I may not be a marketer, but California Beef Noodle King U.S.A hardly rolls off the tongue. And when I think of a bowl of beef noodles, California isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind. In China, the chain has since rebranded to “Mr. Lee,” which honestly feels like a smart move. It might not be a bad idea for the Canadian outpost either, given current Canada–U.S. sentiments.

Curious about the unusual name, I did some digging. The chain first opened in China in 1988 after P.C. Lee relocated his noodle shop business from Los Angeles. His goal was to create restaurants with a sleek, Western-style look and the efficiency of fast food.

That efficiency is evident at the Scarborough location. Ordering is done via QR code, and dishes start arriving quickly. Beverages and condiments are self-serve and complimentary, set up at a small station in the back.

You won’t go hungry while waiting. There’s a selection of banchan-style sides, along with simple beef broth and steamed rice, all available to help yourself. The sides are decent, though many lean sweet, including the kimchi and chewy dried bean curd. The standout for me was the shredded preserved cabbage, which adds a fresher, more balanced crunch.

Still, pace yourself because the mains are generous. It feels almost mandatory to try the signature beef noodle soup ($14.99). While not the best in the city, it holds its own. The beef cubes were a bit gristly and chewy, but the noodles had a great springy texture. The broth is simple and somewhat one-dimensional on its own but comes alive once you add chili sauce and some of the pickled cabbage.

For something bolder, the pickled cabbage fish noodle ($14.99) delivers a surprising hit of salty, slightly spicy flavour. It doesn’t look like much at first glance, resembling a light chicken soup, but it’s packed with pickled vegetables and skin-on fish slices. I ended up enjoying it more than expected, though the broth was a bit too salty to drink on its own. With free noodle refills available on request, it’s a great option if you’re looking to stretch your meal.

Beyond noodles, there’s a decent selection of other dishes. The Harbin clay pot braised pork ($15.99) pairs perfectly with steamed rice and pickled vegetables. Despite the modest-looking pot, it’s packed with pork belly, offering plenty to share. The flavour is a simple sweet soy, but improves with a touch of chili oil and sides.

If you’re sensitive to salt, this might not be your spot. Even their boiled Chinese broccoli ($4.99) comes generously topped with ginger and scallion oil. Personally, I loved it, especially with rice.

Service lives up to the brand’s reputation for efficiency. The restaurant is well staffed, and we were in and out in about an hour without ever feeling rushed. With affordable prices and the added bonus of complimentary snacks and drinks, it’s an ideal choice for students or anyone feeling the pinch of Toronto’s rising costs. After all, in 2026 there aren’t many places where you can leave this full for $20.

Since the Scarborough institution Beef Noodle House closed in 2024, I thought my chances of tucking into a bowl of properly braised beef noodles was gone. Then I heard about 579 Taiwan Beef Noodle House a Canadian outpost of a chain from Taiwan. 

At first glance, it seems there isn’t a lot of beef in the braised beef soup noodles ($15.99 for large) but the five slices are cut thicker, which gives it a heartier feeling. And while some restaurants may use a pure meat cut, 579 Taiwan braises a part that has cartilage attached so some pieces have a gelatinous bite, a texture I don’t mind but others may find grizzly.

You’ll likely want to upgrade to a large bowl as there aren’t that many noodles in a portion. Made to a medium thickness, they’re a little soft for my taste. But the salty broth does hold up against the carbs and already contains some chili oil so there’s a bit of a kick. For those who want it spicier there’s more tableside, just be careful as the chili oil is powerful.

What adds to the noodles are the chopped pickled vegetables, which you’ll want to sprinkle liberally into the dry mixed noodles with minced pork ($14.99 for small). While the dish already contains julienned cucumber and bean sprouts, the pickled vegetables provide interest to the otherwise tame garlicky noodles.

If noodles aren’t your jam, 579 Taiwan also offers dumplings as a base, eight nuggets topped with your choice of beef, tendon, and/or tripe. A great option for those who want a lot of protein. I decided to try the boiled dumplings ($9.99) solo and liked that they arrived freshly made and boiling hot. The seafood, meat, and chives filling just wasn’t the greatest, too fishy for my taste.

The Taiwanese popcorn chicken ($6.99) was delicious, enough to share amongst two people and is sizzling hot and crispy. Being well seasoned, the chicken doesn’t need condiments, it’s juicy and delicious nude.

Other ways to round out a meal is with a side of A choy ($4.99) that’s boiled and topped with sweet soy sauce and crispy shallots.

There’s also an array of side dishes ($3.49 for one + $3 for each additional dish). The thinly sliced jellyfish was tossed with julienned vegetables and a slightly spicy sauce. It’s not as crunchy as the Cantonese version but more flavourful and refreshing. Meanwhile, I didn’t love the lack of crunch with the cucumber and the sweetness threw me off… I guess I was expecting the Korean kimchi version.

Loyalty is rewarded at 579 Taiwan Beef Noodle House with a punch card where eight bowls get you a ninth for free. Cash payments garner a 5% discount, and the bill comes with a coupon for a free small dish for a following visit. Mark my words, after the success of the first Scarborough location, I’m sure we’ll see more 579 Taiwan restaurants popping up across the GTA.

In 2025, it’s rare to leave a restaurant and pay less than $40 for a meal-for-two (inclusive of taxes and gratuities). At Mom’s Pan-Fried Bun it’s not only a possibility, but you may also leave with leftovers.

Every table gets an order of the pan-fried buns ($7.99 for 4) and since there’s a constant rotation of them cooking, it’s usually the quickest to arrive. With a choice of “fresh meat” or “braised”, the fresh pork version is more traditional and didn’t disappoint. With a thin steamed shell and well toasted bottom, each palm-sized bun had a decent meat-to-dough ratio and was fluffy and juicy.

I’d pass on the Mom's special steamed pork soup dumplings ($5.99 for 6) as there’s nothing special about them. In fact, the overly pulverized filling, thick wrapper, and non-existent soup makes these taste like the xiao long bao you’d find frozen at the supermarket.

The pan-fried pork dumplings ($6.99 for 8) are better, at least the filling had the crumbly texture you’d expect from something made at a restaurant. Like the buns, they had a well toasted crust, but these seem to be pre-boiled and then pan-fried to order as while the wrapper was sizzling hot, the inside was lukewarm.

Vegetable haters rejoice as Mom’s Pan-Fried Buns is all meat and carbohydrates. The closest vegetable dish they have on the menu is the tomato flavour noodle soup with fried pork chop ($9.99). While the menu describes the dish as having bean sprouts and antler mushrooms, none arrived in our bowl. Rather, it was heavy on the pork chop with a couple of bean curd sticks and cilantro to complement.

I preferred the stronger flavours of the braised beef noodle soup ($9.99), which holds up against the soft chewy noodles. Once again, while there were plenty of bite-sized beef cubes, there wasn’t much else other than bean curd stick. All in all, the noodles were fine but could really benefit from being served hotter and the actual noodles cooked less.

The honey garlic fried chicken wings ($6.99 for 6) are surprisingly delicious with its uber crispy coating. I liked that the sauce was drizzled on, rather than tossing the wings in it, so there was just enough for flavour without being drenched. And thankfully, these were actually hot, making me want more after one crunchy bite.

Their deep-fried rice cake with brown sugar syrup ($2.90 for 6) was also crispy and incorporates an airiness that’s almost churro like. It’s just a shame there’s so little of the watery syrup that’s served in a vessel built into the dish that makes it difficult to dip. They should just drizzle the sauce on top, like the chicken wings, to ensure they are better coated.

Given you can self-order through a QR code at the table, I’d recommend ordering in batches to ensure the dessert comes after the meal. Our red bean paste pie ($3.50) was one of the first things to arrive so by the end of the meal the pastry was dry and cool. At least the red bean paste was thick and sugary, so it was well flavoured despite not containing much filling.

Mom’s Pan-Fried Bun’s dining room is small and densely packed with tables, so I’d recommend visiting as a table of two – anything more and be prepared for a longer wait. Even during our weekday lunch visits the place was packed with a Tetris feeling vibe as tables were split and pushed apart and people squeezing through cracks to get to chairs. The only saving grace was the food arrives quickly so tables turn over in quick succession. 

Noodle restaurants seem to be springing up along Midland monthly. Seriously, travel along the street between Finch and Steeles and there are dozens of options. Modu Three Brothers is a newcomer to the crowd offering Chongqing specialties, a large region of China that’s located in the south close to Tibet.

It’s an area where sheep are a popular source of protein. The Chongqing lamb skewers ($5.99 for two) are shallow fried slightly crisping up the crevices and dusted with cumin and chili powder. The bite sized morsels are like a flavourful popcorn lamb, tender and tasty without the gaminess.

Modu’s menu is dominated by noodles with so many choices that choosing between the soup base, protein, and noodle types can be dizzying. We settled on their signature braised beef noodles ($15.99), which reminded me of the Taiwanese/Shanghainese version of the noodles except adorned with crispy fried yellow beans and chives… I enjoyed the freshness of the chives but could do without the oily hard mini chickpeas.  

Modu uses a digitized ordering process where diners scan a QR code at the table. It is helpful for customization requests given we wanted the beef noodles to be a mild spicy level. Our instructions were dutifully followed so despite the savoury broth looking fiery red the spiciness was tame.

For those who don’t want an ounce of heat, the signature freshly boiled chicken soup with noodles ($13.99) features a spice less broth that has a rich chicken taste. It was a tad oily for me but goes well with the noodles and garnishes.

At first, it may seem like the kitchen forgot the chicken but dig to the bottom and you’ll find a handful of chopped pieces. There’s not a lot of fowl and it does include the bones, so if you’re in the mood for big morsels of meat, you’ll want an order of the fried chicken on the side. Any chicken used in this dish is more for flavour than sustenance.

Yet, you’ll never leave Modu hungry as they offer free noodle refills. Simply request an order online and in a few minutes a bowl will arrive (about a cup and a half). Personally, I enjoy my noodles with a springy texture, so I did find Modu’s too soft. If you’re like me, I’d recommend requesting the noodles do be cooked less when ordering.

Torontonians are spoiled with the noodle offerings found across the city. If you don’t want to travel extensively, make your way up to Midland in Scarborough and you can easily create a slurplicious noodle crawl.

You visit Beef Noodle House for their beef noodles, or the stew beef with noodles in brown sauce ($14.95) to be exact. With a choice to order them neutral, a little spicy, or very spicy, the little spicy version adds a mild chili taste that is perfect. And after almost a decade, I’m happy to say the dish is just as stellar. The thick wheat noodles slightly al dante so they resist getting soggy, the broth rich and savoury, and the beef served as large tender chunks. If you want a deal, visit during lunch on Tuesday, and pay with cash to get 15% off.

It’s the same Tuesday discount you’re score on the pan-fried dumplings ($5.50), which are a great add-on with the noodles. At Beef Noodle House, they are so crispy you’d think they’re deep fried, if it weren’t for the uneven toasting that indicates they’re pan-fried.  I did find the filling too bland, but made use of the table-side sauces.

The restaurant offers a special weekday lunch menu with a selection of items ranging from $8.95 to $11.95 (a different lunch menu is available Tuesday). The stir-fried green beans with pork and water flour and vermicelli ($9.95; not available Tuesday) consists of a mixture of two types of noodles, tossed with chunks of lap cheung (Chinese preserved sausage), ground pork, and eggs. While it’s sauceless, the dish was still flavourful and reminded me of the stir-fried glutenous rice dish (sang chow loa miy fan) that’s found during dim sum. For the price, it’s a surprisingly large portion, but the green beans were too dry, adding colour, but not much flavour to the noodles.

The Shanghai style fried noodles ($10.95 on Tuesday; $9.95 the rest of the week) were better, using the same pasta as the beef noodles. There’s a nice wok hay essence but the dish is a tad scant on vegetables, including a decent amount of pork but only a handful of bean sprouts instead of the crunchier cabbage that’s usually paired in the recipe.

If you’re sharing noodles, a rice dish is a great second option to add on. The deep-fried chicken in Hunan style ($11.95 on Tuesday; $10.95 the rest of the week) was fantastic, the nuggets fried until crispy and tossed in an addicting sweet and savoury sauce. It’s garlicky and well balanced in sweetness so you can’t help but keep reaching for another piece. The dish is ideal for sharing as there’s tons of chicken to go around and it’s all protein with not a bell pepper or onion in sight.

A freshly prepared hot lunch doesn’t need to cost a lot when you visit Beef Noodle House. Bring a $20 bill and you’ll even have change to spare. 

If mom and pop restaurants are your jam, Yunxi Handmade Noodles will have you swooning as it’s an intimate establishment. Technically, Yunxi would be considered a mom restaurant as the female owner acts as the Jill of all trades: hostess, chef, server, and cleaner. She’s a sweet lady describing what was freshly prepared for the day (in my case, the noodles) as she rotates between making noodles and preparing dumplings daily.

The broth of the braised beef noodles ($14.99) was salty and strong, as one should expect from a dish that’s essentially beef braised in soy sauce. I liked that Yunxi finishes the freshly made noodles in the soup to allow it to soak in flavours and develop a brownish tint. While there wasn’t a whole lot of beef, the handful of chunks were lean and tender.

Halfway through the meal, the owner returns with a small bowl of extra noodles, asking if we’d like a complementary top-up. Why of course, and into the bowl they go for round two.

My first choice in dumplings (leek, shrimp, and pork) was sold out so we opted for the chicken and mushroom instead ($10.99 for 12). With a choice of preparation - steamed, boiled, or pan fried – I generally order them steamed as I find this leaves the dumplings the most neutral so you can appreciate the filling’s flavours and the consistency of the wrapper.

Unlike the noodles, the dumplings were made previously (at least a couple of days prior) so the wrapper was too hard and chewy. Consequently, I’d recommend asking the owner when things were prepared and if it isn’t fresh, order the dumplings boiled to give the wrapper some extra hydration.

At least the filling was juicy – use a spoon to ensure the juices aren’t lost as they squirt out – and the dumplings were filled with a decent portion of the well seasoned, finely minced chicken and mushrooms.

Yunxi Handmade Noodles is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall: the décor is sparse and the communal steel spoons housed at each table seem unhygienic. Luckily, larger ladles were given after serving the braised noodles so we didn’t need to rely on the dubious spoons. Yet, what Yunxi lacks was more than made up by the friendly owner and the wonderful noodles, a definite highlight to our meal.