I came for lunch on a slow quiet Sunday early afternoon. I ordered chili shrimp wonton and five spice chicken. The shrimp filling tasted very fishy for me. I didn't feel the best after this dish. The chicken meat was tender, which was nice, but the overall flavoring felt something's missing. The service was lacking, and I didn't feel being welcomed. It felt cold. Not coming back. read more

XLB - Chili shrimp wontons - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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First time visitor, love exploring new places with my friend and he have been wanting to try XLB for awhile. Sadly our trip was dampened by a weird experience. We walked in saw there were a couple tables left and a line of a small group and a single person ahead of us. Me having a recent chest injury offered to secure us a table while my friend ordered. I picked a table and the small group in front of us took the other table. No big deal right? Wrong. The guy taking orders stopped what he was doing (taking the order of the person in front of my friend) to come over and tell me that the tables were first come first serve and this was an XLB policy despite there being no visible signage anywhere to support this. I was incredibly confused by this and just said "okay?" He said I don't have food and need to clear the table so someone else can sit there. I pointed to my friend who was second in line and said my friend was ordering food for us. He repeated his first come first serve line and I asked "was I not here first?" To which he said there is a single person in front of my friend in line. At this point I was bewildered, I had never experienced anything like this at a restaurant and started to get visibly flustered. He eventually said he could talk the other customer and see if they would sit at the counter and I said that would be great cause gave a broken rib and standing for too long hurts to which he says "oh well I didn't know you had a broken rib, I'll talk to them" Meanwhile my friend was watching this whole interaction and could tell she was getting ready to walk out. Apparently he had told the customer in front of my friend there was a table available without looking and when he discovered there wasn't he came to confront me. In 34 years I have never experienced anything like this. Anyway the other customer who ordered 1 thing was happy to sit at the counter with no fuss at all. My friend ordered several things and I eventually went up when there was no line and also ordered a couple things, we spent close to $80-90 on food and definitely needed that table space. The food was alright. The XLB were really rich and had thick mouth coating broth and filling. They were definitely a but too salty for my taste. The mushroom and chive bao were not bad and had a delicious sauce with them that elevated their flavor. The cucumber salad was wonderful cooling in such a hot day. The fried green been while delicious were also a but too salty for me. Finally to eggplant and tofu was delicious, lovey texture and flavor. Food wise I may not come back only because it's too salty for my taste, which says something cause I usually add salt to things. However things were flavorful and cooked nicely (3.5 stars) Service wise, I won't be coming back after my table experience, that was very strange and off putting. However to their credit the rest of the staff were friendly and pleasant. read more

XLB - 2 orders XLB, cucumber salad, fried green beans, mushrooms and chive bao. - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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XLB has been on my list of places to go since they opened. Finally found a good opportunity to swing by before attending an event at Moda center. We arrived shortly after five on a Friday, and were able to get a table for four. We saw the line quickly build up as we sat down after ordering at the counter. Environment is nice and hip with patio seatings (5*). XLB were served hot and fresh, the skin is on the thicker side, not a problem for me; not sure why fresh ginger wasn't used with the vinegar (4*). We wanted the Shanghai noodle, but wife developed allergy with shrimp, and they were able to cook one without, awesome. The taste however, was very sweet, and the sauce was quite salty that sat at the bottom. Noodle's texture is fantastic. (2.5*) Popcorn chicken was not bad, fried basil was an indicator od some authenticity, meat is a bit dry. I didn't like the fact that they asked if I wanted the sauces on the side, without telling me there is a cost for the sauce. (3.5*) Eggplant was strangely very sour, the flavor just didn't seem right, I finished most of it because some veggie must be good for you right?? (1*) Price is a bit on the steeper side, on par with Din Tai Fung but the food is not nearly as good, but you pay for the location and setting. Overall decent, but not great. There wasn't anything that really stood out for us, I probably won't be returning anytime soon. read more

XLB - XLB - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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XLB does not even come close to Din Tai Fung quality, and to add insult to injury, it's more expensive too. It's $15.50 for 10 pieces $1.55/piece Ordered 1 order of XLB $13 for 8. $1.63/piece. The broth was very salty, and the dough was thicker. There was not much flavor in the filling and we were served this mystery hot pink ginger-flavored liquid (without the shredded ginger). read more

XLB - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Stopped in for a quick lunch. We had been here a few years ago but couldn't remember where XLB fell on our preferred dumpling list. After this trip, we decided on: DTF XLB Dough Zone/Duck House Shandong I liked the flavor of the pork and broth but prefer dumplings a little smaller. A little easier to eat and not as messy. 5 Spice cashews at the beginning were really good! I could eat these all day! Chiili shrimp were good and a nice addition to the meal. read more

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A party of 5 of us came it eat. The weather just turned cold so we were lucky enough to sit inside. We should up around six and that is about when the wait time started to grow. Some groups sat outside because they wanted to eat here. Everything was really easy to share. Even the noodle dishes. The shrimp and pork noodles were my favorite. The spicy wonton are balanced with spice and a flavorful filling. Soup dumplings are brothy and comforting on a cold day. I would come back for sure. read more

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Such a cute vibe! Great service w all workers giving equal attention and such a great attitude. Went for the soup dumplings and loved them! Yummy 5 spice popcorn chicken, dark meat and so flavorful, it was like Cajun cracklins meets duck meat vibes. Ginger Hot Toddy was so good I had to get up and take a pic of the recipe items. Soup dumpling: Broth to Meat ratio in dumpling was 9/10 with no tearing when picking them up, and the both flavor was on point, as good as my favorite soup dumpling spots in NY and Denver! Had a cute little insert explaining how to eat XLB too. Def would come back! read more

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Delicious! Shrimp wontons, xlb, and long beans + free tea is perfect for two people. it's not 100% authentic but doesn't mean its not tasty. Nice beer selection as well. Hipster vibe which is on brand for Portland. read more

Been wanting to try foods that are my wife and I don't go often too just to expand a bit and been having a soup dumpling crave for some time. What we had: - XLB x2 - Pork and Cabbage Bao x2 - Beef Ho Fun - Pork and Shrimp Noodles - IPA x3 Pros: - great food, good portion for the prices - helpful staff! - good signage for those who've never had soup dumplings - AMAZING Baozi. Could have just gotten 4 orders of this for myself! Cons: - VERY busy and not a lot of room to wait. Maybe good to have some outdoor heat since it gets cold in the fall/winter Overall: Happy with the food and the service. Would definitely come back again! read more

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I came here with my partner with high expectations since the place was named after xiao long bao. Unfortunately, it's safe to say the similarities with authentic (and good) Chinese food end there. We ordered three dishes: the namesake xiao long bao, the green beans, and the pork and shrimp noodles. The xiao long bao were the worst I have ever tasted (1/10). The soup inside and the meat were bland and tasted like boiled ground beef and the water it was boiled in and the wrapper was too thick. Considering the two Din Tai Fung locations in Portland and the fact that they price their xiao long bao about the same, I would 200% go to din tai fung before stepping foot in XLB again. The green beans had zero resemblance to the picture of the menu on the wall (3/10). They seemed to be steamed and just swirled around in sauce while the green beans in the picture on the wall looked like they were fried and sautéed in the sauce. The pork and shrimp noodles were the only redeeming part of our meal (6/10). They tasted like slightly elevated Panda Express and were well seasoned but that's about it. I would strongly not recommend coming here and if you find the Din Tai Fung locations too far out of the way, I would go to Hengry House before stepping foot in this place. read more

XLB - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I brought a business associate here for a quick lunch. She is Chinese from San Francisco and loved everything. The atmosphere is casual-service, where you order first and then sit down and they bring you your food, very convenient for a working lunch. I love the cute neighborhood that it's in, there's lots of other shops and restaurants nearby. I loved my soup dumplings and green beans! If we had more people we would have tried more things. Yum! read more

Place your order inside and grab a table outdoor. Your food will be brought out to you. Not worth the hype and wouldn't recommend it. The Xiao Long Bao (XLB), their namesake, was underwhelming. Generally, it should be a burst of juicy pork and broth. Zero flavoring, incredibly bland and wasn't hot enough. The green beans and Beef Ho Fun were a bit on the dry and rubbery side. Maybe overcooked, or the wok wasn't hot enough to do a flash fry. read more

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The service is impeccable and the food is fresh and delicious. The ambiance is relaxed and unhurried. If your looking for a chill place with some of the best dumplings in Portland than a visit to XLB is a must. read more

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Service was nice however as vegan, this was not the spot to visit. We ordered the vegan mushroom chive bao. The filling was okay but the dough was deflated. Definitely not the fluffy deliciousness we were hoping for. Ordered the Dan Dan noodles with tofu and these were also a disappointment sadly. Not much flavor. read more

Great xlb dumplings and amazing popcorn chicken. Fun to watch the staff make the dumplings on the counter top too. Typical small PDX interior seating eatery with some outdoor tables. read more

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Very bold of them to name the restaurant "XLB" and have mediocre xlb's. The green beans were so undercooked I thought I was eating raw veggies. Shrimp wontons don't have the yummy "spicy kick" to them. Popcorn chicken was surprisingly good. Self service water and hot tea. Tea cups all had black debris on them, and the waiter denied that they were dirty. I scratched off the debris with my fingernails and showed him that they were dirty. read more

This place is magical. You get to watch them make everything. You get to watch them roll and sprinkle the dough, make the chili sauces, etc.., etc.., & the food here.... The food here is unmatched. Portland has a lot of good food. When it comes to bao and baozi, this has to be amongst the best I the city. Tried as much food as I could here before I was absolutely full. Definitely bring a date or group here when you come. It gets packed. read more

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I'm late to the party as today was my first time. We ordered three items from the simple menu: Xiao Long Bao - the dough had that slight rubbery microwave texture. They were good, but not of the Din Tai Fung quality. The broth needs a bit more pop. In Northeast I give the edge to Shandong. Popcorn Chicken - loved this dish and they give an ample portion. What's missing is an appropriate dipping sauce as the Sriracha, chili oil, and vinegar options work for other dishes, but not for this one. Shrimp Won Tons - light on portion, scrumptious sauce. The version at the Duck House is still my favorite, but real good here. Ginger Lemonade - a perfect compliment especially in hot weather. Also try the equally refreshing Yeo's Chrysanthemum tea. read more

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Inside was small. Came here after some day drinking. Beef ho fun was good. Soup dumplings were just okay and the hot toddy was good. Customer services was good. We must of came at peek dinner hours cause it was packed. Was sat at the very last table in the back. Also we ordered our food and paid before we got our food and was seated. A bit weird. Overall 3 of 5 stars. Always want to try new spots when visiting from out of town. read more

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XLB has the dumps and noods you need!! After being a bit underwhelmed by their Dumpling Week bao, I decided to give them another chance and try what their name speaks for - XLBs!! We ordered 3 XLBs (I mean go big or go home, right?), pork/cabbage baos, shanghai noodles, and chili wontons. The star of the meal was the XLBs. They were juicy, plump, and had a decent amount of filling. Paired with their ginger vinegar sauce and chili oil - *chefs kiss*. The perfect comfort food on a rainy Portland day, or honestly any day is a good day for some good dumps. The other dishes were average in my opinion, but still good! Their bao buns are fluffy and chewy - still one of the best in my opinion. I found the shanghai noodles a bit too oily/salty, but it was a nice balance to the baos/dumplings. I will come back just for their XLBs, I could probably eat 2 baskets just by myself (take allllll my money). The wait can be a bit long considering their storefront isn't that big and they are also managing to-go orders on top of everything. Service was friendly and welcoming, definitely a plus!! Come enjoy some good dumps with your fav dumps! read more

XLB - Chili wontons and pork/cabbage baos - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I want to like this place. I had been here a while ago and thought the XLB was decent. Tonight, I ordered the XLB, the mushroom bao, and beef ho fun. XLB came out luke warm and with little flavor. Mushroom bao had even less flavor. The beef ho fun was super greasy. Just can't handle that amount of grease. read more

My husband and I ordered xiao long bao dumplings and beef ho fun. He doesn't like soup dumplings, it was ok to me but not WOW to me. We like beef ho fun more tasty. read more

XLB - Beef ho fun - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Meh. Nothing tasted bad here but I didn't feel anything was that great or worth returning for. We tried the Chili Shrimp Wontons, Popcorn Chicken, and Xiao Long Bao of course. The wontons and popcorn chicken were decent, but surprisingly we were most disappointed with the namesake dish, the XLB. They seemed a bit doughy and dry on the outside and the filling and soup was relatively flavorless. Still a little curious about their noodle dishes tho so may give them another try. Order at the counter and they bring your food out to you. read more

I had heard of this restaurant from various bloggers and had wanted to try it out for a long time. Unfortunately, the hype didn't live up. First of, there is a serious design flaw with this restaurant. There are a limited number of tables and counter space, which is fine, except that you order at the counter and then have to awkwardly wait for a table. When I went, it was so busy and crazy that the line to order went outside and after people finally made it inside to order, they'd turn back around and wait outside for a table to be ready. It took close to 45 minutes after we'd placed our order to be seated, but once we were seated, the food came out pretty quickly. We ordered the pork and cabbage baozi, the five spice popcorn chicken, the Shanghai pork and shrimp noodles, the Chinese greens and an order of XLB. My overall assessment of the food was that everything was a little salty. My favorite dishes were the popcorn chicken and the Chinese greens--the greens were well cooked and lightly seasoned (compared to everything else) and I liked the use of five spice for the popcorn chicken. Overall, for the price and wait, I don't think this place is worth it and now that Din Tai Fung is open in Washington square, I'd rather just go there instead for much better XLBs. read more

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I really liked this place, but let me preface that coming here after a visit to Din Tai Fung gives you some elevated expectations that aren't quite fair to other places in town. The Xiao Long Bao here was good, but definitely the most disappointing by comparison (if you haven't been to DTF, you won't notice)- it lacked flavor and needed some extra sauces for me to enjoy it. The wontons in chili sauce were great, and again this is an item I loved at DTF and didn't find myself disappointed (though I was silently comparing each item). These packed a little punch and were full of flavor. We also ordered the Shanghai Pork and Shrimp and Beef Ho Fun.. entirely too much food for 2 people but we had no regrets, both dishes were delicious and I'd likely come back here just for these rather than the namesake XLB. read more

XLB - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This was one of the first restaurants I went to after moving to Portland, and it was an amazing start. Their soup dumplings are really well done and have great flavor. Also, love the bao -- it's not too dry or doughy like others I have tried, but feels well-balanced. The mushroom one is my fave. Noodles are yummy too, especially the shrimp & beef dishes. Also, get the green beans!!! So underrated and so flavorful and delish. read more

XLB - Bao!!! - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The food here is amazing. Definitely a new addition to our take-out list. Great customer service.

Ordered their food through postmates. Here are my thoughts: - ho fun (thick rice noodles) with beef: the beef was too salty and hard to chew. The noodles were also too salty. Didn't enjoy the taste. - eggplant with tofu: this was okay. I liked the eggplants. I didn't care too much for the type of tofu they used though. - Chinese greens: okay tasting but soggy. - rice: by far their biggest offender to me. $2.50 and you get the absolute smallest take out container ever. It's like 5 bites of rice. Rice is cheap! They are cheaper. I posted a photo of the size comparison of the tiny rice next to a can of coke and next to a regular sized take out box. I do not recommend and I won't be going back. read more

XLB - Tiny Rice box - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Interestingly enough, the XLB was not the star of the meal...In fact, it was a little disappointing. The flavor of the soup inside was rather sour and the flour casing was way too thick; we're impressed by the XLBs at all. However, their other dishes were spot on! We got the Shianghai Noodles with ground pork and shrimp and the Five Spice Popcorn Chicken. Both were delicious! We couldn't get enough of those two dishes. At first, we thought we'd have to take home some of the food but ended up finishing it all! Would highly recommend the Noodles and the Popcorn Chicken and skipping the XLBs :p Fun vibe with fast service! The staff at the counter was a little rude to us, for some reasons, but everyone else was very helpful and attentive. read more

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Final meal in Portland was dinner at XLB where the XLB were so-so and the instructions on how to eat them were so wrong, who pours all the soup into the spoon first?!! Then why bother getting a soup dumpling instead of dumplings in soup? I either nibble the side and then slurp a little out and let it cool (unless it's already cooled off so I skip this step) and then put the whole dumpling in my mouth and let it explode haha. Which seems to be the general consensus when I asked other friends how they eat theirs after seeing this sign. Anyway, the XLB were ok all around. Wrapper may have been a smidgen thick and the meat was a bit bland (even more reason to eat it with the soup). The beef chow fun noodles were also ok although it did feel surprisingly generous how much beef there was. read more

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We love this place. Amazing service as always, the food is amazing, we always try to get one of everything; Everything has so much flavor. 10/10! Thanks for having us! read more

XLB - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Really appreciate the kind service. One of the dishes wasn't that great and they went above and beyond to make it right. Thank you :)

Just stumbled upon this restaurant and didn't expect much since I am from Bay Area where the authentic chinese restaurants are everywhere. But I am totally surprised. The menu is very simple, and I ordered 3 dishes: XLB, Shanghai noodle and sautéed long beans. The ingredients are fresh, the flavors are awesome. I know these dishes are very basic, but sometimes basic ones are hard to prefect. Either too greasy, over/under cooked, or seasoned. XLB is mediocre, but the noodle and long beans have perfect balanced flavor. Then I noticed the cook is not even Chinese! Don't know what kind of culinary training he has, but he is as good as many Chinese cooks. Had to snap a picture of him. Good job, kido. read more

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Stopped by XLB for lunch the other day and got their Shanghai Pork and Shrimp Noodles. I asked them to substitute the udon noodles with rice noodles since I'm a huge fan a rice noodles! I loved the flavors of this dish and they didn't skimp out on the shrimp, pork or yu choy. I also had enough leftovers that l had a good portion for dinner as well! read more

XLB - Shanghai Pork and Shrimp Noodles - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food was really good! 5 spice popcorn chicken was great and my favorite was the xiao long bao soup dumplings read more

XLB - Xiao long bao, soy pickled cucumbers, beef ho fun - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Couldn't pay me to go back here. Horrid staff, horrid food. The staff could use a few brain cells. So many better places on this street to go to. Don't waste your time here read more

My boyfriend and I had a date here. We got the food to go. Honestly, we were disappointed. We got the pork baos, beef ho fun, spicy wontons, and popcorn chicken. The baos were the most disappointing as the dough was so thick and the filling wasn't flavorful. (My grandma makes better!) The beef ho fun was good, but super oily/greasy. We did enjoy the spicy wontons. Popcorn chicken wasn't bad, but my Taiwanese boyfriend said it did not meet his standards as it wasn't crispy enough. The restaurant was definitely more catered to Americans. There were hardly any Asians eating there. The staff I saw that day were not Asian either. The restaurant is tiny and bustling. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff are very nice. The guy at the register was upbeat and smiled the entire time despite the long lines. I just find it odd that they were handing out drinks at the register instead of waiting till the customers were seated first. It just seems awkward holding a full cup while waiting for a table to clear up. Overall, I will not be back as I prefer more authentic food. I prefer the Dough Zone over this place. read more

Love this place! It's generally pretty packed, especially during high peak times/days. However service is super fast, so it's nothing out of the ordinary. My friends & I always go here for a bite to eat, it's a staple. read more

Enjoyed excellent XLB in the outside seating area. Brought out hot in the steamer and uncovered at the table. 5* Xiao Long Bao was very tasty (so tasty it makes me wonder if there's MSG, if not then they're amazing!) with a lot of soup in each dumpling. Skin is medium thin (vs DTF thin skin) $13. 5* Chili Shrimp Wonton was good and not too spicy $10. 4* Sautéed Chinese Greens look like thick spinach and is a bit heartier than spinach $10. 4.5* Side of rice was too firm. $1.5. 3* Seating no indoor dining but nice outdoor section set up. Was very nice to sit outside in the shade with a breeze on a hot day. 5* Service was fine. When asked how it was, told her about the rice and she said she will let the kitchen know. Located -SE corner of N Williams Ave & N Mason St -across the street from an excellent bakery called jinJu read more

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I asked the owner What I should get if I had never been here before.. her response was "if you want to have one thing and love us forever get the pork and shrimp noodles. But the Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings are what we are known for..) I had both. And she was right about everything! I absolutely love the Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) they are delicious! The pickled sauce combined with the hot juicy interior of the Bao is fantastic! It is a great dish!! Then there was the Shanghai Pork & Shrimp noodles... again just another great dish with perfectly cooked noodles, tender Shrimp, just enough bok choi to make you feel like it could be healthy... and so much flavor!! This is a great restaurant! read more

XLB - Xiao Long Bao - Noodles Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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