Nan Xiang Express - South End, Boston

Great lunch spot on a summer day! I stopped by Nan Xiang Express for a quick lunch and it really hit the spot. I had the shrimp fried rice — it was light, not too greasy, and had a good amount of shrimp and veggies. Super satisfying without feeling heavy, especially nice on a warm summer day. Also tried the braised beef noodles — the broth was rich and flavorful, the beef was super tender, and the noodles had a great chew. Even though it’s hot outside, the AC inside was perfect and the noodle soup felt really comforting. The space is bright and clean, and I sat by the window with a nice view of the street — great vibes overall. Would definitely come back to try more dishes!

A lovely afternoon — I had an iced soy milk which was refreshing and delicious. I also noticed the tree shadows dancing in the sunlight — such a joyful sight. The environment was clean and tidy, with great music playing in the background. I ordered the soup dumplings as my main dish, and they were absolutely delicious. I’ll definitely be coming back next time!

This place was great!!! Absolutely loved the food and dumplings, as it was my first time here. Such a friendly and warm atmosphere when walking in. Tasty, fresh and hot dumplings as I got the chicken w/ hot and sour soup. So good, they easily melt in your mouth. Will be back again soon to try other menu options. Please if you’re in the area stop by this cute space, you won’t be disappointed.

My favorite casual spot for dumplings! The spicy pork wontons & the crab meat soup dumplings are a must try. Also tried the scallion pancakes with beef for the first time & they were delicious. Plenty of seating, really clean interior, and fast service. We usually get takeout or delivery but we decided to dine in today and everything was super fresh. Definitely recommend!

Overpriced for the mediocre quality and quantity. Crispy sesame chicken was most disappointing. The photo on the menu shows a large bowl. What came out was a tiny rectangular container with lots of rice and not much chicken. Broccoli was also not garlic broccoli.

Nan Xiang Express is an absolute gem — a masterclass in how exceptional food and service can turn a quick meal into a memory you crave again and again. Every detail here feels intentional, from the efficiency and warmth of the staff to the artistry of each dish. The star of the show? Their pork and crab soup dumplings — hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. The moment you bite into that delicate, perfectly pleated dumpling, you’re met with an explosion of rich, flavorful broth that feels almost too luxurious to be real. The balance of sweet crab, savory pork, and aromatic soup is pure magic — a flavor that lingers and leaves you dreaming about your next visit. Nan Xiang Express doesn’t just serve food; they deliver an experience, one beautiful dumpling at a time. If you think you know good soup dumplings, think again — this is the gold standard.

We went here because we had recently tried the main location in Flushing, Queens, and had absolutely loved it. However, this Express spot was extremely disappointing. We got the Crab & Pork Xiao Long Baos (soup dumplings) and Steamed Vegetarian Dumplings—two of the same dishes we had at the Flushing location—and they were extremely underwhelming. Both the dough and fillings were bland and completely lacking in seasoning or flavor. I couldn’t taste the crab at all in the soup dumplings, and the meat filling was nondescript and one-note. The steamed vegetable dumplings were slightly better, but still unimpressive. Both dumplings came in plastic to-go boxes even though we ordered dine-in. I guess that's because this is an Express location, but it didn't help

Solid xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and shengjian bao (pan fried soup dumplings). The cold cucumber and garlic salad was a little on the bland side missing the kick of fresh garlic and vinegar. All in all, a solid option for quick Shanghainese food.

Great service. Very clean restaurant. The bok choy was phenomenal. Well seasoned and light. The soup dumplings were very good and flavorful. I was a little nervous because I went to their Chinatown location when it first opened. It was not great. But this location is worth the visit.

Shitty service , ordered on the website , it took 30 minutes sitting here to wait for 2 orders of soup dumplings. The other 3 in my party ordered and got food within 3 min. Mine took 30.. I timed it, and I had to keep asking . Dumplings were ok.. definitely not worth a 30 min wait

Nan Xiang opened another location in South End. The location is really clean, self-serve, and on the corner of the busy streets so it's a good area. Friend and I went and ordered a ton of dumplings! Wegot crab & pork soup dumplings, chicken soup dumplings, chicken & shrimp siu mai, scallion pancake with beef, pork potstickers, chive pork & shrimp dumplings, spicy crispy chicken bowl, and pepper beef bowl. Because it's a lot, here's my favorites and what is worth it: - crab & pork soup dumplings - chicken soup dumplings - scallion pancake with beef Everything else was solid but dunno if I would get them again! I'vehad their noodle dishes before too and I like them. For a fast-casual place, it's honestly not bad.

Great ambiance at this location and very spacious! Ordering is a cinch as well. You can either order at the counter or if you're not feeling very sociable you can order at the touch screen. If you're eating in you can grab a number, enter it with your order and they'll bring it out to you! Items we ordered (as of 9/2024) - Crab meat and pork soup dumplings - $9.95 - The meat filling was pretty good and there was a decent amount of broth! Overall it wasn't bad although the dumpling skin itself was a bit mushy. Overall I'd try the regular pork soup dumplings next time. -Pork Crispy Bottom Buns (4pc) - $7.95 - The buns were alright. The meat filling was decent but the buns (like the soup dumplings) had a bit of a mushy aftertaste to it. Not sure if it was just the batch they used for us but it wasn't as fluffy as I'd expect. I'd pass on this one in the future. - Shredded Beef & Pepper Noodles (Dry) - $14.95 - Great spicy flavor. The meat and veggies are good although the noodles were a bit overcooked. - Cucumber Salad w. Garlic Vinaigrette (Cold) - $7.95 - We really enjoyed this dish as the cucumbers were fresh and crisp. The garlic vinaigrette was great and overall a very good palate cleanser. Good quantity as well. - Crispy Sesame Chicken Bowl - $13.95 - Overall this dish is alright. The chicken was tender and crispy but the Sesame sauce was lacking. I'd probably pass on this in the future. - Beef Scallion Pancake (3pcs) - $8.95 - This was probably my favorite dish of the night. The scallion pancake was VERY crispy and tasty and the hoisin sauce and beef was perfect ratio-wise. I'd get this one again in a heartbeat. Overall I'm happy to have a decent soup dumpling place in the South End and look forward to coming back to try their other offerings! I'm hoping that the bun and dumpling skin mushiness was a one-off moment but we'll have to just wait and see next time.

I'm really excited that this restaurant is in my neighborhood and that soup dumpling readily accessible. If you are here, I do recommend getting the soup dumplings especially when you can sit there and eat it hot. I also recommend the cucumber as a side because it's really refreshing. This is a brand new restaurant so the ambiance is clean and shiny. Here is 2 things that knocked off a star for me though: 1: The counter area smells like the bathroom floor mix with cleaning supplies. It's slightly off putting because the kitchen is behind the counter and you have to wonder why it smell like the bathroom. Maybe it was an issue they didn't get around to yet? 2: They don't have additional food options like their other stores so I was missing some of my favorites. For example, I was craving their spicy tendon&tripe, truffle&pork soup dimpling, & chicken with white wine. I'm excited to see if the menu gets more extensive after the soft opening. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Nan Xiang Express South End just opened in the space that was most recently Bar Lyon, and it's quite a transformation. A surprisingly nice modern interior with lots of space and seating along the walls and in the middle with high-quality tables and chairs. You can order in their app, at a kiosk, or at the counter and food is brought out to you. My first visit I had hot and sour soup which was very good, and I also had the best XLB I've had anywhere in Boston... paper thin not at all tough excellent broth and excellent filling . Just superb . And everything is also affordable too which is welcome because it's increasingly rare in the hood. There is lots of variety this will be regular place for me

Ambience is new and trendy. Clean and even has a self order station which I love. Sesame chicken was great price and was tasty, loved that they have chili oil on the table- my favorite. Chicken was crunchy. Service was great. Highly recommend. I flew in from seattle and this place hit the mark.

absolute fire. not a dumpling gal usually bust something about being pregnant and cold in boston winter has had me reaching for comfort warm food and nan xiang has been so delicious every time. soup dumplings and the spicy chicken wontons are so delicious.

Quick service. Food was good. Getting a table was a little challenging as it was a little busy but wasn't too long. Would recommend.

Honestly I keep coming back. It's the only fast casual asian in the area, so I find myself back here once a week. Always really clean and the staff are super nice. Food tends to lean on the saltier / oilier side, like the noodle soup, but everything is so good and cheap!!

i was really excited to try this place but unfortunately both the items i tried were mediocre. the pork chop over rice was bland and under seasoned. the braised beef noodle soup had good flavor and tender beef, but the noodles were extremely soggy. the service was quick and the interior is nice but the food wasn't worth it :-(

I will miss Bar Lyon forever but I am glad to see something delicious taking its place! I stopped in to the soft opening today and tried the Wontons in Spicy Peanut Sauce and Chive Shrimp & Pork Dumplings. Both were delicious! The inside has been beautifully redecorated and the staff were so pleasant, even taking the time to follow up on my order unprompted. Happy to welcome Nan Xiang Express to the neighborhood!

Our favorites were the wonton in spicy peanut sauce and the beef scallion pancake but overall we were very pleased with our food and this dining model. Great place to catch up with friends, plus it is clean and new! Will be sure to return!

Nan Xiang Express was the closest Chinese restaurant near our place, so we had to stop by and try it. We were very pleasantly surprised by all the dishes we tried! We had the beef scallion pancake, pork pot stickers, pork soup dumplings, crab meat & pork dumplings, and spicy beef dumplings - the beef scallion pancakes were my winner but all were delicious!! Prices were a bit on the high side, but given the quality of the food (and proximity to our place) we'll definitely be back :)

Good food, fair price for portion size, cute magnets that you got for free, authentic taste

Soup dumplings are so good! Some of the best I've ever had. And the beef noodle soup was very good too.

I do like this place a lot and got the veggie noodle soup. It was very good decent size portion broth was super tasty and piping hot but if I had to find one complaint, it would be the noodles being a little overcooked and the young man working the counter could be a little more friendly.

Too many zombies in line. Moved slow. Parts fell off and were a tripping hazard. Better to go earlier during daylight hours