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    San Dong Express

    3.8 (123 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, Korean
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    San Dong Express Photos

    SAN DONG EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - San Dong Express

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    Jajangmyeon, hand-pulled noodles, spicy squid (ojingeo-bokkeum)

    Excellent Chinese-Korean Restaurant nestled in Milwaukee. Chinese-Korean food is unique and different from Chinese or Korean food, so you may not see the usual faire. I'd skip the usual crab rangoons and opt for their other specialties. I especially recommend their jajangmyeon (black bean noodles, a saucy perfection with HAND-PULLED NOODLES, which are made daily) and spicy squid (it's pretty spicy, just like I am used to). Portions are generous. I grew up eating jajangmyeon and this is exactly how it should taste. I'll definitely be back.

    Paul F.

    The BEST CHINESE in the Milwaukee area. When Yen Ching went under (a slow victim of the Scandemic), after 30 years of my patronage, I was heartbroken - I knew that none of the dozens of other Chinese restaurants in the area had food as good, or food just like that. Ming's Beef and Princess Chicken were two of our favorites from Yen Ching. No other place does them right - if they offer them. *San Dong Express does.* Both these dishes are amazing and, as far as I can recall, essentially *exactly* like Yen Ching. The amazing thing is that they're first and foremost a Korean Noodle place. We haven't even tried that yet.

    The Happy Family with white sauce. Look at the size of those shrimp!
    Lori L.

    I still don't believe they have raised their prices in years. For around $8 you get a huge portion of food if you aren't doing the noodle dishes. I know I am a creature of habit so I get the happy family with white sauce. I normally branch out at other places but I have been getting this for years so it's become a habit for me. This place is zero frills and yes it will remind you of a Taco Bell inside but they cook the food fresh to order. It's a great quality inexpensive meal that is a quick nosh. Definitely go there if you are near the airport.

    Black bean sauce noodles
    Sophie Y.

    We drove over an hour to Milwaukee on New Year and tried this place. Called ahead and was told they are opened for regular hours. The parking lot was full and the owner said there was a private party. OMG! He was able to finally clear out a table for our party of 4 since the private party was wrapping up. Everything we ordered was delicious and very generous portions. They take credit cards and it's definitely a hidden gem.

    1/2 jjamppong
    Viv P.

    I can't believe it's been 10 years since my review here. I'm doing a quick update cuz I have updated lots of pictures since the last one, and they don't show up with my review. I just like seeing my menu pictures up top on my page :) It's still one of our go-to take outs for Korean-Chinese. Though on a lot of the night nowadays the Korean owners aren't there and the place is manned by the Latino guys, they have been with the restaurant for longer than I've been coming and they're just as awesome! Plus they understand all the Korean dishes I roll out when ordering over the phone; jam-pong, tangsooyook, jjajangmyun, ojinguh bokkeum. My review from before is still pretty much spot on. One of those things that haven't changed much over the years. Oh, one thing that did kinda change. Make sure you order ahead. The place got busier with the pandemic!

    Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), Jjambong

    The portions are huge and the chefs are friendly! I've been returning here with my parents every time we are in Milwaukee for the past six years. My family is Korean and this is place makes the best Korean-Chinese jjampong and tangsuyuk. I noticed that most of the customers that come by order takeout so the restaurant is nice and quiet.

    shrimp and broccoli,  Sam Sung Cham Pong
    Hannah K.

    Stopped by San Dong because it was close to the Milwaukee airport and ended up liking it so much, we went back again before our flight out of Milwaukee. Authentic Korean style Chinese food for a great price and huge portions. I definitely recommend the cham pong and sweet and sour pork. I haven't had cham pong this good anywhere in the United States and it tastes as good as in Korea.

    six dumplings per order, I ate to of them.  Ymmy!
    Jack M.

    I write this as I wait for my food to cool down, because it come out piping hot! Samsung Champong is served in a 48oz bowl filled with a generous portion of noodles, seafood, vege and small bits of tender beef in a spicy seafood broth. The spiciness is that of kimche. It's just the right amount of fire so that you can taste all the other flavors. the pieces of squid, shrimp, fish cake and mussels give the broth that ocean freshness along with the eggs flavored fresh egg noodles that are made fresh to order! The dumplings are large and come six per order. These are unique in that the wrapper is very thick which gets crispy on the outside, but gummy on the inside and then has an uncooked dough taste and texture The tangy dipping sauce balances the flavor The meat filling is tasty. Look for the Korean dishes, labeled on the wall at the counter. Can't go wrong with any of them!

    Sam Sun Cha Chang, Sam Sung Cham Pong, Tangsuyuk
    Athena D.

    Korean-Chinese food, a beautiful fusion of its namesake cultures, has enjoyed burgeoning popularity in the US by way of dishes such as jajangmyeon and hotteok (which even Trader Joe's offers these days!). However, outside of these most popular dishes, it seems that this cuisine has largely evaded mainstream awareness, and for this reason I was absolutely astounded to find out that there was a restaurant serving Korean-Chinese food in Milwaukee. Seriously, even my hometown (a much larger and more ethnically diverse city) only has one place that I know of. So of course, I had to stop by to support the business and give some of their dishes a try. San Dong Express is located right next to the MKE airport, in an unassuming and time-worn little building, but as soon as you see the giant budai statue in the window and dragon columns at the entrance, you'll know you're at the right place. It conveniently has its own parking lot, as well. The interior of the restaurant is somewhat of an enigma that feels kind of like stepping back in time...not sure if that's to the 1980s or to ancient times, because the simple tables and booths, industrial lighting, and menu that retains that yellow-print-on-black that is so rare to see in modern times, are offset by an ornatedly decorated ceiling and decor. I kind of like it, somehow. Place your order at the counter and note that while the black menu has San Dong's Chinese offerings, the Korean-Chinese dishes are (currently) only on the printed to-go menus and two sheets of paper taped to the wall next to the cash register. I perused the reviews before visiting and the general consensus seemed to be that this place is great for Korean-Chinese food and not so great for Chinese food, which is fine because the former was what I came here to try anyway. When we walked in, the only other people there were a Korean family and a Korean dude in the corner downing a bowl of jajangmyeon, so we felt that we were in good hands. My partner and I got the samsun jajangmyeon, samsun jjampong, and tangsuyuk. The food came out quickly on giant red trays...at first we thought that we were grabbing someone else's order by mistake, but the cook/cashier explained to us that he separated the noodles into two portions since there were two of us- I thought that was a really considerate thing to do! The samsun jajangmyeon [$12.95] came with the sauce on the side, allowing you to mix in as much sauce into your noodles as you wish. This was my first time trying jajangmyeon (I'm familiar with the Chinese counterpart, zhajiangmian), and I really liked it. Tasty pieces of pork, shrimp, zucchini, and onions were mixed in a black bean sauce that was really savory and salty, a perfect complement to the noodles. The sauce was so addictive! The samsun jjampong [$12.95] had lots of seafood and veggies in a slightly spicy broth. I wish it was a little more flavorful, but it definitely would be something I'd order again on a chilly day to warm the soul. My partner and I felt the noodle quality was pretty good for both dishes (not sure if they make their own in-house per the newspaper clipping from many years ago?), I just wish the noodles were a little more al dente to make the dishes even more hearty. The tangsuyuk [$15.95] was really yummy! It's different from the traditional Chinese version (both the sweet and sour flavors are a little more toned down in tangsuyuk) and the Chinese-American version (not bright red, haha), but honestly...fried pork in sweet and sour sauce, how can you go wrong? The pork was served in a thick sauce with lots of veggies. It was served with the sauce already over it. Next time, I would ask for it on the side so the pork could remain crispy. We also received a side of kimchi...this was a miss for us. But anyway, the 3 entrees were so much food, they fed us heartily for 2 meals' worth. Since my partner is Korean and more familiar with these dishes, I asked for his verdict- he said the dishes are served in an old-fashioned way. In modern times, restaurants will add more spice, flavor, or accoutrements, but this is old-timey Korean-Chinese food, down to the sauce being already served over the tangsuyuk and the flavors of the jjampong. It's not as good as the places in bigger cities such as LA, but for MKE, I think it's a delight to have such a restaurant available to us. The service was really nice for this kind of place that relies moreso on counter service. I previously mentioned the extra step the cooks took to divide the portions into two, and overall we had positive interactions with the staff, who were helpful and considerate. It's a bit of a drive for me to come here, but I think I would definitely like to come back when I'm craving comfy flavors. I hope they'll continue serving the Korean dishes because this is the only place in town that has them! Maybe I'll have to sneak a visit next time I'm going to the airport...

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    3 years ago

    Not a bad spot for some Asian food. Noodles were my favorite part. Overall a good spot to grab something quick.

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    6 years ago

    Large portions, and sooo delicious! Wish they were closer, but the taste is worth the drive. :)

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    8 years ago

    Tasty and a very good value for the lunch specials. My fave is the hot braised pork but there are plenty of other good dishes too.

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    7 years ago

    This is the best Chinese/Korean restaurant in the area. The place is a hole in the wall as that's why I order to-go.

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    Ask the Community - San Dong Express

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    Back Street BBQ & Hotpot - Birthday cake

    Back Street BBQ & Hotpot

    4.5(60 reviews)
    6.9 miLower East Side, East Side

    We went there for Mother's Day with family, and everyone loved their food. The place looks small…read morefrom the outside, but it was actually quite big on the inside. Plenty of space for parking in the back. Dark, smoky atmosphere with Asian interior designs. Perfect ambiance for BBQ! We had both Korean BBQ & hot pot, absolutely worth the price for both. The BBQ was by far everyone's favorite. We recommend the beef bulgogi, beef short ribs, and pork belly--these were the best for BBQ. Since it was all you can eat, we had a few servings of them. There was also a counter for different types of sauce one could get and a dessert section. The hot pot was great as well. We recommend the bone broth and the fish/shrimp/meatballs with it as well as udon noodles. The service was great overall. Our server was busy, but she managed to be attentive with us. We left with our belly full. We will absolutely come back.

    This was only my second time at a Korean bbq spot, we really enjoyed it. Our group opted to just do…read morethe bbq and not the hot pot. We ordered the bulgogi, steak cubes, pork belly, spicy pork belly, beef tongue, rib meat, shrimp, creamy corn, fried buns, and a few other smaller items. The meat was all good quality! Our tables' favorite meat was the bulgogi for sure. We also loved the creamy corn and fried buns. However, beef tongue was so tough though I couldn't even bite into it (but honestly wasn't expecting to enjoy it!). The sauce bar was a fun touch to get exactly what we each liked. It was a little tricky being in a booth and getting people out to make their sauce combos though but we made it work. There is also a dessert bar but nothing was super intriguing to us and we were pretty full from the meal. The only downside was the service. Other servers seemed awesome but our waitress was totally aloof. She missed multiple orders of ours and we had to reorder those, and she acted super confused each time we had to tell her. She didn't give any direction on the process, and each time we wanted to add to the order we had to wave her down. I don't think she proactively checked on us once. A table nearby had the hotpot and that looked really good. We were intrigued and want to come back and try it. All in all, a great experience, and $31 per person for the amount of food you can rack up felt like a really good deal.

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    Back Street BBQ & Hotpot
    Back Street BBQ & Hotpot
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    Stone Bowl Grill

    Stone Bowl Grill

    3.5(368 reviews)
    6.8 miLower East Side
    $$

    Compared to other Korean restaurants I've been to, this one offers less free appetizers and more…read moreexpensive prices. I got the short rib soup - King Kalbi Tang. It came piping hot in a stone bowl so very glad it comes with a side of rice. It also has clear rice noodles. Portion size was good but the short rib wasn't very flavorful. Happy Milwaukee has Asian options. But not noteworthy.

    We came here the other day because I was craving Korean food but did not have the time nor energy…read moreto make it. I have not been here before so we decided to try it out and see if it was worth it. I ordered the beef kulguksu and my wife ordered the bibimbap. I have kulguksu before but only when my mom would make it back in Korea. It took about 20 mins until the food was ready but when it was brought to us I could smell the flavor of the broth. It was extremely hot, so I had to wait a bit until I could eat it. My wife's bibimbap was also piping hot but hearing the rice crackle always brings back fond memories of my motherland. I was a little shocked that they did not provide banchan though. Banchan is the side dishes that are usually provided with each meal at Korean restaurants or houses for home cooked meals. I didn't ask why because it was pretty busy and I knew I would be full after all the soup. After my kulguksu cooled down a bit I was able to taste the savory beef broth. If you have never had this before, the noodles are usually hand rolled and have a more chewy texture. They are not sweet potato or ramen noodles, so they are able to absorb more of the flavor of the broth. There was beef, cabbage and onion all cooked in the broth that just was a happy medley of deliciousness. I am not going to talk much about the bibimbap because while my wife said it was really good, it was pretty much the norm for bibimbap. I will say however that the kulguksu was as good as my mom's, if not better. So, I will definitely be back for that--I just wish they offered banchan too.

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    Stone Bowl Grill - Jap Che

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    Todd - Thai Larb rub chicken wings - not very spicy but delicious!

    Todd

    4.6(63 reviews)
    3.2 miBay View
    $$

    What can I say about Todd? I love their wings, tenders, rice cakes AND their katsu. It hits all the…read moreflavor and texture profiles I usually want and they are really quick about cooking the food to order. The staff is always very nice and if they are busy for some reason, they even have kiosks to order from as well. I'm Korean and love me some Korean fried chicken wings, but going here means I do not have to make them, make a mess in my kitchen, or have to spend time prepping everything beforehand. Yes, I know these are Karaage but they are very similar. I usually get the boneless wings just because I am weird and do not like having sticky fingers when I am eating, so these I can eat with a fork. The crispiness is always spot-on and I love that they give you just enough sauce to give everything a good coat and flavor but not too much that the chicken is drowning. I also really love the rice cakes that they add into the tenders and wings, it's like a nice little chewy treat to go with everything. Their fries are a LOT of fries! My wife and I have learned we can share one order of them. They have a bunch of varieties of seasonings you can add to the fries but I tend to get mine plain and just eat it with ketchup. I love coming here and their little outdoor patio is great when I want to bring my pup or just enjoy the nice fresh air as we eat our meal.

    We love this spot! The food is always fried to perfection and crispy. The staff are always kind and…read morethe little restaurant always has great music playing. This time we noticed they had a covered/heated patio seating area which was great for the chilly day but we got two barstools inside. We originally found this spot when looking for yummy fries but ended up finding a new bay view fave! Looking forward to returning!

    Photos
    Todd - Kiosk ordering. This menu has pictures to see what you're ordering.

    Kiosk ordering. This menu has pictures to see what you're ordering.

    Todd - Chicken Katsudon

    Chicken Katsudon

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    Dia Bom

    Dia Bom

    4.3(14 reviews)
    7.1 miEast Side, Murray Hill, Lower East Side

    Great service but only okay food. I love both latin and asian flavors, but mixing the two caused…read morethe food to lack the flavor complexity of both cuisines. I got the special of the week which happened to be birria ramen and it was only okay. Decent sized bowl for the price but I was hoping for it to be better The location is in the crossroad collective which is a fun place to bring picky eaters. It has many options for food so everyone can find something they love. So maybe grab an appetizer here and give another stall a try too.

    Asian X Latino fusion restaurant. Pretty unique in Milwaukee! I appreciate the diversity that Dia…read moreBom has brought to Milwaukee food scene. The menu is basically $6 - $11 for appetizer sized of food, so it could easily cost someone $18 - $27 to get full. I tried Churro Bao with Strawberries, Beer Braised Pork Belly and Jerk Chicken Bao. I really liked the pork belly that's crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. It's a slightly heavy dish due to the fat from the pork belly, but the sauce on top balanced it out. It really reminded me of Cantonese-style roasted pork. The Jerk Chicken Bao - I liked the flavorful meat and the refreshing veggies and pineapple. But I am not 100% sure about putting them in Bao. To me, the flavors and texture didn't add up here. The Churro Bao w Strawberries idea worked though! Sweet, warm, flavorful. The Ube sauce on top was so good. I enjoyed them a lot!

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    Dia Bom
    Dia Bom - Jerk chicken bao

    Jerk chicken bao

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    DanDan - Sesame Chicken Bao: I guess it's  "American Chinese" because it's like a burger instead of a traditional Bao.

    DanDan

    3.8(612 reviews)
    4.9 miHistoric Third Ward
    $$$

    I have been to DanDan multiple times recently and have left full and happy (: I'd recommend sitting…read moreout on their cute patio on a nice day and enjoying some delicious food. If you like a little bit of spice I really enjoyed the Happy Chicken specialty and (of course) the DanDan noodles are a must. For appetizers, the crab rangoons and Sichuan pork dumplings were so delicious. We also had the mapo tofu dish that was great delicious for the vegetarian option. So many delicious things to split between friends My absolute favorite dish they offer is the walnut shrimp. It was so delicious and sweet, I will definitely be ordering it every time I'm back at DanDan! Lastly, we tried some sweet mango crème brûlée that hit the spot at the end of a nice din din

    I had an incredible time at DanDan. Granted, it was because of my Chase CC that we got a prime time…read morereservation and the meal was essentially free due to Open Table credit, but honestly, we were so happy with our experience. I completely agree that this isn't authentic chinese food, but approachable fusion that tries to keep it truthful to the flavors and presentation. The highlight of the meal was the peking duck, which they only have about 2 orders of a night. We snagged it immediately when we sat down and it can easily feed 4 people with the sides. The duck was juicy and cut into thick pieces, so it was more of a steak rather than a bao style that I am used to. Nevertheless, it was delicious and even warmed up well the next day. The green onion wraps were...strange in my opinion. They fell apart easily and didn't have the best flavor that complemented the duck. Overall, I would come back for the duck itself, but everything else was average or extra salty. Service was great and the staff are very attentive. Happy eating!

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    DanDan - Inside

    Inside

    DanDan - Smashed Cucumbers

    Smashed Cucumbers

    DanDan - Outside

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    Outside

    San Dong Express - chinese - Updated August 2026

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