My husband is Chinese. I am gluten-free. You can already see where this is going.
Out of all the cuisines I struggle to eat gluten-free, Chinese food might be one of the HARDEST. Between soy sauce, noodles, and dumplings, finding something I can order is a maze.
So imagine our surprise when we moved to LA and discovered not one but TWO genuinely good spots for the gluten-free dishes we’ve been missing. One Taiwanese, one Chinese American but both offering something I rarely get to experience - OPTIONS!
1. Little Fatty, Mar Vista - Taiwanese
First of all, OBSESSED with the name. I was sold on that alone.
Second of all, they have a dedicated gluten-free menu. Every gluten-free diner’s dream!
No scanning the entire menu for the two or three dishes marked with a sad little *GF. No asking the waiter to check with the kitchen six times. An entire menu of gluten-free options. What a ~crazy~ concept.
We ordered the Walnut Shrimp, General Tso’s Cauliflower, and Beef Chow Fun and I was genuinely blown away. Even my gluten-loving husband said it was just as good as the real deal. And coming from him, that’s a pretty big endorsement!
The Beef Chow Fun was the standout. The chives, scallions, and bean sprouts added a freshness that kept the dish from feeling overly greasy. The rice noodles were perfectly chewy. Easily my favorite dish of the night.
Coming in a very close second was the Walnut Shrimp, a longtime favorite of mine. The radish and orange slices added just the right amount of acidity and bitterness to balance the candied walnuts and sweet sauce. So good!
The General Tso’s Cauliflower was great too, although the other two dishes stole the show.
The Verdict:1
The Husband Test: Fooled him on everything except the cauliflower. A little grainy, but he’d still reorder!
The Reorder Report: Already planning my return! Especially the Beef Chow Fun and Walnut Shrimp.
2. Genghis Cohen, Fairfax - Chinese American
Gluten-free Sesame Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Singapore Rice Noodles? Available for delivery? Say less!
I stumbled across Genghis Cohen on Uber Eats and was shocked to discover they offered gluten-free versions of several dishes.
The catch? You have to do a little digging. There’s no separate gluten-free menu on Uber Eats so you have to click into individual dishes to see whether a “Make Gluten Free” option is available. And every gluten-free modification comes with an extra $1 charge. The GF tax strikes again. 😵💫
One detail I really appreciated: every gluten-free dish arrived clearly labeled. A small thing but not having to play “which container is safe for me?” roulette is a luxury.
The Mongolian Beef was my favorite. The onions and scallions worked really well with the sauce, although I do wish there had been more actual beef in the dish.
The Sesame Chicken was another winner. The sauce was delicious, definitely on the heavier side but exactly what I was craving. Unfortunately, the Singapore Rice Noodles were on the dry side and the curry powder was a bit clumpy. Hard to say whether that was the dish itself or simply a casualty of takeout. Either way, I’d skip them next time.
The Verdict:
The Husband Test: Fooled him!
The Reorder Report: Would reorder the Mongolian Beef and Sesame Chicken. The Singapore Rice Noodles? Once was enough.
The gluten-free Chinese food hunt continues…
Next on my list: Dan Modern Chinese and Eagle Rock Green Dragon. Because now that I know gluten-free Chinese food exists in LA, I intend to find all of it.
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A quick note on my rating system:
The Husband Test: My husband eats gluten. I don’t. So while I might be thrilled just to find a gluten-free version of something I’ve been missing he has the luxury of comparing it to the actual real thing. He knows everything we’re eating is gluten-free but the question is: would he still order it if he didn’t have to? Or is it just “good” for gluten-free?
Fooled Him: So good he wouldn’t know (or care) that it’s gluten-free.
Suspicious: Pretty good but something’s a ~little~ off
Busted: Tastes like a gluten-free substitute (and not in a good way).
The Reorder Report: My verdict. Because something can be objectively good and still not be worth ordering twice.
Already Planning My Return: I’d come back specifically for this.
Would Reorder: Good enough to happily order again.
Once Was Enough: Glad I tried it but I’m moving on. Plenty of other dishes in the sea…