Xibei – LA
In Arcadia, a rare opportunity to sample authentic (chain) Mongolian and northwestern Chinese cuisine
Before you consider visiting the northwestern Chinese restaurant Xibei in Arcadia – less than an hour’s drive from Orange County – you should probably avoid searching Google for details on the chain’s history. Recently controversial in China after a scandal over pre-prepared items and preserved ingredients, the 380-location chain previously marketed itself on freshness, a claim that notably hasn’t been floated in the promotion of its new U.S. outlets. Instead, Xibei’s Los Angeles-area dumpling shop (opened in late 2024) and full-menu Arcadia restaurant (summer 2025) use the words “high-quality” and “authentic,” either of which is fitting enough.
Nicely decorated inside and out as a replacement for Meizhou Dongpo at The Shops at Santa Anita, Xibei’s tall front windows tantalize foodies with ads for an upscale version of Mongolian cuisine that will be unfamiliar to anyone expecting Genghis Khan references or DIY bowls of stir-fried noodles. Oat noodles are a star attraction here, used as dumpling wrappers, pin-shaped soup noodles, and in a honeycomb-style base for Wowo, a house specialty served with sweet and sour sauce-mixed ingredients. Lamb items are prominent but far from the only meats on this menu, though window posters for lamb spine soup and oversized beef ribs practically beg for future exploration.
To sample the oat noodles, we ordered both leek and shrimp oat dumplings ($16/6) and the Wowo ($23). Unfortunately, only the dumplings made it to our table, and were both small and only lightly distinct (in nuttiness) from conventional wheat dumplings. The latter never arrived after 45 minutes, and when asked, our server apologized and suggested some supply problem in the kitchen was to blame. While friendly, service teetered from initially attentive to fleeting throughout the meal, and we saw a group of servers setting up a ladder and attending to what appeared to be a ceiling leak partway through our meal.
At Xibei, lamb is offered across skewers ($10/3), Xibei-style shumai ($8/3), and a sizzling cumin platter ($25), so we tried the latter two, and found each to be largely as expected: The shumai were visually distinctive, built like large pouches and packed plenty of mild lamb filling, while the cumin lamb was “safe hot” – lightly sizzling and more intensely flavored thanks to its namesake spice, though at roughly a 3:2 ratio with sliced onions. Additional options include stir fried vegetables, chicken, pork, fish, and shrimp, as well as some steamed, stewed, grilled, and deep-fried choices. Most entrees are in the $30 range, though some (lamb leg, lamb chop, and whole fish) range from $66 to $88, and a whole Peking duck (held over from Meizhou Dongpo) goes for $98.
Desserts include golden millet sticky rice in cold bars with fruit ($15/6), or pill-shaped “bombs” with brown sugar syrup inside ($9/5), as well as rice balls in fermented sweet rice soup ($5), Mongolian cheese bings ($6), and a yogurt with osmanthus in fermented rice soup ($8). We tried the most popular – the bombs – which were deep fried, lightly filled, and more memorable for tasting like a hybrid of corn and rice than anything else.
We weren’t blown away with our Xibei meal, but didn’t get to experience either as much of the menu as we’d wanted, or as many of the unique dishes as were available to be sampled. Should we find our way out to Arcadia again, we’ll certainly consider another visit, though we’ll likely try different items next time.
Stats
Price: $$
Service: Table
Open Since: 1998 (China), 2024-2025 (U.S.)
Addresses
400 S. Baldwin Ave. #2045
Arcadia, California 91007
626.538.4136
Instagram: @xibei.us