An Empty Restaurant Full of Flavor
On our post for Mandarin Noodle House, a friend recommended a spot in Arcadia called A & J. Neither of us had heard of it, and today we decided to give it a try!
A & J is truly a prime example of why you shouldn’t judge a restaurant by its facade and location. The restaurant is at the back of a desolate, old and dumpy strip mall off of Las Tunas Dr in Arcadia. In all honestly, we would probably overlook it if we were driving by had we not known it was there. We also were the only ones in the restaurant which is usually never a good sign. It was 4 pm on a Friday, but that still made us wary...
As most of you who follow our posts know by now, you know that we are pretty obsessed with noodles. So whenever we hear about a new noodle spot we get to try, we get very excited. Beef noodle soup is a favorite noodle dish of ours, so we knew we had to try that here. It’s also one of their most popular menu items. Along with the beef noodle soup, we also tried a dry noodle dish and their beef roll. And let us just say: none of these disappointed.
Everyone’s gotta love themselves a good beef wrap, right? So long as you’re ok with cilantro, there’s really nothing not to like about a beef wrap, especially the one from A & J. The wrapper is fried to perfection and has a nice outer layer of crispiness to complement the soft doughy texture of the wrapper. Inside are thinly sliced marinated pieces of beef, thinly sliced green onion and cilantro. The beef roll has great flavor and texture and is served at the perfect temperature to eat right away. Usually, you have to sacrifice one for the other at other places.
For our entrees, we ordered their beef noodle soup with beef and tendon as well as their dry noodle with thinly sliced beef and spicy sauce. The beef and tendon noodle soup was out of this world. If oil and fat freak you out, this may not be the best dish for you, because there is a healthy layer of oil that sits right on top of the broth. We ordered our bowl with the thick noodles which goes great with this dish. The noodles are very soft and doughy but not overcooked. The broth is very flavorful and has a little bit of spice, but nothing unbearable. Just the right amount to have your taste buds kickin’. The tendon is a yummy texture; soft but still has a bite that is so satisfying to bite into. The beef is slow-cooked and shreds apart so easily, just as it should. This dish a definite must if you find yourself at A & J.
We wanted to switch it up for our second bowl of noodles and get something without broth. Per Yelp’s recommendation, we went for their dry noodle topped with sliced beef and spicy sauce. For this dish, we recommend getting the regular noodles. The beef is a really nice texture and thickness; not too thin, and not too thick. Six pieces of beef cover the noodles that sits in a flavorful broth underneath. This dish is also a bit on the oilier side, but certainly lighter than the beef noodle soup. The sauce that coats the noodles is very flavorful and not too spicy, as the name might lead you on to think. Also, we ended up taking our leftovers to go, and it made for great leftovers.
A & J has definitely been added to the rotation of our go-to noodle spots. We already know we’re going to be craving this noodle soup soon. Luckily A & J is only a short drive away.
A&J Restaurant
27 Las Tunas Drive
Arcadia, CA, 91007
