We took a few things to go and they were fresh and well seasoned. Cashew baby shrimp, Kungpao…read morechicken and pork dumplings, which were a tad on the spicy side. The lady that took our order was very friendly and polite. We will return next time we are in the area.

Small but pretty nice Northern Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. I've never tried North Chinese food…read moreand I had the Liang Pi and the Rou Jia Mo (Chinese Hamburger). I originally came for the Rou Jia Mo but the waitress encouraged me to try the Liang Pi as well and I'm happy to have tried something new. I don't have much of a frame of reference for how the dishes are supposed to be but I enjoyed it. I do wish the spicy Chinese hamburger was a bit spicier but it was still good. Overall it was a nice place!

Xi A Sizzling Woks is a small, authentic restaurant that delivers delicious northern Chinese food…read moreat affordable prices. I enjoyed my food and the service was fairly quick! It wasn't too busy while I was there but I do imagine it may slow down if there were more customers, as there was only one server working. The dumplings in chili oil and the spicy sour minced pork noodles were both so tasty! The dumplings were served in a tangy sauce that meshed with the chili oil beautifully. The noodles were also a perfect level of sour, just enough to keep the flavor profile complex and interesting. It also included a large variety of vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, and bok choy with the minced pork. The noodles were perfectly chewy, but I will note that they did not absorb the flavor of the soup well. My sister got the spicy beef noodles, which had a stronger beef profile and less savory flavor than I was expecting. The noodles were comparable to the spicy sour pork noodle bowl as noted above. One area that could improve significantly is the ambiance. The restaurant is dead silent, without any music, which makes conversation a bit awkward. You can clearly hear the conversations three tables away as well. If this were improved, it would greatly contribute to a better dining experience! Overall, I enjoyed my meal and would return. Of note, if you pay with cash you can get a 10% discount on your next visit. I'll be back again if I need a hot and affordable noodle soup in Philly!

The attention was excellent, the food was delicious, this was by far the beef best lo mein noodles…read moreI've tried!

I stopped by on a rainy day with a friend to grab a quick snack. The place was surprisingly busy,…read moreespecially for being fairly new, so it seems like they're already building a following. I originally wanted to try the oden, but it wasn't available. My guess is it's because it's summer, which is understandable. Instead, we ordered the shrimp cheung fun and the beef cheung fun. The cheung fun was definitely the highlight. Since it's made fresh to order, it takes a little longer to come out, but I honestly don't mind waiting when it means the food is fresh. The rice rolls were soft, silky, and had that delicate texture you're looking for. The shrimp was fresh with a nice bite, and the beef was tender and savory without being overly salty. The dining area is small, more like a neighborhood diner than a restaurant, but it's cozy and has a family-run feel. You can even hear the owners and cooks chatting in the kitchen. At one point they were gossiping about other Chinatown restaurants, which was honestly pretty entertaining. The one thing that really bothered me was the service during ordering. I was the one placing the order, paying, and getting the food to go, but the staff kept directing questions to my male friend instead. They asked him if he wanted spice, even though he hadn't ordered anything and had already eaten. It made the interaction feel a little awkward and frustrating. I'm sure there wasn't any bad intent behind it, but it definitely stood out. Overall, the food was fresh and enjoyable, and I'd come back for the cheung fun. I just hope the ordering experience is a little smoother next time.

Went here because we were craving rice rolls and kept seeing this place all over TikTok, so we…read moredecided to give it a try. It's a small, mom-and-pop restaurant with a simple menu. You start by choosing your rice roll, then pick the toppings you want. What makes this place different is that the rice rolls are more deconstructed--the toppings are served on top instead of being wrapped inside as a filling. It was an interesting twist on a classic dish, and everything had great flavor. The portion size was also generous, so it definitely satisfied the craving. I'd definitely come back the next time I'm in the mood for rice rolls.

So good and warm and comforting especially in the winter. The mi xian is always a great texture -…read morebouncy and chewy as it should be and doesn't break down the middle. The soups are always piping hot and very umami. It's also very consistent so you know what to expect. I haven't had a version I didn't like here

This is my third or fourth time-- always a good meal, especially during these winter months…read more First off: restaurant is fairly small, and pretty popular during peak dining times (ex. weekend dinners), so be prepared to wait, especially with a larger group. Luckily on a Monday evening, things were pretty sparse and our large group was able to be fully seated on a rolling basis as people arrived. Food was delicious! I've only ever gotten the classics, but this time I got the Szechuan Pepper Fish. Really good, and I'd recommend, especially if you're into the numbing spice! The servers are friendly and offer help to any newcomers (or people that seem like they are newcomers) on how to properly combine the ingredients provided. I ordered some appetizers, but honestly next time I'd just get the soup on its own. It's good enough as is, and you'll be filled up.

This place is clean and bright with good service on the day we went. The soup dumplings were…read moreterrific. The shrimp dumpling was pretty good (but the ground shrimp was mixed with krab-stick). We got chrysanthemum tea with are meal and it was fragrant and nice. The dumplings were served with a ginger black vinegar sauce and a sweet dark soy sauce. Note, the Chinese dumplings seem to be made in a modern Shanghai tradition, not a Hong Kong Cantonese tradition.

Went with a large group--15+ and they accommodated without an issue (we called first, though). They…read morehave a back area so it was nice our group could have the whole area. The Soup Dumplings: In order of my ranking: 1. Steamed Crabmeat & Pork Soup Dumpling, 2. OG Steamed Pork Soup Dumpling 3. Skip the Black Truffle and Pork (you can't taste the difference and for some reason that disappointment makes me rank it lower than the OG pork soup dumpling. So save your $2. I would skip and maximize another item. Soft shell crab was a winner! Got multiple thanks from people who said, "wow I would have never thought of ordering this and it's so good, thank you."

They changed their menu up super recently: it's mostly deep-fried American food now :( none of the…read moreold noms like peanut noodles, xiaolongbao, etc RIP Chinese Restaurant, you were one of my favorites and a true gem of Philly Chinatown. Hope they realize their mistake and go back to the old stuff soon!

We love finding hole in the wall places with great food and this place did not disappoint. It's a…read moresmall place with only a few tables and the only signage outside is a green and white "Chinese Restaurant" We ordered the fried dumplings (5 per order) and the taro cake. The total came out to $3.75 and was both tasty and filling. We will definitely be back to try the noodles and soups.

The food is incredible. Noodles are excellent. Port noodles, shredded pork noodles or peanut…read morenoodles. The dumplings are difficult to eat but worth it! Lift the dumpling and put it in the spoon-plenty available at the table, bite the top off And slurp the soup. Fools who bite the whole dumpling end up with soup on shirt that dries with an outline of the soupy goodness. Good thing I had 5 tries to get it right and even managed to pour sauce inside. Peach lemonade was excellent and peanut noodles also great. Go Hungry! There is lots to try.

Disappointing experience despite the nice ambiance…read more I really wanted to love this place, especially because the interior is beautifully decorated with photos of traditional Shanghai and Taiwanese dishes. Unfortunately, the food and service fell far short of expectations. The service was completely 'hands off' throughout our visit. We were never offered tea, which is a standard baseline for hospitality at Chinese noodle houses. The bigger disappointment was the food itself. The seasoning was almost entirely flat -- the dishes lacked foundational aromatics like fresh ginger and toasted sesame oil, as well as any real umami or savory depth. I found myself having to rely heavily on the table vinegar and white pepper just to give the food some basic flavor. To top it off, the execution was poor. The char siu pork was simple and unseasoned rather than sweet and caramelized, and many pieces were trimmed so poorly that they were almost entirely unrendered fat. The stir-fried 'hand-drawn noodles' were broken into short, fragmented pieces rather than the long, elastic strands you expect from fresh lamian. It looks great on the inside, but the kitchen and service need a lot of improvement

Dined in with a large group (~12) and was blown away by how good the food was!…read more My Chinese-speaking friend ordered everything, so I honestly did not know what was coming out. But some things we got: fish hot pot, twice cooked pork, sliced pork belly, chicken w/ pepper and scallion, beef fried rice. There were 3-4 other things but honestly I don't remember what they were. They were all so good! A note to the unfamiliar: a lot on the menu is spicy, although mostly numbing spice. If you're not aware or familiar, best to probably order one thing with spice, and stick to American dishes until you get up to speed. Service was prompt and friendly, and we were able to eat well as dishes came out in a staggered fashion. As for the restaurant, there's a lot of good seating available, with larger parties being able to be seated in the back in a slightly more private space.

93 out of 100 Xun Yu…read moreSi Kao was such a surprise-the food was all flavorful and large portions. The service was perfect (fast, no rush when taking time to order/hang out after, filled water often, brought check asap). We were also served complimentary side dishes and a dessert. Lastly, big ups to Xun Yu Si Kao on having a photo-forward menu, which was helpful for me to decide the dishes I wanted to order. --- Xun Yu Si Kao was such a pleasant dining experience because the interior was clean and quiet (classical music!). The service was awesome from start to finish. We were given the complimentary appetizers of edamame and spicy pickled white radish. I honestly really enjoyed these- each had a great depth of flavor, and free appetizers are always a pleasant surprise. The ranking, from what we ordered: 1. Eggplant and pork with garlic sauce- This dish was more like a meatball stuffed inside eggplant slices. Really tender pork along with a flavorful garlic sauce made this my favorite dish. 2. Braised pork with preserved vegetable in soy sauce- The fatty portions of the pork belly were excellent and tender however, I felt the meaty portions were a little tough and chewy for me. 3. Chicken soup with fish maw- This soup felt like I was searching for treasure. Every scoop, I surfaced something I wasn't expecting from the name (and there was less of the fish maw than I thought would be present). Still great value with its dried scallop, abalone, cordyceps flowers, dates, and goji berries. On a personal note, I wasn't a fan of the soup because of how many bones I ended up chewing on due to how the chicken was cut. We were given a complimentary jelly for dessert. It was a really awesome surprise and it was not too sweet. Some helpful notes for some people- (1) The menu is almost entirely spicy items, which might not be great for those with sensitive bellies & (2) I would confirm the contents of a dish if you have allergies or dietary restrictions before placing your order. Really awesome dining experience at Xun Yu Si Kao. Definitely deserves more love. I will be back next time to try the popular fish dish.