Prepare for a much longer wait than they estimate for phone/online orders!! The lady said 30mins for our pickup time but we ended up having to wait 30+ more mins after arriving at the restaurant so -2 stars for underestimating and wasting our time. Food, however, is actually really delicious although very greasy. Portions are generous as well and we prefer lunch/dinner items over dim sum. String beans - Delicious and fresh. This dish has also small pieces of pork. Shrimp fried rice - Small and few shrimps. Fried rice is cooked and seasoned really well. Eggplants - Swimminnnnggggg in oil omg. Nonetheless, it was very delicious. Fish with spicy sauce - Our least favorite because it is mala, and we both don't like the aftertaste it leaves in our mouth. The fish was cooked well and spicy too, and it also has glass noodles inside! However, there were more chilis floating in the dish more than fish itself. read more

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What to know: - XLB is better than DTF(Din Tai Fung not down to ....:) - As mentioned in many reviews this is due to the larger potion of soup and filling. How it's supposed to be. - Dan Dan is GAT DAMN. 12/10. Peppercorn and noodles are tangy and spicy but just enough so you don't sweat and regret it later(my spice level is Indian and this dish is perfectly balanced). - Honey walnut shrimp is also 12/10. Light, crispy, sweet and crunchy. So good make you wanna slap yo momma. We came at 1pm on a Thursday for lunch. No wait and parking was available. If you know Cupertino at lunchtime this is rare. Highly recommended. read more

XLB Kitchen - Dan Dan + XLB - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Wow, I finally found a restaurant with good XLB! (I mean, based on the restaurant name, I would imagine it should live up to the name lol). I've been so disappointed by many dumpling restaurants and I'm constantly on the hunt for a good and consistent dumpling restaurant in the Bay Area. We came on a Thursday afternoon and got seated in the back outdoor patio right away. We ordered: 1. Steam pork bun (the xlb) 10/10 $8.95 - for a good xlb, it's all about the skin and soup to me. The skin for these soup dumplings were excellent. It wasn't thick and chewy like many other dumpling restaurants. I bit right into the soft & thin skin and the soup had a nice flavor with the filling. I'd definitely come back for this dish. 2. Pot sticker 10/10 ($8.95) - not the best presentation, but I loved this dish. The filling is different than many other restaurants I've tried. I love that it has mushrooms in it and the flavor of the skin tasted like it was right off the wok. (Yum - crispy & flavorful) 2. Glutinous rice with pork and bamboo 9/10 ($17.95) - unlike many other Asian dishes! I swear I've only had something like this in Asia. Great presentation, portion, and taste. Must try. Overall, fast service and great dishes. I'll be back to try more items from the menu! read more

XLB Kitchen - Steamed pork bun (xlb) $8.95 and glutinous rice with pork in bamboo ($17.95) - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

Definitely dining in is better than take out. A small restaurant but when not busy enough seats. Garlic fried ribs-5 per order, meaty and not dry. Nice garlic chips Pork xlb is the star here. Plump and juicy Green beans-didnt really care for but appreciate that they weren't salty Hot and sour soup- not toospicy or sour but just enough They come around asking how many orders of soup dumplings you want. This came out last. Small parking lot No outdoor dining but indoor dining available read more

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I would come here for their dumplings but disappointed in their spicy stuff. We got the soup dumplings which were pretty good. The skin isn't the thinnest but it's very juicy, lots of soup, and it's very filling and satisfying. The soup is a bit sweet in all the dumplings. We also got the pan fried dumplings which were also a bit sweet. I liked these. We also got the pork and shrimp and chives but I think it was just the pork when it came. Those ones were okay. We also got the spicy wontons. It was very watery. Flavor was okay, could have been stronger. The wonton just had a small piece of meat and giant flaps of wonton wrapper It took me a long time to find the meat. Quite disappointing. The Dan Dan noodles were also very disappointing. The noodles were very thin and scraggly, no chew or bite at all and quite soggy. And it had the same watery spicy sauce as the spicy wontons. It was also kind of annoying because we asked how big of a serving the noodles were, and they said it serves one person. I mean I guess technically accurate, but the way they said it kind of implied we should have ordered one for each person in our party of four even though we ordered a bunch of dumplings and other stuff. So we definitely did not need that many. We only ordered half the amount and it was too much. One is totally fine to share amongst for if you're ordering other items. Family style. A bit of a ridiculous suggestion but eh. We stayed there quite a bit and caught up, I wasn't a line or anything but a good amount of people. No one waiting, and they didn't make us feel too rushed either which was appreciated. So overall would come here for a certain dumplings but not everything. read more

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TLDR - go to epic for xlb. 1/ make a reservation - even on a weekday. 2/ XLB was very soupy but too sweet for me. 3 stars. 3/ beef noodle soup 3.5 stars Came here obviously for the soup dumplings were filled to the brim with soup. The wrapper was thin and tender and all of them survived without popping until I gobbled them up. It also comes with just 6 dumplings in a tray. But the flavor itself was too sweet for my liking, I couldn't eat more than 3. I prefer epic dumplings over these. The spicy beef noodle soup had a nice spicy flavorful broth. Not as umami (/salty) as Liang's but good. The noodles were thin and slightly chewy. Overall I liked it but wish the meat was better quality (lots of gristle, not tender at all). The place was completely full at noon on a weekday can't imagine how long the wait would be on a weekend. Seating inside is limited, there is a sizable outdoor section. Recommend reservations - ask for outdoor seating! read more

XLB Kitchen - Beef noodle soup - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

My thoughts: This is a traditional classic / fusion Chinese restaurant that is been around the Santa Clara area through out the up and down of the Pandemic . And any restaurant can survive the harsh business world is A OK in my book. Plus they do serve good Chinese food and maintain a OK price. Here is my scoring card for this restaurant: 1) Location: ( 5 Point ) - Great location for customer to see and find. Great parking for street parking and back side with parking lot parking. 2) Decoration : (2 Point) - They still have the original decoration. Clean and simple. 3) Price: ( 4 point)- The price is competitive but still a little bit pricey compare to other same stars and type food they serve 4) Quality and Taste : ( 3 point)- The quality is ok, food taste is good and portions are OK average . One thing I do want to point out is that it seem to have MSG or something similar to it because after eating it my teeth feel tinkling and sensitive. 5) Type of cuisine standard : ( 4 point) - The style of Chinese food they serve is pretty close to the way it was prepare in China. Not bad! But some dishes did have slightly modify to cater the customer's need Overall it's not bad and I thinks it's great to give it a try and let me know what you think. Go foodies Total max is 25 Score 18 Stars = 72% round up to 3 stars read more

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Got seated quickly, and service was good. The food was okay. But I didn't try any of the satay dishes. My review is manly for the Xiao lung baos. read more

A group of 7 of us came on a hot Sunday afternoon for their infamous XLBs. Unfortunately we were seated outside. They were nice enough to put a fan near us, but it just wasn't enough to keep us cool. We must have had 6 or 7 orders of their XLBs. The flavor of the meat and soup are so easy to eat! I wish they had other types of XLBs and not just the pork, but they've learned to perfect it. We also ordered the pork belly sticky rice, baby bok choy, and a few orders of their cucumber salad. The cucumbers are a nice and refreshing touch to the meal. Can't go wrong with boy choy. The rice wasn't my favorite. There wasn't too much flavor to it. Overall, a good spot for XLBs. During the random heat waves in the Bay Area, make sure to eat inside if you can!! I do have to say that if you do speak Chinese, the owner will treat you much nicer than other customers that don't. read more

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Love this place. I come here most often for the pork belly and glutinous rice, the salted egg pumpkin, and the duck. The spicy wontons are good too. OMG their duck. Anyway. I've always had fast service and friendly staff. I like the outdoor seating. read more

Great mix of spicy and non-spicy dishes. Quick and friendly service. Refreshingly different dish flavors. On warmer days their outdoor patio is a great place to catch-up with a small group of friends for lunch. The parking lot and inside seating is small, but functional. read more

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Would come back for XLB and to try other items :) I came here primarily for the XLB which msg my expectations! They were juicy and the dough:meat ratio was just right. 5/5 Not a big fan of the dan dan noodles. It was spicy but not too flavorful imo. 2/5 Cucumber salad was supppper garlicky. I like it personally but it could be a bit overwhelming for average garlic eaters. 4/5 I also got the pan fried pork buns to-go. Those were good too! Juicy (when it's still hot), but i lightly fried them again when I got home and the crisp came right back! 4/5 Service was okay. Price is a littttle on the higher side but it is in a pricier area. Food 4/5 Service 3/5 Experience 4/5 read more

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Randomly found this place today and think overall: it was a good find. Service was speedy and nice. Their outdoor patio seating all shaded and cozy. I'd come back here again. Food was satisfying enough. Ordered the Steamed pork bun (soup dumpling). Really good. Comparable to any place. Recommend this dish. Sezchuan chili oil wonton. We didn't like this one. Didn't like the vegetable that was in it and felt the meat was lacking. Sautéed green beans. Super good. Seasoning on point. Crispy green beans on point. Shanghai stir fried noodles. Good enough! Kids liked it. read more

Efficient! Tasty! Quiet ambiance! We were seated immediately on a weeknight and ordered: 7 - 4 | Garlic Pork Belly 8 - 1 | Steamed Pork (XLB) (6pcs) 8 - 2 | Fried Buns w/Pork (6pcs) 8 - 9 | Shrimp and Pork Dumplings w/Chinese Chives (12pcs) 8-10 | Szechuan Chili Oil Wonton SERVICE: friendly and attentive staff! FOOD: Solid! The Szechuan chili oil wonton was my favorite. AMBIANCE: Refreshingly calm and quiet. read more

XLB Kitchen - Garlic Pork Belly (top left), Steamed Pork (XLB) (middle), Fried Buns w/Pork (6pcs), Shrimp & Pork Dumplings, Szechuan Chili Oil Wonton - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

Food was quick, not too busy. Service was by here and there up til the food dropped and then we didn't see them so much. Getting the bill also took a little while. They answered any questions we had prior to getting to order. We got a number of things to share. One compatriot had never had XLB before so definitely had to get one of those. She's hooked now btw haha. I forget the noodles that we had gotten, I think it was the shanghai ones. We also ordered the pork rice in bamboo, dumplings in chili oil, the garlic ribs, and the baby bok choy since there had to be at least one vegetable with all of this. Definitely scarfed everything down. The flavors were good and everything was cooked well. I think the garlic ribs, and the rice were the winners for what we had. All in all, pretty solid. I can imagine it'd be kinda rough if it was busier though. The cold weather when we stopped in probably deterred others. Would definitely stop by again to try other dishes. read more

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Small place but with a lot of outdoor seating under umbrellas, XLB's speciualty is the XLB (which stands for Xiao Long Bao), a pork soup dumpling and it is as good a soup noodle as I've had. Tender, hot, and full of very flavorful broth. The rest of the food was also good but not quite at the same level as the XLB. The onion pancake was crispy, with lots of flaky layers but oddly shy on onions, so it was more like a fried flatbread. Onions should be the star. The Dan Dan noodles were also pretty good but not as complex and balanced as I'd like. The tongue-numbing Szechwan Peppercorns flavor dominated. Service was fast and efficient. read more

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If you're a xiao long bao lover like me, this is a must try! Their XLB is big and full of delicious soup, and the perfect thin wrap to pork ratio It's like getting hugged on the inside. I personally prefer their XLB than Din Tai Fung's. It's a small, mom-and-pop, shop. The owner is so sweet and I love coming here. Some other favorites are their glutinous rice with pork in bamboo and sautéed string beans! read more

XLB Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

I heard good things about this place, so I ordered the beef noodle soup, orange peel chicken, and green onion pancake, which landed around $45, so the average for the area. The orange peel chicken was ok. The green onion pancake was not greasy.The noodles were pretty good. read more

Great chinese place! My favorite dish had to be the smoked duck after seeing people rave about it in the reviews, and safe to say it did not disappoint, it's just super flavorful. Also ordered: glutinuous rice with pork, string beans, shanghainese noodles, rice cakes, xiao long bao. read more

Friday after work food woes. So I read one person said this was better than Din Tai Fung, can't vouch to that because I have yet to try them. Lol We ordered the Dan Dan noodles, pork belly, XLB dumplings and spicy wonton. Service was super friendly and fast. They get you in and out. They opened at 5 so there wasn't a line. Love the outdoor seating. I really loved the Dan Dan, the noodles are thin and slippery and they aren't stuck together. The spicy won ton had too much of a kick for me since I have to cut down on spicy food here on out. The XLB soup dumplings were delicious. I am into pork belly but limiting my intake. Great delicacy and outdoor snack. Overall the experience was two thumbs up. Yes we will be back. Even ordered Dan Dan to go too. read more

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Solid XLB place in the South Bay! Tried the XLB, pork glutinous rice, and chili oil wontons. Thought the XLB was really good - thin skin, super juicy!!! And decent price too. The pork glutinous rice is one of their specialty dishes. It was very flavorful and the serving size was huge. Don't think I'd order the chili oil wontons again. It comes in more of an oil broth than just oil, which was unique and it had some greens in it. It had a good Mala spice to it, but i personally preferred the XLB. Portions were all decent for the price and these 3 dishes can feed 3 people if shared family style which comes out to less than 20 a person for a solid meal! Definitely rec this place!!! read more

XLB Kitchen - Nice to-go packing - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

Was excited to try this place and unfortunately was a let-down. We got there right at the opening and was seated immediately. There were plenty of outside seating but a bit cold around this time. We ordered the following items: 1) Shanghai dumplings 2/5 - the meat is not flavorful and it's not well made - might have been overcook. 2) Pan fried buns 2/5- big disappointment, too much dough and the meat is not tasty inside. (Go check out old Shanghai in Sunnyvale - best pan fried buns in town). 3) Spicy wonton 2/5 - wonton without the meat and the soup is bland and cover chili paste. Can't even taste vinegar. 4) Deep Fried Spareribs with garlic 3/5 - flavorful but too much fat on the ribs. 5) sticky bamboo rice with pork 3/5 - it's a bit on the salty side but quite flavorful. 6) Shanghai chow mein 3/5 - it's ok nothing special about it. There was a crowd by the time we left - not exactly sure why cuz their food is average unless today just not a good day for the chef!! Sadly my friend do like the place but there are others places have way better food. read more

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Preface: we eat here at least twice a month! I'm not sure how I have been behind on reviewing this place. It's basically our family's go to place. We legit come here every other week. I think my husband and daughter wouldn't mind coming every week honestly. Kathleen is the sweetest lady and so caring! She always greets you with a smile and makes you feel welcomed. Since trying this place is 2021 XLB has been our number 1 Chinese restaurant in the South a Bay Area. Ok let's move to food. Greens: ask for any seasonal greens like pea shoots or baby bok choy. Simple yet so good and good for you! Chongqing: a must order! I love Szechuan peppers. The crispy, salt, spicy mix of flavors is absolutely perfect for any day! This is my fav! Chicken Wings: simple, crispy and juicy. Exactly what you need! Spicy Shrimp Wontons: similar to Chongqing this has a lot of Szechuan peppers and it is spicy! The wontons are perfect! Fried Rice: I love a simple no nonsense fried rice and that is what you get here. Both vegetarian and non vegetarian are equally good. Ok I'm salivating.....will I go there for dinner tonight? Time will tell! read more

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Wow some of the best Steamed Pork Buns XLB I have ever had. Very cute patio. Fast service. The Sauteed Bean Sprouts in White Sauce was so crunchy and refreshing. The House Special Glutinous Rice with Pork in Bamboo was like nothing I have ever had before. Tons of flavor and it's not for anyone on a diet =). The Chongqing Spicy Chicken was super spicy and reminded me of popcorn chicken with a kick. The Szechuan Chili Oil Wonton comes in a bowl so its easier to scoop out. Price point is higher than most places in this area that is filled with Dim Sum spots, but the quality and taste makes it worth it. read more

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I had lunch at XLB Kitchen last week. Still the best XLB around. The wrappers are thin yet strong enough to not tear when you pick them up, and the dumplings are filled with lots of satisfying soup. Great service & excellent food. I had XLB, sauteed pea leaves, & salt & pepper fish. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch as well as the leftovers I ate throughout the week. read more

XLB Kitchen - XLB - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

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I have been here twice now. The outdoor seating area is much nicer than the indoor dining area. I enjoy their xiao long bao and beef chow fun, but everything was just meh overall. Not a fan of the dan dan noodles or spicy wontons. The xiao long bao are big and have lots of soup inside each dumpling. Very juicy! The beef chow fun was good, but all of the noodles stuck together and were not seasoned evenly. The honey walnut prawns here are pretty good. Big shrimp and lots of candied walnuts. It is expensive for the portion. read more

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Placed a take out order on the phone and order was ready in 25min. Garlic ribs 4/5 - the ribs are salty and oily but so tasty, especially with the fried garlic bits. Soup dumplings xlb 4/5 - the skin is slightly thicker than Taiwanese style xlb but the soup is so flavorful. Spicy wonton 3.5/5 - this is different from most Chinese restaurant's spicy wontons. It was presented in a soupy form and was not spicy at all. I liked that there were some vegetables in the soup and a generous amount of wontons within. read more

XLB Kitchen - Garlic ribs. Spicy wontons. Soup dumplings. - Szechuan Near Me - Cupertino, California

I will give it a second chance to try xiaohongbao (bun). It is very popular though. Busy on the Saturday morning. read more

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I'm not the biggest fan of XLB but this place was good. The meat inside the XLBs are really juicy and had the perfect amount of wrap and meat combo. I was also pleasantly surprise by the buns. It was savory and they did not skimp out on the meat. I would recommend getting both of these plates. The chicken dish and beef noodle soup however were just ordinary. The chicken was dripping in oil and both plates lacked flavor. Service: workers are friendly and attentive to the table. Overall, I would return if I wanted a light snack with friends but that's it. read more

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Divey Chinese please with probably the best XLB around. Don't miss trying the beef tendon or eggplant. Service is fast and attentive. Places like this are getting harder to find. read more

I still don't know what is good here. It's a small/medium restaurant with outdoor seating. The owner seem very nice but I think she is too busy on the phone ( taking To Go orders by herself). There was one other girl who work there ( but at first I thought she might be cooking but later I realize she is her assistant, who seem nice but had other responsiblity) So Im not sure we had a waitress or not? It was not busy the day we went in ( only one other table) but owner was taking To Go order on phone, so I dont know if we have a waitress. Nobody give us Menu. Normally I would go get it myself, but the inside is crowd & Dad sit on outside blocking me to sit on inside. Owner give Dad one menu but forgot to give me menu. The reason I am only give 3 star is there were no condiments ( Salt, Pepper) on the table. In Chinese restaurant you should have at least White Pepper on table. I still have no idea what is Good here. Dad ordered white fish/woodear ( small portion, but I did not want white fish but he want it), Mapo Tofu, & XLB ( Xiao Long Bao), & PeaSprouts. My dad ask the Owner after she got off phone if they have Puffy/Tender Greens Beans ( I dont know what the Name is....I thought it was Chinese Green Beans). I think it is in same family as PeaSprouts, but Owner point to Menu, and Dad said No I meant...blah blah Green Beans. Owner she tried to recommend the PeaSprout which were good but expensive. Anyhow she simply said No and walk away. I understand why she walk away because it is hard to listen to my Dad ( it take very patient person to listen to him and she is very very busy). But I really want to ask her ( or any waitress) what is Good on the Menu. His White Fish was Ok. I just hate it when Dad order White Fish or Tofu. I do like them but Dad never ask me what I want. Anyway the Mapo Tofu was Ok. It had that numbing spice which I dont remember Mapo Tofu having that when I was younger. My Dad said he thought it would have ground Pork, but missing some pork with the Tofu? But the numbing spice, it taste Ok, it was good, just I dont know if I want tofu. The XLB was pretty good. They need to tell us that the soup is Hot inside ( when you bite into bun, it can burn your tongue). I already knew that but it was just Ok, maybe a little too sweet? but still very good. The PeaSprouts were the best part of the meal. .I dont know if I like PeaSprout but they did give us alot ( as it is expensive). My only complaint is I wanted to ask the waitress about dessert. I was interested in the first item on the dessert Menu, it would be nice for someone to describe it. My Dad just says " it is just rice" but I want to know how it taste so I can convince Dad to order it. In a good restaurant # 1 there should be condiments on the table ( White Pepper, Soy, Vinegar, or Chili on the Table) I think they forgot to put condiments on our table even tho other tables have. #2 Menu should be given to all parties, not just one so everyone can see what is on menu. #3 Waitress should give customer chance to ask questions about the Menu or at least ask what is good. The girl behind the counter was really nice but maybe she should try to help with customers Answer questions? She did come to help us Pack our meal. I did not want her to because I know they are busy ( I prefer to pack it) but she offered. After that she was very busy with another customers. The assistant should simply ask "Would you like me to pack it" as I always want to pack it and include all sauces. I think she was trying to help but should always ask if they have to pack it ( as I am picking about how things are packed, I like to include the fish sauce that drip into our dish). Luckily, they did give us Black Vinegar ( with XLB) as I think the expensive White Fish had very little taste? So i used the Black Vinegar to help with the taste. And later the Girl got us some White Pepper for the table which saved the meal. In my last review, I wanted to say the Combo Fried Rice had No Taste. I read other people's review and realize another customer also said Fried Rice had no taste. We did not order it this time, but one customer complained too but another customer said it was good so I was wondering if it was just a bad day that we ordered it. read more

We were with our out of town friend and wanted to have some XLBs (xiao long bao) for lunch before continuing on our South Bay food adventure. With a name of XLB Kitchen with good Yelp reviews, we decided we would have lunch here. It's located in the back left of a strip mall and parking was plentiful. Their seating area is a nice large outdoor patio with umbrellas on each table. Needed on this warm sunny day. Checking out the menu, we discussed some dishes with our waitress and ordered a mixture of dim sum items and vegetables. Dim sum dishes: XLBs -six to an order. They were bigger than what I've had and were juicy with soup. The skin was thicker, probably due to the larger XLB size. Potstickers - six to an order. These were smaller potstickers and were not anything special. Pan fried buns - six to an order. These were ok as the skin to the buns were thick and doughy. Szechuan chili oil wontons - I expected the wontons to be in a chili sauce, but this came in a chili broth, so the flavor was not intense. I've had better. The entrees we ordered were very good. Smoked duck (half) - a house specialty. Good recommendation by our waitress. Moist and not greasy. It did not come with any sauce, but it was not needed as It was flavorful. Glutinous rice with pork in bamboo - nicely presented in a hollowed bamboo. The pork belly was tender and in a tasty sauce. Delish! House special sautéed pea shoots in garlic - well made. Very good. Overall, it was a good meal. With XLB in its name, I expected the dim sum to be the stars, but we enjoyed the entrees more. read more

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XLB Kitchen is a delicious restaurant that offers many unique Chinese dishes, though the XLB (short for Xiao Long Bao) seems to indicate that their specialty is Soup Dumplings. Although their soup dumplings are great, their other menu offerings are just as compelling. My friend and i often order a bunch of things and share. Here's what we got: * Szechuan dan dan noodles -- These were pretty good. However, it is a bit "soupier" than most other dan dan noodles i have tried. Usually the sauce is thicker and has a more peanut vibe to it. * Eggplant with hot garlic sauce -- Who doesn't like eggplant, especially Asian eggplant dishes? This was bomb! However, i am biased and love eggplant! The hot garlic sauce was perfect and the texture of the eggplant was on point! * Pork Dumplings with cabbage -- These dumplings were pretty good, but not as good as their XLB (soup dumplings). They still made great leftovers though! * Szechuan chili oil wonton -- The wontons were great! This has everything i love: dumplings, chili and oil. Say no more! * Chongqing spicy chicken -- Again, more things I love: savory, spicy and crunchy. This dish hit all my marks. Beware of bones though! We've been here a couple of times, and i suspect it won't be the last! read more

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Wow! SO much flavor in every single dish! Very quick and friendly service! Came for lunch on Sunday and only the outdoor patio was opened, which was completely covered with shade (maybe just one ray of sunshine coming through the cracks of the umbrellas). There was an outdoor heater, but it wasn't on, which was fine. It was a little chilly, but not too bad. They do serve complimentary hot jasmine tea so that helped! We ordered the Dan Dan noodles which was on the wetter side (not dry), and definitely gave us the numbing effects! The chili wontons were drenched in a bowl full of chili oil (no skimping here) with some green veggies on top. The XLB was delicious, but was on the sweeter side. The onion pancakes were OK. The best dish was hands down the smoked duck! We ended up ordering one more order to-go. Overall, I really enjoyed the food and service here and would definitely come back! read more

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My gold standard for XLB has been the Canton Court in Kaohsiung, which I had back in 2011. The moment my siblings, cousins, and I bit into it, we all agreed that it was what XLB tasted like in Heaven. If I went back to Canton Court now, I'd hesitate to think it could match the XLB in my memories. When I first went to XLB Kitchen back in 2019, it was the first time in nearly a decade I didn't think, "not nearly as good as Canton Court." I would hesitate to declare it immediately better, but that's only because time kept on slipping into the future and see the first paragraph. Regardless, XLB Kitchen is way closer and I'm certain way cheaper, and for that I'm certain that they're at least superior in value for money and in accessibility. Despite the name, their XLB isn't the only worthy item on their menu. The attractively presented "Glutinous Rice w/Pork in Bamboo" is equally delicious when taken out and presented in a plastic carton rather than a hollowed-out bamboo stick, and their standard snacks like the Ma-Lan Tofu were also delicious. It's been a bit over a year since I moved to the East Bay, but these dishes still ring out in my mind and Yelp keeps reminding me I never actually wrote a review, so here it is. The only pictures I have of the restaurant include the dishes I mentioned above and were taken pre-pandemic; one set was taken in late November 2019, and the other set was taken a week later with family and friends. I'll have to suggest it to my wife for dinner the next time we're in the area. read more

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We came here with a party of 8. We called in 20 minutes ahead and they saved a table for us. The food: The food was great. The soup dumplings in particular, to no surprise, were really good. Service: The service was really good. We had food allergens and the owner checked that each item was made without the allergens and we had no issue. Warning: tip *at least* 10%. The owner really really does not like people who tip less than 10%. She will literally confront you about it. The price was also reasonable. read more

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Great location and amazing food. I came here on the recommendation of a coworker and it's one of the best places for XLB (and other great options!). They have a lot of outdoor seating, where it's covered in the summer and filled with heaters in the winter. XLB has thicker skin and is able to capture the flavors of the meat. There's only pork, which was really helpful for our friend who's allergic to shellfish. It's most enjoyable in person since it'll be steaming hot. Spicy Wontons: they aren't spicy and are plated in a more soupy base. It's especially fun to fish out treasures in case they fall apart. Garlic Cucumber: a delicious staple in our meal. Their is a perfect amount of garlic where the taste is savory and a great chaser for the spicier foods. Mapo Tofu: SUPER GOOD. This dish packs a punch and gets a lot of flavor from the fermented black beans. Their is a lot of mala flavor and overall a well balanced dish. read more

Been here twice now -- once for lunch and once for dinner. The first time my husband and I was here, it was pre-COVID and the second time was just a week ago. The xlb (xiao long bao/soup dumplings) is definitely the item you have to get. I mean, they're called XLB Kitchen! It is probably one of our favorite places to get xlb. They come out fairly fast, piping hot, and full of soup! The skin is not as thin as what you would get at Din Tai Fung but the flavor profile is fantastic. We had their shanghai chow mein before but it was not a favorite. The flavors were pretty lacking and the dish was pretty dull. Their pork belly in bamboo is pretty decent though. It had good flavor, the pork belly was fall apart tender, and the glutinous rice went wonderfully! You would have to like bamboo though because there are fairly large pieces in this dish! We also tried their green onion pancake and it's pretty normal. Nothing special. Overall, definitely recommend this place for xlb! Can't go wrong! Rest of the dishes are a hit and miss for us. read more

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Called and ordered take out said it would be ready in 30min. I ordered XLB, deluxe vegetable, mangolian beef, chicken dumpling, egg white soup, and green onion pancake. Everything was delicious as usual price was $101 and worth every penny. read more

Came here to eat a few weeks ago for the xlb, and I expected this place to have more than one kind of flavor hence the name "xlb kitchen". However, there was only one kind so keep that in mind! They have a large menu, but I decided to order what I thought are most popular. W/ the items I ordered, usually you can't go wrong with these. However, everything we ate was disappointing. Xlb: 3/5 the meat and soup was good, however the skin was too thick and doughy. Spicy wontons: 0/5 this was a HUGe let down! It just tasted like wonton soup with chili oil added. Not only that, there was literally no meat. All of this was just skin..the meat was the size of my finger nail or maybe even smaller than that. All of my wontons looked like this...it was a huge waste of money lol why even sell me this if you aren't going to fill the wontons??! Honey walnut shrimp: 1/5 also a huge disappointment because of the texture and flavor. The sauce tasted like coconut milk which threw me off. read more

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