XO Brasserie
Chinese restaurant · Charleston ·
Cantonese & Sichuan fare with inventive cocktails and desserts
Cantonese & Sichuan fare with inventive cocktails and desserts
"Herman Ng grew up working in his family’s Chinese restaurant, and now he owns his own with the opening of XO Brasserie. The menu focuses on Cantonese and Sichuan cooking, including XO lobster, mapo tofu, and garlic pepper beef. Don’t miss the fun cocktails or the desserts." - Erin Perkins
"Built as a love letter to Cantonese and Sichuan classics, the menu ranges from dim sum to dumplings you won’t want to share and mixes Chinese-American touches—like chicken wings with caviar—alongside salt-and-pepper shrimp, chow fun, and roast duck. The crowd skews young and fashionable, and the bar’s fun cocktails make it a great spot for date night or a lively evening with friends." - Stephanie Burt
"“I honestly fought against doing Chinese food in Charleston for a long time,” Herman Ng says. “I thought people viewed the cuisine as cheap, and I didn’t know how receptive Charleston would be to an elevated Chinese restaurant.” The XO Brasserie chef and founder might be projecting—he grew up in a Chinese American household, craving pizza and burgers while his parents prepared dishes from their native Hong Kong and Guangzhou—but either way he puts the lie to any notion of cheapness with his sleek, art deco–inspired space. While Ng may have once yearned “to fit in with American culture,” he eventually came full circle, and he now serves dishes such as steamed spare ribs in black bean sauce that are inspired by his mother’s cooking. He says he’s not seeking to “reinvent the wheel,” but he does incorporate certain high-end ingredients and techniques: The steak in the chow fun is Angus beef rib eye, for instance, while the Chilean sea bass, which is traditionally steamed, gets a touch of sear."
"While the main draw to XO Brasserie is the Sichuan and Cantonese fare, don’t skip the Asian-influenced cocktails. For example, there’s a refreshing On the Baijiu with tequila, baijiu, yuzu, and gochujang." - Erin Perkins
"Opened by Herman Ng, who grew up working in his family’s Chinese restaurant, this kitchen focuses on Cantonese and Sichuan flavors with dishes such as XO lobster, mapo tofu and garlic pepper beef that emphasize regional spice and technique." - Erin Perkins