Xibei Brings Northwestern Chinese Cuisine to Santa Anita | Eater LA

"Quietly opened on August 1 at the Shops at Santa Anita in Arcadia, this first U.S. outpost explores the grain-rich, lamb-forward flavors of Northwestern China in a sleek, 11,356-square-foot space with high ceilings, multiple private dining rooms, and a modern dining hall, with a refined bar to debut soon. Operated by China’s Xibei Catering Group and led by executive chef Defei Meng, who grew up in Inner Mongolia and champions “honest, soulful flavors,” the kitchen favors slow-cooked stews, roasted meats, and handmade noodles over quick stir-fries, yielding bold, rich dishes that highlight natural flavors with less oil. Lamb is central—charcoal-grilled lamb chops marinated with cumin, chile, and a proprietary spice blend are popular, served with house-pickled vegetables and a secret dry seasoning, with marinades layering cumin, fennel, dried chile, garlic, and onion powder plus touches of fermented black bean paste, soy sauce, yellow rice wine, or rice vinegar. Signature oat-based specialties include “wowo” honeycomb-shaped noodles in tomato sauce; youmian, chewy, high-fiber oat noodles; and “yuyu” (“fish fish”) noodles in three broths—a tomato soup simmered six hours, a mushroom broth brewed nine, and a lamb soup cooked ten. Even the dumplings use oat flour, with fillings like leek and shrimp or zucchini and egg, and most mains run $15 to $20. Traditional grains beyond oats—millet, barley, and sorghum—also appear, from the Xibei Signature Chilled Golden Millet Sticky Rice dessert to a Xinjiang-style Big Plate Chicken that swaps the usual hand-pulled noodles for wheat seashell-shaped pasta. A nod to Inner Mongolia’s dairy traditions brings housemade yogurt that’s thinner and more tart than Western styles and a Fresh Mongolian Cheese Bing, a chewy griddled bread layered with cheese. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m." - Kristie Hang