Xiaolong Dumpling

THE BEST!! You can taste the love. We had an amazing meal and experience. Helen was the sweetest and very kind. I highly suggest the BBQ Pork Buns, the homemade bun is super fluffy and light. The soup dumplings melt in your mouth, the scallion pancake was perfect super crispy. Can’t wait to go back.

Xiaolong is a quaint restaurant nestled in the less noisy neighborhoods of montrose. My SO and I decided to walk in for an early dinner. The restaurant was not busy but we were greeted very warmly by Helen (she was super sweet and friendly). The orders can be placed by QR code and you can add more to the order as you go, which is super convenient. We started off with Tsingtao Chinese beers, it’s a lager similar to Dos Equis, which was not overly sweet. There was a complimentary mushroom soup which was a nice touch. We ordered the chili oil wontons (honestly my favorite dish, it was so fresh and had a good amount of filling). The chili oil was not overwhelming and was tempered by a creamier sauce. We also ordered pork soup dumplings (pretty good, I think the top part had a little too much dough but my husband loved it). We also had the pork baos which were yummy. After these dishes we were pretty full We can’t wait to try more off the menu!

Such a GREAT find. Found this place on Google during our recent stay in Houston. Easy to find. Came on a Sunday, and was warmly welcomed by co-owner, Helen. Good food. Szechuan Dry Pot was AMAZING! Highly recommend this dish. So pleased with this restaurant. I wish I lived closer so I could eat here more often!

New favorite dumpling spot! I had the rainbow dumplings and pork bao 😋 they were delicious! I am appreciative this place is so fairly priced. There’s a few parking spots and a lot around back. Ms. Hellen was SO nice and runs a very efficient ship! Can’t wait to bring friends here.

Excellent Szechuan food! The noodle is house made, very nice texture. Really enjoyed the Swan fish with highly fragrant peppercorn; crystal dumplings was also excellent. Will definitely return to try out the dishes. Excellent service as well!

Nice little family owned restaurant that converted an old neighborhood convenience store in a intimate Chinese restaurant. Great food and super nice service. Loved the mountain city hot pot and the fish swimming in pickles! Great flavor and huge serving to share with others. Thank you Helen for your incredible hospitality.

Food was alright. Got the chilli oil wonton. Taste about a 7/10 mainly cuz lacking bit of saltiness from the dumpling itself and the chilli oil not being as strong as I would like. The service was solid, but the online menu definitely can be off putting for some people. I definitely would prefer a physical menu. The food are also fairly pricey, but it is expected when it is in downtown. Overall it is alright for the area that it is in, but definitely not to the quality of some of the places in Bellaire.

If I could formally adopt Helen to be my grandmother, I would! The kindest woman with incredible hospitality. Literally shook my hand when I sat down and left, and was frequently checking-up on me to make sure I enjoyed the food. If you’re looking for a class in showing your customers you care, come learn from Helen. My favorite moment, though, was when she leaned over, whispered and said “soup from the kitchen for free.” Food was incredible!

Yep. Eat here! Wonderful place - immaculately clean, nice neutral and peaceful decor. Helen served us and she was so happy and positive and a delight. We had the chicken crystal dumplings, the bbq pork bao, and the Singapore noodles with shrimp. Plus, they gave us a bowl of hot and sour soup as a free appetizer! All well prepared. All high quality ingredients. All delicious. Seriously - get your fanny in here or order to go. You'll be happy you did!

A nice looking spot that recently opened with another poorly dumbed down Sichuan cuisine meant for Montrose palates. It is too bad as I got the sense from my first and last visit that they could make inspired food. But they don't. Take a pass. PS. Montrose Chinese restaurants that place forks on the table is a dead giveaway. Stay away.

First off, the service is excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful. Because I spoke mandarin, we immediately started a warm conversation. Food is great I had the Szechuan mixed pot as my main which is enough for 2 people and some left overs. The rice serving is also very generous. Ambiance is modern and clean. There is about 20 indoor seating and a patio with many more seats. Overall, I'll come back again as it tastes authentic.

Such a warm and welcoming place. Helen was so friendly and nice to chat with. The food was excellent. Really enjoyed the dishes all around.

This place is truly such a gem! The service here is absolutely great! Helen is so funny, nice, and made our experience great! My mom is a tough critic when it comes to Chinese food but she absolutely loved this place! My favorites were the crispy chicken (very crispy!!) and the biang biang noodles. The texture of the noodles were so great and satisfying. Comforting and delicious Chinese food!

When I first caught whiff of this new spot on Yelp, there was something inexplicably compelling about it and I knew I had to drop in - turns out Xiaolong Dumpling is run by one of the old owners of the original Cooking Girl back when they used to be on Fairview! I was so delighted to catch up with her and reacquaint myself with their delicious cooking. Across 2 dine-in visits and one larger catering order, I've had the chance to try several of their menu items and each time I was impressed with the quality of the ingredients and the well-balanced flavors and textures of each dish. My favorites so far would probably be the spicy fish with soft tofu, the Szechuan mixed pot, and the shatter-in-your-mouth crystal dumplings, but don't overlook the veggie and tofu plates either - the vegan mapo tofu was so devilishly addictive and you'll truly wonder why you eat meat at all. The funky, cool building has a retro/country drive-in design, but there's always enough parking for both the stylish, contemporary interior and the mural-adorned outdoor deck. So far I haven't had to wait for an available table, but every time I go back it gets noticeably busier; if you're a fan of authentic Chinese cooking, definitely swing by before the secret is out!

New place that just opened up. Super nice owners with good eats to offer. We tried the Dan Dan noodles, Sichuan dry pot, and to our pleasant surprise, they had biang biang mein (aka spicy belt noodles). They were all very good and we would definitely come here again. It's so rare for a place to carry biang biang mein, what a treat. The noodles were chewy (what we call QQ), and the sauce and spice were nice. We did miss the usual soy bean sprouts that normally accompany this dish, but again, a nice treat to get access to this dish inside the loop. Thank you and we will be back!

I was really craving wonton soup and stumbled upon XiaoLong Dumpling. The wanton soup--we were encouraged to go with the large since there were two of us--was a generous portion (too large for two people) and almost hit the spot. However, my heart will only ever belong to one wonton soup in the Houston area so it would have been a high bar for anyone. For only having been open a month, XiaoLong seems to have mastered the art of hospitality. Our waitress insisted that she didn't own the restaurant but that it instead belonged to those who enjoy the food. She checked on us frequently as we enjoyed a leisurely lunch as easy jazz set a very laid back ambiance. We ordered the egg rolls--my least favorite--and would recommend their pot stickers and the SAUCE. If you've read my other reviews, y'all know I'm a saucy girl and this one...oh, my. I put that sauce on everything that came after. The pot stickers have the right amount of doughy goodness. We forwent our usual General's for the La Zi Ji and, despite aforementioned affection of saucy meals, La Zi Ji was surprisingly delightful. Spicy and crisp, this chicken dish did not disappoint. And, if you are like me and have the occasional love affair with sauce, the pot sticker sauce paired really well with the La Zi Ji.

This modest dumpling joint is newly opened and still working out some of the kinks such as table turnover and having ample supply of popular dishes, but the food was almost all very good and the waitstaff and owner were friendly and attentive. There are a small amount of tables so prepare yourself for a probable wait time. The soup dumplings were some of the best around, and their Szechuan chicken holds its own against the reigning local king, Mala Szechuan. The chili oil dumplings could have been spicier, but they added a peanut sauce base which was very tasty and different from most other chili oil dumplings. I could take it or leave it with the crystal dumplings. They're essentially fancy pan fried dumplings. Unfortunately they ran out of the biang biang hand pulled noodles, but the flat noodle stir fry substitute was tasty and in good portions. The sesame chicken was just average, I would probably get a beef dish instead next time. In a city saturated with dumplings and Szechuan, I hope this one is here to stay.

Great service and food! Did not disappoint. Wonton s in spicy peanut sauce were delicious!

Solid Sichuan restaurant with a very elegant interior and friendly service. We were given complimentary hot and sour soup which was sweet of them. The chili oil wontons were alright, they were more peanuty rather than spicy which was interesting... The green beans and eggplants were delicious. Loved the seasoning and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. Spicy chicken cubes were crispy and had the classic Sichuan kick. Biang biang noodles were my favorite! The noodles were chewy and had a nice vinegar, spicy flavor!

This new restaurant was actually pretty good. The menu has a lot of grammatical and spelling errors. I found it ironic that the name of the restaurant is soup dumpling but there are no soup dumplings in the menu. It's a pretty small restaurant with very limited parking. We ordered several appetizers and was given complimentary hot and sour soup. The soup had a kick and was very flavorful. The garlic cucumbers, green onion pancake, and pork potstickers were all pretty good. I was not a fan of the chili oil dumplings because they tasted somewhat sweet and didn't have much flavor. The basil chicken, Mongolian beef, stir fried flat noodle with beef, stir fried green beans, and sizzling plate with tofu and shrimp were all very tasty. The shrimp on the tofu and shrimp dish were very small though. We were given a complimentary dessert plate. It looked slightly phallic but was a refreshing after dinner treat. My favorite dishes were the hot and sour soup, stir fried flat noodle with beef, stir fried green beans and sizzling plate with tofu and shrimp.

2nd visit. The C3 Spicy Chicken Cubes (La Zi Ji) were outstanding. Really delicious. That with the DanDan noodles are my new goto. Busier at night. Friendly, Nice vibe.

Good neighborhood Chinese food. Kinda weirdly deceptive that there weren't any Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) at a place named Xaiolong Dumplings. Very friendly waitstaff. You know it's legit when you see the owner's kid doing homework in one the booths. Variety of Americanized Chinese favorites like Mongolian beef. All the food was pretty good, but could be more flavorful. Small dining area but it wasn't crowded when we went. A few spots in the front of the restaurant, but it's was nearly empty so parking will be difficult if they are busy.

Saw this place on Yelp, it has great reviews so we decided to go and try. Turned out, we had one of the best experiences with Chinese food. The inside is clean, though not a huge space, but they have a cute outdoor patio. I think it's gonna be a great option during the fall. It's just way too hot today to eat outside The menus are great. Lots of selections. I saw many familiar dishes, so I ordered tons!! Of course, I wanted to bring some leftover home so I don't have to prepare for dinner! Most of the dishes are great! My daughter loves the green onion pancakes and biangbiang noodles. My son likes the shrimp and chicken cube. I personally like the eggplant. We were satisfied with the food. The amount for each dish is great too! Definitely come with friends and family to share. I only wish the spicy wonton has a little more flavor, it was kind of mild for us. Except for the great food, I love Helen (if I mixed up with your name, sorry ), she loves having conversations with customers which is great. We've been to so many restaurants, not that many waiters/ waitresses do that. She also asks our name which made us feel more personal. Anyway, if you are around the area, or looking for something new. Try this place and be ready to have some great conversations!

An incredible szechuan place! We ordered family-style a lot of the veggie options (mapo tofu, garlic eggplant, the veggie crystal dumplings, bok choy, dandan noodles) and all were super delicious. The garlic eggplant was by far the group favorite. The place seems understaffed, which kinda sucked to see, but the staff was super friendly and trying their best! I hope they get more staff to meet the demands. There's a small parking lot and also lots of free street parking nearby.

All of the food was good but it took an hour and a half for us to get our food. I would try dining in but I don't know about ordering out.

Came here on a whim because my husband loves to compare Szechuan peppercorn chicken at different restaurants. We were very pleasantly surprised by Xiaolong! First, they brought us a hot & sour soup on the house for Father's Day. I'm not big on hot & sour soup, but this version had me coming back for more... The mushrooms were AMAZING. I wish I got a picture! We ordered our regular meals: Szechuan peppercorn chicken and salt and pepper fish. Both were family-sized. The Szechuan peppercorn chicken was very different from other versions we have had-- instead of being fried, it was either boiled or steamed. Also, the peppercorns were fresh and on the stems! My husband loved it despite it being quite different. The salt and pepper fish was wonderful as well; perfectly fried and not too greasy. We also got chili oil dumplings and OMG. Their in-house chili oil was the best we've ever had. The dumpling was so light. I could literally go back and order two bowls of those dumplings and die happy. The service went above and beyond. It seems to be family-run and everyone we talked to was so friendly and engaged! We will certainly be back soon!

Give this place a try if you're craving Szechuan. Helen was warm and welcoming from when we entered till we left. We eat Szechuan on the regular so we had dishes in mind that we wanted but we were still open to suggestions. According to Helen, the fresh peppercorns they use, are flown in from their home town in China. Also the chef is trained specifically for Szechuan dishes. The food was excellent and it didn't take long at all. Everything was flavorful and we left extremely full and happy with what we ordered. The Home Style Tofu dish was a first for us and so glad we tried it. The dish was tasty, and I will order it again. If you're in the area, check this place out. It's clean and lots of well lit areas which will make you're food pictures look more delicious and most importantly Helen will make you feel like family and you'll be glad you went.

Xiaolong Dumpling was OK--just note that it's more of a Sichuan place rather than a dumpling place--they only had two types of dumplings and didn't even have xiaolong dumplings, which is surprising to me. Anyways, our group of eight people tried a lot of different dishes--overall, I'd say that the dishes were good but perhaps lacked the spicy kick that we wanted. My favorites were the dandan noodles and the potstickers. Overall, the food was good but perhaps not my favorite.

Food - I tried Biang Biang noodles, soup dumplings, and sesame balls and all of them were phenomenal. Service - I went there for lunch on Friday. I was seated immediately, and the waitress was very friendly. Ambiance - Very cozy and chill. Great for casual celebrations, family meals, etc. Limited parking, but street parking is available.

Cute little dumplings & noodle spot in a old gas station plunked at the edge of Montrose Clean modern ambiance , delicious authentic flavors and reasonable prices

Saw this spot on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Really good quality Szechuan food! Service was great. Helen told us they just opened and the chef is a traditional Szechuan chef. If you like tongue numbing Szechuan peppercorn dishes then you'll love this place! Amazing flavors to everything that we had, can't wait to go back and try other dishes!

Helen, the owner, was so welcoming when we told her we were coming from Katy. She served us sweet and sour soup on the house for making the trip. The crystal dumpling was so unique. Looks like they poured a thin layer of batter on a flat top griddle, then placed the dumpling to cook on top. Awesome flavor! The chili oil dumpling was not hot just very flavorful. And the Kung Pao chicken was fresh and tender. They live up to their name! I am coming back!

I ordered take out based on high reviews but I agree with the other guy that the flavors are dumbed down. While my (spicy) general Tso had big juicy chicken chunks with a nice breading to meat ratio, it was extremely bland. Same with the hot and sour soup, which usually has a pungent taste from the vinegar. And not even one soy sauce, sweet sour packet or fortune cookie in the bag. Highly suspicious and I'm a bit disappointed.

We found this little place right down the road from where we were staying in the museum district. Had no idea it was going to be this amazing! The minute we walked in Helen treated us as if we were family. She was so welcoming and really made us feel like we were part of the Xiaolong family. All of her recommendations were on point and it all tasted out of this world. Such a great experience and for sure next time we're in H-town (which is my hubs and my home town) we'll for SURE go back to see Helen and have some of their amazing hot n sour and egg drop soup!! Definitely recommend whole heartedly!!! Thank you Helen!!!

I think my fiancé and I have found our weekly dinner spot! Xiaolong Dumpling is conveniently located just a short walk away from our townhouse. After passing by the restaurant several times, we decided to give it a try on a Friday evening. The food was absolutely delicious, the service was friendly and the prices were quite reasonable! To start, we ordered the chili oil dumplings and the pork crystal dumplings, which were both delicious. For our main entrees, we had the kung pao chicken with fried rice and the stir fried flat noodles with beef. The owner gave us extra fried rice to share! Every dish we ordered was full of flavor. The portions were very generous, so we definitely didn't leave feeling hungry. To top it all off, the owner even brought us a complimentary fruit plate as dessert as well as hot and sour soup to take home. We'll be back!

The pan fried dumplings and soup dumplings were AMAZING!!! We stumbled upon this cute little shop while visiting Houston and super glad we did! It's a small family owned restaurant that focuses on good food and personal experience. One of the owners kept coming out and making sure we were having a great meal. We highly appreciate the kind of upstanding service we receive. We will definitely be back if we visit Houston

First time here. Really enjoyed our dinner & experience. Helen & her daughter were attentive and engaging. We had stir fried green beans, crystal dumplings- they were great! And Szechuan dry pot. Helen gave us some hot and sour soup complimentary. Everything was good. The dry pot had great veggies, beef, pork and shrimp. She introduces herself and makes sure everything is good. Plenty to take home for the next day including an additional serving of rice and egg drop soup. We will be back!! The very friendly atmosphere made our evening lovely. Thanks!

Wow! Just wow! 10/10! Food to die for and service was phenomenal. A bit far away from us but totally worth the drive! Highly recommend the special handmade noodles wow!

4.5/5 Sadly no soup dumplings on menu yet, but they are in the works per in the owner. We tried the Dan Dan noodles and cucumber salad as starters. Good flavor on the Dan Dan noodles, got some tingly from the Szechuan spice but no over powering. We tried the Mapo tofu (vegan) and eggplant loves green bean. Green bean was a little undercooked (eggplant part was perfect) but the sauce coated the vegetable perfectly. Well seasoned. Mapo tofu was nice and savory for a vegan version, we didn't miss the meat! Owner was very kind and attentive and brought us out a plate of fruit (ultimate Asian mom gesture of love) with some chocolate sauce. We also got some pro bono extra rice and hot and sour soup with our leftovers. Service here is 10/10. Looking forward to my next visit!

So glad to see another Sichuan restaurant in the neighborhood. The cooking style feels more home made but authentic. Enjoyed the 鱼香茄子，土豆丝，干锅，子姜鱼。the ginger fish is our absolute highlight and haven't had any that's better than this in other Sichuan Houston restaurants. Will come back and try more.

This place is awesome. Was taken care of by Helen who was fantastic. Very warm and welcoming. I'd come back just because she was so great. Luckily the food was somehow even better. I ordered the dan dan noodles, chili oil wontons, twin pepper chicken, and soup dumplings. Feels like an exaggeration but everything was delicious but I was especially fond of the chili oil dumplings and dan dan noodles. I'm glad I don't live any closer for the sake of my own health. The twin pepper chicken was a huge portion and perfectly spicy with just the right amount of Sichuan peppercorn to give you the numbing sensation without overdoing it. My least favorite was the soup dumpling which is kind of surprising for a spot called Xiaolong Dumpling but oh well. The flavor of the dumplings was excellent but the wrapper was a bit on the thicker side and threw off the ratio of filling to wrapping for me. Again, absolutely nothing wrong with the dumplings just not my preference. As for the location and interior itself, it's pretty much a hold over from the previous tenant of the building with a muted color palette. Pretty large covered outdoor area which is nice for Houston summers. Parking is fine. A few on-site spots and some parking at the paint store across the street if necessary. Glad I checked this place out and looking forward to trying more dishes on the menu.

Very friendly staff and excellent fresh homemade food. I ordered the Biang Biang Noodles with Chicken and the noodles were thick and endless. The sauce was tasty and right on. Will be back soon to see Helen and try the dumplings and other good looking dishes on the menu.

Xiaolong Dumpling was an amazing surprise. The dishes were delicious and Hellen (our server) made the experience really fun. We tried the egg drop soup, fried shrimp, Dan Dan noodles, spicy edamame, Mongolian lamb, cumin beef, Sichuan spicy fish, and dry fried green beans. We'd order all again. Note-we over-ordered a bit--the portions are very generous. We will be back!

Excellent, fresh food. Incredible service. I highly recommend. I had the egg drop soup, salt and pepper shrimp with fried rice and a green onion pancake. I can't wait to go back and try the other items.

I really liked the food and the service. I got a flowering tea which was served in a beautiful glass tea infuser...for an appetizer I tried the chili wonton; had a peanut ginger flavor. I had sour soup. Finally for an Andrea, I had the peppercorn lamb. They made the veggies custom with garlic, cilantro, and bell peppers because I I will get it a little spicier next time. Great service; what I liked is that they didn't get it right the first time but they fixed it right away and I was really impressed.

Xiaolong Dumpling is such a great neighborhood restaurant. The portions are large, much bigger than comparable dishes at other restaurants. We ordered the fish with tofu, cumin lamb, and garlic cucumbers- all of which I would come back for! Service is awesome and very friendly.

BEST Xiaolong Bao in Houston. Only caveat is they sell out often so it's your lucky day if you get to order it. Food here is so flavorful and delicious, it makes my mouth water just thinking about coming here. Everyone in our family has a favorite dish: Peppercorn Chicken, Chicken Stir Fried Noodles, Homestyle Tofu, Szechuan Lamb, String Beans and Eggplant. If you love potstickers, try the Crystal Dumplings and thank me later. Friendly service that's warm and caring. A real gem of a restaurant. We can't wait to come back again and again.

A girlfriend and I visited last night and were treated like queens even tho we arrived 30 minutes before closing. The food is wonderful! Handmade, tasty and served with big smiles. We shared a pot of chrysanthemum tea and pot stickers, then each of us had soup and an entree. Extremely fresh -- I've never been called a huge fan of green vegetables, but the woman behind the wok cooked them perfectly - I really enjoyed my broccoli (not something one often hears from me;) They even brought us a fruit dish drizzled with chocolate as a gift from the house! Very good and I highly recommend!

Had dinner here last night and the food was very delicious! The pan fried crystal dumplings were beautifully done, the hot and sour soup was very flavorful, and the hand pulled bian bian noodles were amazing. On top of that, our server Helen was super friendly and made us feel so welcomed and cared for. Definitely will be back then next time we visit Houston!

Food was amazing! The Biang Biang noodles and the soup dumplings were so fresh and delicious we wanted to order a second serving. We also got the spicy chicken cubes and the peppercorn taste was soo good. Will definitely be coming back here and telling everyone about it!!

Very fresh, healthy options and nice menu. Friendly service and attentive team. Very comfortable, relaxing environment. Highly recommend.

I really loved the atmosphere. The food was great--I got the pot stickers, Mongolian beef, and General Tso's chicken. Everything was absolutely perfect. I would totally come here again. The service was amazing!

Loved the great selection. Fine flavors and spices fill the air of this easily accessible midtown restaurant one block from Taft and West Grey. Great selection at affordable prices. We loved the wonderful flavors and friendly service. The food is served with a smile and the taste made us all smile. We hope you will try it.

Had such an amazing experience here today! The food was fantastic and so was the service. Servers need to take a hospitality class from Helen. We had the spicy chicken cubes (bursting with flavor), the hot and sour soup (on the house!), the soup dumplings(silky smooth well seasoned perfection) the flat noodles with beef (some of the best I've ever had), and two chai teas(hey either you like chai tea or you don't). Everything was impeccable. There are a good handful of fairly decent Asian spots in Houston but this place is definitely a stand out. If you don't check it out it's honestly your loss. We will definitely be back!

Food was great! And the service even better. The female owner of the place was such a nice person. We had a newborn with us and she treated us with such care. Highly recommended.

First I would like to say this is my 2nd time coming to restaurant and both times were amazing. The first time I had the Pork Dumplings and Hot and Sour Soup along w a spicy shrimp dish and all was incredible. This visit I had the Chili Chicken. You cannot go wrong w either dish and service is very good. The restaurant is quiet w nice soothing music and if you like authentic food you should come they treat you like family.

Xiaolong Dumpling is truly a delight! The mapo tofu tastes like childhood. So fresh, so delicious, and so quick! It tastes like home. They're also the only Chinese food place I've found since going gluten free that's GF friendly - they use tamari soy sauce! GF Chinese food! ...Heaven!!

Our favorite dish was the biang biang noodles with chicken - the chicken was tender and flavorful. There's a great selection of dishes and everything we had was delicious. Great service and really cute atmosphere with indoor and patio seating. We will definitely be back!