I can't believe I found that bowl of Dan Dan Noodles that lived up to my standards. The last time I remembered having such a delicious bowl was with my grandparents in the early 90's. This type of mochi is my mom's favorite. Loved the succulent pork belly over warm perfectly cooked rice. The shrimp wontons were packed with high quality prawns and the milk tea brought me back to memories in Asia! The taste of everything made me tear up a little being over-JOY-ed at having something so authentic! Thank you for your hospitality as well! read more

Joy - Dan Dan Noodles Pork Belly Rice Large Wonton Milk Tea Passion Fruit Tea - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Ah, Joy--a name that promises happiness, and honestly, it mostly delivered. I got the Joy Combo, because why settle for one thing when you can have a sampler platter of Taiwanese-inspired goodness? Scallion Sandwich with Pork Belly Let's start with the star of the show: the scallion sandwich with pork belly. The pork belly was tender, but if you're expecting that deep, rich, soy-braised Taiwanese flavor that haunts your dreams (or at least my dreams), this isn't it. It was more of a "lightly seasoned, still delicious" situation. However, it did have the rare gift of being fatty without leaving a regretful grease film in my mouth, which I appreciated. The scallion bread itself? More like a scallion focaccia--a surprise, but a pleasant one. I was mentally prepared for something like a Roujiamo (Chinese-style flatbread sandwich), but Joy zigged where I expected a zag. No complaints. Wonton Soup: The Overachiever I was prepared for a delicate, simple bowl of wonton soup. What I got was a flavorful, umami-packed broth with six--yes, SIX--wontons. Who does that?! Usually, you get like, four, maybe five if the kitchen is feeling generous. The wontons had a lovely nuttiness, with a subtle hint of sesame oil that made me feel like a fancy person with refined taste. A true dark horse of the meal. Ice Tea: The Flatline Listen, I wanted to love the ice tea, but it just existed. It was the Switzerland of beverages--neutral, inoffensive, utterly unmemorable. If you're hoping for something special, lower those expectations. Bean Curd Salad: A Tragic Tale of Fullness I ordered the bean curd salad with the best intentions, but alas, I was too full to even attempt it. It sat there, lonely and ignored, like the last guest at a party no one remembered to say goodbye to. My deepest regrets. The Verdict Joy was poppin' on a Thursday night at 8 PM, which tells me people love this place, and honestly, I get it. Street parking only, so bring your parallel parking A-game. The staff was super friendly, the vibes were good, and the food was solid. Would I come back? If I was in the area, sure. But would I drive across town for it? Ehh... with L.A. traffic, that's a big ask. Final Score: 8/10 - A solid choice if you're nearby, but maybe not worth an odyssey across the city. read more

Joy - Pork belly scallion sandwich - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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What a great food spot! We initially came to this area to visit Donut Friend and parked right in front of Joy. When we saw all the happy people enjoying their food we decided this is where we needed to have dinner tonight. They have a great method of getting you in and out. They tell you the wait time. If you accept it, then you order your food in advance and they give you a number and you wait outside. Once your number is called, you get seated and within 5 minutes or less your appetizers are brought out. I tried the Joy Combo and and picked the cold bean curd noodles, scallion sandwich and the black shaken tea. My cousin had the shrimp wontons and the Dan Dan noodles. read more

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Decent, cheap, but not authentic, and serving size is small. You will rarely find any asians eat here, which is usually a sign of authenticity of food. If you expect authentic taiwanese this is def not it. I was taken back when i go and most of the customer and workers are non asian. Kinda weird to go to a taiwanese spot with all asian decoration but no asian on sight. Weird to be a minority in an asian restaurant lol. Line is also always long, idk why though. So many better authentic taiwanese spots in 626. read more

Busy line to enter took us about 15-20 mins on a Sunday evening. We ordered Shrimp wontons, minced pork on rice, and slack season noodles. Our friend ordered simple greens, scallion bread, and something else I don't remember. Full disclosure, since it was our first time eating there, our cashier treated us to a complimentary bowl of the Dan Dan Noodles. I've actually never had them before and they were delicious! Definitely going to order them again next time. All the dishes were perfect and we polished off almost everything except I took some pork rice home to eat as my work lunch the next day. The space is beautiful, servers very busy but friendly, there is a to go window outside on N Ave 51 so you're not competing with them for the very limited waiting in line space. There's a couple of big drink fridges with a huge variety of beverages available. I can never say no to apple Sidra so that's what I had. Next time I want to try the Mapo tofu and the thousand layer pancake. It would have been way too much food for me that day, but now I have something to look forward to. read more

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Funny story -- when my friends and I were at the crosswalk about to walk over the restaurant, a random local man, who overheard us talking about trying Joy, turned around and raved about it! He said to be ready for a "life changing meal". That was a first great sign that this place is amazing & has a strong local community. While the meal was not life changing, as the man said, it was amazing and I would highly recommend. I got the mapu tofu, the thousand layer egg and cheese, the shrimp wonton, and forbidden rice putting. The reason I took a star away is because the food is almost identical to their sister restaurant Pine & Crane. The mapu tofu was the same but perhaps a smaller portion size, and the shrimp wonton was identical as well. Lots of other menu options also overlap. I did think all the food was good tho. If you have not had Pine & Crane, this place may actually be life changing! read more

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It was pleasant. Attentive waiters. Efficient service. Nice ambiance. The best thing on the menu is the thousand layer pancake with egg. The chicken rice was decent, but not impressive. Lacked flavor. All of it was pleasant though, and tasted decently authentic. Dan dan noodles were not bad. The milk tea is good, too. read more

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Went here for Father's Day lunch and it was delish! Below the video shows what was ordered. Very clean and nice staff! read more

I have been going to joy for a while now. The service and the food are great. However I did just download the yelp app to mention how great the service is. Today a server, Zuriel, went above and beyond to be helpful. Definitely recommend 10/10. read more

Overall rating: 4/5 Wait: 4/5 Arrival time: Thursday 7:30pm takeout Food: 4/5 Order: Chiayi Chicken Rice, Slack Season Noodles Service: n/a Price: 4/5 Worth a try but probably won't be back Joy offers a localized take on Taiwanese classics, presenting dishes with an approachable twist for the local palate. The Slack Season Noodles stand out, delivering a satisfying balance of texture and savory flavor. The Chiayi Chicken Rice, however, proved more subtle than expected, lacking the pronounced seasoning often associated with the traditional version. While the pricing feels fair for the portion sizes, those seeking deeply authentic Taiwanese flavors might find the interpretations here leaning towards the familiar. It's a solid option for a casual meal, particularly if you appreciate milder profiles. Ultimately, it's worth experiencing once for the noodles alone, but may not fully satisfy purists. read more

My partner and I dined at Joy a little shy of a month after visiting Taiwan. I was a little hesitant after having tasted such amazing food all over Taiwan, as I was afraid of being let down... but I ended up giving it a shot. We arrived around 11:30 AM-12 PM on a Saturday and managed to snag a seat before the big lunch rush. The space can maybe accommodate 10-12 tables at most, and there is a counter where you can choose cold dishes (tofu threads, marinated woodear mushrooms, etc.). Service was fast and efficient. We ordered the Chiayi chicken rice, a scallion bread sandwich with pork belly, and the Dandan noodles. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and portion of the food, but certain elements prevented me from giving it a 5-star rating. My partner, who grew up eating all of these dishes, thought that the chicken rice was a bit bland and had to be dressed up with the table condiments. The dandan noodles were decent, but were a little bit on the sweeter side. As for the scallion bread sandwich, no notes. The tender slab of pork belly was perfect. All in all, if you are jonesing for Taiwanese comfort food and don't feel like making the trek to the SGV, Joy is a solid restaurant. read more

Joy - Chiayi chicken rice, scallion bread pork belly sandwich, and dan dan noodles - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Absolutely amazing! Would definitely come again. Everything was super flavorful and well portioned!

Don't be fooled by the thousand reviews! This place is NOT authentic Taiwanese food. Instead it feels like a Taiwanese American trying to recreate authentic dishes but not quite getting them right. FOOD: -Dan Dan noodles: the noodles overall were overly sweet with too much peanut butter added. They use the wrong noodles -- egg noodles instead of wheat noodles. Overall not an authentic Dan Dan noodle dish. -Wonton soup: ordered the medium size and it came with only 5 wontons which makes it quite pricey. This was our favorite dish out of the three yet the soup was incredibly bland, basically just lightly salted warm water -Thousand layer pancake: I expected this to be like a flaky green onion pancake -- it was just bland fried dough. Also no green onions, which are necessary in Taiwanese thousand layer pancakes.... SERVICE: it was okay. The woman who took our order was great, our server was ok, and the woman who was calling people to their tables looked and acted like she was having a horrible day. And on the topic of authenticity: not a single front-of-house employee was Asian. I did see that the chef was Asian though, which surprised me! AMBIANCE: very cute, lots of Chinese decorations and themes mixed in with modern American decor. My boyfriend did find it funny that they used Japanese servingware though! OVERALL: there are muuuuch better places with better food and prices. Highly disappointed in this place, especially as it is in LA. read more

Good affordable food. I tried the pork and rice and scallion bread. They were both very good. Ordering was easy and the food came surprisingly fast! The space is also pretty nice and spacious. Overall would definitely recommend read more

There is a parking lot across the street but space is limited. I found one during lunch hours without a hassle but I think I was lucky. Parking is cheap having been no more than $2. Dan Dan noodles with added chicken was fantastic. I would get again. My daughter enjoyed her scallion bread sandwhich. My friend enjoyed his pork belly rice. My other daughter thought the chicken rice had too much rice and could not finish her meal. She's 12 btw and normally will finish her meal. The mochi to share was so good because it came with tea and it completed our lunch. We also got the seaweed cold dish, tofu noodle dish and the wood ear mushrooms. I'm used to them with a little more flavor. The shrimp wontons are really good. Overall I would come back for a casual lunch. It's got a cute vibe. Drinks looked good but we didn't order any. read more

First up, I love Joy. Great food and great community ambiance at a reasonable price. But if you're ordering pickup during peak hours, beware... I arrived a few minutes before my pickup time, so I checked with the window to see if it might be ready. The answer was no, and I got the impression it might be a little while. I stand aside, since they're calling names as bags are ready. Soon a lengthy queue forms down the sidewalk to pick up ready orders, ask about not yet ready orders, and to place in-person orders, all handled in between name calls. Sometimes they call a name from someone waiting in the queue, but if they don't get to the front quick enough, once they get the server's attention they're scolded to wait their turn in line and sent back to start over at the end. I don't want that to happen to me, so I figure I'll stay with the crowd waiting closer by the window until my name is called or I'm messaged an update about my order. 45 minutes go by. No call, no messages. I noticed several of the people with orders ready for pickup never had their name called, and one reads an order number that's quite a bit higher than mine. Eventually the line subsides enough that I hop in the queue. The order has been sitting on the shelf, by this point very cold. I'm able to salvage it by reheating it at home, although the rest of my plans for the evening are quite compromised by this point. I'm not sure what I should have done differently or why some names are called for immediate pickup while others need to wait in the queue for their order. If you can't call every name, then don't call them at all, and get some sort of system in place that can trigger a second order ready message once it's tagged as complete. I'll probably avoid the pickup window or peak hours until it's addressed. The Joy combo with braised bean curd and hot and sour soup still slaps, by the way. read more

Yum. Came again for the vegan mapo tofu. Yum as well. Fast service, good seating, sometimes celebrities show up read more

Joy - Chiayi Chicken Rice, Hot & Sour Soup, Honey Lemon Tea, Passion Fruit Tea - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Last Week we visited Joy for the first time, and it definitely won't be our last! The place was packed, the food was absolutely delicious, and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. The highlight of our experience was the friendly and attentive staff. A special shoutout to Marco, when we told him it was our first visit, he took the time to walk us through the menu, offered thoughtful recommendations, and every single suggestion was spot on. We'll definitely be returning to Joy! read more

This is a HOT SPOT for a reason! The FOOD is amazing which is saying a lot because I'm Vegan and this isn't a vegan centered eatery. They have ample options for vegans and take care in providing the same level of deliciousness that they do to their non vegan items. You won't be disappointed, and the staff is super cool. read more

The line at Joy When I got there was pretty long. Be prepared to wait an hour or so to get seated if you come during busy hours. It doesn't look like you can make reservations either. The food was defitneily worth it in my opinion! We ordered a few things like the Dan Dan noodles, Sandwich, and the Chiayi chicken rice. My favorite was the dan Dan noodles. The sandwich was something I have never had anywhere else. The chicken rice was too bland for my taste. read more

Joy - Dan Dan Noodles - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Love this place!The people are so nice!Their food is amazing!Everything is good!From the Dan Dan noodles to the clamshell bun,chicken rice and spicy shrimp dumplings.Their milk teas are even good!The restaurant is nice and clean.I feel at home here!Maybe cause I've been here so many times!I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

My friend of 25?26? years and I decided to have a spontaneous date night together last night at Joy and it was honestly one of the best decisions we've both made in a while. We both agreed the beauty of getting older is now having the option and luxury to choose who we allow into our lives and who we share our time with versus when we were forced to socialize and bump heads with anyone and everyone when we were younger. We ordered the hot and sour soup, plain pancake, mapo tofu with both white and brown rice, dan dan noodles, two nonalcoholic beverages, and a fruit tea. Everything was so scrumptious and we were so surprised by how quickly everything came out. We arrived at 8 and stayed until 10 without even realizing two hours had already passed by. Good food, good company, and impeccable conversations. The cherry on top of this meal was the thrill I was able to feel afterwards trying to get on the 110 freeway in a matter of two seconds. Iykyk... read more

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Not exactly sure what all the hubbubs about this place is all about. We were the 1st in line on a Saturday for lunch. Our group literally ordered 10-12 different items (ok, fine, we are oinkers, lol) from the menu. Food was good, but not exceptional nor far from extraordinary. The service was again ok, but not exceptional. The thing that irks me is that since we were the VERY FIRST group there, we asked if we could combine the 2 "single" tables by the window so that our large group could sit by the window, without missing a beat, our service empathically said NO, and NO! A few moments later, another group showed up and they ended up combining those 2 tables to accommodate the group. What was the point of being of inflexible? I even bathed, cologned myself, and combed my hair for the meal, lol. read more

I love a good efficient system. You line up to order at the counter, receive a number, and then you will be called once your table is ready. The food comes out immediately - please get the wonton soup -- the broth blew us away! The food is filling but not heavy! I would skip the scallion bread with the joy combo -- the bun is better. read more

Definitely recommend, staff are super welcoming. Food is so delicious. We didn't wait long. Tried their Forbidden Horchata w/ a scoop of forbidden rice the ambience is open, clean, and welcoming. Marco was awesome!!! He made our first trip to Joy a memorable one. read more

We came here for brunch thinking it was Taiwanese but then realized that it was "Taiwanese-inspired" as mentioned in its description. That doesn't really take away from it, but just note that it's not exactly the same! So just manage your expectations if you're expecting authentic Taiwanese. If I were to put it crudely it can be seen by some to be a more gentrified spot? However this place is definitely poppin with customers so they get pretty busy. We went later in the day post lunch hours but we still had to wait quite a bit. We had their Dan Dan noodles, their thousand layer pancakes, and their pork belly rice. All were pretty decent and not bad. Service is great though. Good place for all casual occasions. Parking can be hard in highland park though, you need to find street parking! read more

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The sister restaurant to Pine & Crane (P&C), Joy offers up simple yet flavorful Taiwanese street food. Similar to P&C, Joy is a self seated restaurant where you purchase the food and seat yourself as well as grab your own water, utensils and bowls. It's a decent size location so there's plenty of seating but the tables are pretty small. It was our first time there so we decided to get out a few dishes on their menu: 1. Seaweed salad: cold seaweed salad with a savory, sour, and garlicky taste, the side dish compliments well with your warm dishes. For 6 dollars, you get a heaping severing that's not only enough to share but more than enough that you'll have leftovers. 2. Thousand layer pancake with eggs: typical Taiwanese pancakes, the version at Joy is a bit crispier to the point that it's dried. We got ours with eggs but it tasted as if it didn't have any. Although the flavors are nice, it was a bit too dry for us. 3. Scallion bun Sandwich: we got the braised bean curd with mushrooms but ours seemed to only have bean curd. The bean curd seasoning was light so it's not too salty. The bun was less of a scallion bun and more of a sesame bun. It had nice flavor but was a bit too dense. 4. Chiayi Chicken Rice: jidori chicken that was cooked perfectly. The chicken is shredded but was still moist and flavorful. One of our favorite dishes off the menu. 5. Vegan Mapo Tofu: our favorite dish that we ordered! Unlike the typical mapo dish which has a bit of a spicy kick, this version is lighter on the heat but packed full of flavor. It's supposed to have some mushroom in the dish but ours was mostly tofu. It's served with white rice so no need to order any on the side (unless you have a large party). Everything came out quickly so you're not waiting for too long for your food. Overall, the food is good if you're looking for a quick simple bite. But if you're looking for a more extensive menu and more choices, Pine & Crane is the better choices between the two locations. Tip: if you're planning to grab lunch at the location beware that it gets really busy since they open around lunch time. I would suggest coming a little before they open to line up if you don't want to wait. read more

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Haven't been here in years and decided to come back on the weekend! All the food is delicious and brings me back to my childhood! They also have plenty of Taiwanese drinks like Apple Sidra and Hey Song Sasaprilla, as well as Taiwanese beers. See the food pics below for some recommendations! Their minced pork rice is sooo good. We parked on the street in the neighborhoods! Just be careful and make sure to read the signs so you don't get towed. read more

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Finally had a chance to order from here! Did an uber eats delivery. Ordered the Dan Dan Noodles. Really enjoyed the freshness of the cucumbers! The addition of the crushed peanuts was a great textural touch. Ordered the Pork Belly rice (ate some of it before I remembered to take a picture). Pork belly had a softer, almost, chewy texture that was enjoyable. Ordered the shrimp wontons. Shrimp wontons were decent enough. I liked that the chilly oil was of different flavor than I'm normally used to. Overall, I would eat here again! read more

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Over the years I've just grown to love Joy. It's a restaurant who lives up to its name. The slack noodles are my absolute favorite. You can't get more perfect than that bowl and it's what keeps me coming back! I also love their chicken and rice bowl,too. It's always an internal struggle which I am going to order as they both are amazing! read more

Joy - Slack Noodles - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This was such a memorable and delicious meal for me in LA. Each item was sooo incredibly well-made and delicious. My absolute favorite was the chiayi chicken rice. The rice is marinated with the chicken flavor and it was the so flavorful and one of the the best things I've ever eaten!! Therefore, I highly recommend ordering it. I love the interior space and I will definitely be back when I visit LA. Thank you to my colleague for recommending Joy! :-) read more

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Reasonable prices. Fast orders. And excellent customer service. I thought the food was ok. It seems 90% pre prepared before you order it (explains the fast orders, which is very convenient). I think maybe people from Taiwan won't really like it. But for anyone American like me looking for something fast, reasonable, and healthy, I really liked it, and would highly recommend it. Flavors were light and refreshing. read more

INCREDIBLEEEE!! I loved my experience here it was very comfortable and everyone was so kind! The other patrons made the 30 minute wait feel incredibly short, great conversation! Joy is also located in a hotspot so there are plenty of shops to visit after your meal! I strongly recommend the slack season noodles, incredibleee; pair it with the shrimp wontons and you've got the dream team! Happy Lunar New Year!! Year of the dragon should actually be year of the shrimp wontons at Joy!!! read more

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Love the Dan Dan Noodles, Miso Soup and fresh fruit tea! It's a must stop if you are in Highland Park. Sometimes it's very busy and there is a line but they usually move pretty fast. If you go during the week it's not so busy and you can find a seat right away. read more

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I hunted for a place near Bob Baker Marionette Theater as we had a big group going to a performance and wanted dinner before. Joy is one block away. We arrived early at 5:45 so so we could get a table for 9. It was confusing as I was told by several WHISPERING EMPLOYEES in a super loud environment that they wouldn't seat us until all were there but I was told to buy a drink to get a number and wait. So we waited and when most of our group was there we were seated. Normally you order at the counter and then get seated. But they were nice to take our orders at the table. We got: Chaiya Chicken rice which was strange-cold flavorless chicken on rice. Neither of us didn't like it. Slack Season noodles - was very yummy Hot & Sour Soup - good 1000 Layer Pancake with Egg- delish! Alishan hot tea- strange, came in little balls inside a square teabag and hardly "bloomed". I kept waiting for the glass to get darker showing the tea blending with the hot water. :-( Not much flavor. I liked being able to get our own water in metal cups from a jug in the back. I didn't like the round metal chopsticks on the table that kept rolling off into the floor. So we had fun with friends with half good & half bad. And I forgot to take a pic of the chicken because it came late. But I'd return for those pancakes. read more

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Do you like mapo tofu? Do you like minced pork and rice? Do you like Chinese food in general? Then you've probably been to Joy on York. You haven't?? Why not You will slurp up the wontons, and the thousand Layer scallion pancake with egg and cheese may as well be my personal Wheaties, my new Breakfast of Champions©®™. My eyes were way bigger than my tummy for my visit. I barely had room for dessert and the forbidden Rice Pudding is a MUST try. The servers were so kind, they dealt with our demands like asking for more condensed milk to add to our rice pudding. This place was CRACKING on a weekday, pretty packed with a line out the door. There's a lot of seating indoors and there was still a wait to be seated. There's even a takeout window on the side of the building, if you don't want to dine-in. I'll be baaackkk... read more

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I am quite perplexed to the reviews of this place. Maybe because I am in Temple City and Arcadia I get food like this all the time but I don't know, it didn't really resonate with me. I got the wonton noodle soup, and the thousand layer pancake with egg and cheese (with the sauce in it) and I was quite underwhelmed. So you order at the cashier and they hand you a number and they'll serve you at the table you're at. I will say that my wonton noodle soup came out like.. within like 2-3 minutes so it was fast. Wonton noodle soup: soup base it meh little watery. wontons not good. noodles had a weird texture. thousant layer pancake: it was okay, wasn't the best. middle of the road. The sauce flavor they added i'm not a fan of. We ended up getting dessert here - got their fruit shaved ice, today it was strawberries and pineapple. This was amazing. I would come back for this. instead of putting a bunch of condensed milk, they used brown sugar syrup but it gave a great flavor, and I tasted that with the pudding and fruit all the way through the dessert VS only on top. Unfortunately either their food was mid, or I ordered the wrong thing. read more

Passion fruit tea: good Mincedpork rice: very good, not dry, thought it was small but its good portion!! 100layer pancake: not my favorite, more thick and doughy but it is also filling Good value food! read more

Joy - Taiwanese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

this is THE spot in highland park. there's usually a longgg line on saturday mornings down the block before they even open, but at 2pm on easter sunday there was no wait for a party of 6. this is the sister restaurant to pine and crane (which i hate) however for some reason with the exact same food and owners i love joy??? what to order: dan dan noodles (very chewy, creamy, delicious with a smidge of added chili oil and a dash of vinegar to cut thru) chiayi chicken rice (again with some vinegar and chili oil) mapo tofu (albeit a little salty) hot n sour soup (again a little salty but thats how i like it) this is definitely a shareable family style spot, so bring enough friends that you can try one of each thing on the menu. usually ample street parking behind in the residential area or in the lot across the street behind ramen of york! water and extra bowls/plates are self-serve read more

Who likes Taiwanese food? I love it. I can eat it once a week if convenient. It's got that delicate balance of flavor, fresh ingredients. Love the vibe here too as hungry diners line up for tables and there are plentiful waiters ready to help. Joy met all my expectations; I left smiling and super content. My favorites here are the Dandan noodles, the hot and sour soup loaded with organic mushrooms (there is a difference). The spicy shrimp wonton (in a very delicious subtle broth) is something I could order every time I visit. Service was super attentive and efficient. Tip: it gets very busy during dinner hours so if you don't wanna wait, the pickup window around the corner serves up to go items pronto. End of Yelp. read more

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