西贝XIBEI Dumplings
Chinese restaurant · Silver Lake ·
Authentic Northern Chinese dumplings, noodles, and snacks
Authentic Northern Chinese dumplings, noodles, and snacks
"If you’ve been craving Eastern European dumplings lately, you’re in luck. Backdoor Dumplings is dishing out their excellent meat-filled pelmenis (they have a vegan option as well) at three locations across town this week. First up is Sara’s Market in East LA on Thursday, September 23rd, followed by White Label Creamery on Fairfax and Ignite La Brea on the 24th and 25th. Be sure to keep a close eye on their Instagram for the latest updates." - brant cox
"Xibei is a northern Chinese spot in Silver Lake that specializes in shaomai, a.k.a. shumai. We appreciate that this counter-service operation keeps its menu short with just six dumplings, including pan-fried beef and onion shaomai and a veggie version with bok choy and mushroom, plus less traditional options like cheesy mozzarella beef. Xibei offers various small plates, too, like popcorn shrimp, scallion pancakes, and hot-sour soup. We recently visited Xibei. Read our thoughts." - cathy park
"The first restaurant in the new Sunset Row development from chef Meng Defei, focusing on northern Chinese specialties such as shumai stuffed with lamb, beef, shrimp, and zucchini. The menu also includes a Chinese pork burger, crispy-fried mushrooms, and scallion pancakes." - Rebecca Roland
"Ask the manager how long this tiny dumpling spot has been open and he’ll say "two months," even though the opening was originally slated for "early 2025"; the restaurant has been quietly serving at the new Sunset Row development in Silver Lake. The space feels like it belongs in a dusty strip mall in Temple City or Rosemead rather than Silver Lake, and veteran chef Meng Defei brings a very regionally-specific Chinese approach: start with the "very herbal, almost medicinal-smelling hot and sour soup that is really delicious and like no other hot and sour soup I've had." The dumplings are a Mongolian-inflected pleated package that’s almost too big to eat with one single bite; the skins are incredibly thin, yielding an almost feather-like ethereal quality, filled with meaty beef or chicken with mushroom. The cold sesame noodles, wide pappardelle-like strands of rice noodles, are a cooling contrast to the hot dumplings. So far, the reviewer says they really enjoy the place and could see themselves coming back to try the rest of the menu—"as long as I get lucky enough to find parking." — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Eater Staff
"In the upscale Sunset Row strip mall, sandwiched between stores like D.S. & Durga and Malin+Goetz, Xibei offers something that Silver Lake could always use more of: dumplings. Specifically, Northern Chinese dumplings. These shaomai have thick bottoms and skin on top so thin you can see through it, and they’re almost as big and weighty as tennis balls. (It’s a good thing they give you an absurdly large bowl to dip them.) The shaomai are more delicate than they appear, and we wish they were all as boldly seasoned as the peppery lamb variety, but there’s nowhere else in the neighborhood serving dumplings quite like this. There are other snacks, like a refreshing wood ear salad and crunchy popcorn chicken, but your priority should be shaomai. With minimal seating, Xibei is best suited for takeout or a quick lunch, ideally out on the patio so you can dip and slurp while watching window shoppers. Food Rundown Steamed Shrimp & Zucchini Shaomoi These dumplings are subtle but pleasingly shrimp-y. They’re also a little wet, and they will fall apart when you dip them into your sauce, but part of the fun is picking those sauce-streaked morsels out of your bowl. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Pan-Fried Beef Shaomai The beef filling is one of two varieties you can get pan-fried. The actual frying is minimal though, without much of a crunch to differentiate them from their steamed brethren. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Steamed Lamb Shaomoi The best of the bunch, these dumplings feature plenty of lamb—and lamb juices—aggressively spiced with white pepper. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Scallion Pancake Crispy, layered, and just the right amount of oily, this is a damn good scallion pancake. No notes. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Fungus Salad A sleeper hit. These wood ear mushrooms are marinated in a sinus-clearing wasabi dressing that makes for a bold (and crunchy) palate cleanser between the softer, starchier bites of dumpling. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Popcorn Chicken These deep-fried chicken bites are crunchy and liberally salted—imagine Burger King’s chicken fries with five spice powder. photo credit: Andrew Ryce" - Andrew Ryce
