Top Asian Restaurant in Arcadia
Jazz Cat Restaurant
1088 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
Finally had a chance to give Arcadias Jazz Cat a try, and I can honestly say that I like this location much better than San Gabriels (especially since my friend and I went two days in a row and were able to compare the differences). This Jazz Cat took over what was previously Din Tai Fung. Theres parking at the back in the very cramped lot, but if you cant find any - then street parking is your next best bet.I remember seeing the line being out the door for this location right when it first opened. Luckily it was not too busy when we arrived. We signed up for the waitlist via Yelp and were seated immediately. The restaurant is definitely a bit more narrow in length, with a wider area towards the back. Not sure if theres an upper level for customers as well, but all guests were seated downstairs for that night. Seating is a bit weird as the stoves are all right in the middle of a pretty long table. We sat at a table large enough for 6 people, so we ended up sitting adjacent to one another in order to accommodate all the space.Menu is the same. They have lunch prices if you come during the day; otherwise, you pay around $15 for the basic soup, meat, and sauce selection. You can choose the regular (with more veggies) or T-rex (supposedly 50% more meat) options.I ended up choosing the T-rex option (more meat for your buck, right?), but was able to compare it to my friends regular option. And the difference in meat was very minute. He probably had ten slices while I had twelve slices of meat - not a big difference at all! But the vegetable comparison ... he had bok choy, kale, two baby corns, enoki mushroom, cucumber - items I didnt have. That was disappointing.But besides that, everything else was good. I ordered the creamy milk and corn with the premium beef and the ponzu sauce. The creamy milk and corn has always been one of my favorites - not too heavy, quite milky, and love the amount of corn kernels inside the soup. I felt that it gave the meat a more silky flavor, but that could just be me. Wasnt able to finish a lot of my portion, so I ended up sticking the remainder into my friends pot. Definitely a good amount of food.My friend ordered the pork bone with the beef and Thai satay sauce. I can see why people enjoy the Thai satay - a bit spicy, a little acidic ... very good at getting the palate going for more food. He enjoyed the pork bone, but thought that Little Sheep had a better one. I thought the soup was a little bland and lacking in rich flavor. With all the veggies that he had, he was really full and satisfied by the end of the meal.The meat was quite lean and looked really fresh, which was a plus. (When we went to SGs location the next day, the meat was super fatty.) Workers were friendly and kept helping us refill our soup. Food came quickly and anytime we needed something, we were helped right away.tl;dr - If youre craving soup or hot pot, definitely come to Jazz Cat. This is probably one of my favorite hot pot places because the soups that they offer are all quite tasty. Price is decent and the amount of food you get really fills you up. They also have other dishes/drinks if you want to order something besides hot pot.
Menya Hanabi - The Original Nagoya Mazesoba
733 W Naomi Ave Suite K, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
The story on the wall says it all. Its Japanese ramen with a Taiwanese twist. Tbh, at first I thought this was just another Asian fusion restaurant. But boy, was I wrong! From the appetizers to the sides, even to the noodles itself, all were actually pretty good. I honestly loved their Takoyaki, Ive been trying lots of places around SoCal, and I must say, it was probably the best and the closest flavor to what I had in Japan. Oh, so buttery and creamy.Speaking of the Mazesoba, I would recommend getting their Deluxe Nagoya mazesoba and adding $1.49 for their bone broth. It reminded me of dry noodle combos in Taiwan (dry noodle+soup+sides). The noodles were bouncy and al dente, and the broth was flavorful. Would highly recommend following the recommended steps to mix the egg yolk thoroughly with vinegar. So good!All In all, they really nailed it with a good twist. Some might think the pork belly was not as tender as other ramen places. But I dont care lol. Overall, it was a good bowl of carbs that I enjoyed on my cheat day! Yum!
White Springs Cafe
18 N First Ave, Arcadia, CA 91006, United States
This place White Springs Cafe Discriminates, I ordered my food and paid, also left a tip on a to go order. I was asked if I wanted a complimentary Ginger Tea which I said yes. I waited for the tea 5min into me coming in. I was asked to wait outside, and they will bring my food out, so I went to seat in my car, got off about 15 to 20min later to check if my food was ready and it wasnt. I was okay with it, not in a rush, I already know it takes awhile Ive been here before. I was just checking I didnt say anything to them just went inside but again they told me to wait outside and again I went to seat in the car...for another 15min, I go check again and wait outside 10 min more, when then I see them calling me in, and then for no reason I was asked not to return, me or my family. I always go by myself and order it to go...I asked them why? And what did I do! 3 ladies were standing beside the register and only the owner was talking I dont know the owner or saw her when I was ordering, I went to check their ig and thats how I know its the owner, the other 2 were just quite, didnt say a word, when I asked her, what did I do she replied you know what you did I said no I dont know!!, I was outside waiting for my food. I was confused and in shock, I repeatedly kept asking her and telling her I didnt do anything!! and to tell me what I did, but she just kept saying, that I knew and honestly I didnt!! I was outside all that time, only the 5min for the Ginger tea. she kept telling me she didnt want me to return and to leave. I couldnt understand I was waiting outside seating in the car!! I am going to reach out to ArcadiaChambers to have them investigate why White Springs Cafe Discriminates!! I also found more people on the Yelp reviews, I guess am not the only one that has been accused of doing absolutely nothing!! For me I was waiting in the car.... THE ONLY THING I KNOW I DID WRONG WAS TO APOLOGIZE TO HER FOR NOT KNOWING WHAT I DID!!! For this for what happened to me I dont recommend this place, I wouldnt want anyone else to go through it! To be accused of not knowing what I or we did that was wrong!!! ......
Boiling Point
206 S 1st Ave, Arcadia, CA 91006, United States
After been living in 626 for so long, I had shocked some foodie friend that I told them this was my very time trying boling point. They are the most popular hot point franchise in Socal. All of their location is packed nearly all the time...Doesnt matter when you come, is very likely there will be a line. They interior is tiny usually only can see less than 50 peoples... This probably help them save in cost and look more packed than it is due to the size.Theres no lot parking here, only street. Good thing isnt too hard to find parking. It said is in Arcadia, but is only block away from Monrovia. This is like the only Asian type restaurant in this block I believe.I try their lamb hot pot. I love lamb and is one of few meat doesnt matter how long you cook. Since is always tender. I regret myself at first for asking the pot to be extra spicy, it was indeed very spicy. I almost cant handle but later on love it. The broth flavor is quite good and quality of the meat is also good.Portion size is about right, and most important the price. Not many hot pot place get you full in $10 or low $10. Most do cutting corner to meet that price, but not here. The wait hype is worth it, but the wait can be killer especially if you are in rush. The wait for the pot to come is quite long, over 20 minutes in our group.
Haidilao Hot Pot Arcadia
400 S Baldwin Ave Suite 2015, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
I wasnt planning on writing this review until I watched a video from the YouTube channel The Try Guys. They reviewed Korean BBQ and Hai Di Lao in Arcadia. Its the same place where I had my hot pot, but the food and service I received were completely different from theirs.I visited Hai Di Lao after watching the movie Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms at AMC Santa Anita 16. The location used to be a Westfield mall, but it has obviously been acquired by Chinese owners; a 99 Ranch Market recently had its grand opening there.Ive known about Hai Di Lao for a long time but never had the chance to try it. In China, Hai Di Lao is famous for its service. They offer nail polishing, ear picking, and other services while you wait for a table. The waitstaff are always attentive, listening to your small talk and fulfilling your requests.When I was in China, I wasnt a fan of Hai Di Lao. I dont like the feeling of being spied on; I prefer to be left alone and only attended to when needed. Additionally, Hai Di Laos Sichuan-style hot pot is too mild for my taste. I prefer the Chongqing style, which has a thicker, brighter, and spicier soup base. In LA, that means places like Shancheng Lameizi Hot Pot in Rowland Heights and Chun La Hao Chong Qing Hot Pot in Temple City.The Hai Di Lao in Arcadia uses small personal pots instead of the traditional large square or round ones. Its more like shabu-shabu than Chinese or Chongqing hot pot. There was a poster advertising a 10-year anniversary special with meat plates priced at $1.99 and $2.99, but I was later told that this was only for lunch.The soup base was bland and tasteless. The food was overpriced, with small portions. For example, $18.99 for 6 pieces of beef book tripe, $9.99 for duck blood that was only half the size of a tofu block, and $13.99 for 8 thin slices of beef. The only positive was that the food was fresh.Once I was seated, the waiter gave me a pad and left me alone, not even serving water. It seemed they were understaffed, and I had to wait for the waiter to finish attending to other tables. I ordered Bo Bo Ji (鉢鉢雞), and was told that this dish would be available starting the next day. What?I have to say, the service was non-existent. You have to find the waiter yourself and wait for them to finish serving other tables. It was a very disappointing experience.As I was leaving Hai Di Lao, I checked the poster again. It did say the special prices were only for lunch, but the text was so small that it was easy to miss.
Dumpling House
921 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
I took my girl for dinner and we both were very disappointed, specially for a Chinese restaurant in this area. Food is bland. Im not Asian as anyone can check the name but we know a great taste, and we couldnt find it here, we had the shredded pork with tofu skin, tofu skin was like chewing plastic, we had a beef soup which tasted as if we were at a Pho restaurant, and we had pan fried pork dumplings, they were ok, not recommend this place. However feel free to find out if the place eventually delivers better taste, good luck
Marugame Udon
400 S Baldwin Ave STE R02-L, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
Marugame is located right outside of the food court, where Paris Baguette used to be. The ordering style is the same as the other locations. They ask that you order before grabbing a seat to prevent there from being lack of tables for customers (but definitely saw lots of guests forgoing that policy and sitting down while other members in their party ordered food). Order at the counter and theyll make the bowl. You can add on any tempura items before paying at the cashier. Its open kitchen and youre able to see the chefs making the udon - super cool!Came around 7:30 on Friday evening and we waited about 40 minutes to get through the line before we got a table. I went with a regular Curry Nikutama (regular is $13.95 and large is $15.95). This comes with sweet beef (think Yoshinoya type of beef) and a soft boiled egg. You can also add on green onions and tempura flakes. At first I thought a regular might not be enough since they give you a handful of udon, but the broth was super heavy - I was pretty full about halfway in. I really liked the udon; it was chewy and cooked well. The curry broth was a bit too heavy and slightly oily. Beef was also on the fattier side. I also added on a shrimp tempura ($2.25 - seems like it was only about $1.95 the first time I went to a Marugame many years ago haha); tasted really good - the batter was light and didnt overpower the shrimp taste.My sister ordered the regular Tonkotsu ($12.25; large is $13.95). This comes with a chashu pork, miso ground pork, and seasoned egg. I only tried the broth, and I do think its much lighter and sweeter, especially if youre craving a soup on a warm day. And another friend ordered the large Nikutama ($13.45; regular is $11.95). No complaints about the overall udon/broth.We saw almost every table have a matcha latte, so we also ordered one. He had asked for no ice; the latte was nearing the end and I thought the worker would pour in a new batch before filling up the cup, but he ended up filling the cup with the bottom of the batch. For $4.50, ehh, I thought it was okay. I dont like matcha but I can see why people might enjoy it. It was too sweet for all of us and we probably will not order it again.After you pay, you pretty much trek off to find your own table. Workers are walking around and cleaning up used tables, but I dont know what would happen if there arent any available tables and you have multiple bowls on your tray - luckily, that hasnt seemed to have happened yet.tl;dr - Overall, really happy with the udon noodles from Marugame. I would definitely not mind coming back and ordering another bowl of udon, but Ill probably wait until the hype dies down and the line is no longer as crazy.
Ramen Nagi
400 S Baldwin Ave Suite D2, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
I've been on the hunt for a ramen spot that has rivaled the ones I tried in Japan and was recommended this one. The first time we tried to eat here, the line was ~50 people deep so we decided to skip. The second time it had about 5 people on a Monday afternoon so gave it a shot. It is dine in only and no reservations so you are relegated to the queue. They hand you a card and crayons marker for ordering and will give you a run down of the food if it is your first time. Ordered the spicy ramen normal/normal/normal with thick firm noodles and both pork chashu and pork belly and spicy level 1 as well as the chicken special and a pork chashu rice bowl. They ushered us in to a large table in the middle of the restaurant. Considering this is a restaurant in America, I'm surprised the spacing between seats was so little. A server promptly came by and reviewed our order and submitted and the food all came out rather quickly. The chashu rice bowl was first and was ok. The rice was excellent as was the sauce but the minced chashu was too chewy and more reminiscent of a holiday ham in texture than pork chashu. Next came out the ramen and chicken special. The ramen was loaded with deep flavors and was very good. The noodles were definitely the way to order them as we also got some firm thin noodles and they were not as good. The pork chashu again was a bit of a disappointment as it was thinly cut like shabu meat but had the consistency of ham. Next time I would probably skip this all together and go for the pork belly which was unreal. Super tender and flavorful and fatty and a good contrast to the other flavors. Next was the chicken special which was also delicious. The breading and tenderness of the chicken pairs great with the Japanese Mayo they bring out. It is tossed with what tasted like a honey sauce which they could probably do without but those would be worth ordering again. For the two of us plus tip it was about $75 which is on the more expensive side so keep that in mind as any extras add up quickly.Inside the atmosphere is very clean and nice and reminds me of a Japanese restaurant with attentive wait staff.Overall it was a decent ramen spot (depending on what you order) that I wish did take out/delivery.
Mako Sushi
506 Live Oak Ave, Arcadia, CA 91006, United States
DO NOT EAT HERE! You will be upset with yourself when you see the bill and the quality, or lack thereof, of this place. DONT LISTEN TO THESE 5 STAR GOOGLE REVIEWS. GO TO YELP AND SEE WHAT THE REAL REVIEWERS THINK.Im giving this place one star due to their selling tactics insane pricing and the fact that their subpar pieces are so large they are unappetizing.These people are in the game to pull as much cash from your pocket as they possibly can. Ordered hamachi sashimi, they bring the order and another order of the belly. Didnt think they would throw an additional charge for the belly on the bill as I didnt order that, but they did.One chef was cutting some fish for us and his partner told him to use the scrap piece instead of the larger fresher piece. That was the straw that broke the camels back.Then decided to let them Omakase the food for a bit and everything they threw out was the most expensive stuff they had. Toro, which Im not a fan of, Mirugai, which I love, they charged as astonishing $17.00 for two pieces. I dont love it that much.Long story short, if you like average quality pieces so large that you cant fit them into your mouth and feel like overpaying then this is your placeThe bill was an astonishing $247.00 for two adults and one 10 year old child. This was not including the tip.Two adults eating a full sushi dinner and drinking 12 year old Japanese whisky at Oto Oto doesnt even come to this price. Love Oto Oto though. They are now closed on Tuesday and thats the only reason we were at MakoNever Never, Never again! In a million years, I will never return!
Sushi in the Box
1220 S Golden W Ave # G, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
My family and I came here on a Saturday, and it wasnt crowded at all. The staff here are very friendly. They do not speak a lot of English, but just enough to take your orders. We ordered some ramen and sushi, from here, and they were very delicious while not being concentrated. One problem I have is that when I ordered the chicken cutlet ramen bowl, they separated the chicken and the ramen itself. The chicken came after 5 minutes which I didnt like. Despite that, I liked te fact that the cooks did their best to keep their food fresh. Note that when ordering ramen, they give you 4 free California rolls which is awesome. If youre coming here yourself to order ramen and sushi, just order a bowl of ramen. The sushi on the other hand was solid when grabbing it with chopsticks unlike how other restaurants have their sushis. The environment of this place has a good atmosphere, but the places interior wasnt that good. Overall, I recommend coming to this restaurant. I guarantee that the food will satisfy you.