Xiao long bao Shanghai pork and shrimp dumplings Garlic eggplant and tofu Staff was friendly, service was quick. Busy place, inside is spacious and even some counter seating. Busy street as well. Really good chili sauce. read more

XLB - Inside - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food - 2/5 Ambiance - 3/5 Service - 5/5 My friend was eager to try this place as it was compared to Din Tai Fung so we commuted to this area just to try it. We wanted to make it before they permanently closed as it was being hyped up a lot. The parking situation was not ideal. It was a weekday evening so it was quite tricky to find any. There was a wait of 15 minutes but they flipped tables quickly. The space is fairly small, there's a room over there you can wait while they prep a table for you. We ordered food off of a limited item menu. I opted in for the shrimp wontons and green beans. The green beans were tasty (different than DTF) but also.. it's hard to mess them up. Those came out first before I tried the chili shrimp wontons. I was very disappointed. At first, there's a sweet/sour artificial taste of the chili sauce that just doesn't do it for me. It was extremely off-putting. Once you actually bite into the wonton, they were ok. But the sauce ruined the dish for me. I think comparing the two to same DTF dishes is an extreme stretch. My friend enjoyed her bao. And our other friend was also unimpressed with his garlic eggplant with tofu dish. I left feeling unimpressed. read more

XLB - Chili Shrimp Wontons and Szechuan Style Long Beans - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Bao cheeseburger was a fun attempt during Burger week but not more than a novelty. Not sure how ordering first at the counter and self serve everything equates to a tip but still a nice chill vibe for drinks & dumplings. read more

XLB - Bao burger during Burger Week ;) - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The food was amazing! So delicious and fresh! We had dumplings, beef noodles, bok choy, shrimp noodles and cocktails. The service was amazing, our server was great with providing authentic recommendations to us since it was our first time there. We sat at the bar which was a lot of fun. Small but quaint inside and a great vibe. Definitely enjoyed our time here! read more

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Food: 2-5/5 depending on dish Service: Self service besides them bussing tables and bringing food out Ambiance: Casual I do like the fact that there is a simple menu with an occasional special, but others may want more variety. We ordered the XLB (2), Garlic Eggplant & Tofu 3), and Salt and Pepper Popcorn Chicken (5). For being known for the XLB, this was a let down for me. The meat and soup taste a bit sour, which could lead you to think the meat is bad or poor quality. The eggplant and tofu texture was great but the sauce was okay and the eggplant itself didn't have much of the sauce soaked for flavor. I love garlic eggplant and this one didn't quite hit. However the popcorn chicken was on point. Perfectly breaded, crispy and fried, and had the perfect flavor. If I return again it would be to order only the popcorn chicken. Service is self service water and sauces after you pay at the counter. read more

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Great food! Love the decor and vibe here, the lanterns and bar area is beautiful! I ordered the mushroom and chive baos and those were fluffy and full of flavor. I also had the spicy chili wontons and those were good with the basil eggplant. I'll be back for sure :) read more

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Very cute location. I love that the menu is small and each month there are specials! The soup dumplings are delicious. read more

XLB - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm actually surprised that they are not rated higher here! I have been at least 5 different occasions and it has been fantastic every time. I actually prefer it to dtf which I know people swear by. Service is fast and friendly, and they even offer outdoor seating. The inside is pretty small but clean and comfortable. I have had the Xiao long bao, pork and cabbage bao, chili shrimp wontons, beef ho fun, Shanghai pork and shrimp noodles (a favorite!) five spice popcorn chicken, bok choy with oyster sauce, and pickled cucumbers. Everything is always so flavorful, fresh, and delicious!!! If I had to choose, I would get the shrimp and pork noodles, soup dumpling, and chili wonton every single time, but I honestly order a lot every time and share and take left overs! Best way to do it. On your way out do not forget to stop by jinju patisserie, you won't regret it!! read more

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Solid soup dumblings in PDX. Consitent. Check out the photos - these are my go to. Friendly staff and street parking. Enjoy. read more

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Hip and trendy but mediocre food. I wanted to like this way more than I did! Noodles reminded me of mediocre build-your-own Mongolian wok Overall the dishes were a bit salty. Green beans were delicious, but burned. Not in a delicious charred way, but like a bitter smoky almost-makes-you-cough if you breathe while eating it. And I don't mean to judge wok skills, but there was no wok tossing happening, so no wok hei. This is the first time I've seen a kitchen using tongs whilst stir frying in a wok. read more

I love the ambiance of this XLB the best. I've been coming here since prepandemic and the food has been consistently top notch. Of course the XLBs are a must have. Post pandemic, like many restaurants have a whole new staff (not Chinese now) The XLBs wrapper is thicker and chewier. Thicker wrappers are easier to make than the pre-pandemic thin ones. :( My favorites are the Beef Ho Fun, Eggplant in Garlic sauce and the Chinese sautéed greens. The Beef Ho Fun - well this is no longer a Go To place for it. It was fair. The Eggplant in Garlic sauce with green peas, recipe is not as good as it used to be. The tofu to eggplant ratio is heavy on the tofu. As a tofu purist, this tasted like two dishes mixed together, thus not making a strong statement at all. The sauce was mediocre as if some chef decided to make some Portland Different type of dish. The service staff forgot our Chinese Sautéed Greens! It was a very odd but better experience, because the cook stepped aside, and the waiter ended up cooking our Chinese Sautéed Greens! The waiter is a far better chef than the cook that night was. We got lucky, and this was our favorite dish. read more

XLB - Kitchen - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Atmosphere: Simple fast, casual space Food: Food was quite good. Liked the soup dumplings, though not the best I've had. The noodle dish was excellent. Price: I didn't pay so don't remember Service: Standard Parking: Street parking read more

The aesthetics are cute, staff is kind! That said, this is a little pricey for what it is, and food is lacking a wow factor. The slushy we got was fabulous but only a limited time offer. I'd come back, but I wouldn't make this place a go-to. read more

XLB - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I've always walked by this place but never stopped until now. It's been on my list of places to visit, and I finally went. First off, they were packed, and for good reason! They offer a few vegetarian options, and the worker at the front helped me pick a popular one from the menu. I chose the Eggplant with Tofu, which was pretty decent. It had a bit more soy sauce flavor than I expected, but it was still great--well-balanced with a touch of spice. The interior is small but has plenty of seating. I also want to give major props to the chefs. The kitchen is open, so you can watch them work, and they were killing it! It was awesome to see the behind-the-scenes action. There was a guy and a girl, and they were both amazing! I'll definitely come back here again--I want to try the Bao buns next time. read more

XLB - Eggplant with tofu dish/ Rice - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This was my first time trying exactly what the instructions read, I would definitely say if you haven't tried this out, def recommend. Come here often and leave satisfied every time. Quick service and they are happy to help. read more

I like this bao more that din thai fun. They have delightful chili wontons and the veggies are always fresh. I think having the right sized menu keeps it simple I go for the very specific reason of getting delicious bao. read more

XLB - The neon bao sign - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I am new to soup dumplings -- had read about them but this was my first time trying them. And I loved them, and the whole place! Simple, hip decor; outdoor seating; friendly staff; self-service hot tea and chili oil -- all those things impressed even before we got the food. We got the namesake dumplings, green beans, rice, beef ho fun -- a nice carnival of flavors and textures. Highly recommended for anyone who loves Chinese food. read more

Service was fast and kind. Food was off the charts delicious and vibe was fun. Wish I lived closer to this place. My buddy gave the thumbs up to. read more

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We had to come try the place our because my bf loves soup dumplings. So, we got an order of that, which he liked. We also got the Chili Shrimp Wontons and Shanghai Pork and Shrimp Noodles, which were good, but not the greatest. The Five Spice Popcorn were really good though (an extra $0.50 for spicy). The cocktails were tasty, and staff was friendly. read more

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A local favorite - consistently delicious soup dumplings (we get 3 orders lol), bao buns, and more! We also got the green beans, but everything you order is going to be delicious. The service was friendly and quick ordering at the counter and we immediately got a table for lunch! It's a small but nice dining room for eating in! Love the wallpaper and bao neon light. Every time we're in Portland we come here more than once (: GO GET XLB you won't regret it! read more

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XLB opened in 2017 on N Williams and they've been serving up Chinese comfort food ever since. Order at the counter, grab your self-serve water and tea, and take your number to an indoor or street side patio table. Your food will be quickly brought to you. I found the large menu display a little difficult to read and make a decision in the moment. So I recommend looking up their menu online in advance and going in with a game plan! FYI, options for vegetarians are somewhat limited. They are: - mushroom & chive bao $11 - sichuan stir-fried long beans $10 - sautéed chinese greens $10 - garlic eggplant w/ tofu and peas $10 - beef ho fun and shanghai pork and shrimp noodles $15 (not sure how they make these two vegetarian) - sides of rice, cucumbers, or cashews $1.5-6 The food was good. We ordered three items between us plus rice and that was enough for a light dinner. Final verdict? It's great option if I'm in the area but might not make a drive for this sole purpose alone. If the food were a margin cheaper or a margin more scrumptious, or if the vegetarian options were more extensive, this would be a go-to spot. read more

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This is the second time that I picked up food to get home, in Camas only to see my noodles this light. Bland, no flavor disappointed, won't do this again after this. I shouldn't have to "fix" my takeout. read more

XLB - Pork shrimp noodle - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Celebrating my sisters birthday and she chose XLB for her celebration lunch. We arrived right at 11:00am when they opened so we had a pick of any interior or exterior table. We chose to sit outside and enjoy Portland's sunny and warm weather. We ordered the eggplant and tofu & peas, pork and shrimp noodle, xiao long bao, five spice fried chicken and lychee lime soda. The entrees came out at various time and that didn't bother us at all. The noodles were thick and cooked perfectly with large chunks of pork. They did not skimp on greens and shrimp but something about the flavoring or spice put me off. The five spice fried chicken was a little over spiced for me as the five spice taste lingered too long in my mouth. Again, just a little off the mark. The eggplant and tofu were my favorite! Both the eggplant and tofu were cooked perfectly, not mushy at all with just the right amount of spice and condiments. I would order this entree again. The xiao long bao was underwhelming. While it had a nice ratio of filling to soup, it was too salty and had too much five spice. I only ate one and took the rest home for my family to try. They concurred and said it didn't meet their expectation. We both really enjoyed the lychee like soda, super refreshing. I don't know if I would go back again. I would order the eggplant and tofu for takeout. The staff was friendly and attentive. read more

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Not my favorite dim sum in Portland. Not the worst but there are better options in my opinion. Also not sure what happened when we were there but the whole restaurant was thick with smokey air. Must have accidentally burned something in the kitchen and it did not ventilate out very well. read more

So this place was hyped up by one of our friends and I was super excited to give this place a whirl. We came on a Thursday night, not too bad. The place was full, so we ordered and waited until a table opened up. I guess we waited so long our food came out super quick. No complaint! My husband and I ordered a hand full of items: Eggplant with Garlic Sauce: this dish was flavor packed, HOWEVER this is a must need with rice. It is soooo salty it can not be eaten on its own. The bowl of rice was necessary, but expensive; so I would probably only order this dish to go and make rice at home. It was a little overpriced for what it was. XLB: This was delicious, but compared to others like Dough Zone and Din Tai Fung, it just doesnt live up to much, let alone the price. It was also just slightly cold so that may have ruined it for me too. Wontons with Chili Oil: i loved the wontons however the chili oil was a bit bland. I probably wouldn't get it again Chicken Bites: delicious, so good that my husband and I ate it before a picture could be captured! Overall the knock for the two stars were 1: service was light. You order then get seated, and you also do tip prior to food and service. I selected the pre option of 18% which considering how much we spent for 2 people I thought it was generous. The lady taking our order didn't seem like it was enough and rolled her eyes and scoffed a bit. I was a little taken back. 2. The food for the price just wasn't worth it. So...it just wasnt what I had hoped for overall. read more

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First: the staff were pleasant and obliging despite the crush of prime dinnertime patrons. The order and payment, including tip, were taken at the counter, before seating. Not crazy about that. The guy taking orders and payments at the front also seemed to be the bartender. I opted for fast counter seating, not a good choice, as I would discover, since they do not serve the tea. Small cups have to be refilled by the customer from an airpot at the counter corner. Particularly irksome, when the only place to put a winter coat is across one's lap (counter seating), and cover it with a few layers of napkins "just in case". Lots of work in the to-and-fro for a couple of swallows of tea. Sometimes, counter seating affords a privileged view into the the mysteries of the kitchen, but the seating here was entirely off-set, leaving one to stare at a couple of shelves of booze, black vinegar bottles and large tubs of ingredients. The food? My large mushroom and chive bao tasted much better than one might expect and had a very high filling-to-dough ratio. Hooray! However, the eggplant and I-substituted-chicken-for-tofu dish was remarkably lacking in any flavor save a moderate amount of Szechuan pepper. I've prepared Asian eggplant recipes at home. There are ways to prevent saturating the spongy chunks with oil. However, the dish I was served was super-oily. Although I packed up the remaining portion, I did not actually plan to eat it, knowing that I had lots of better options in the house. I was really disappointed, had expected more. Would I return? Highly unlikely. read more

XLB - view down the counter to the cooking area - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Today left an extremely bad taste in my mouth. I came here ahead of my group to order some wings for wing week. My group was about 9 minutes out and I was told I cannot order even just for myself until my party was here. What in the world?! read more

Was really wanting some Chinese food and came across this place and knew I had to stop by! The food did not disappoint and tasted authentic. Living in Shanghai for three years, I'm always on the hunt for some delicious Chinese food! read more

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This is a very nice little place. There are only a few items on the menu, but they are delicious. We got XLB, noodles, and chinese greens, all of which are very good. A good place for quick lunch read more

Wow these people can COOK! Found this place on TikTok and I'm so glad I stopped by. The food came out so quickly and honestly, the service made you feel like you were right at home! The food was flavorful and really hit the spot. The ambience was really modern and edgy. Clean space and great food! read more

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Service was quick and pricing was reasonable, however dumplings were meh! Very bland and tasteless. Piled on the chili oil & soy sauce, but still didn't seem to help. Chili wontons with shrimp were served lukewarm, along with the Beef Ho Fun noodles, which both were bland and tasteless. We were really hoping this restaurant would have turned out well, since we were told it was good; but we're sadly disappointed. You order at the counter and then the food is brought to your table. Very, very casual, fast food styled seating. This was a one and done for us. read more

It's been a while since I've been back here. The place has added more seating outside. It does get pretty busy during the lunch hour rush. The soup dumplings were better than I last remembered, as well as the Shanghai Pork and Shrimp noodles. The string beans and Beef Ho Fun were decent. read more

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Finally got to stop in for some lunch (to go). I wanted the dumpling but was informed that they are for dine in only due to how delicate they are ... darn, maybe next time. Shanghai noodles - so much flavor! Lots of noodles, good amount of shrimp and pork, great crunch to the veggies inside. Enjoyed this for 2 meals. Bao - did not like the texture of the cabbage pork filling but it tasted good. Had a chance to try the dumpling week special (beef and sweet potatoe) which was also seasoned very well. Maybe next time I'll dine in and try the dumplings they are known for ... looking forward to it! read more

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I was in the area and decided to try this place out and it was decent! I got the; Sichuan stir fried long beans- Would have been extremely delicious, but the charr flavor from cooking them over a high flame was a tad bit too strong. It tasted slightly bitter. 5-spice popcorn chicken- This was pretty good. The 5-spice really kicked the flavor up a notch and each piece was a big nugget of pure flavor. Beef ho fun- Cantonese style wide rice noodles, one of my favorites, was delicious! These noodles had the perfect wok hay flavor, which can only be obtained through cooking over an extremely high flame. Noodles were flavorful with each strand and the beef was super tender as well. The natural sweetness of the rice noodle worked really well with the sauces and seasonings used in the dish. Bean sprouts and greens also added a nice crunchy texture as well. Chili shrimp wontons- These were pretty good. Chili oil was very flavorful but it didn't quite have the kick that I'm used to having from other places. read more

I've heard a lot of great things about XLB and wanted to finally give it try. I went on a Saturday night with a couple of my friends and it was quite busy as expected. They have the order at the counter and then wait/find a table format which I personally am not a fan of. There was no where to wait and they had a sign to wait outside which no one was following so we also went inside to brave the masses. Once we finally ordered and got a table it was then a pleasant experience. The food came out as it was ready, family style. As a vegetarian there weren't any soup dumplings available which is what they are known for. The mushroom Bao was good but nothing to rave over. I also ordered the green beans which were a bit disappointing, I wanted more flavor. My friends really liked their soup dumplings, wish there was a veggie version. read more

XLB - Menu at the entry - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I came here to try their Xiao long Bao 小笼包. But currently they aren't doing dine in so they don't serve the Xiao Long Bao. They do take out and delivery. I got the steamed buns which looked really good. I tried their pork and cabbage steamed bun and unfortunately I was disappointed. The baozi is packed with filling, and the bun is soft and fluffy. However, the cabbage and pork filling had no flavor on its own. You had to dip it in the sauce which seems to be soy sauce, green onions and black vinegar. Normally in baozi, there should be flavor in the filling so there isn't a need to dip it in anything. But the dipping sauce is a side to bring in another added depth of flavor. read more

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We knew going into here it was going to be a good meal, we weren't prepared for how good. It is a smaller place and there was no inside seating when we arrived(30 minute wait) we chose the outdoor seating which was a little chilly, but not bad for us in Nov. as we are from MN. The servers were fast and friendly and took time to explain dishes as they brought them out. We started with 5 spice cashews, soy pickled cucumbers, and the 5 spice popcorn chicken all were tasty with the cucumbers being something we weren't expecting to be as awesome as they were and the batter texture on the chicken was fabulous light yet crunchy. We then ordered the chili shrimp wonton, the xiao long bao, and the pork and mushroom bao. Since we were outside the xiao long bao had cooled just enough so we didn't scald our mouths. It was great to have our tastebuds experience the different bites we had on the table. Since it was close to Halloween the restuarant served us some super cute chocolate and marshmallow bao for dessert gratis. We couldn't say enough good things about this place and will be lucky if we can return. Thank you XLB! read more

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Fantastic snack at their happy hour or go with a crew and share some plates. Recommend going just off standard meal times so you're not waiting on a table to open up. read more

Great food, nice service, and fun atmosphere. Closest thing we found in Portland to Chinese food that rivals the hole in the wall places in NYC. Do recommend if you're looking for something tasty, quick, with some spice. read more

Favorite Chinese food in Portland. Their dishes and noodles always hit. Tasty cocktails. Definitely would recommend.