Reviewing JOY: Vegan options and delicious desserts from this Taiwanese restaurant in Los Angeles.

Once a month, my friend and I try to find a new restaurant with vegan options. We’re both dietetic students and eat predominantly plant-based, so we enjoy going out and sharing a vegan meal together.

JOY was his recommendation. JOY opens daily at 12 p.m. and we arranged to arrive Friday exactly when they opened since tables fill up fast. Located in a corner spot on a busy street in Los Angeles, there is no parking lot, so I parked on the street one block away. I didn’t mind the walk because it took me past small boutique stores that make L.A. an interesting place. As I reached JOY and walked in, my eyes immediately went towards the menu where I was blown away by the seemingly endless options.

JOY’s menu features Taiwanese street food staples such as rice dishes with minced pork, chicken or mapo tofu, classic noodle dishes, and fluffy clamshell buns with choices of pork belly, beef, or braised bean curd and mushrooms. They offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options and the staff are more than happy to discuss dietary concerns with their customers. Since this was my first time, we went a little crazy ordering one of almost everything vegan. In addition to their plant-based options, JOY offers a variety of foods that anyone can enjoy.

Once the food arrived, everything was picturesque and served on cute, white and blue dishes that reminded me of eating dim sum with my family every Sunday growing up. The staff must have coordinated because all our food was served at once and our table overflowed with some of the best Taiwanese food I’ve ever eaten.

I started with the clamshell bun with braised bean curd and mushrooms. The bread was fluffy, sweet, and paired perfectly with the saucy bean curd. Every bite was savored as it is best eaten fresh while the bread is bouncy. The cold appetizers caught my eye as there were three different dishes: a classic shredded bean curd with carrots, celery, and sesame oil dish, a vinegar cabbage, and an original lotus root in chili sauce. I had never seen lotus root served in this way before, and as I bit into it, it was crunchy with the right amount of spice. The vinegar cabbage served as a palate cleanser to prepare us for the next dish. The cold appetizers rotate, so what I got today may not be what we get next time!

Next, we dived into the dan dan noodles served with cucumbers and cilantro, thoroughly tossing everything in the peanut sauce. The peanut flavor was predominant, and the noodles were bouncy and chewy. In addition to a noodle dish, we tried the classic vegetarian mapo tofu served with white rice. To balance out the entire meal, we ordered their simple greens, which were bok choy.

I’d eaten vegan at another Taiwanese restaurant where all the dumplings and wontons had the same vegetable filling, making for a very redundant meal, but JOY’s vegan options are original and creative. Each dish was so unique and delicious, propelling JOY to the top of my list of favorite restaurants.

In addition to the hot food, we ordered dessert. It’s hard to find a place that serves desserts just as good as their main food, and JOY does both! We ordered their shaved ice, which came with ALL the toppings: boba, grass jelly, taro and sweet potato balls, and red beans. The shaved ice easily fed both of us and could have fed a family of four! We also tried the Hakka mochi in sesame and peanut flavors, which were both delicious and generously flavored. Restaurants often serve mochi ice cream on their menu, but because of my lactose intolerance, I must skip the entire dessert due to the ice cream. I was so excited that JOY had a pure mochi alternative.

I’m eager to come back for my favorite dishes and to try the other items on the menu! For the variety and tastiness of their Taiwanese food and desserts, JOY on York quickly rose to the top of my favorite restaurants, and I know this will be a staple when I want to show off my L.A. dining expertise to friends and family.