

101 Noodle Express
1388 Fullerton Road., #122
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 964-9218