Xibei Eatery quitely opened up in Santa Ana a few weeks ago. Check out their Yelp reviews here.
They are a Northwestern Chinese restaurant that specializes in the grain-rich flavors of Northwestern China. They are part of a larger chain known for authentic regional specialties like hand-pulled noodles, unique oat-based dishes, and street food.
Northwestern food reflects the nomadic heritage and Muslim influences of the Uyghur, Hui, Mongol, and Kazakh communities across Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia. Their menu emphasizes lamb, ancient grains such as oats and millet, and a variety of noodles made in-house and hearty dumplings. Grains are preferred in thoes regions – not rice.
Xibei Eatery is located at the CityPlace, across from the MainPlace Mall, at 2775 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92705. They took the spot formerly occuped by the restaurant Bite Mi.
The restaurant features a clean, modern, and minimal interior. While the food is frequently praised as authentic and high-quality, some early diners have noted that service can be slow during peak times. Most main plates range from $15 to $20.
This restaurant is operated by China’s Xibei Catering Group, which was founded in Inner Mongolia in 1988 and now runs nearly 400 locations across the country.
The Santa Ana location is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Popular Menu Items
Reviewers and menus highlight several signature dishes:
- Beef Short Rib Noodles: A standout dish featuring tender, rich beef ribs served with chewy, hand-pulled noodles.
- Handmade Shumai: Distinctive large dumplings, with the Uni & Shrimp Shumai being a highly-rated, unique option.
- Chinese Pork Burger (Roujiamo): A crispy, flaky bun stuffed with juicy, soy-braised pork belly.
- Oat Noodles: Specializing in Northwestern grains, they offer “wowo” (honeycomb-shaped) and “yuyu” (fish-shaped) oat noodles in various broths.
- Desserts: The Chilled Yellow Rice Cake with hawthorn or brown sugar is a recurring favorite for a sweet finish.