There’s a new place for xiao long bao and noodles on 14th Street, NW that is more spacious than what you’d think just looking at the outside:
It has two large rounds in an alcove off to the right in this picture. And they also have a lovely robot that helps the waitress bring the food to these tables all at once. The robot can sing happy birthday, too.
As for the food, they are making a serious attempt.
The wrappers on the xlb were delicious and had good structural integrity. After the first one, you do have to be more careful as the dumplings cool. The broth inside was a bit thin and chicken-y. So not at the level of Bob’s Shanghai in Rockville.
I also got a bowl of Chengdu style ja jiang mian:
This was a very big bowl, with a ton of ground pork for $19. Noodles were quite good. There was some good ma la action going on, but not so much that it hits you hard. It takes a while to build, but it does so convincingly. Very delicious and satisfying. I will definitely go back.
