The Best Places to Eat in Arcadia, by the Record
The best places to eat in Arcadia, by the professional record: Michelin Guide, Chinese Restaurant Awards, and Eater have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Lao Xi Noodle House comes out on top.
TAI ER Sichuan Cuisine and Chef Tony hold the next two places. Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Chinese Restaurant Awards next.
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Rank 1. Lao Xi Noodle House
Shanxi Noodles
The menu at this tiny Arcadia noodle shop is short by design, because the kitchen is doing exactly one thing: Shanxi-style hand-pulled noodles, springy and chewy in a way that dried pasta simply isn't. The pork belly and fermented soy number has regulars arguing over what to call it. A Michelin Bib Gourmand, cash-and-carry energy, and a strip mall address that filters out anyone not paying attention.
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Rank 2. TAI ER Sichuan Cuisine
Modern Sichuan
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Rank 3. Chef Tony
Dim Sum Chinese
A large window into the kitchen lets you watch steam rise off the bamboo stackers all day long, which sets the mood nicely for this casual dim sum shop in an Arcadia strip mall. Everything is ordered from a menu rather than plucked from carts, so bring a plan. The team behind Sea Harbour in Rosemead runs this one, and regulars who know that pedigree tend to fill the tables early on weekends.
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Rank 3. Sushi Kisen
Sushi
Fish flies in from Japan twice a week, and regulars have quietly done the math: Friday is the move. This casual sushi shop in an Arcadia strip mall runs more like a busy Tokyo lunch counter than a hushed omakase temple, with a line at the door, servers moving fast, and chefs who don't waste motion. The nigiri rice is notably generous and soft. Counter or table, omakase or a la carte, the energy is the same.
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Rank 5. 626 Hospitality Group
Chinese Bakery