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A bowl of beef noodle soup from Dai Ho Restaurant.
Beef noodle soup at Dai Ho in Temple City.
Cathy Chaplin

20 Marvelous Taiwanese Restaurants in Los Angeles

Stinky tofu, green onion pancakes, and beef noodle soup

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Beef noodle soup at Dai Ho in Temple City.
|Cathy Chaplin

The salty-sweet trademark ofmodern Taiwanese cuisineis a product of the island nation’s local indigenous flavors and outside culinary influences from China, Japan, and even America. Here in the Southland, Taiwanese restaurants dot nearly every corner of the city serving bowls of beef noodle soup, crisp green onion pancakes, and colorfulboba drinks.From traditional mom-and-pop shops to contemporary second-generation takes, here now are 20 marvelous Taiwanese restaurants to taste in Los Angeles.

Health experts consider dining out to be ahigh-riskactivity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose alow-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially inareas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance ishere; find a COVID-19 vaccination sitehere.

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SinBala

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來into Arcadia’s beloved SinBala for a taste of Taiwanese street food. The sweetish sausages come topped with slivers of raw garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and even mangoes. Also great here is the basil-flecked popcorn chicken.

JJ Bakery

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JJ Bakery only made Taiwanese breads when it first opened in 1996, but has expanded its menu to include European and American pastries too. Visit the flagship in City of Industry or the one in Arcadia for Taiwanese breakfast offerings in addition to the usual selection of baked goods. Additional locations in Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, Torrance, and Temple City.

鬆&起重機創始人維維安Ku大二的努力serves Taiwan’s greatest hits including spicy shrimp wontons, dan dan noodles, and minced pork over rice. Wash it all down with a plethora of scratch-made milk tea drinks. And be sure to save room for the hakka mochi for dessert.

Ahgoo's Kitchen

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Everyone comes into Ahgoo’s Kitchen for chef Thomas Yeh’s green onion sesame pie — it’s crisp on the outside, pillowy within, and bursting with scallion flavor. The battered and seaweed-flecked fish is terrific too, along with any protein prepared in Yeh’sthree flavor sauce.

Dai Ho Restaurant

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Dai Ho prepares one of the best renditions of Taiwan’s national dish: beef noodle soup. Each bowl is packed with bouncy egg noodles that are the very definition ofQ, while the broth is deep, dark, and unabashedly rich.

A bowl of beef noodle soup from Dai Ho Restaurant.
Dai Ho Restaurant
Cathy Chaplin

Tasty House 悅來軒

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This San Gabriel newcomer has all the makings of a neighborhood stalwart: good service, a comfortable dining room, and very good cooking. Order the smoked tea duck, bitter melon with salted eggs, and three-cup combination with chicken, squid, and pork intestines, along with plenty of steamed white rice.

Three cup chicken, intestines, and seafood at Tasty House in San Gabriel.
Three cup chicken, intestines, and seafood at Tasty House in San Gabriel.
Cathy Chaplin

Bopomofo Cafe

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Bopomofo Cafe serves up Instagram-ready milk teas, along with Taiwanese-American comfort fare in San Gabriel. The Taiwanese fried chicken sandwich served on a pineapple bun is rightfully popular.

Half and Half Good Old Time

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An offshoot of the Half and Half chain of boba shops, Half and Half Good Old Time serves Taiwanese cafe comforts, drinks, and desserts. All drinks are made with crushed ice and honey boba, and priced under $4.

Lu's Garden

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The best time to visit this Taiwanese porridge specialist is during lunch. Choose a trio of savory side dishes from the buffet of options to pair with the simple yam rice porridge. The funky anchovies with peanuts and the twice-cooked pork are always great options.

Porridge and side dishes at Lu’s Garden.
Lu’s Garden
Cathy Chaplin

Corner Beef Noodle House

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For many Taiwanese residing in Los Angeles, no one makes a better bowl of beef noodle soup than El Monte’s Corner Beef Noodle House. Every bowl is chock-full of tender meat and tendons, along with curly noodles with plenty of Q.

Huge Tree Pastry

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The Liu family in Monterey Park serves some of the best Taiwanese breakfast in LA. Order a deep-fried cruller and dip it in a bowl of steaming soy milk. Also terrific are the scallion pancakes that come with or without an eggy coating, and the fan tuan rice rolls stuffed with a fried doughnut, pork floss, scrambled eggs, and pickled mustard greens.

Pan fried radish cake at Huge Tree Pastry.
Huge Tree Pastry
Cathy Chaplin

Boiling Point

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Mini-chain Boiling Point serves up Taiwanese-style individual-sized hot pots. Every hot pot is prepared using the same master broth, but the level of spice and ingredients (beef, lamb, kimchi, fish balls, vegetables, tofu, etc.) can be adjusted according to diners’ preferences. Additional locations in Arcadia, Artesia, Gardena, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, San Gabriel, and Pasadena.

Monja Taiker

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The specialty at Monja Taiker is the red grain pork, decadent and deep-fried slices of pork reminiscent of Cantonese char siu. Round out any meal with the minced pork rice or the pork and mushroom dry noodles.

Kato Restaurant

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Chef Jon Yao reimagines Taiwanese foods and flavors at Michelin-starred Kato in West LA. The $150 tasting menu pays homage to a handful of classics including three cup abalone and steamed fish using locally sourced produce and seafood. Reservations are a must.

Little Fatty

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This “soul food” spot from chef David Kuo brings together Taiwanese classics and Chinese-American staples. Open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery daily with cocktails provided by Kuo’s Accomplice Bar.

Yi Mei Deli

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With three locations in Southern California (Rowland Heights, Chino Hills, and Monrovia), Yi Mei Deli serves up solid Taiwanese breakfast and small bites. Theguai shu shu(deep-fried intestines stuffed with sticky rice) are snappy and filling, while the gua bao (pork belly buns) never disappoint.

A fun tuan rice roll with sticky rice and scrambled eggs.
Yi Mei Deli
Cathy Chaplin

Cindy's Kitchen

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Look beyond the utilitarian dining room at Cindy’s Kitchen to find some of the most deft Taiwanese cooking around. Every table starts with a few cold appetizers that can be selected from the refrigerated case. Also popular is the beef noodle soup, twice-cooked pork, and fried pork chop served over rice.

Tofu King

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This stinky tofu specialist serves its signature wares hot from the fryer and in a shallow pool of sweetish soy sauce. The accompanying kimchi balances the tofu’s more pungent notes. Also tasty is the “mushroom sliced pork rice,” a sweet and savory braise punched up with pickled mustard greens and a hard boiled egg.

A serving of deep-fried stinky tofu.
Tofu King
Cathy Chaplin

Taste Tea Café

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Head to Taste Tea Café in Artesia for Taiwanese tea house vibes. The drinks menu is predictably extensive with plenty of hot and cold options, while the food menu includes appetizers, noodles, and popular set meals.

Class 302 Cafe

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Pass on Class 302‘s savory fare and hone in on the house-special shaved snow. The green tea flavored one topped with red beans, mochi, and condensed milk is perfectly balanced, while the mango snow with fresh mangoes and mochi is as tart and refreshing as they come.

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SinBala

來into Arcadia’s beloved SinBala for a taste of Taiwanese street food. The sweetish sausages come topped with slivers of raw garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and even mangoes. Also great here is the basil-flecked popcorn chicken.

JJ Bakery

JJ Bakery only made Taiwanese breads when it first opened in 1996, but has expanded its menu to include European and American pastries too. Visit the flagship in City of Industry or the one in Arcadia for Taiwanese breakfast offerings in addition to the usual selection of baked goods. Additional locations in Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, Torrance, and Temple City.

Joy

鬆&起重機創始人維維安Ku大二的努力serves Taiwan’s greatest hits including spicy shrimp wontons, dan dan noodles, and minced pork over rice. Wash it all down with a plethora of scratch-made milk tea drinks. And be sure to save room for the hakka mochi for dessert.

Ahgoo's Kitchen

Everyone comes into Ahgoo’s Kitchen for chef Thomas Yeh’s green onion sesame pie — it’s crisp on the outside, pillowy within, and bursting with scallion flavor. The battered and seaweed-flecked fish is terrific too, along with any protein prepared in Yeh’sthree flavor sauce.

Dai Ho Restaurant

Dai Ho prepares one of the best renditions of Taiwan’s national dish: beef noodle soup. Each bowl is packed with bouncy egg noodles that are the very definition ofQ, while the broth is deep, dark, and unabashedly rich.

A bowl of beef noodle soup from Dai Ho Restaurant.
Dai Ho Restaurant
Cathy Chaplin

Tasty House 悅來軒

This San Gabriel newcomer has all the makings of a neighborhood stalwart: good service, a comfortable dining room, and very good cooking. Order the smoked tea duck, bitter melon with salted eggs, and three-cup combination with chicken, squid, and pork intestines, along with plenty of steamed white rice.

Three cup chicken, intestines, and seafood at Tasty House in San Gabriel.
Three cup chicken, intestines, and seafood at Tasty House in San Gabriel.
Cathy Chaplin

Bopomofo Cafe

Bopomofo Cafe serves up Instagram-ready milk teas, along with Taiwanese-American comfort fare in San Gabriel. The Taiwanese fried chicken sandwich served on a pineapple bun is rightfully popular.

Half and Half Good Old Time

An offshoot of the Half and Half chain of boba shops, Half and Half Good Old Time serves Taiwanese cafe comforts, drinks, and desserts. All drinks are made with crushed ice and honey boba, and priced under $4.

Lu's Garden

The best time to visit this Taiwanese porridge specialist is during lunch. Choose a trio of savory side dishes from the buffet of options to pair with the simple yam rice porridge. The funky anchovies with peanuts and the twice-cooked pork are always great options.

Porridge and side dishes at Lu’s Garden.
Lu’s Garden
Cathy Chaplin

Corner Beef Noodle House

For many Taiwanese residing in Los Angeles, no one makes a better bowl of beef noodle soup than El Monte’s Corner Beef Noodle House. Every bowl is chock-full of tender meat and tendons, along with curly noodles with plenty of Q.

Huge Tree Pastry

The Liu family in Monterey Park serves some of the best Taiwanese breakfast in LA. Order a deep-fried cruller and dip it in a bowl of steaming soy milk. Also terrific are the scallion pancakes that come with or without an eggy coating, and the fan tuan rice rolls stuffed with a fried doughnut, pork floss, scrambled eggs, and pickled mustard greens.

Pan fried radish cake at Huge Tree Pastry.
Huge Tree Pastry
Cathy Chaplin

Boiling Point

Mini-chain Boiling Point serves up Taiwanese-style individual-sized hot pots. Every hot pot is prepared using the same master broth, but the level of spice and ingredients (beef, lamb, kimchi, fish balls, vegetables, tofu, etc.) can be adjusted according to diners’ preferences. Additional locations in Arcadia, Artesia, Gardena, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, San Gabriel, and Pasadena.

Monja Taiker

The specialty at Monja Taiker is the red grain pork, decadent and deep-fried slices of pork reminiscent of Cantonese char siu. Round out any meal with the minced pork rice or the pork and mushroom dry noodles.

Kato Restaurant

Chef Jon Yao reimagines Taiwanese foods and flavors at Michelin-starred Kato in West LA. The $150 tasting menu pays homage to a handful of classics including three cup abalone and steamed fish using locally sourced produce and seafood. Reservations are a must.

Little Fatty

This “soul food” spot from chef David Kuo brings together Taiwanese classics and Chinese-American staples. Open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery daily with cocktails provided by Kuo’s Accomplice Bar.

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Yi Mei Deli

With three locations in Southern California (Rowland Heights, Chino Hills, and Monrovia), Yi Mei Deli serves up solid Taiwanese breakfast and small bites. Theguai shu shu(deep-fried intestines stuffed with sticky rice) are snappy and filling, while the gua bao (pork belly buns) never disappoint.

A fun tuan rice roll with sticky rice and scrambled eggs.
Yi Mei Deli
Cathy Chaplin

Cindy's Kitchen

Look beyond the utilitarian dining room at Cindy’s Kitchen to find some of the most deft Taiwanese cooking around. Every table starts with a few cold appetizers that can be selected from the refrigerated case. Also popular is the beef noodle soup, twice-cooked pork, and fried pork chop served over rice.

Tofu King

This stinky tofu specialist serves its signature wares hot from the fryer and in a shallow pool of sweetish soy sauce. The accompanying kimchi balances the tofu’s more pungent notes. Also tasty is the “mushroom sliced pork rice,” a sweet and savory braise punched up with pickled mustard greens and a hard boiled egg.

A serving of deep-fried stinky tofu.
Tofu King
Cathy Chaplin

Taste Tea Café

Head to Taste Tea Café in Artesia for Taiwanese tea house vibes. The drinks menu is predictably extensive with plenty of hot and cold options, while the food menu includes appetizers, noodles, and popular set meals.

Class 302 Cafe

Pass on Class 302‘s savory fare and hone in on the house-special shaved snow. The green tea flavored one topped with red beans, mochi, and condensed milk is perfectly balanced, while the mango snow with fresh mangoes and mochi is as tart and refreshing as they come.

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