Good music. Good food. The Biangbiang noodles here are unmatched in San Diego. If anyone finds biangbiang noodles better than here, lmk. My mouth tasted like garlic for a whole day but honestly worth it. You order through a QR code here which makes it pretty easy. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Chicken gizzard - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

An incredible gem or an absolute flop -- depends heavily on what you decide to order. Luckily, I arrived with a group of 7 so we all had the opportunity to find out the easy way. Beef noodle soup - excellent flavor overall, including a strong broth and a nice, soft texture to the noodles. Out of the countless Chinese restaurants I've visited for beef noodle soup, this makes its way into the top three. 5/5 Lamb skewers - wayyyyy too dry. This is certainly not their specialty, and asking for extra cumin to sprinkle on the lamb did not redeem the firmness. I struggled to slide the meat off the skewer and ended up just eating it while still on the stick. 1.5/5 Fish fillet - so good. Easy to eat texture-wise. Caution -- a bit saltier than it looks. The bell peppers in particular were seasoned spectacularly. 4.5/5 Dry fried green beans - a delicious option for vegetables to add to the table. Most people will enjoy this one in my opinion. A bit more crunch than I expected, which is not a bad thing. 4/5 Double cooked pork - I've never seen it cooked this way, and am not a fan. I'm used to a more oily version of this dish. It contained a bunch of dried and crunchy... yams? Potatoes? Overall, the dish was mainly crunch with no flavor, and contained a relatively small amount of pork. 1/5 read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Beef noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Authentic Chinese food and generous lunch specials Good service and QR code menu available Rustic ambiance and worth the wait Parking and waitlist could take a little time. read more

While San Diego is a massive foodie destination, Chinese food is often cited as one of the few weaknesses the city skips over. However, Shan Xi Magic Kitchen is an exception, and a great one at that. Impossible parking lot. Tablet waiting list system. QR Code menu. Giant water pitcher. It was the whole Convoy restaurant experience! For a party of two on a Sunday afternoon, we were the fourth or fifth on the list and got called in only 10-15 minutes later. The food came out fast and tasted very fresh! The noodles were chewy and the beef was seasoned well with a light cumin flavor (but not so much that it tasted like taco meat). The beef in chili oil was my favorite; it wasn't too spicy and included bean sprouts and seaweed that were perfectly cooked. The fried yellow croaker was on the drier side, but tasted like if pork rinds were made of fish. The decor was truly magical, and the layout let visitors view directly into the supposed magic kitchen. Not much can be said about the service because there was very little interaction, which may help to those who may feel intimidated by a restaurant like this. My friend, who is a big foodie, said everything he's tried on the menu was a winner, and I am now convinced. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Hand Pulled Noodles with Cumin Beef, Sliced Beef in Chili Oil, Boneless Fried Yellow Croaker - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

I visited with a book club group. We were seated about 30 mins after we checked in which honestly wasn't too bad considering how many people were waiting. I ordered the beef brisket hand pulled noodles (mild spicy). The dish was delicious. It had amazing flavor! There was a good amount of beef and lots of noodles! Five stars! I took off a star because we basically had to negotiate to get the bill split into two checks. Apparently, they don't split the checks at all. I know we were in a larger party, and we weren't trying to get out of a larger gratuity (which they added the auto-gratuity onto both checks anyways which was fine). Their system has you scanning a QR code at the table anyways and paying through their online system. Just a pet peeve of mine. I would definitely come back for the noodles with my husband, but I wouldn't even consider it an option with friends in the future. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Beautiful lights - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Stopped in for an impulsive dinner choice while passing through the area, and I'm so happy we did. We love a good noodle and dumpling spot and this place was absolutely up to our expectations! Like most places on Convoy, parking was an absolute zoo, and the spaces are so small. Once you're in, service is quick and the food arrives in a short amount of time from ordering. We ordered a variety of noodles, dumplings and the beef sticks. It was definitely strong on the seasoning for the beef sticks but cooked well! The absolute star of the show were the noodles. You absolutely must get any of their noodle dishes here. The beef noodles were delicious - chewy noodles and melt in your mouth beef chunks. The Dan Dan noodles were phenomenal. We did ask for the sauce on the side because I have a low spice tolerance, but definitely went for it once it was available. The dumplings are packed to the brim and perfectly cooked! We loved the balance of dumpling filling to skin. Definitely would recommend coming here if you have the patience to deal with the parking lot lol. read more

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This spot is an absolute 1000/10 !  From the moment you walk in to how you order and how fast checkout is, I loved the whole experience. It's pretty much self service they can take your order for you, but the convenience of ordering on your phone is so nice and you call them over to pay at the end. I also like that they leave the whole jug of water at the table ! With the amount of water I drink it was so nice not having to ask for refills. Sooooo FUN FACT this was my first time actually trying dumplings and I must say I'm obsessed ! I literally came back the next day for lunch and ordered dumplings again. I highly recommend this spot.  What we ordered: 12. Hand pulled noodle w cumin - never had these before and they were so good. You can definitely taste the cumin. I added chili oil and vinegar and it made it even better.  78. Dry fried green beans - absolute must try. These have so much flavor and so much crunch 100/10 99. Spicy chili dumplings (shrimp, pork & leek) - OMGOSH pls try these !! 100000/10!  I will def be back and tell everyone about this spot! The restaurant is super clean, parking is free up to 120 minutes and I had no trouble finding a spot around 5:20p. The decor is super cute and felt homey and authentic. They have a QR menu that you scan and a pretty easy ordering system. I loved that they included pictures near each food item. It made my life so much easier! The menu is pretty big, but don't hesitate to ask the staff for help. They were super friendly. read more

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Came here craving something refreshing but still satisfying, and their liang pi cold noodles absolutely delivered. The texture is perfectly chewy, coated in a sesame-forward sauce that hits that ideal balance of tangy and savory without feeling heavy. It's the kind of dish you keep going back to bite after bite, especially on a warm day. The standout for me though was the cabbage with dried chili pork belly. So good. The pork belly is rich and flavorful, with just the right amount of heat from the dried chili, while the cabbage adds a slight crunch and freshness that balances everything out. Simple dishes! read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - 73. Spicy Sauteed Cabbage Pork - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Dear diary Came here for dinner and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere was calm and soothing. We ordered by scanning the QR code. The staff were friendly and helpful. The dumplings tasted light and refreshing. The green beans were amazing mixed with garlic and chili but wasn't too spicy. The hand pulled noodle was thick and the cumin beef was tender with great flavor. The portions are definitely bigger than I expected but I'm not complaining. There are also plenty of parkings. I would definitely go back here to try out other things on their menu! read more

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Definitely one of my go-to spots when I'm not sure where to go for dinner! I really love their beef hand ripped noodles and veggie options. I generally like to pair the hand ripped noodles with the lactuca to get more veggies in but I also really enjoy the green beans and eggplant dishes as well There's a QR code on the table that you scan and it'll take you to the webpage you order on, then the servers will bring your food out once it's ready. All the food comes out hot and fresh with a decently sized portion! There's also plenty of seats inside so it's normally pretty easy to get a table quickly, and I've seen them accommodate large parties inside as well. read more

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Their cucumber salad and green beans were really good! It might top din tai fung for me. We didn't wait long for our food and since we had a big party, we got to try so many dishes! The service was very good, they made sure our water was always full and the vibes were very good. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - 18. Cucumber Salad - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Says open til 10 but last call is actually way before at 9. They should change the time if they don't accept even to go orders after 9. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Simply put: overrated. And I hate to leave reviews like this, but it has to be done. Parking is a mess, even on a Monday night. It's tight, people are discourteous (lady in red Lexus stole my spot even when I was waiting first). A little bit of a wait around 7pm. Full house, which was a good sign. Water, plates and utensils served when sat. Ordering via QR code. The wait staff did their best, but there's room for improvement. Dishes came out at random; not just for our table but most tables around us. For example: appetizers/starters came after main dish. Not all dishes came out at the same time; even though requested. My rice was cold before my mapo tofu came. Flavor is there but the mala was too overpowering. Yes, yes, I know, this is a Szechuan restaurant, but man, that was the only flavor profile we tasted. Ambiance: really tight.. I could hear the guy next to us converse the entire time.. and it was a party of 5, and we only heard him.. lol. I guess this is it for SD, but this OC girly has had better. read more

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Exceptional and authentic Chinese cuisine in convoy. We got the spicy pork, leek, and shrimp dumplings along with the green beans and the beef cumin noodles. Everything is fresh and flavorful. Service was also good, the restaurant is really clean. The menu is on a QR code at the table. It's a really diverse menu, there's vegetarian options and soup and dumplings and noodles. I can't wait to come back and try something new! read more

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Ever since my friends brought me here, I've tried to stop by during my trips to San Diego. Shan Xi Magic Kitchen offers delicious Chinese food that is easy to order for takeout using their online platform. Spicy Cumin Lamb Biangbiang Noodles (5/5) - I am obsessed with their hand-pulled noodles. They have the perfect texture, and they soak up the delicious sauce. This dish has the perfect proportions of cumin lamb, vegetables, and noodles. Fresh Three Flavor (5/5) - I love that this dish combines eggplant, potato, and bell peppers in a spicy garlic sauce. Mapo Tofu w/ meat (4/5) - This mapo tofu uses silken tofu with only a couple of small bits of ground pork. This dish hits the spot if you're craving mapo tofu, but I do wish there were a stronger mala flavor. Saute Spicy Chicken Noodles (5/5) - This dish is huge and can easily be shared between 2-3 people. It comes with hand-pulled noodles, braised chicken, and bell peppers. My takeout order was ready at the promised time and was packed securely. The only downside is that parking can be difficult to find on weekend evenings. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Cumin Lamb Biang-Biang Noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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I guess the noodles were hand ripped. Not sure what that meant But it was pretty good. Spicy chicken was good. At my age I like a full large print menu. Not a fan of qr code menus. All in all 3 out of 5. read more

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I came here for lunch on a weekday and the service was quick and the food was amazing. I loved the braised noodle soup here which had the right level of mala spice and amazing house made noodles. I generally am not a fan of braised meat as it can get stringy and dry but the beef in the soup here was so good - melt in your mouth tenderness and not dry at all. The one complaint I have is that it was a bit expensive ($22 for just this bowl of noodle soup after tax and tip) but I would go back again. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Spicy braised beef noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Have been to this place for over 10 years since they opened. Biang biang noodle is a must order! Simple seasoning with the belt noodles, so delicious ~ My girlfriend loves the lamb burger,but i personally like the pork one better. Crowed but short wait for dinner time. Service is attentive. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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On a trip to NYC I had the best hand pulled noodles in my life. I didn't realize there was a wide kind of noodles, just the thinner kind, so when I saw these I was like, what are these Papardelle? When you hear brisket you realize how uncommon it is in cooking outside of American BBQ and Vietnamese pho. It's such a tough cut of meat that it requires a long braise, so the combination of both didn't make sense. Would it be like Taiwanese Beef Noodle soup? it's very much like that, but in a weird way not. People also don't realize that Pasta originated in China and not Italy. I found their skewers menu was good, but could use creativity. Many other cuisines do it better with sauces, seasonings, char, texture, etc. I actually enjoyed the chicken wings on the skewer as it was easier to eat. Ox Throat made me feel like a Tiger eating it, like a cross between tongue and intestines. A little too chewy for me. Egg and Tomato soup is a great breakfast dish. I loved the pig ears with green pepper, Cumin lamb, mapu tofu, double fried pork. Interesting I saw sauerkraut on the menu, wasn't sure how that fit in, but it's really just vinegar cabbage. Like most Chinese food they have a huge menu, many of them taste the same after a while, many of them have that wok-ay escence. Lots of spicy, not to be messed with with Western palates. Chili Crips is all the rage, but to me is an inferior sauce to xo, which i really expected to be prevelant here considering how fancy this place is. Service is fast, waiters are attentive. Prices are on the high side, but it's a classy Chinese food place and worth the price. read more

Crispy Stewed Pork Burger: 4.5/5 Crispy and moist pork. I wish the pork was a little less greasy, but other than that it's very good. The bread is very similar to a paratha with more structure and no butter. Hand Pulled Noodle with Cumin Beef: 6/5 My absolute favorite. Crispy veggies with delicious cumin beef. It's a flavor I only associate with Chinese food and it's intensely savory. I'm usually great at describing how things taste, but this one I'm a bit at a loss for. A must try for sure. Spicy Hot Oil Stewed Pork Hand Made Noodle: 4.5/5 During the height of the hype, an easy 5/5 but eh, a good noodle can only take you so far. I think it sounds dumb to say these taste too oily, but there's a difference between chili oil and lard and I felt like the meat just sort of overpowered it all. A must try once, but I can skip it next time. The flavors are balanced and yummy though, the noodles unmatched. Ambiance: Casual and, Chinese? I'm not sure how else to say it, but it has that energy. I saw some people treat a little more fancy though, so why not. Service: You order online, but the service was very pleasant for a Chinese restaurant. Parking: Super busy plaza during peak times, say a quick prayer before going. read more

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I came here since I was craving biang biang noodles, and it definitely did not disappoint. I got the spicy cumin lamb biang biang noodles and there was so much flavor! It was quite spicy mixed with chili oil, garlic, cilantro etc. They give a decent amount of lamb too. The best part in my opinion are the noodles! They were so chewy and perfect. I loved getting mouthfuls of different flavors. The portion for takeout was also a lot which I could not finish. I highly recommend for authentic chinese food. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

food is good but service is poor they always seem like they hate their lives and are lowkey rude. Ive come here twice to try to give them another chance because I thought maybe they were just having a bad day but no both times their customer service was bad. They didn't come check in at any point to ask if I needed anything, maybe they're homophobic because they checked in on other tables but not mine. Anyways.. maybe try another spot with better service. read more

Servers were so preoccupied with there phones I was forced to shout in order to get their attention. Food was mediocre. Signature noodle dish contained whole cloves of garlic. Who wants unminced garlic loves in their food? Lazy food prep and lazy food service. I don't recommend this lazy place for your hard earned day/night out. read more

Shan Xi's was had really good food, the Biang Biang noodles and crispy spicy chicken were my favorite! The beef cumin noodles were good, but the beef was a bit over cooked. Other than that, the place was clean and service was fast. Would come again! read more

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Biang Biang Noodles? Yes! I've been missing these for a long while! Upon walking in, we were greeted by well-themed decor - carefully selected but not minimalist. At the time of visit, they were doing a promo with Hungry Panda for a free drink, and I had their tasty herbal drink. Service here was fairly quick, from getting a seat, to ordering, to enjoying our food. We received two dishes at a good time, and the last two came out much later, which was fine since we were eating at a slower pace. For food, my friend and I shared (a little too much): Liang Pi - A good, cold starter. The most fun is mixing each ingredient and eating it after. Everything was perfectly seasoned. Biang Biang Noodles with Cumin Beef - exceptionally spicy. There was a bit of oil in the bottom, and eating it became difficult. The spice and oils also made the entire dish salty and difficult to eat. Fresh Three Flavor - Eggplant, potatoes, and green pepper deep fried and super oily and salty... the first few bites are nice for texture, but overall this was very difficult to eat. Beef Hand-Ripped Noodles - At this point, we were both stuffed... definitely ordered too much! The noodles were tasty, but this erred on the slightly saltier side. Overall, I would probably return to try some of their other items but make a special note to ease on the salt and spice. The texture of the noodles were excellent. read more

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My hubby and I went here for lunch in SD before going to the YELP ELITE event at Mosa Tea... Song of the day to play along to this YELP review: The Shanghai Bund Theme ;) BEEF BRISKET with HAND PULLED NOODLES: 5/5 It's tastes healthy and low in sodium. HOT AND SOUR DUMPLING SOUP: 3/5 I couldn't handle the sourness of the soup. The dumplings were basically soaked in vinegar. However, I did enjoy the dumplings by itself. I should have just ordered steamed or pan fried dumplings. SERVICE: A ok. It was there but, it was not super attentive. The staff preferred talking to each other and quite loudly with the chef in the back. I love supporting local businesses even though it may need some minor improvements... It's ROCKN at SHAN XI MAGIC KITCHEN!!!!!! read more

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The spicy lamb cumin biang biang noodles made me overcome my spice tolerance. I literally drank a gallon of water in order to keep eating it. I also loved the liang pi and the cucumber salad- they were both so fresh! The service wasn't great but that's how you know it's authentic! read more

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I ordered the General Tso's Chicken. It was horrible! I've been eating General Tso's chicken for 30 years in various states at various restaurants, and it never tasted like this. It's almost like they gave me some other dish with a sauce I've never had. Very, very disappointing to pay $23 for a small box of food that tastes bad! read more

We ordered food from Hungry Panda app, and we were really happy with everything we ordered, including two different types of meat buns, spicy chicken with noodles and a clear noodle salad. This restaurant is authentic and delicious, I recommend if you want to have some real good Chinese foods. read more

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OMG, so good we went there twice in four days. The first time I went was on a Saturday, around 7:30 and the parking lot was pretty full. We probably waited and circled for about 15 minutes before getting parking. Anyway, once inside, we ordered via the QR code. I got the noodles with tomato and egg, the green beans and eggplan, and my mom got the beef noodle soup. ALL WERE SOOOO GOOD. The noodles were the MOST amazing texture - chewy, thick and bouncy. The stuff dreams are made of. We came back on a Tuesday for lunch, and this time we got the lamb noodles, the liang pi, and the tomato egg noodles. The liang pi literally came like a minute after I submitted the order, I literally was so confused thinking it was someone else's order because it couldn't possibly be ours lol. Flavor was good, but the liang pi is kind of hard - like look fun that recently came out of the fridge. Do not recommend. Lamb noodle was not my favorite - just a little one dimensional in flavor. Also, house chili crisp is BOMBBBBB. SOOO GOOD. They do provide it to go and a 16 oz container is only $5. WOULD GO BACK! oh, but eat the noods right then cuz the next day they were pretty mushy. read more

This is one of our "go-to" Chinese food spots. Solid kitchen game! We always order way too much and leave so full and happy. Dry fried green beans, a couple orders of dumplings, hand cut noodles, beef and onions. Always good! Service is straightforward. Order on the app, sit back and wait. You need something, raise a hand and someone will be at your table with 10 seconds. I'm glad to see that traffic is picking up, but I do miss the old school, Winnie the Pooh plastic water jugs. Good for these guys to be coming up! Also, beware the mid-afternoon kitchen closure. 3:30-4:30pm. We've gotten caught in this non-feeding time more than once. read more

If you're an avid noodle fan, you have to stop by Shan Xi Magic Kitchen for their Biang Biang Noodles! Biang Biang noodles are thick hand-pulled noodles seasoned with chili, pepper, and tons of garlic- super fragrant, savory, and robust. This dish is dry (no broth) as all the ingredients and aromatics are activated with hot oil. Just give it a thorough mix and slurp away! The noodles were so chewy, bouncy, and seemingly never-ending. They were absolutely perfect! While I got the one with no meat, there's also a cumin lamb version for those wanting a bit more protein. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Biang Biang Noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Decided to try this Chinese restaurant and we were very pleasantly surprised. It had some "typical" Chinese restaurant items and many not-so-typical items. I started with the Stewed Pork Burger (Crisp) and it was full of flavor with the bun being a flaky light croissant type texture. The beef Magic fried rice had what I consider to be the desired fried rice flavor that I love (it's now my favorite fried rice in SD). My Spicy cumin Lamb BiangBiang Noodles was so darn delicious - looks wildly spicy but isn't that hot. It had a ton of different flavors that came together perfectly. I can't wait to return to try their other dishes! read more

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When you arrive, you put your party's name onto the paper waitlist & wait for your party to be called. We were a party of 3, went around 7 pm and waited about 40 minutes on a Saturday evening. Inside the interior is pretty, but the seating is limited. You order through a QR code & the food comes out shortly after. * Eggplant w/ Garlic Sauce - 8/10 (the eggplant was soft & the skin had a bit of a chew to it. this dish had a sweet flavor to it & was aromatic. the portion is big & good to share. yummy palate cleanser for the night) * Spicy Cumin Beef - 7/10 (same chili oil as in the eggplant. strong cumin flavor. the beef was pretty tender but had a nice chew to it. there were a lot of add-ins such as the onions. this got tiring to eat after a while. the portion is quite big, but we would opt to trying a different meat dish next time to have more variety) * Spicy Cumin Lamb BiangBiang Noodles - 8.3/10 (we really like how the noodle texture was firm, chewy, & super thick. the noodles felt endless. the cumin lamb was seasoned well & there was a great amount. this was just really oily & we wish there was a more unique flavor to the sauce. you can definitely share this between two people) read more

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Super delicious and chewy hand pulled noodles! The biang biang spicy hand ripped noodles had a great texture and picked up the chili oil perfectly. We got the lamb and beef skewers, and I thought the lamb was better, with fattier and more moist pieces. I also tried the beef noodle soup, and it was flavorful but I think the layer of oil was a bit too much. They have a variety of items that I definitely want to come back and try, specifically the meat dishes! You order on your phone with a QR code, which makes the process of getting your food quicker. I think it's a great spot for a casual meal with bold flavors. read more

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The food was great. Service, excellent and ambiance exemplary! I had a wonderful time!

Fast service, we came when it wasn't too busy. It was pretty quiet and nice. The food was beyond tasty, our favorite dish was definitely the Stewed Pork Burger (Crisp). read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - 1. Stewed Pork Burger 84. Pork and Leek Dumplings 18. Cucumber Salad 88. Rice 25. Spicy Hot Oil Seared Stewed Pork Handmade Noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

I had my first experience here during the work week on a slower day and was able to find a seat immediately. Their ordering system is through a QR code which makes it easier to place your order. They have a variety of hand ripped noodles, fried rice and vegetable options. I went with the brisket hand ripped noodles at medium spice level. They were amazing and I should have gotten the hotter spice level (major regret). If you can't handle heat, get your order with no spice. The brisket chunks were tender. The dish was in a simple broth with lots of chili oil and flakes. Noodles had a great chew on them. Service was quick and friendly. I was able to try a little bit of the lamb noodles (fantastic) and the pork noodles( refreshing hint of cucumber and soy) off of my coworkers plates and they did not disappoint. read more

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - Beef Brisket Hand-Ripped Noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Shan Xi is one of our friend's favorites for hand-pulled noodles and Chinese food in SD. We came with a group of 6 around 6:30 on a weekday and waited maybe 20 minutes for a table since we were a larger group. Parking in that complex can be tough - some of us had to park further and walk. But it's nice that there are great tea places in the complex (Yun Tea). We were lucky to come with a friend familiar with the menu who ordered the biangbiang spicy hand-ripped noodles, dry fried green beans, crispy spicy chicken, steamed fish fillet, mapo tofu and sauteed bok choy. Everything was really exceptional - super unique, flavorful and filling. We all took leftovers home, too. My favorites were the hand-ripped noodles, steamed fish fillet and crispy spicy chicken. For 6 people, we paid 171$ or 28.50 per person. Can't wait for my next SD trip to try more of their menu. read more

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Delicious food every time. I have to hold myself back from ordering too much because the portions are shareable. Easy ordering via an app and your hot food is delivered quickly! Despite being busy it had an intimate ambiance. read more

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