Elena N.
Yelp
I was hanging out with the boys when we realized some friends were in town. I was starving, so we decided to meet up for dinner at Xiao Loong Restaurant in West Portal. (One of the boys suggested the restaurant as he's been here before.) I believe my girlfriend called ahead and made a same day reservation for our party of five. The three of us arrived first on Saturday, January 6th around 7:45pm.
*Xiao Loong Bow: hand rolled thin chinese pastry, stuffed with ginger marinated ground pork, then steamed 'til plump and juicy ($10.95)
*Dry Sauteed Green Beans: fresh green beans, flash-fried and tossed with a mixture of fresh minced ginger, chopped garlic, minced preserved chinese turnips, and roasted red hot peppers in house soy sauce ($11.95)
*Mongolian Beef: tender sliced beef sauteed with green onions, julienned yellow onions, and roasted red hot peppers in house sauce served on a bed of crispy rice noodles ($12.95)
*Spicy Garlic Pork Belly Fried Rice: jasmine white rice stir fried with garlic, chilis, green onion, egg and tender stewed pork belly ($11.95)
*Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken: chicken thigh meat marinated with garlic, ginger, pepper, and five spice powder lightly battered and flash fried topped with crisp basil ($9.95)
*Dry Sauteed Brussel Sprouts: fresh brussel sprouts, flash-fried and tossed with a mixture of dried spices, fresh minced ginger, chopped garlic, minced preserved chinese turnips, and roasted red hot peppers in house soy sauce ($12.50)
*Sizzling Rice Soup: shredded chicken, shrimp, water chestnuts, sliced shiitake mushrooms, peas, and spinach in a light chicken broth topped with sizzling rice served tableside ($14 large)
*Xiao Loong's Hot Braised Fish: daily fish topped with a rich spicy mixture of minced black mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, fresh ginger, chili, and garlic ($14.95)
*Hunan Hot Pepper Pork: julienned pork stir-fried with jalapeno pepper and onion in a spicy sichuan sauce ($11.95)
*Steamed Jasmine White Rice ($2)
*Tsingtao ($4.50) x8
*Lichee Congou Black ($3.50)
We had so much food! But we actually managed to finish most of it. I adored the veggies. The greens beans retained a crunch and the brussels were nicely fried. I was excited to try the fish and xiao long bao as those are two of my favorite dishes. I thought the XLB had good flavor, but they weren't that soupy. The fish wasn't the dish I was thinking of, but it was cooked nicely. (I wanted the fish cooked in chili oil.) The soup and fried rice were also tasty. I love brothy soups, so this hit the spot. The pork belly added a nice meatiness to the fried rice. I'm not big on saucy meat dishes, so I thought the mongolian beef and pork were okay. The popcorn chicken wasn't quite as savory as the one from boba tea shops (probably cuz of the lack of MSG?), but it was a nice deep fried dish.
Cute Sichuan spot in West Portal. Definitely fed our hungry bellies.