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Awesome meal! You scan a QR code for a menu and order off your phone - they'll bring it to your table for you. We ordered the shrimp/pork/leek dumplings and the crispy spicy chicken. SO GOOD. The dumplings were filled plenty and had nice chunks of shrimp. The sauce was great. The chicken was hot, crispy, and fresh while not being too oily. Everything came out at a decent time and the portions were good. This was a phenomenal meal.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in San Diego. I always have to order the hot and sour soup dumplings, it has a dark vinegar taste that I haven't been able to find elsewhere. The biang biang noodles are also a classic, I believe it's one of their most popular dishes. Walk-in only but service is quick once you're seated.
Shan Xi Magic Kitchen has Good Potential, But Missing Some of the "Magic". 徒有其表，未得其神. My wife and I came here tonight for a date night, and overall, I'd say Shan Xi Magic Kitchen has a lot of potential, but the food still feels like it is missing some of the finer touches that would make it truly memorable. First, some positives: the staff were very courteous, attentive, and eager to help. The restaurant was completely full when we arrived, and there was a party of 12 ahead of us, but the staff communicated the seating situation clearly. Despite the restaurant being packed, my wife and I were seated right away, which I appreciated. We ordered: * Two bowls of cumin lamb hand-pulled noodles * Stir-fried string beans * Shrimp fried rice The hand-pulled noodles had a good chew and satisfying texture, which is important. The cumin and spice were also prominent. However, my bowl had noticeably more grease sitting at the bottom than my wife's, and the flavor didn't really build as I ate. After the initial cumin and spice, it eventually became mostly just spicy rather than developing more layers of flavor. The shrimp fried rice was probably where I noticed the biggest difference. It seemed to use relatively fresh rice rather than day-old rice, which isn't inherently bad, but the grains didn't have that ideal 「粒粒分明」 texture you normally look for in good fried rice. The rice was more starchy and tended to clump together, and the overall flavor wasn't particularly 鮮 or savory. The stir-fried string beans were enjoyable, but I felt they were missing that strong 鍋氣 you get from proper high-heat wok cooking. They were cooked, but they didn't have that slightly charred, smoky, caramelized quality that makes stir-fried vegetables really stand out. One interesting observation: the clientele tonight was predominantly younger and English-speaking. That's obviously not a measure of food quality, but when I'm looking for particularly authentic Chinese food, I often notice that the restaurants packed with mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, or other Asian diners tend to have a certain extra level of authenticity behind the food. Shan Xi Magic Kitchen definitely looks and feels like an authentic Chinese restaurant, but some of the food tonight left me feeling 「形似神不似」or it has the appearance, but not quite the soul. And that's ultimately how I felt about this visit. Compared with what I remember from visiting over a year ago, I think the restaurant has a high ceiling, but it consistently misses a few of the right notes. The food isn't bad in fact, there are several things here that I genuinely enjoyed but it doesn't quite reach the level where I finish a dish thinking, "Wow, I need to come back specifically for this." They may have around 2,000 reviews, and I can understand why people enjoy the restaurant. But having had quite a bit of Chinese food in LA, I've personally had better versions of these dishes there. Overall: good service, good atmosphere, solid potential, and enjoyable food but the execution needs a little more refinement before it becomes truly memorable.
Came around 7pm on weekday. There were about 5 groups ahead. Waited about 15 minutes. Food came out quickly and service was great. 1. Liang pi cold noodle with sesame: good 2. Lamb pao mo: soup very good 3. Stir fried sliced lamb with scallion: too salty 4. Dry fried green beans: too salty 5. Ox throat skewer: ok 6. Lamb skewer: dry 7. Rinse tripe: ok 8. Hawvberry tea: tastes like berry punch Overall 3.5. Some of the dishes were too salty to dry.
8.3/10 - I haven't been back to Shan Xi in over 2 years, but it's still as good as I remembered it. I wasn't that hungry so we got the Beef brisket noodle soup and the Lamb cumin biang biang noodles and both are SO YUMMY and incredibly large portions. The hand pulled noodles were fresh, chewy and not overly thick and doughy as some places can be. I do think that the Lamb Cumin flavor was a bit better at Xi'an Famous Foods in NYC (as a comparison), but maybe because Shang Xi adds bell pepper which produces a strong bell-pepper taste I'm not used to in this dish. It's still REALLY GOOD though. I wish both the soup and dry noodles were spicier but that's my fault for getting mild. I wish we went with more people because I wanted to order more items (the dumplings, green beans, and pig ear looked yummy passing by). Next time I'll just big back and order several items off the menu. Service is great too, and everything came out super fast. It was crowded for a Friday lunch!
Wow. Everything was so delicious and I was so hangry that I only took one photo. We shared the green beans & eggplant, fish fillets in black bean sauce and the spicy beef biang biang noodle. Everything was SO delicious. The noodles have the perfect chew. It also came out super fast-basically no wait (on a Monday). Don't sleep on the fish fillets and green beans--I know they're known for the noodles but wow I would go back JUST for the fish fillet!
We came right before the dinner rush and I can definitely see why this place got packed so quickly. It isn't huge inside but there is ample seating, we were sat right away and the menu was fully online. Something I didn't love though, you order and pay through the online menu. Considering you leave a tip I don't fully understand how it works when we did this whole process ourselves. I also noticed other tables getting plates and bowls which we had to ask for. Overall, I felt the servers weren't too friendly either and seemed to rush through our table despite them standing around not seeming too busy. The food was excellent though! The soup had a great spice to it and super flavorful. The beef and onion was so juicy and addictive, the green beans were good too and had a slight kick to them.
Omg new favorite spot. Their Liang Pi is to die for!! I got the one with Stewed Pork and some bockchoy and I'm so in love with the quality and flavor!!
Someone recommended this place to me and I had high expectations. The service is a bit off, but I don't mind that too much as this is more of that local type of place, but it just seemed like they weren't trying to serve dishes in a logical order and there were long gaps between certain dishes. The hand made noodles are the way to go. The eggplant was a bit off as the skin was a bit firm and chewy and wasn't what I am used to when ordering this dish at other places. At the end of the day, I could do a Togo order, but I will not dine in here. No AC and on a hot and humid day with spicy food is no bueno.
Shan Xi Magic Kitchen has been on my Yelp Want To Go list ever since my brother and SIL told me that they really enjoyed a Chinese restaurant in Las Vegas and were told that a similar restaurant existed in San Diego. After their experience in Vegas, they tried Shan Xi themselves and glowingly talked about the delish food there. Today, 3/4s of my fam ate here and we definitely concurred with my brother and SIL's favorable assessment. 4.5 stars because their grub was amazing, but it could be more customer friendly where one of the staff checks to see if we need help ordering instead of ordering from the QR code menu. Shan Xi Magic Kitchen is located in the ultra competitive Convoy Asian District specifically on Convoy Street within the Convoy Village shopping center. The restaurant is next to our fave Asian drink place called Yun Tea, it's next to Olleh KBBQ, next door to Szechuan Chef, and a short walk to BB.Q Chicken. This is a popular strip mall, so it could be challenging for you to find parking. Parking is free for 90 minutes, but you'll have to pay after that time ends. Shan Xi is nice inside with gray brick on their walls, decorative lighting surrounded by rattan, Chinese dolls on a shelf, Chinese inspired figurine art on another wall, and a beautiful curio/screen containing Chinese knick knacks. Seating consists of tables/chairs and a long leather bench. Our servers were friendly, but to me having to order from a QR code is impersonal. I'd rather talk to a person, so that I can ask what they recommend. Plus, if diners aren't familiar with this type of cuisine, I'm sure they would have a bunch of questions. From Shan Xi Magic Kitchen's website, "Bringing the bold flavors of Northwest China to San Diego, Shan'xi Magic Kitchen serves authentic regional specialties. Our restaurants specialize in hand-pulled noodles, savory bread-based dishes, and traditional Chinese comfort food prepared with time-honored techniques." After being told that Shan Xi was similar to their positive dining experience at a different Chinese restaurant in Vegas, my brother and SIL tried Shan Xi and they were impressed by what they ate here and told us that we needed to eat here ourselves. Since my wife and I were off midweek, we invited our son to join us for lunch. We ordered the following dishes and feel free to mimick what we ordered: spicy cumin lamb burger, hand pulled noodle with cumin beef, beef magic fried rice, dry fried green beans, and a side of white rice. My brother and SIL love the lamb burger as a appetizer and we really thought it was tasty too. If you're not a spicy fan, this might not be for you, but the lamb was tender. The pita bread needed to be softer. Their hand pulled noodle with cumin beef was stellar, chewy, and delectable. Loved their beef magic fried rice and it ate really well by itself. The fried green beans were addicting, garlicky, and just yummy. I'm a fan Shan Ci and can't wait to try their other entrees. My brother and SIL were spot on with their positive reviews about Shan Xi Magic Kitchen. It was a blessing to have a spontaneous meet up with 3/4s of my fam and grub on some memorable Chinese food.
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
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.
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.
1 month ago
Came on a Saturday afternoon and added myself to the waitlist. It was busy but I didn't have to wait long for a table. They do QR code and in person ordering (whatever you prefer). I opted to order by QR code to get my order in faster. My boyfriend and I both got biang biang mian but he got the version with cumin lamb. The portions are large and super filling. I honestly think one bowl is two meals worth of food at least. The noodles were chewy and bouncy. I love the flavor just make sure to properly mix the noodles - all of the good stuff sits at the bottom of the bowl! The chili oil is fantastic as well and I loved the spice level of these dishes. Service was pretty quick which was nice. I am excited to come again to try the other dishes! Highly recommend and was authentic - it can be hard to find authentic and delicious Chinese food in SD County. read more
I had heard a lot of good things about this place. My group was seated not too long after we arrived. You place your order online through a QR code at the table. The service was really poor, and I had to keep hunting down the servers and asking for things like refills on water, utensils, sauce bowls. I got to try quite a bit since I was in a group of five. The lamb biangbiang was extremely spicy for me, although I know I have a low heat tolerance. You aren't able to specify how much spice you want on your dishes and when you're ordering on the QR code and the menu doesn't tell you how spicy dishes are. I can't remember the name of the dumplings we got but honestly they were my favorite dish. My friends really enjoyed the tomato and egg noodles, I just felt that they didn't have much flavor. read more
1 month ago
Awesome meal! You scan a QR code for a menu and order off your phone - they'll bring it to your table for you. We ordered the shrimp/pork/leek dumplings and the crispy spicy chicken. SO GOOD. The dumplings were filled plenty and had nice chunks of shrimp. The sauce was great. The chicken was hot, crispy, and fresh while not being too oily. Everything came out at a decent time and the portions were good. This was a phenomenal meal. read more
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in San Diego. I always have to order the hot and sour soup dumplings, it has a dark vinegar taste that I haven't been able to find elsewhere. The biang biang noodles are also a classic, I believe it's one of their most popular dishes. Walk-in only but service is quick once you're seated. read more
Shan Xi Magic Kitchen has Good Potential, But Missing Some of the "Magic". 徒有其表，未得其神. My wife and I came here tonight for a date night, and overall, I'd say Shan Xi Magic Kitchen has a lot of potential, but the food still feels like it is missing some of the finer touches that would make it truly memorable. First, some positives: the staff were very courteous, attentive, and eager to help. The restaurant was completely full when we arrived, and there was a party of 12 ahead of us, but the staff communicated the seating situation clearly. Despite the restaurant being packed, my wife and I were seated right away, which I appreciated. We ordered: * Two bowls of cumin lamb hand-pulled noodles * Stir-fried string beans * Shrimp fried rice The hand-pulled noodles had a good chew and satisfying texture, which is important. The cumin and spice were also prominent. However, my bowl had noticeably more grease sitting at the bottom than my wife's, and the flavor didn't really build as I ate. After the initial cumin and spice, it eventually became mostly just spicy rather than developing more layers of flavor. The shrimp fried rice was probably where I noticed the biggest difference. It seemed to use relatively fresh rice rather than day-old rice, which isn't inherently bad, but the grains didn't have that ideal 「粒粒分明」 texture you normally look for in good fried rice. The rice was more starchy and tended to clump together, and the overall flavor wasn't particularly 鮮 or savory. The stir-fried string beans were enjoyable, but I felt they were missing that strong 鍋氣 you get from proper high-heat wok cooking. They were cooked, but they didn't have that slightly charred, smoky, caramelized quality that makes stir-fried vegetables really stand out. One interesting observation: the clientele tonight was predominantly younger and English-speaking. That's obviously not a measure of food quality, but when I'm looking for particularly authentic Chinese food, I often notice that the restaurants packed with mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, or other Asian diners tend to have a certain extra level of authenticity behind the food. Shan Xi Magic Kitchen definitely looks and feels like an authentic Chinese restaurant, but some of the food tonight left me feeling 「形似神不似」or it has the appearance, but not quite the soul. And that's ultimately how I felt about this visit. Compared with what I remember from visiting over a year ago, I think the restaurant has a high ceiling, but it consistently misses a few of the right notes. The food isn't bad in fact, there are several things here that I genuinely enjoyed but it doesn't quite reach the level where I finish a dish thinking, "Wow, I need to come back specifically for this." They may have around 2,000 reviews, and I can understand why people enjoy the restaurant. But having had quite a bit of Chinese food in LA, I've personally had better versions of these dishes there. Overall: good service, good atmosphere, solid potential, and enjoyable food but the execution needs a little more refinement before it becomes truly memorable. read more
Came around 7pm on weekday. There were about 5 groups ahead. Waited about 15 minutes. Food came out quickly and service was great. 1. Liang pi cold noodle with sesame: good 2. Lamb pao mo: soup very good 3. Stir fried sliced lamb with scallion: too salty 4. Dry fried green beans: too salty 5. Ox throat skewer: ok 6. Lamb skewer: dry 7. Rinse tripe: ok 8. Hawvberry tea: tastes like berry punch Overall 3.5. Some of the dishes were too salty to dry. read more
8.3/10 - I haven't been back to Shan Xi in over 2 years, but it's still as good as I remembered it. I wasn't that hungry so we got the Beef brisket noodle soup and the Lamb cumin biang biang noodles and both are SO YUMMY and incredibly large portions. The hand pulled noodles were fresh, chewy and not overly thick and doughy as some places can be. I do think that the Lamb Cumin flavor was a bit better at Xi'an Famous Foods in NYC (as a comparison), but maybe because Shang Xi adds bell pepper which produces a strong bell-pepper taste I'm not used to in this dish. It's still REALLY GOOD though. I wish both the soup and dry noodles were spicier but that's my fault for getting mild. I wish we went with more people because I wanted to order more items (the dumplings, green beans, and pig ear looked yummy passing by). Next time I'll just big back and order several items off the menu. Service is great too, and everything came out super fast. It was crowded for a Friday lunch! read more
Wow. Everything was so delicious and I was so hangry that I only took one photo. We shared the green beans & eggplant, fish fillets in black bean sauce and the spicy beef biang biang noodle. Everything was SO delicious. The noodles have the perfect chew. It also came out super fast-basically no wait (on a Monday). Don't sleep on the fish fillets and green beans--I know they're known for the noodles but wow I would go back JUST for the fish fillet! read more
4 months ago
We came right before the dinner rush and I can definitely see why this place got packed so quickly. It isn't huge inside but there is ample seating, we were sat right away and the menu was fully online. Something I didn't love though, you order and pay through the online menu. Considering you leave a tip I don't fully understand how it works when we did this whole process ourselves. I also noticed other tables getting plates and bowls which we had to ask for. Overall, I felt the servers weren't too friendly either and seemed to rush through our table despite them standing around not seeming too busy. The food was excellent though! The soup had a great spice to it and super flavorful. The beef and onion was so juicy and addictive, the green beans were good too and had a slight kick to them. read more
10 days ago
Omg new favorite spot. Their Liang Pi is to die for!! I got the one with Stewed Pork and some bockchoy and I'm so in love with the quality and flavor!! read more
1 month ago
Someone recommended this place to me and I had high expectations. The service is a bit off, but I don't mind that too much as this is more of that local type of place, but it just seemed like they weren't trying to serve dishes in a logical order and there were long gaps between certain dishes. The hand made noodles are the way to go. The eggplant was a bit off as the skin was a bit firm and chewy and wasn't what I am used to when ordering this dish at other places. At the end of the day, I could do a Togo order, but I will not dine in here. No AC and on a hot and humid day with spicy food is no bueno. read more
Shan Xi Magic Kitchen has been on my Yelp Want To Go list ever since my brother and SIL told me that they really enjoyed a Chinese restaurant in Las Vegas and were told that a similar restaurant existed in San Diego. After their experience in Vegas, they tried Shan Xi themselves and glowingly talked about the delish food there. Today, 3/4s of my fam ate here and we definitely concurred with my brother and SIL's favorable assessment. 4.5 stars because their grub was amazing, but it could be more customer friendly where one of the staff checks to see if we need help ordering instead of ordering from the QR code menu. Shan Xi Magic Kitchen is located in the ultra competitive Convoy Asian District specifically on Convoy Street within the Convoy Village shopping center. The restaurant is next to our fave Asian drink place called Yun Tea, it's next to Olleh KBBQ, next door to Szechuan Chef, and a short walk to BB.Q Chicken. This is a popular strip mall, so it could be challenging for you to find parking. Parking is free for 90 minutes, but you'll have to pay after that time ends. Shan Xi is nice inside with gray brick on their walls, decorative lighting surrounded by rattan, Chinese dolls on a shelf, Chinese inspired figurine art on another wall, and a beautiful curio/screen containing Chinese knick knacks. Seating consists of tables/chairs and a long leather bench. Our servers were friendly, but to me having to order from a QR code is impersonal. I'd rather talk to a person, so that I can ask what they recommend. Plus, if diners aren't familiar with this type of cuisine, I'm sure they would have a bunch of questions. From Shan Xi Magic Kitchen's website, "Bringing the bold flavors of Northwest China to San Diego, Shan'xi Magic Kitchen serves authentic regional specialties. Our restaurants specialize in hand-pulled noodles, savory bread-based dishes, and traditional Chinese comfort food prepared with time-honored techniques." After being told that Shan Xi was similar to their positive dining experience at a different Chinese restaurant in Vegas, my brother and SIL tried Shan Xi and they were impressed by what they ate here and told us that we needed to eat here ourselves. Since my wife and I were off midweek, we invited our son to join us for lunch. We ordered the following dishes and feel free to mimick what we ordered: spicy cumin lamb burger, hand pulled noodle with cumin beef, beef magic fried rice, dry fried green beans, and a side of white rice. My brother and SIL love the lamb burger as a appetizer and we really thought it was tasty too. If you're not a spicy fan, this might not be for you, but the lamb was tender. The pita bread needed to be softer. Their hand pulled noodle with cumin beef was stellar, chewy, and delectable. Loved their beef magic fried rice and it ate really well by itself. The fried green beans were addicting, garlicky, and just yummy. I'm a fan Shan Ci and can't wait to try their other entrees. My brother and SIL were spot on with their positive reviews about Shan Xi Magic Kitchen. It was a blessing to have a spontaneous meet up with 3/4s of my fam and grub on some memorable Chinese food. read more
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
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
5 months ago
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
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
Food is so amazing! Everytime I come here, I order something new and I usually love all their menu items. My all time favorite is their vegetables like cucumber and green beans and their spicy beef noodle soup! The food comes out very fast and the service here is good! The only downside would be parking but definitely a place I love coming back. read more
6 months ago
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
6 months ago
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
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
1 month ago
The noodles are so unique and yummy! They're super chewy, flat, and flavorful. My favorite was the biang biang spicy noodles, they were so yum and packed with flavor. I would definitely come back again! read more
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
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
25 days ago
This is hands down the best Northern Chinese noodle dish I've had in the U.S. The beef was incredibly flavorful and tender, and the chili oil was so fragrant and delicious. I originally planned to take it home, but after just one bite in the car, I couldn't stop eating and ended up finishing the whole thing before I even got home I'll definitely be coming back the next time I'm in San Diego! read more
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
8 months ago
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
4 months ago
1 month ago
TL;DR: A solid, fast-casual Chinese spot in Convoy. The QR code table ordering makes service quick. Food is great and served in share size portions. Parking is tight since its Convoy. Came here with a few friends to catch up, so I didn't get a chance to snap many pictures. Like almost every spot in Convoy, parking here is pretty tight, so plan on giving yourself a little extra time to find a spot. When you walk in, there's no host standing at the front. Instead, you just add your name to the Yelp waitlist tablet. Our wait was super short and we got seated pretty quickly. Once you sit down, the setup is super efficient. There are no physical menus and servers don't take your order in person. You just scan the QR code at your table and order everything directly from your phone. Service is lightning fast because of this, and our food started coming out right after we placed the order. If you've never been before, their digital menu has a "Popular Items" section that makes picking dishes really easy. We ordered a bunch of items to share family-style, and as three young guys, we cleaned house with no leftovers. We got the number 10, the Biang Biang spicy hand-ripped noodles, which had a really nice, legit kick to it. If you need extra small bowls for sharing, the staff is more than happy to bring them over. We also tried the General Tso's chicken, which was fine, but not really my favorite compared to the other items. The fried rice was pretty good and helped balance out the heavy chicken, and the dry fried green beans was my favorite dish. The veggies added a nice fresh contrast to the heavier dishes, and the green beans themselves were packed with flavor and had an awesome spicy kick. Everything was priced very fairly, with most shareable plates falling right in that $15 to $19 range. I don't always eat a lot of Chinese food simply because I didn't know many great places to go, but I'm definitely glad to have this spot in my rotation now whenever the craving hits read more
I would describe this place as good but not great. San Diego does not have that many options for hand pulled Noodles so if you have a craving for biang biang noodle, this would be the place to come to. Overall it's a solid bowl of biang biang but the flavor and texture of similar noodles in LA/OC area are much better. Also would not recommend the crispy spicy chicken as most of the chicken was batter with very little meat. read more
1 month ago
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
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
17 days ago
Food was amazing and so affordable. We got the juicy dumplings and chicken noodle with onion sauce with braised pork on the side read more
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
2 months ago
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More info about Shan Xi Magic Kitchen
4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Kearny Mesa
Directions
(858) 565-2688
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https://www.shanximagickitchen.com
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Ask the Community - Shan Xi Magic Kitchen
Do they offer catering?
What are their current hours? I called on a weekday at 8pm and no one answered
11:00 a.m. -8:00 p.m.
Do they take reservations?
Do they have gluten free options (ie sub Tamari for soy sauce?
Not likely. They don't have many dishes that are gluten free, and unless you bring a Mandarin-speaking friend with you, there may be a possible language barrier to finding out when you're there
Are these all spicy dishes or there are options?
There are options for non spicy appetizers and entrees
Are there any vegan options or items that can be made vegan?
yes, my vegan friend and i eat here all the time.
Are there any vegan options or dishes that can be made vegan?
The liang pi and biang biang noodles (the two best dishes, in my opinion) should both be vegan. There are also a number of tasty vegetable options.
What are the vegan options?
they have some veggie stir fry options that are great like eggplant. you can probably request for the noodle soups to have no meat
What type of regional cuisine is this?
It's mostly from Shianxi and Ninxia/Gansu regions. These are northwest China (west of Beijing). The regions were important as they were on the Silk Road, so the cuisine features a lot of dishes with influence from India/Middle East (ie lamb, cumin…
Msg or no?
I can't speak as to the powdered form, but they do use Fish sauce. Soy sauce and soy protein, Mushrooms, Ripe tomatoes, Broccoli, and Peas. All of these items contain MSG.…
Is this a good choice for a rehearsal dinner? In terms of ambience, size, food quality, and price?
Probably not. There are small tables and it's not a large place
I am looking for chilled Liang Pi noodles with cucumber and bean sprouts. Are Biang Biang noodles the same thing?
No, they're different. Liangpi=chilled flat, slippery wheat noodles that are steamed and often served cold. Biangbiang=thicker, hand-stretched wheat noodles that are boiled and served hot.
Hello, I'm looking for authentic Saozi noodles, Does this place have them on their menu?
Yes' this place sell this one. You can try it
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183 reviews that are not currently recommended
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