Great selection of choices....servers give great recommendations. Wonderful flavor ! :)
(3)
Nate C.
I'll admit, I was skeptical. It's a sushi place next to a donut chain in the parking lot of a pharmacy. I didn't expect much. Turns out, this place is actually pretty great, even without the lowered expectations that come with Lansing-area dining. We split a couple rolls, had some plum wine, enjoyed great service, and were surprised by the cool atmosphere when you walk in the door. This may be my favorite sushi place in town. Don't miss the kampyo roll, especially if you're a vegetarian. It was my favorite of the numerous veg options.
(4)
Ashley N.
Better off going and buying the frozen stuff. That's exactly what it is. Rice was super dry and brittle. Service was rude and short. Made it obvious they were annoyed when questions were asked. Drinks sucked. Decor was clean, but typical.
(1)
Lesley H.
I've been to Xiao three times now and have had a good experience each time. As for the food and drink, the udon noodles and pho are excellent. I myself haven't tried the sushi, but my dining companions have and reported that it was tasty and fresh. They have a full bar and the house cocktails are creative. The decor in this place is really cool, and I appreciate the effort that the owners put into the details. It's trendy and minimalistic w/ a chic ambiance. I live in the Detroit-area, and this place reminds me of some of the independent places down in this area. The owners did it up right. The service has been fast and friendly each time I've been here. The hostess the last time I was in appeared to possibly be an owner or manager and was very attentive to what was going on in the restaurant. I hope that the people of Lansing appreciate this place and show it by patronizing it. Lansing is so over-saturated with run-of-the-mill chain restaurants, and sadly, these are the places that always seem busiest. Show some love to your locally-owned restaurants!
(4)
Jacqueline D.
I would give this place a 1 but I feel bad. My girlfriends and I decided to have a nice valentine's dinner together (since either we were single or bfs were out of state) so we decided to come here. There was a prix fixe menu, which was fine. My friend and I opted for the more expensive one while the other girls got the least expensive choice. My meal was ok and so were the girls, nothing special and definitely not worth our money! We had beef and it was dry. Also, I told the waiter that our sushi was really fishy and he replied "isn't it suppose to taste like that." Then he was like actually I don't really eat that. OK, for the amount I was paying for that day and meal, that sushi should have been sent back. It left the taste of sea in my mouth, it was disgusting.
(2)
Jack L.
This restaurant is deceptively large! The outside makes you think it's going to be a tiny little place inside but it does have some high ceilings and the restaurant goes back further than expected. I went in for a late lunch so the place wasn't all that full. The servers were cleaning up from what looked like a very busy lunch crowd. The service was more focused on cleaning after customers who have paid and gone than actually waiting on customers sitting in the place. I ordered a couple of appetizers and a side of white rice. The duck sliders ($8) were tasty and artfully presented. There were 2 of them in an order. I don't think they were quite worth $4 per sandwich, but it was different. A slice of crispy duck, in a brown sauce and some cucumber sticks and green onions in a small white bread bun. I also had the potstickers. Meh. Nothing exceptional. Very small, not all that tasty. Thankfully, I wasn't charged extra for the half scoop of white rice that I requested. So, the lunch I pieced together wasn't as awesome as I had hoped. The decor is pretty nice. There's a full bar and a pretty decent wine list with a few selections by the glass. I might give them another shot by ordering an actual entree - but the appetizers I chose weren't great for what I ended up paying. And the service could use some work.
(2)
Lindsey K.
Xiao is a modern spin on Americanized Chinese food. Sort of like a local PF Changs. The restaurant has high ceilings and a huge buddha statue. The bar has a couple of TVs in it. I did not have a drink, but it looked like they had a full bar. We ordered Salmon and Orange Chicken. The salmon was ok. I felt like it was something I could make at home. Salmon w/ an Asian-y sauce on rice /w asparagus. The rice was really good, and I'm not usually an empty white carb eater, but it had good flavor and was fluffy. The Orange Chicken was average. The service was good. The server was attentive and checked on us frequently. The manager also stopped by the table to check on us. Overall the place was OK, nothing awesome. I don't know if I'll go back.
(3)
Rob Y.
We stopped in on a whim the other night and really enjoyed the place. The decor was terrific and the setting couldn't have been nicer. We had a terrific server and it was a nice cozy setting. We held out for a booth as the table that we were offered wasn't going to do it for me. Our new thing is to either split meals or just have appetizers, which is what we did. We had the lettuce wraps which were decent.. I agree with another person who said they were sort of bland. But the portion size was good and I suppose had I tossed a bit of soy sauce on them, they would have been fine. We also had a shrimp avocado egg roll that was very nice!!! It was paired with a dipping sauce that didn't really add or subtract from the egg roll. I had a yellow tail roll that was a slender filet of fish served atop a small pile of rice. The fish was very fresh and the rice complimented it perfectly. But the star of that dish was a very tasty adornment of some sort of sauce. It was just the perfect little zing to set off the roll. We met the owner and he couldn't have been more gracious. All in all.. the food was pretty good but the service and the setting were as good as you'll hope to find in Lansing. We'll go back and soon. they have some happy hour specials and late evening specials also. We might endeavor to find those and take advantage next time.
(4)
Debbie L.
Their lunch buffet may seem small, but the food is very fresh. The price was perfect for lunch too. When I visit EL again, XIAO is on my list to visit agian too!
(5)
T R.
I really had high hopes for this place. The sushi is just meh... It's overpriced for what you get and is just average in flavor. Kind of a let down.
(2)
Krystinah N.
I was excited to try XIAO, we had received $5 off coupons from Commonground and decided to give it a go. I found nothing memorable about the food. We had the duck sliders-which tasted bland, and the chicken lettuce wraps.... also bland. The only thing I liked about our experience was the waiter and the decor. I was hoping to walk away raving about the place, but was pretty disappointed. Give it a whirl if you are willing too, but I wouldn't recommend it. I hope they focus more on flavoring and even just basic seasoning.
(2)
Chelsea M.
I have to say Xaio misses the mark just a little bit. I'm not saying the food is bad, I'm just saying for food is unimpressive. I've tried several dinner entrees, a couple sushi rolls, and stopped in for lunch. At no point did I think "oh man, I have to come back!" One thing I do really like is the decor. It is unique and fun. The ambiance was good for a lunch meeting and a enjoyable evening out.
(2)
Sonia V.
The service is the only quality part of this restaurant. Their lunch buffet is old! The sushi is old, and everything else looks like perhaps it was made sometime last week. There is much potential for improvement.
(1)
Benny V.
The boyfriend (who is a degreed and experienced chef), his brother and I decided to give this place a shot. The decor was nice. It was warm and welcoming but classy. The hostess and waitstaff were nice and full of smiles. Our waitress, however, was either inexperienced or just plain rude. She seemed to only have our table and one other, but was constantly in a hurry to get away from our table. She didn't come back to check on us until well after we had already finished what we were eating of our dinner, and even then she didn't seem to actually care. As an appetizer we ordered the Peking Duck sliders. I was honestly excited about ordering something with this name at a chinese grille. I was hoping for some ingenuity and creativity. Instead we got a bland duck-sausage on a roll. The vegetables were fresh and the sauce was decent, but overall this dish was absolutely mediocre. My boyfriend ordered the Peppercorn Crusted Jumbo Prawns. His prawns (which were not actually Jumbo Prawns but were actually Jumbo Shrimp) was perfectly cooked and delicious, but there were 6 of them, for $16. The bed of veggies they came on was tossed in a sauce that was tasty, and the vegetables were well cooked and seasoned. The brown rice was bland and under cooked. My boyfriend's brother ordered the Original General Tso's Chicken, which was marked as both spicy and a house specialty. The chicken was nicely cooked, but the sauce was not remarkable. He also received a side of the same brown rice, which was bland and under cooked. I ordered the Singapore Chow Mei Fun. The noodles were perfectly cooked, and the dish was seasoned well overall (though I did have to add salt to really bring out the taste of the curry to my liking). The shrimp were cooked correctly, but had absolutely no taste to them (as though they were cooked separately without seasoning, and added to the dish later). The chicken was absolutely inedible. It was unseasoned and significantly overcooked. It tasted as though it was cut into bits, pre-cooked, and then re-heated to be added to my dish. I so wanted this place to be awesome. I wanted it to be as good as the advertising made it seem like it would be. I wanted it to be worth the prices we paid. Sadly, it wasn't. If they can fix the problems they are having with the food and clean up the waitstaff a bit, then it might be a place I'd regularly visit.
(2)
Jessie W.
I like XIAO for a number of reasons. First, their atmosphere is very relaxing and overall, a great place to hang out and eat with friends. Second, the fact that I can get drinks AND sushi. Awesome. Depending on what you order, it can get pretty pricey but they have specials pretty often. Service wasn't terrible but also not very memorable.
(4)
Nichole W.
I went here on a date friday night it was lovely. love the decor love the food drinks were amazing and prices were lower than i expected. I had wonton soup and general tso chicken it tasted great. The waitress were a little slow so if you are looking for a fast meal this is not the place. But its great for leisurely dining. Make sure you get a booth and not a table the chairs are super uncomfortable. Oh and they had live entertainment
(4)
Kathy L.
I like to try new places, and went here with my daughter and friends. I was not impressed with the prices, definitely. High prices for just so-so food. I had chicken and broccoli, and the brown sauce it was drenched in was not very tasty. And way salty. I ordered the chicken and broccoli, and it came with about 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1/2 cup of lettuce with ginger dressing, and my bill came to $16. Maybe those prices fly in Chicago or New York, but in Lansing?? I will not be going back.
(2)
Jack M.
For being in a mundane strip mall, the decor is really good, with a spacious bar area and some nice booths. As for the food, I had some so-so sushi there a couple of weeks ago and a guest in our party had to come up with 3 different orders, since they were out of damn near everything. The service was pretty bad and our server was verbally illiterate (yes, I realize this is an oxymoron) and not knowledgeable of their menu. Eventually, she brought out a wrong order, which one of our guests just accepted since it took forever to get service (over 30 minutes). Overall, the food is pretty so so and the service I got was pretty awful.
(2)
Julia K.
cool little bit expensive but I like that Interior food is good but not great
(4)
Kevin F.
This is my Monday night hang out joint! I enjoy the nice people and good food. One of the great things about this place is the specials they run daily each week. On Mondays, they have half off all noodle entree's. It's REALLY doesn't get any better then this. This paired with great drinks and good conversation, it's the perfect blend relax and chill. It's really the best place to hang on this side of town.
(4)
D G.
One star is generous. I actually apologized to my husband for taking him there to eat. The service was sup-par and the food was even worse. The general chicken was beyond dry (how does that even happen), the Avacado in the sushi was brown. I didn't even get that nigiri I ordered , but the waitress had no interest in fixing the mistake she made. DO NOT EAT HERE
(1)
T M.
Where to start... The staff was extremely unprofessional. They messed up my wifes order, the place stank. Food was over priced and mediocre. I know they're newer and I'm willing to give them another shot once the reviews start shaping up, but for now it's 1 star.
(1)
Carl F.
Live near the area and heard some below average feedback. I love pad Thai, so I figured I would give it a shot for carry out because Taste of Thai was closed. What a disappointment. Not only was it extremely overpriced (over $14!), but the portion was jokingly small (8 oz MAYBE). When the bartender handed me my order, I almost handed it back and left. The pad Thai itself was decent but nothing special. I learned my lesson and should just stay the course at Taste of Thai. I recommend you do the same. In a college neighborhood with high prices, average quality, and small portions, I don't see how this place will survive. Don't make the mistake I did. Avoid.
(1)
Elizabeth T.
I just ate here for the first time with a group of six people. It was...okay. First we ordered pot stickers and the guacamole egg rolls. The egg rolls were AMAZING! Then it took us forever to order as the menu is quite extensive. So we asked our helpful waiter what his favorites are and suggested the spicy beef, pad thai and the salmon. Well I am a noodle lover so I chose PAD Thai. It was pretty mediocre. Nothing too special about it. One person ordered the curry chicken and loved it. Two others ordered the temporua udan soup (both agreeing that it was mediocre as it was mostly noodles and broth). Then the two beef dishes that he recommended turned out to be tasty but spicy. Gosh...I should have went for that (Spicy lover!!!). Overall it was an okay dining experience. I would go back as the decor is pretty cool but the music didn't fit. They even have a bar and a sushi bar fo you can come for drinks! That being said....try it...BUT...don't go expecting anything more than an Americanized pan-Asian restaurant.
(3)
Ramandeep K.
We (and my valentine) decided this place as a random choice for our special day. I expected it to be interesting but this place exceeded all my expectations. It was full of exotic sprit, was beautifully decorated and had live Chinese music. I couldn't ask for anything more special and cozy than that on a valentine's day date !!
(4)
Kyle J.
Had the Philly eggrolls, pot stickers, and kung pao chicken. All nicely prepared. A little pricey but good specials. 25% off everything on Sundays. Great atmosphere.
(4)
Stacy E.
Stopped by out of curiosity on a Monday night. The inside decor is comfortable and great for private conversing with a dinner guest. Was please to find that on Monday's the noodle dishes are 1/2 off. I chose the Pad thai with mild spice. I'd have to say it was pretty boring. I've definitely had better but was glad it was only $7 instead of $14. The small side salad that came with it was unnecessary as it only had 3 edible pieces of lettuce and an awful dressing. The saving grace was the crab rangoons...they were good. I might go back to try the sushi at some point. I was expecting more out of my dining experience. Lansing needs better cuisine.
(2)
Lindsay B.
XIAO still has kinks to work out and was a complete miss. My boyfriend ordered cashew chicken and I ordered the buddasan. Both of our dishes had vegetables that were still frozen in them!!! I picked out some frozen peas, broccoli and carrots. The peas still had icicles on them. The restaurant wasn't very busy and I think they could have at least microwaved the food longer before putting on their premade sauce. Also, the waiter said my boyfriends credit card was declined, then said mine was declined before checking and realizing the wait staff had been telling everyone they were declined when their machine was broken. We waited for it to be fixed and were not offered anything even a beer while we waited.
(1)
Nick F.
Xiap's food mediocre at best. I would say more but the food was so forgettable they only thing i can remember is being fed canned soup broth and come kind of pineapple jelly over my "generals chicken". if you want good Chinese in Lansing try Fine China
(2)
Jessica M.
The food is amazing. They have a mixture of American and Asian cuisines, that are delectable. Also, their dessert chef has created some interesting but tasty dishes. The prices are reasonable for a sit-down Asian restaurant. They are a new restaurant, but I have a feeling they'll be there for a while.
(5)
Irene B.
We went to XIAO for dinner. We ordered cocktails and there was a delay in getting them. Then our waiter then told us they were out of Stoly, so he ordered another vodka. My gin and tonic was served w/ no lime. They have a very large menu which includes an extensive sushi selection as well as Chinese food. I ordered the Sushi B combo, which was spicy tuna rolls and 6 "chef's nigiri". When asked what was included our server replied "it's random". What it turned out to be was salmon, mackerel, yellow tail, tuna and fake crab. I have never seen imitation crab used as nigiri! The tuna rolls were small and so spicy I could hardly eat them. My husband's sushi/sashimi bento box was ok. The tempura was good but did not have any sauce with it. We had both ordered miso soup. Mine came before the entry and my husband's was served w/ his meal. If we ever go back I would only try the items of Chinese food, not sushi. The decor is very nice. I wish the service and food were as good.
(2)
Kim L.
We got takeout - two very small servings of rice, some completely flavorless vegetable stir fry, and very underwhelming Kung Pao Chicken, for $25. How do you ruin Chinese rice?? They managed to. The vegetables were drowning in an absolutely taste-free brown sauce. I mean, it didn't taste like anything at all. The Kung Pao was ordered spicy, but was mild. Extremely overpriced!
(1)
Jason F.
I've been there once. Americanized chinese food isn't usually the highest thing on my favorites list, but the wizard they have in the back room makes it taste great. I strongly encourage visitors to get dessert.
(4)
Chris D.
I went there for lunch today with my two-and-a-half year old daughter. We were greeted at the door and seated - and then we waited for roughly 10+ minutes for service. Finally a waitress came by and asked if I had been taken care of and figured out what was going on. The manager came by, apologized and told me that he'd take care of me and there would be a server here shortly. The server shows up and takes our orders - Sweet and Sour Chicken for my daughter and the lunch version of the Honey Glazed Heirloom Pork with a Shumai app (which they were giving away as part of their opening). A small salad came with a vinaigrette dressing. I was impressed that it was made of more leaf lettuce than anything else. Most places now try to do everything with iceburg. It wasn't dressed all that well and it wasn't until I got to the bottom of the bowl that I was able to get a taste of the dressing. Next came the app, which was okay. The Shumai wasn't really all that flavorful (I make these dumplings regularly at home, so I might be a little picky). I had gotten two bites of the dumplings when the lunch entrees came. My daughters sweet and sour chicken was fine. I was happy to see that it was made with white meat. My "heirloom pork" was okay. It was slightly overcooked and the flavors weren't really there. A surprise was that the broccoli was well cooked. We then finished and waited some more for the waiter to come back. He never cleared the table of the app plate, the mains or the empty glass of beverage, which led to a very crowded table. He gave us our check and still didn't clear the table. Cue another wait for him to come back with the credit card slip. They were not really busy, he was standing at the counter the entire time - had the place been slammed, I'd be more forgiving. I don't know if it was his first day or not, but he didn't really have a firm grasp of how to take care of customers - again, if he had said something, I would be a lot more forgiving. I won't be going back there - had the service been better with the mediocre food, I'd give it another shot, but mediocre food with bad service is unforgivable.
(1)
William B.
I was looking for a new more upscale Chinese restaurant and I heard about this place, so I gave it a shot. The atmosphere was inviting, and the staff was very friendly. Our waitress was really helpful and attentive. I ordered the scallops and was very pleased with how they turned out. They had a lot of flavor which the garlic sauced added to. If you are looking for some great new Chinese food in the Lansing area, I would highly recommend you check out Xiao.
(5)
Dan S.
Foods bad I'm surprised this place is still open likely the worst sushi in east lansing. They are not very clean either was served a salad with old food crusted on the plate and the greens in my salad looked old and limp like it had been sitting around for awhile. The sushi was really bland ... the rice was not cooked fully and it took forever to get my food. : /
(1)
Justin H.
How does a Chinese restaurant mess up fried rice? It was terrible, shrimp was undercooked, and incredibly bland. The sushi looked like it was thrown together by an individual who didn't have any business in a kitchen, let alone a sushi chef. Don't waste your time or money, it's expensive garbage.
(2)
Doug M.
Extensive menu. The Pho was good. The sushi was not. Wait staff is very pleasant and the atmosphere is very nice.
(4)
Jim K.
Like this place, food is very good, so far no MSG. The spring rolls taste good and the General TSA is great tasting, lightly breaded. The sushi is also a treat.
(4)
Traci S.
Pricey and just not that good. Chicken was bland. My husband's dish tasted like Ramen from the grocery site. The only saving grace was the free dessert I got for being my birthday.
(2)
Piyali F.
Ew. Don't come here unless you're NOT getting sushi. I know, I know, sushi place in a strip mall in Michigan...but I was in town for work and after a long day, hadn't eaten in approx 10+ hours and didn't feel like going that far or hunting for anything better. I was impressed that the inside looked really nice and was kinda fancy for the area, and also noticed that the prices for rolls were high for sushi in lansing, michigan... (way too high for the area to be so bad right?!). WRONG. I got one of their special rolls for $14, that came with IMITATION CRAB inside, rice that tasted SO OLD, and overcooked salmon on top. I also made the mistake of getting Uni sashimi and will probably get food poisoning tomorrow... Sigh.
(1)
Gary H.
Want to pay $12 for a $5 freezer tray of food? You're in luck! Xiao's food is an absolute laugh for anyone who knows Asian cuisine- at best it's prepackaged, at worst the packaging companies wouldn't accept it. I reviewed this place on another site at launch, when the owner had left his own review defending the place and was hounding early reviewers leaving nasty comments about how the didn't "get it"- I'm not sure what he thought was complicated about serving awful food at ridiculous prices. Anyway, you can get much better Chinese- real Chinese food that Chinese people would recognize- at places like Hong Kong or Golden Wok, just down the street. If you want to pay out the wazoo to impress someone, you can go to Maru- they'll really drain your pocketbook.
(1)
Mel C.
I used to like this place and under the old menu would have likely given it 3 stars. I have been eating lunch there about twice a month with a friend for the past year. They had a great lunch menu with about 12 different items to choose from that came with rice for around $7. I typically got a spicy one called firecracker chicken. It was nicely spiced and a good enough sized portion that I was full but not overstuffed. We went last week and found a completely new menu. No lunch menu at all, only the buffet (which is all fried greasy dishes plus some bland sushi options and overpriced). Other than that you could order off the regular menu. Which didn't have any of the old lunch menu options. They have a new tapas section of the menu, highly priced. It's a much smaller menu that has random Chinese, Thai and American options, almost all fried. Which brings me to the sushi. I haven't had the problems others seem to have and I always enjoyed their sushi, though I agree it's a bit pricey. Since they cut my lunch fave from the menu, I looked at sushi options. The sushi choices have been cut in half and nearly all are fried. Why oh why have we started frying sushi??? I eat sushi because it's yummy but also healthy. Well not here, at least not anymore. I won't be back but then given that the restaurant recently cut its size by half, I suspect the menu change is a last ditch effort to save a dying business.
(1)
Alex W.
I used to be a big fan of this place and was once able to justify paying the above-market-average prices for their dishes. However, it seems that the quality has plummeted severely. Recently ordered a $14 plate of Pad Thai and was surprised at the drastic change from what it used to be: vegetables weren't fresh, very small portion, the shrimp still had the mud-vein in them and gave off a very unappetizing odor. I once gave this place high marks. I now rescind what said as I am greatly disappointed in what it has become. I will not plan on visiting XIAO again as the quality has failed to match up to the prices for a very long time.
(1)
Fred C.
I've only had the lunch buffet, so I can't comment on the menu or sushi bar. I was genuinely surprised by the food here. As some of the other reviews note, the buffet was a bit small, but the dishes were very well prepared. The General Tso's chicken was really good. The Kalbi was ok, but a bit salty for my taste. Overall very good. The decor is a bit more stylish than many typical Chinese restaurants if that's of any concern.
(4)
Yina S.
Overpriced Chinese food. I paid almost 6 dollars for crab cheese. Sushi was ok; It is not the best sushi I've had, but I would be find with that. My friend had sushi combo which came with soup and salad. As he was eating salad, he bit something like a rock and found some black stuff from the salad. One of his sushi also had black stuff (like black ashes)... Service was horrible. I saw my server's face twice the whole time I was there and the restaurant was NOT busy when we dined in. I wouldn't recommend going there.
(2)
Erica D.
I walked into Xiao (pronounced shee-oww) and immediately thought I would be giving them a five star rating... but there are some definite tweeks that left me with more to be desired. Unlike Sean (fellow yelper), I thought the kimono-esque outfits the white hostesses wore were cute, and frankly, kind of hot. I'd rock that for sure. It may be borderline cheesy, but I doubt the owner (who is Asian, by the way) was trying to offend. The interior is fantastic. I was so happy a place in Lansing actually put some thought and design into their restaurant, rather than sticking a bunch of signed posters and Spartan memorabilia every where. The colors of the restaurant are chic, the dark wood gives the place a more upscale feel, and the giant Buddha is worth a picture. I did not utilize the ladies' room, but I hear it is worth a pee. Our waitress was sweet, efficient, and fairly speedy with her service. She did every thing right, and was happy to help when we changed our minds on two things during our stay (a to-go box on one of our meals and yes to dessert after we said no). The menu is expansive and has a few items I have never seen on an Asian fusion menu before. I love duck, and have no idea how to cook it well myself, so my table started out with the duck sliders as an appetizer. These started off the night right. I recommend this choice as your appetizer, and suggest topping them with plum sauce. The entrees come with a small (perfectly sized!) plain salad, which consist of iceburg-like lettuce and was topped with the chef's pinneapple vinaigrette. The dressing was fantastic and unlike anything I've had before, but there were odd pieces of "salad" in the mix (like those twiggy, spiky white pieces you find in bagged salad at the grocery store) that I would never present to a customer if I owned a restaurant. For our entrees (and this is where the restaurant fell short), he ordered the General Tso and I ordered the Mandarin chicken. The General Tso was really, really good. Spicy without regret, crispy and tender, and full of flavor. The Mandarin chicken was seriously terrible. There was absolutely no flavor. The "brown sauce" might as well have been liquid air. So basically, I ate luke-warm grilled chicken (which went cold way suspiciously quickly), and corn and pea pods. I didn't even want to take it home for seconds (which is my favorite part about eating chinese food). I was so jealous of my man's dinner. The brown rice was delicious, though... I am thankful it was there. I will not be trying the Mandarin chicken again (salt, pepper, soy sauce - none of these could save the dish) and would come back to try the porkloin or salmon entrees that sound promising. For dessert, we had the chocolate banana cake (known by another name which I forget). It was okay, but fell short again. It kind of tasted like a ho-ho with banana cream instead of white sugar cream. I would come back Xiao in a heartbeat, despite my bad entree. I really do appreciate what this place brings to Lansing, the owner obviously put a lot of thought into it, and the sliders and General Tso were amazing. I think the brown sauce just needs to be considered, improved upon, or nixed. I happened to pick the wrong thing on the menu. Check Xiao out (I think you'll like it), support this new business, and don't order the Mandarin chicken. I hope on my next visit, I can give them the five stars I want to.
(3)
James T.
The service is great as always The food is delicious and very filling Hopefully having the Spartan Roll will bring Green some good vibes for Friday!
(5)
Patrick A.
Alright, I actually have 2 reviews I want to post for this place. The current star rating above combines them both. 1. I visited Xiao during their grand opening in EL (years ago) and was so incredibly disappointed, I didn't visit them again until a few months ago. Literally everything that COULD go wrong, DID go wrong. The hostess greeting, our table, cleanliness of the table, our waiter's punctuality, knowledge of menu, bringing out the right food, timeliness of food, alcoholic drinks, friendliness; everything. I know opening week is a time to work out the kinks, but it seemed as if NOTHING was planned. It was awful. 2. I came back a second time after reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Yelp about the business, and was pretty impressed at the turnaround. The staff, food, alcoholic drink quality, overall ambience, and waitstaff ability. We tried a few different sushi rolls, asked a ton of questions about them (which were promptly answered), and received just what we wanted. I still haven't completely forgiven them for the first visit, but I'm getting there.
(2)
Chris C.
Delicious, not terribly pricey. I ordered the Tiger Cry and my date ordered the Baja Breeze (both sushi entrees) and we spent some time arguing over whose was better. Definitely some of the better sushi I've had. The staff was exceedingly nice, though a bit distracted. I'll definitely be returning.
(4)
Par R.
I visited this place a couple months ago. I liked it over all. Food was good and the waitress was kind enough to answer all my questions.
(5)
Jay W.
I enjoy reading the reviews for Xiao. I've come here 4 times a month since it's opened. I have never had a bad sushi roll! Taste or health afterwards! Ive also experienced a lot of Sushi places in and out of town (state). This is one of three/four places to eat in the city. They have a few deep fried rolls but I'm more of a fan of the raw rolls. The white tuna and salmon are fantastic and come in large sashimi pieces. As for the rest of their dishes; I've always enjoyed their tastes and presentations. The Tom's Salmon is fantastic! There are a lot of other dishes I've sampled and been very impressed with. As for the staff. As with any staff, some bad ones must be flushed out. They have been solid with my personal experience. But I want to enjoy my experience without the servers bothering me too much. I have really enjoyed my experience with the restaurant. If your looking for a place to dine, I've made this my regular place.
(5)
R. L.
Over priced "Asian food". I don't know.. it's ok. Lunch buffet sushi made me sick. Dinner/lunch portions are small.
(1)
Tyra N.
I have eaten better sushi in American diners. The spicy tuna roll I ordered took 20 mins. The chef was behind though I didn't see many people around. The tuna looked like a mash of sauce and dabs of tuna. The taste was tuna but I lend the flavor to the sauce which every one can imitate. I ordered spring rolls after. They were boring but hot and the sauce AGAIN was what made it bearable. My hunger was the driver but the taste was not on. The service was SLOW. Waitress brought nothing without me asking for it, including flatware, water and straw. My straw was brought to my table with bare hands and no wrapper. I'm hoping my meal can be digested normally. The sake was ok. Will not be back.
(2)
Jessica P.
I suppose that since this place touts itself as a Chinese restaurant that people go there for traditional Chinese food -- however, there's a lot more on the menu than just that. There is a dearth of pho places in the Lansing area, but when I saw that XIAO serves the dish, I wanted to give it a try. We stared with the pork belly buns, which were delicious, then I had the beef pho while my partner had ramen. The pho was alright -- not incredible, but certainly better than no pho at all. It was served just with sirloin, rather than with more traditional Vietnamese meat choices (meatballs, tripe, etc.). And at that point in our visit, I might have given XIAO a three, but then Frank, the owner, stopped by our table. Frank asked about our meals and specifically if there was anything he could do better. I mentioned that I was accustomed to more traditional Vietnamese food (which I think took him a bit by surprise, since I am definitely not Vietnamese) and not only was my criticism well-received, he informed me that they had in fact had tripe in the pho on their old menu, but it had not been well-received by patrons (c'mon Lansing! expand your horizons!). However, if tripe is what you're after, they still have some in the freezer, and can add it to your pho on request. I was impressed by his professionalism and that he took the time to chat with us, which earns XIAO the four. In my opinion, a more focused menu might help. Asia is a big place, and trying to do any kinds of food well seems difficult. Plus, East Lansing already has sushi and Chinese, there is a waiting market for dishes like pork buns, ban mi, pho, and ramen, it just needs to be tapped.
(4)
Melissa K.
My first impression...another PF Chang's??? Lol...definitely an americanized asian restaurant, but nice decor. We had a group of 5. A few of us were late, but they set-up our table anyways and seated us early. The menu was mediocre. Just think of all the different asian dishes assembled into 1 menu: ramen, sushi, pad thai, fried rice, pho, etc. The choices were too scattered/different that it was really not much to choose from (if that makes any sense). Our table ordered: - Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box: they could've at least sliced the chicken instead of giving a whole breast meat - Saigon Beef Pho Noodle: didn't taste like legit pho, but still tasted good - Pad Thai with Tofu: again, didn't taste legit, but was good - Spicy Koren Ramen: the trend continues...good taste, not legit - Xiao's Spicy Tuna Tempora: pretty good - Bao (2): Taiwanese style, which wasn't what I thought, but it tasted good (came free if you checked-in on yelp!) Overall, I think this restaurant is about making classic asian dishes into their own "American" twist. Personally, I like the classic as is.
(3)
Pete D.
Just had a great dinner @ Xaio! We started with the Fried Chicken Dumplings, always a favorite starter for us. The dumplings were good & the ginger dipping sauce was very tasty. For dinner, I ordered the General Tso Chicken & Heidi had the Chicken Pad Thai noodles. The General Tso chicken was all white meat with a tangy, slightly spicy sauce. Excellent flavor & a good size portion. (I had a little extra to take home.) Heidi described her meal as a nice change up & was happy to see other options on the menu. For us this restaurant is a secret jewel in the middle of Frandor.
(4)
Michael K.
I've only eaten here once, but that was enough to decide not to bother again. It's not that the food was bad, but nothing I tried was particularly interesting, and small portions at high prices. You're paying high prices for not particularly good food in what is admittedly a nice restaurant, but personally I'd rather pay half as much for twice as much GOOD food in a hole in the wall.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Janette C.
Great selection of choices....servers give great recommendations. Wonderful flavor ! :)
(3)Nate C.
I'll admit, I was skeptical. It's a sushi place next to a donut chain in the parking lot of a pharmacy. I didn't expect much. Turns out, this place is actually pretty great, even without the lowered expectations that come with Lansing-area dining. We split a couple rolls, had some plum wine, enjoyed great service, and were surprised by the cool atmosphere when you walk in the door. This may be my favorite sushi place in town. Don't miss the kampyo roll, especially if you're a vegetarian. It was my favorite of the numerous veg options.
(4)Ashley N.
Better off going and buying the frozen stuff. That's exactly what it is. Rice was super dry and brittle. Service was rude and short. Made it obvious they were annoyed when questions were asked. Drinks sucked. Decor was clean, but typical.
(1)Lesley H.
I've been to Xiao three times now and have had a good experience each time. As for the food and drink, the udon noodles and pho are excellent. I myself haven't tried the sushi, but my dining companions have and reported that it was tasty and fresh. They have a full bar and the house cocktails are creative. The decor in this place is really cool, and I appreciate the effort that the owners put into the details. It's trendy and minimalistic w/ a chic ambiance. I live in the Detroit-area, and this place reminds me of some of the independent places down in this area. The owners did it up right. The service has been fast and friendly each time I've been here. The hostess the last time I was in appeared to possibly be an owner or manager and was very attentive to what was going on in the restaurant. I hope that the people of Lansing appreciate this place and show it by patronizing it. Lansing is so over-saturated with run-of-the-mill chain restaurants, and sadly, these are the places that always seem busiest. Show some love to your locally-owned restaurants!
(4)Jacqueline D.
I would give this place a 1 but I feel bad. My girlfriends and I decided to have a nice valentine's dinner together (since either we were single or bfs were out of state) so we decided to come here. There was a prix fixe menu, which was fine. My friend and I opted for the more expensive one while the other girls got the least expensive choice. My meal was ok and so were the girls, nothing special and definitely not worth our money! We had beef and it was dry. Also, I told the waiter that our sushi was really fishy and he replied "isn't it suppose to taste like that." Then he was like actually I don't really eat that. OK, for the amount I was paying for that day and meal, that sushi should have been sent back. It left the taste of sea in my mouth, it was disgusting.
(2)Jack L.
This restaurant is deceptively large! The outside makes you think it's going to be a tiny little place inside but it does have some high ceilings and the restaurant goes back further than expected. I went in for a late lunch so the place wasn't all that full. The servers were cleaning up from what looked like a very busy lunch crowd. The service was more focused on cleaning after customers who have paid and gone than actually waiting on customers sitting in the place. I ordered a couple of appetizers and a side of white rice. The duck sliders ($8) were tasty and artfully presented. There were 2 of them in an order. I don't think they were quite worth $4 per sandwich, but it was different. A slice of crispy duck, in a brown sauce and some cucumber sticks and green onions in a small white bread bun. I also had the potstickers. Meh. Nothing exceptional. Very small, not all that tasty. Thankfully, I wasn't charged extra for the half scoop of white rice that I requested. So, the lunch I pieced together wasn't as awesome as I had hoped. The decor is pretty nice. There's a full bar and a pretty decent wine list with a few selections by the glass. I might give them another shot by ordering an actual entree - but the appetizers I chose weren't great for what I ended up paying. And the service could use some work.
(2)Lindsey K.
Xiao is a modern spin on Americanized Chinese food. Sort of like a local PF Changs. The restaurant has high ceilings and a huge buddha statue. The bar has a couple of TVs in it. I did not have a drink, but it looked like they had a full bar. We ordered Salmon and Orange Chicken. The salmon was ok. I felt like it was something I could make at home. Salmon w/ an Asian-y sauce on rice /w asparagus. The rice was really good, and I'm not usually an empty white carb eater, but it had good flavor and was fluffy. The Orange Chicken was average. The service was good. The server was attentive and checked on us frequently. The manager also stopped by the table to check on us. Overall the place was OK, nothing awesome. I don't know if I'll go back.
(3)Rob Y.
We stopped in on a whim the other night and really enjoyed the place. The decor was terrific and the setting couldn't have been nicer. We had a terrific server and it was a nice cozy setting. We held out for a booth as the table that we were offered wasn't going to do it for me. Our new thing is to either split meals or just have appetizers, which is what we did. We had the lettuce wraps which were decent.. I agree with another person who said they were sort of bland. But the portion size was good and I suppose had I tossed a bit of soy sauce on them, they would have been fine. We also had a shrimp avocado egg roll that was very nice!!! It was paired with a dipping sauce that didn't really add or subtract from the egg roll. I had a yellow tail roll that was a slender filet of fish served atop a small pile of rice. The fish was very fresh and the rice complimented it perfectly. But the star of that dish was a very tasty adornment of some sort of sauce. It was just the perfect little zing to set off the roll. We met the owner and he couldn't have been more gracious. All in all.. the food was pretty good but the service and the setting were as good as you'll hope to find in Lansing. We'll go back and soon. they have some happy hour specials and late evening specials also. We might endeavor to find those and take advantage next time.
(4)Debbie L.
Their lunch buffet may seem small, but the food is very fresh. The price was perfect for lunch too. When I visit EL again, XIAO is on my list to visit agian too!
(5)T R.
I really had high hopes for this place. The sushi is just meh... It's overpriced for what you get and is just average in flavor. Kind of a let down.
(2)Krystinah N.
I was excited to try XIAO, we had received $5 off coupons from Commonground and decided to give it a go. I found nothing memorable about the food. We had the duck sliders-which tasted bland, and the chicken lettuce wraps.... also bland. The only thing I liked about our experience was the waiter and the decor. I was hoping to walk away raving about the place, but was pretty disappointed. Give it a whirl if you are willing too, but I wouldn't recommend it. I hope they focus more on flavoring and even just basic seasoning.
(2)Chelsea M.
I have to say Xaio misses the mark just a little bit. I'm not saying the food is bad, I'm just saying for food is unimpressive. I've tried several dinner entrees, a couple sushi rolls, and stopped in for lunch. At no point did I think "oh man, I have to come back!" One thing I do really like is the decor. It is unique and fun. The ambiance was good for a lunch meeting and a enjoyable evening out.
(2)Sonia V.
The service is the only quality part of this restaurant. Their lunch buffet is old! The sushi is old, and everything else looks like perhaps it was made sometime last week. There is much potential for improvement.
(1)Benny V.
The boyfriend (who is a degreed and experienced chef), his brother and I decided to give this place a shot. The decor was nice. It was warm and welcoming but classy. The hostess and waitstaff were nice and full of smiles. Our waitress, however, was either inexperienced or just plain rude. She seemed to only have our table and one other, but was constantly in a hurry to get away from our table. She didn't come back to check on us until well after we had already finished what we were eating of our dinner, and even then she didn't seem to actually care. As an appetizer we ordered the Peking Duck sliders. I was honestly excited about ordering something with this name at a chinese grille. I was hoping for some ingenuity and creativity. Instead we got a bland duck-sausage on a roll. The vegetables were fresh and the sauce was decent, but overall this dish was absolutely mediocre. My boyfriend ordered the Peppercorn Crusted Jumbo Prawns. His prawns (which were not actually Jumbo Prawns but were actually Jumbo Shrimp) was perfectly cooked and delicious, but there were 6 of them, for $16. The bed of veggies they came on was tossed in a sauce that was tasty, and the vegetables were well cooked and seasoned. The brown rice was bland and under cooked. My boyfriend's brother ordered the Original General Tso's Chicken, which was marked as both spicy and a house specialty. The chicken was nicely cooked, but the sauce was not remarkable. He also received a side of the same brown rice, which was bland and under cooked. I ordered the Singapore Chow Mei Fun. The noodles were perfectly cooked, and the dish was seasoned well overall (though I did have to add salt to really bring out the taste of the curry to my liking). The shrimp were cooked correctly, but had absolutely no taste to them (as though they were cooked separately without seasoning, and added to the dish later). The chicken was absolutely inedible. It was unseasoned and significantly overcooked. It tasted as though it was cut into bits, pre-cooked, and then re-heated to be added to my dish. I so wanted this place to be awesome. I wanted it to be as good as the advertising made it seem like it would be. I wanted it to be worth the prices we paid. Sadly, it wasn't. If they can fix the problems they are having with the food and clean up the waitstaff a bit, then it might be a place I'd regularly visit.
(2)Jessie W.
I like XIAO for a number of reasons. First, their atmosphere is very relaxing and overall, a great place to hang out and eat with friends. Second, the fact that I can get drinks AND sushi. Awesome. Depending on what you order, it can get pretty pricey but they have specials pretty often. Service wasn't terrible but also not very memorable.
(4)Nichole W.
I went here on a date friday night it was lovely. love the decor love the food drinks were amazing and prices were lower than i expected. I had wonton soup and general tso chicken it tasted great. The waitress were a little slow so if you are looking for a fast meal this is not the place. But its great for leisurely dining. Make sure you get a booth and not a table the chairs are super uncomfortable. Oh and they had live entertainment
(4)Kathy L.
I like to try new places, and went here with my daughter and friends. I was not impressed with the prices, definitely. High prices for just so-so food. I had chicken and broccoli, and the brown sauce it was drenched in was not very tasty. And way salty. I ordered the chicken and broccoli, and it came with about 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1/2 cup of lettuce with ginger dressing, and my bill came to $16. Maybe those prices fly in Chicago or New York, but in Lansing?? I will not be going back.
(2)Jack M.
For being in a mundane strip mall, the decor is really good, with a spacious bar area and some nice booths. As for the food, I had some so-so sushi there a couple of weeks ago and a guest in our party had to come up with 3 different orders, since they were out of damn near everything. The service was pretty bad and our server was verbally illiterate (yes, I realize this is an oxymoron) and not knowledgeable of their menu. Eventually, she brought out a wrong order, which one of our guests just accepted since it took forever to get service (over 30 minutes). Overall, the food is pretty so so and the service I got was pretty awful.
(2)Julia K.
cool little bit expensive but I like that Interior food is good but not great
(4)Kevin F.
This is my Monday night hang out joint! I enjoy the nice people and good food. One of the great things about this place is the specials they run daily each week. On Mondays, they have half off all noodle entree's. It's REALLY doesn't get any better then this. This paired with great drinks and good conversation, it's the perfect blend relax and chill. It's really the best place to hang on this side of town.
(4)D G.
One star is generous. I actually apologized to my husband for taking him there to eat. The service was sup-par and the food was even worse. The general chicken was beyond dry (how does that even happen), the Avacado in the sushi was brown. I didn't even get that nigiri I ordered , but the waitress had no interest in fixing the mistake she made. DO NOT EAT HERE
(1)T M.
Where to start... The staff was extremely unprofessional. They messed up my wifes order, the place stank. Food was over priced and mediocre. I know they're newer and I'm willing to give them another shot once the reviews start shaping up, but for now it's 1 star.
(1)Carl F.
Live near the area and heard some below average feedback. I love pad Thai, so I figured I would give it a shot for carry out because Taste of Thai was closed. What a disappointment. Not only was it extremely overpriced (over $14!), but the portion was jokingly small (8 oz MAYBE). When the bartender handed me my order, I almost handed it back and left. The pad Thai itself was decent but nothing special. I learned my lesson and should just stay the course at Taste of Thai. I recommend you do the same. In a college neighborhood with high prices, average quality, and small portions, I don't see how this place will survive. Don't make the mistake I did. Avoid.
(1)Elizabeth T.
I just ate here for the first time with a group of six people. It was...okay. First we ordered pot stickers and the guacamole egg rolls. The egg rolls were AMAZING! Then it took us forever to order as the menu is quite extensive. So we asked our helpful waiter what his favorites are and suggested the spicy beef, pad thai and the salmon. Well I am a noodle lover so I chose PAD Thai. It was pretty mediocre. Nothing too special about it. One person ordered the curry chicken and loved it. Two others ordered the temporua udan soup (both agreeing that it was mediocre as it was mostly noodles and broth). Then the two beef dishes that he recommended turned out to be tasty but spicy. Gosh...I should have went for that (Spicy lover!!!). Overall it was an okay dining experience. I would go back as the decor is pretty cool but the music didn't fit. They even have a bar and a sushi bar fo you can come for drinks! That being said....try it...BUT...don't go expecting anything more than an Americanized pan-Asian restaurant.
(3)Ramandeep K.
We (and my valentine) decided this place as a random choice for our special day. I expected it to be interesting but this place exceeded all my expectations. It was full of exotic sprit, was beautifully decorated and had live Chinese music. I couldn't ask for anything more special and cozy than that on a valentine's day date !!
(4)Kyle J.
Had the Philly eggrolls, pot stickers, and kung pao chicken. All nicely prepared. A little pricey but good specials. 25% off everything on Sundays. Great atmosphere.
(4)Stacy E.
Stopped by out of curiosity on a Monday night. The inside decor is comfortable and great for private conversing with a dinner guest. Was please to find that on Monday's the noodle dishes are 1/2 off. I chose the Pad thai with mild spice. I'd have to say it was pretty boring. I've definitely had better but was glad it was only $7 instead of $14. The small side salad that came with it was unnecessary as it only had 3 edible pieces of lettuce and an awful dressing. The saving grace was the crab rangoons...they were good. I might go back to try the sushi at some point. I was expecting more out of my dining experience. Lansing needs better cuisine.
(2)Lindsay B.
XIAO still has kinks to work out and was a complete miss. My boyfriend ordered cashew chicken and I ordered the buddasan. Both of our dishes had vegetables that were still frozen in them!!! I picked out some frozen peas, broccoli and carrots. The peas still had icicles on them. The restaurant wasn't very busy and I think they could have at least microwaved the food longer before putting on their premade sauce. Also, the waiter said my boyfriends credit card was declined, then said mine was declined before checking and realizing the wait staff had been telling everyone they were declined when their machine was broken. We waited for it to be fixed and were not offered anything even a beer while we waited.
(1)Nick F.
Xiap's food mediocre at best. I would say more but the food was so forgettable they only thing i can remember is being fed canned soup broth and come kind of pineapple jelly over my "generals chicken". if you want good Chinese in Lansing try Fine China
(2)Jessica M.
The food is amazing. They have a mixture of American and Asian cuisines, that are delectable. Also, their dessert chef has created some interesting but tasty dishes. The prices are reasonable for a sit-down Asian restaurant. They are a new restaurant, but I have a feeling they'll be there for a while.
(5)Irene B.
We went to XIAO for dinner. We ordered cocktails and there was a delay in getting them. Then our waiter then told us they were out of Stoly, so he ordered another vodka. My gin and tonic was served w/ no lime. They have a very large menu which includes an extensive sushi selection as well as Chinese food. I ordered the Sushi B combo, which was spicy tuna rolls and 6 "chef's nigiri". When asked what was included our server replied "it's random". What it turned out to be was salmon, mackerel, yellow tail, tuna and fake crab. I have never seen imitation crab used as nigiri! The tuna rolls were small and so spicy I could hardly eat them. My husband's sushi/sashimi bento box was ok. The tempura was good but did not have any sauce with it. We had both ordered miso soup. Mine came before the entry and my husband's was served w/ his meal. If we ever go back I would only try the items of Chinese food, not sushi. The decor is very nice. I wish the service and food were as good.
(2)Kim L.
We got takeout - two very small servings of rice, some completely flavorless vegetable stir fry, and very underwhelming Kung Pao Chicken, for $25. How do you ruin Chinese rice?? They managed to. The vegetables were drowning in an absolutely taste-free brown sauce. I mean, it didn't taste like anything at all. The Kung Pao was ordered spicy, but was mild. Extremely overpriced!
(1)Jason F.
I've been there once. Americanized chinese food isn't usually the highest thing on my favorites list, but the wizard they have in the back room makes it taste great. I strongly encourage visitors to get dessert.
(4)Chris D.
I went there for lunch today with my two-and-a-half year old daughter. We were greeted at the door and seated - and then we waited for roughly 10+ minutes for service. Finally a waitress came by and asked if I had been taken care of and figured out what was going on. The manager came by, apologized and told me that he'd take care of me and there would be a server here shortly. The server shows up and takes our orders - Sweet and Sour Chicken for my daughter and the lunch version of the Honey Glazed Heirloom Pork with a Shumai app (which they were giving away as part of their opening). A small salad came with a vinaigrette dressing. I was impressed that it was made of more leaf lettuce than anything else. Most places now try to do everything with iceburg. It wasn't dressed all that well and it wasn't until I got to the bottom of the bowl that I was able to get a taste of the dressing. Next came the app, which was okay. The Shumai wasn't really all that flavorful (I make these dumplings regularly at home, so I might be a little picky). I had gotten two bites of the dumplings when the lunch entrees came. My daughters sweet and sour chicken was fine. I was happy to see that it was made with white meat. My "heirloom pork" was okay. It was slightly overcooked and the flavors weren't really there. A surprise was that the broccoli was well cooked. We then finished and waited some more for the waiter to come back. He never cleared the table of the app plate, the mains or the empty glass of beverage, which led to a very crowded table. He gave us our check and still didn't clear the table. Cue another wait for him to come back with the credit card slip. They were not really busy, he was standing at the counter the entire time - had the place been slammed, I'd be more forgiving. I don't know if it was his first day or not, but he didn't really have a firm grasp of how to take care of customers - again, if he had said something, I would be a lot more forgiving. I won't be going back there - had the service been better with the mediocre food, I'd give it another shot, but mediocre food with bad service is unforgivable.
(1)William B.
I was looking for a new more upscale Chinese restaurant and I heard about this place, so I gave it a shot. The atmosphere was inviting, and the staff was very friendly. Our waitress was really helpful and attentive. I ordered the scallops and was very pleased with how they turned out. They had a lot of flavor which the garlic sauced added to. If you are looking for some great new Chinese food in the Lansing area, I would highly recommend you check out Xiao.
(5)Dan S.
Foods bad I'm surprised this place is still open likely the worst sushi in east lansing. They are not very clean either was served a salad with old food crusted on the plate and the greens in my salad looked old and limp like it had been sitting around for awhile. The sushi was really bland ... the rice was not cooked fully and it took forever to get my food. : /
(1)Justin H.
How does a Chinese restaurant mess up fried rice? It was terrible, shrimp was undercooked, and incredibly bland. The sushi looked like it was thrown together by an individual who didn't have any business in a kitchen, let alone a sushi chef. Don't waste your time or money, it's expensive garbage.
(2)Doug M.
Extensive menu. The Pho was good. The sushi was not. Wait staff is very pleasant and the atmosphere is very nice.
(4)Jim K.
Like this place, food is very good, so far no MSG. The spring rolls taste good and the General TSA is great tasting, lightly breaded. The sushi is also a treat.
(4)Traci S.
Pricey and just not that good. Chicken was bland. My husband's dish tasted like Ramen from the grocery site. The only saving grace was the free dessert I got for being my birthday.
(2)Piyali F.
Ew. Don't come here unless you're NOT getting sushi. I know, I know, sushi place in a strip mall in Michigan...but I was in town for work and after a long day, hadn't eaten in approx 10+ hours and didn't feel like going that far or hunting for anything better. I was impressed that the inside looked really nice and was kinda fancy for the area, and also noticed that the prices for rolls were high for sushi in lansing, michigan... (way too high for the area to be so bad right?!). WRONG. I got one of their special rolls for $14, that came with IMITATION CRAB inside, rice that tasted SO OLD, and overcooked salmon on top. I also made the mistake of getting Uni sashimi and will probably get food poisoning tomorrow... Sigh.
(1)Gary H.
Want to pay $12 for a $5 freezer tray of food? You're in luck! Xiao's food is an absolute laugh for anyone who knows Asian cuisine- at best it's prepackaged, at worst the packaging companies wouldn't accept it. I reviewed this place on another site at launch, when the owner had left his own review defending the place and was hounding early reviewers leaving nasty comments about how the didn't "get it"- I'm not sure what he thought was complicated about serving awful food at ridiculous prices. Anyway, you can get much better Chinese- real Chinese food that Chinese people would recognize- at places like Hong Kong or Golden Wok, just down the street. If you want to pay out the wazoo to impress someone, you can go to Maru- they'll really drain your pocketbook.
(1)Mel C.
I used to like this place and under the old menu would have likely given it 3 stars. I have been eating lunch there about twice a month with a friend for the past year. They had a great lunch menu with about 12 different items to choose from that came with rice for around $7. I typically got a spicy one called firecracker chicken. It was nicely spiced and a good enough sized portion that I was full but not overstuffed. We went last week and found a completely new menu. No lunch menu at all, only the buffet (which is all fried greasy dishes plus some bland sushi options and overpriced). Other than that you could order off the regular menu. Which didn't have any of the old lunch menu options. They have a new tapas section of the menu, highly priced. It's a much smaller menu that has random Chinese, Thai and American options, almost all fried. Which brings me to the sushi. I haven't had the problems others seem to have and I always enjoyed their sushi, though I agree it's a bit pricey. Since they cut my lunch fave from the menu, I looked at sushi options. The sushi choices have been cut in half and nearly all are fried. Why oh why have we started frying sushi??? I eat sushi because it's yummy but also healthy. Well not here, at least not anymore. I won't be back but then given that the restaurant recently cut its size by half, I suspect the menu change is a last ditch effort to save a dying business.
(1)Alex W.
I used to be a big fan of this place and was once able to justify paying the above-market-average prices for their dishes. However, it seems that the quality has plummeted severely. Recently ordered a $14 plate of Pad Thai and was surprised at the drastic change from what it used to be: vegetables weren't fresh, very small portion, the shrimp still had the mud-vein in them and gave off a very unappetizing odor. I once gave this place high marks. I now rescind what said as I am greatly disappointed in what it has become. I will not plan on visiting XIAO again as the quality has failed to match up to the prices for a very long time.
(1)Fred C.
I've only had the lunch buffet, so I can't comment on the menu or sushi bar. I was genuinely surprised by the food here. As some of the other reviews note, the buffet was a bit small, but the dishes were very well prepared. The General Tso's chicken was really good. The Kalbi was ok, but a bit salty for my taste. Overall very good. The decor is a bit more stylish than many typical Chinese restaurants if that's of any concern.
(4)Yina S.
Overpriced Chinese food. I paid almost 6 dollars for crab cheese. Sushi was ok; It is not the best sushi I've had, but I would be find with that. My friend had sushi combo which came with soup and salad. As he was eating salad, he bit something like a rock and found some black stuff from the salad. One of his sushi also had black stuff (like black ashes)... Service was horrible. I saw my server's face twice the whole time I was there and the restaurant was NOT busy when we dined in. I wouldn't recommend going there.
(2)Erica D.
I walked into Xiao (pronounced shee-oww) and immediately thought I would be giving them a five star rating... but there are some definite tweeks that left me with more to be desired. Unlike Sean (fellow yelper), I thought the kimono-esque outfits the white hostesses wore were cute, and frankly, kind of hot. I'd rock that for sure. It may be borderline cheesy, but I doubt the owner (who is Asian, by the way) was trying to offend. The interior is fantastic. I was so happy a place in Lansing actually put some thought and design into their restaurant, rather than sticking a bunch of signed posters and Spartan memorabilia every where. The colors of the restaurant are chic, the dark wood gives the place a more upscale feel, and the giant Buddha is worth a picture. I did not utilize the ladies' room, but I hear it is worth a pee. Our waitress was sweet, efficient, and fairly speedy with her service. She did every thing right, and was happy to help when we changed our minds on two things during our stay (a to-go box on one of our meals and yes to dessert after we said no). The menu is expansive and has a few items I have never seen on an Asian fusion menu before. I love duck, and have no idea how to cook it well myself, so my table started out with the duck sliders as an appetizer. These started off the night right. I recommend this choice as your appetizer, and suggest topping them with plum sauce. The entrees come with a small (perfectly sized!) plain salad, which consist of iceburg-like lettuce and was topped with the chef's pinneapple vinaigrette. The dressing was fantastic and unlike anything I've had before, but there were odd pieces of "salad" in the mix (like those twiggy, spiky white pieces you find in bagged salad at the grocery store) that I would never present to a customer if I owned a restaurant. For our entrees (and this is where the restaurant fell short), he ordered the General Tso and I ordered the Mandarin chicken. The General Tso was really, really good. Spicy without regret, crispy and tender, and full of flavor. The Mandarin chicken was seriously terrible. There was absolutely no flavor. The "brown sauce" might as well have been liquid air. So basically, I ate luke-warm grilled chicken (which went cold way suspiciously quickly), and corn and pea pods. I didn't even want to take it home for seconds (which is my favorite part about eating chinese food). I was so jealous of my man's dinner. The brown rice was delicious, though... I am thankful it was there. I will not be trying the Mandarin chicken again (salt, pepper, soy sauce - none of these could save the dish) and would come back to try the porkloin or salmon entrees that sound promising. For dessert, we had the chocolate banana cake (known by another name which I forget). It was okay, but fell short again. It kind of tasted like a ho-ho with banana cream instead of white sugar cream. I would come back Xiao in a heartbeat, despite my bad entree. I really do appreciate what this place brings to Lansing, the owner obviously put a lot of thought into it, and the sliders and General Tso were amazing. I think the brown sauce just needs to be considered, improved upon, or nixed. I happened to pick the wrong thing on the menu. Check Xiao out (I think you'll like it), support this new business, and don't order the Mandarin chicken. I hope on my next visit, I can give them the five stars I want to.
(3)James T.
The service is great as always The food is delicious and very filling Hopefully having the Spartan Roll will bring Green some good vibes for Friday!
(5)Patrick A.
Alright, I actually have 2 reviews I want to post for this place. The current star rating above combines them both. 1. I visited Xiao during their grand opening in EL (years ago) and was so incredibly disappointed, I didn't visit them again until a few months ago. Literally everything that COULD go wrong, DID go wrong. The hostess greeting, our table, cleanliness of the table, our waiter's punctuality, knowledge of menu, bringing out the right food, timeliness of food, alcoholic drinks, friendliness; everything. I know opening week is a time to work out the kinks, but it seemed as if NOTHING was planned. It was awful. 2. I came back a second time after reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Yelp about the business, and was pretty impressed at the turnaround. The staff, food, alcoholic drink quality, overall ambience, and waitstaff ability. We tried a few different sushi rolls, asked a ton of questions about them (which were promptly answered), and received just what we wanted. I still haven't completely forgiven them for the first visit, but I'm getting there.
(2)Chris C.
Delicious, not terribly pricey. I ordered the Tiger Cry and my date ordered the Baja Breeze (both sushi entrees) and we spent some time arguing over whose was better. Definitely some of the better sushi I've had. The staff was exceedingly nice, though a bit distracted. I'll definitely be returning.
(4)Par R.
I visited this place a couple months ago. I liked it over all. Food was good and the waitress was kind enough to answer all my questions.
(5)Jay W.
I enjoy reading the reviews for Xiao. I've come here 4 times a month since it's opened. I have never had a bad sushi roll! Taste or health afterwards! Ive also experienced a lot of Sushi places in and out of town (state). This is one of three/four places to eat in the city. They have a few deep fried rolls but I'm more of a fan of the raw rolls. The white tuna and salmon are fantastic and come in large sashimi pieces. As for the rest of their dishes; I've always enjoyed their tastes and presentations. The Tom's Salmon is fantastic! There are a lot of other dishes I've sampled and been very impressed with. As for the staff. As with any staff, some bad ones must be flushed out. They have been solid with my personal experience. But I want to enjoy my experience without the servers bothering me too much. I have really enjoyed my experience with the restaurant. If your looking for a place to dine, I've made this my regular place.
(5)R. L.
Over priced "Asian food". I don't know.. it's ok. Lunch buffet sushi made me sick. Dinner/lunch portions are small.
(1)Tyra N.
I have eaten better sushi in American diners. The spicy tuna roll I ordered took 20 mins. The chef was behind though I didn't see many people around. The tuna looked like a mash of sauce and dabs of tuna. The taste was tuna but I lend the flavor to the sauce which every one can imitate. I ordered spring rolls after. They were boring but hot and the sauce AGAIN was what made it bearable. My hunger was the driver but the taste was not on. The service was SLOW. Waitress brought nothing without me asking for it, including flatware, water and straw. My straw was brought to my table with bare hands and no wrapper. I'm hoping my meal can be digested normally. The sake was ok. Will not be back.
(2)Jessica P.
I suppose that since this place touts itself as a Chinese restaurant that people go there for traditional Chinese food -- however, there's a lot more on the menu than just that. There is a dearth of pho places in the Lansing area, but when I saw that XIAO serves the dish, I wanted to give it a try. We stared with the pork belly buns, which were delicious, then I had the beef pho while my partner had ramen. The pho was alright -- not incredible, but certainly better than no pho at all. It was served just with sirloin, rather than with more traditional Vietnamese meat choices (meatballs, tripe, etc.). And at that point in our visit, I might have given XIAO a three, but then Frank, the owner, stopped by our table. Frank asked about our meals and specifically if there was anything he could do better. I mentioned that I was accustomed to more traditional Vietnamese food (which I think took him a bit by surprise, since I am definitely not Vietnamese) and not only was my criticism well-received, he informed me that they had in fact had tripe in the pho on their old menu, but it had not been well-received by patrons (c'mon Lansing! expand your horizons!). However, if tripe is what you're after, they still have some in the freezer, and can add it to your pho on request. I was impressed by his professionalism and that he took the time to chat with us, which earns XIAO the four. In my opinion, a more focused menu might help. Asia is a big place, and trying to do any kinds of food well seems difficult. Plus, East Lansing already has sushi and Chinese, there is a waiting market for dishes like pork buns, ban mi, pho, and ramen, it just needs to be tapped.
(4)Melissa K.
My first impression...another PF Chang's??? Lol...definitely an americanized asian restaurant, but nice decor. We had a group of 5. A few of us were late, but they set-up our table anyways and seated us early. The menu was mediocre. Just think of all the different asian dishes assembled into 1 menu: ramen, sushi, pad thai, fried rice, pho, etc. The choices were too scattered/different that it was really not much to choose from (if that makes any sense). Our table ordered: - Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box: they could've at least sliced the chicken instead of giving a whole breast meat - Saigon Beef Pho Noodle: didn't taste like legit pho, but still tasted good - Pad Thai with Tofu: again, didn't taste legit, but was good - Spicy Koren Ramen: the trend continues...good taste, not legit - Xiao's Spicy Tuna Tempora: pretty good - Bao (2): Taiwanese style, which wasn't what I thought, but it tasted good (came free if you checked-in on yelp!) Overall, I think this restaurant is about making classic asian dishes into their own "American" twist. Personally, I like the classic as is.
(3)Pete D.
Just had a great dinner @ Xaio! We started with the Fried Chicken Dumplings, always a favorite starter for us. The dumplings were good & the ginger dipping sauce was very tasty. For dinner, I ordered the General Tso Chicken & Heidi had the Chicken Pad Thai noodles. The General Tso chicken was all white meat with a tangy, slightly spicy sauce. Excellent flavor & a good size portion. (I had a little extra to take home.) Heidi described her meal as a nice change up & was happy to see other options on the menu. For us this restaurant is a secret jewel in the middle of Frandor.
(4)Michael K.
I've only eaten here once, but that was enough to decide not to bother again. It's not that the food was bad, but nothing I tried was particularly interesting, and small portions at high prices. You're paying high prices for not particularly good food in what is admittedly a nice restaurant, but personally I'd rather pay half as much for twice as much GOOD food in a hole in the wall.
(2)