Xibei Eatery

In December 2024 and August 2025, Xibei – a growing northwestern Chinese-style restaurant chain from Inner Mongolia – opened its first U.S. locations in Los Angeles and Arcadia, respectively, offering no clues that an Orange County location would be next on the list. So we were thrilled when a smaller version called Xibei Eatery unexpectedly soft-opened in March 2026, replacing the questionably named “Bite Mi Asian Kitchen” in a mixed-use residential, shopping, and dining plaza immediately across from Santa Ana’s Mainplace Mall.

When we visited, the last restaurant’s signage remained above the entrance, but Xibei’s tasteful wood, rope, straw, and tile decor significantly spruced up the previously minimalist interior. Long communal tables and benches provide much of Xibei Eatery’s roughly 50-person seating capacity, notably minus any of the chain’s signature red checkered tablecloths, not that they’re missed.

If you’re expecting the Americanized version of Mongolian food – DIY noodle and protein plates theatrically stir-fried on a huge metal cooking surface – you won’t find it at Xibei, which instead offers an menu that isn’t wholly different from northwestern Chinese restaurants such as Noodle Nest and Six Alley. Just as in Arcadia, however, Xibei Eatery prominently advertises Mongolian-style oat noodles at its entrance, hinting that this locally rare item will become available in Orange County. More on that in a moment.

For the time being and unlike the Arcadia location, Xibei Eatery’s initial menu offers no other oat-based options: Here, noodle choices are primarily hot oil-splashed, ultra-wide, and decidedly non-oat-based versions, dusted with chili powder ($11.75 to $18.75, varied in proteins). There are also three types of “XL” dumplings sold in six- or nine-piece bundles ($12.75 to $22.75), four rice bowls ($14.75 to $18.75), two types of cold noodles ($11.75 to $12.75), roughly a dozen small plates ($3.50 to $9.75), and two desserts ($4 to $12). Six teas ($5 to $5.50) and a mango coconut milk smoothie ($6.50) are the only drinks besides free ice water. In a welcome change from the norm, most of Xibei’s small plates are actually priced to encourage sampling, including $3.50 hot and sour soup, $5.75 cucumber salad, and $7.50 crispy pork. Due to inflation, it’s hard to find comparable value at most new Chinese restaurants these days.

When we visited Xibei in Arcadia, we were disappointed that their signature oat noodles never arrived at our table after ordering, an issue the restaurant belatedly blamed on a kitchen issue. Similarly, the Santa Ana menu’s only oat option – cold “veggie oat noodles” ($12.75) – was out of stock when we tried to order them. So we went instead with the hot oil-splashed beef short rib noodles ($18.75), which were being offered as a soft opening special including a house salad and iced tea. Though this particular combination may not be available at Xibei Eatery when you visit, it turned out to be a really excellent lunch-sized meal for one person, and the sort of deal that (if properly advertised) would likely attract lunch crowds.