Xiang Xiang Noodle — Restaurant in Alameda

I’ve got to try Xiang Xiang Noodle yesterday and I have to say I was very happily surprised. We arrived for dinner, and the place was pretty empty with a somewhat lifeless vibe, so I got a bit concerned. The friendly family behind the counter happily took our order and brought out everything we needed, and I have to say WOW! A lot of times Sichuan cuisine can be overly oily for me, but this one wasn’t—it seemed to strike a better balance between broth and oil. The flavors were rich and full of mala. I had the (N19. Sichuan-Style Spicy Soft Wontons), which were definitely my favorite, rich in unami flavor with the right amount of noodles and broth to meat. I also had the (N12. Chongqing Street Noodles) which were really good but mostly noodle (which were bouncy and just right) but didn't have as much depth as the Wontons. It still made for good leftovers. I am looking forward to trying more from their menu—this place was really good, and I’ll definitely be coming back a few times. PS: try the herbal tea, it paired really well and helped keep the spice down...

Found this gem on a whim as we were nearby and hungry. Walked into the restaurant and was seated promptly. Owner greeted me and showed me her menu. It was a bit odd at first because I saw many Hawaiian BBQ entrees next to traditional Sichuan dishes. Owner explained that she took over a Hawaiian BBQ place and is slowly transitioning.

We ordered the following: Noodles with scallion oil sauce Steamed chicken with chili sauce Salt & pepper eggplant Cucumber salad Gyoza

I have to say, everything we ate was unassuming delicious. My two picky kids ate everything without complaint. The noodles were a particular standout being perfectly firm and chewy. The salt and pepper eggplant was a perfect balance to the sauces of the other dishes. The only real gripe I have is I wished the steamed chicken with chili sauce was boneless, but the flavors were incredibly with the numbing spice.

Definitely want to go back and try their braised pork belly noodles and Zhajiang noodles. The entire restaurant was run as a family affair. 9/10...

Authentic Chinese food alert!! We ordered the Cucumber Salad, Shredded Potato, Chili Oil Chicken (spicy and numbing), Dumplings (both boiled and pan fried) and Noodle with Scallion Oil Sauce and everything was freshly made and delicious. I felt like I was back at home with my family in China as I was eating. The noodle dish was particularly standout - hot, super simple but packed with flavor. My kids devoured everything in sight, which can feel like a rarity these days with their usual picky eating. The staff was SO friendly and welcoming and personable too. I will 1000% be coming back here to try more items on the menu! They said they are planning to add MaLaTang which would be so amazing to have locally. Anyways, come eat this amazing food because this place...