Brian Takemoto
I was feeling like dumplings today so I jumped on Yelp and this restaurant popped up with good ratings. The business in the space it’s located in seems to change every few years (Rubios/ Shabu/ Blockbuster to name a few).
The restaurant is clean, bright and cutely decorated. Ordering is via a QR code and easy. I loved the membership discounts on certain items. The staff is super friendly and the music was jammin’.
My 10 year old and I ordered way too much but I have to say, EVERYTHING was really good! The dishes comes out piping hot, and that’s probably the best time to eat them. The dumpling skins were tender and the fillings were well flavored, pleasantly textured and very well balanced. Sauces like Sot Sauce, Vinegar, Hengcheng vinegar (for XLB) and Lajiao hot paste were all on the table, so there’s no stress about asking for more.
Overall, it was a great first experience here and I have no idea why this place isn’t packed. Looks like they can accommodate big groups so I’ll be recommending this place to my kids’ basketball team for a post game meal. We will definitely return, and often.
… moreEthan Low
The dumplings were the highlight: thin wrappers, juicy filling, and perfectly balanced seasoning. The crispy skirt dumplings had an excellent contrast—deeply browned, lacy crisp on the bottom with tender dumplings on top. Texture and execution were on point.
The soups were rich and layered. The spicy noodle soup had real depth, not just heat, with a savory broth and generous toppings. The peanut-sauce wontons were smooth, nutty, and well-balanced—comforting without being heavy.
Portions were satisfying, presentation was clean, and everything came out hot and fresh. Service was efficient, and the space felt casual but well-run.
… moreJessica Hong
Quick service and minimal interaction from servers which I like. Food is decent. Comes out fast and hot. They have a small self service appetizer station. Love the crab roe noodles. This is a great lunch spot.
… moreMaxwell Smith
Maybe we didn’t order the right things but this place was just ok for me. It wasn’t that anything was bad. More that none of it was particularly good. Massive menu. Hot sauce was awesome.
… moreAnthony Giang
On a calm Wednesday, I was hoping to find a nice staple chinese restaurant in downtown San Mateo. Initially, this restaurant seemed promising as it seemed like a very fast, casual place that would have surprisingly good food. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to my expectations. The food itself was not as good as I had thought based on many video reviews, which cannot always be trusted. We got the peanut sauce dumplings, crab roe noodles and the braised brisket/tomato dish. All were pretty lackluster, as the wontons were tiny and had a really strong bouncyness that almost seemed artificial, but maybe that’s the texture you want. The crab roe noodles were overcooked and the sauce didn’t have a good mouth feel as the sauce separated into basically just water and crab. The other dish was solid but nothing crazy. The cherry on top was the service. As I was checking out, I tipped 0 on card as I was planning on leaving cash, but right as the card payment was processing the server said, “you know tip isn’t already included”. I understand being upset about not seeing a tip, but that really rubbed me the wrong way especially when I was already going to tip over 20% in cash.
… moreRobin Young
Our go to dish is the ShaXian noodles with peanut sauce. We tried the cherry blossom XLB, which were filled with juicy pork and shrimp; will order this again as well. This is consistently a great spot for a satisfying and tasty lunch.
… moreRachel Pagador
This new spot is so good! We ordered so much food. And all of them are delicious! Pickled fish soup, tomato egg, fried rice, pan fried dumplings, pan fried xiao long Bao. The atmosphere feels like you’re in Asia: stark bright lights and flavorful aroma. Tastes and feels like home!
… moreIlovelobakgo
This restaurant is a true hole-in-the-wall gem. They offer lots of small dishes, which makes it easy to try a variety of items. Prices are reasonable, and everything we tried was tasty. Will definitely come back.
… moreViki Tam
We went here for the first time and the food was so GOOD!! The beef noodle took me by surprise!! The soup was rich and the beef is very tender. We went there on a week day so the there’s no line waiting and the food was delivered very quickly as well.
We ordered the oyster cake, beef noodle soup and the other noodles. Everything was so good and we will definitely come back again!!! So delicious!!
… moreCharlotte Chen
I’m over the moon happy that I found this place!!! Growing up in southern China, shaxian food was and still is a staple. The food here not only tastes so authentic but the pricing is fair comparing with similar ones in SF!! I can’t wait to come back again & again!!! I’m addicted!!
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