李老三 Xi'an Foodie — Restaurant in Arcadia

I've eaten here twice. The first time I visited, it was the day after they first opened. I was driving by and saw Xian and made a U-turn because I love Xi'an cuisine! I think there may be a few other Xi'an restaurants in Arcadia but this one is more centrally located. The interior is very, very modern and clean! They took so much care in making this look really beautiful and sleek. A lot of other Xi'an restaurants are delicious but they aren't nicely decorated. The service is also so friendly!! Like SO friendly!! This one lady worker was just smiling while she worked and that is so welcoming! During their grand opening, they are offering free drinks and I was able to try two of their three drinks. Drinks were refreshing on a hot day. The first visit I ordered the liang pi and cumin lamb noodles. Liang pi noodles were on the softer side than other places but had good flavor. Cumin lamb noodles were very delicious. I think this dish is usually just OK at other restaurants but this place does a good job on this dish. The second time I came, I ordered the lamb pao-mo and beef wrap. Portion size is smaller than I was expecting but the cut of lamb was really nice. I think they use halal meat here. If you are someone who doesn't like lamb because it is too gamey, you will like the lamb here because it is really not gamey at all. Soup was very delicate flavor and didn't have a lot of fat. The pita pieces in the soup are more on the thicker side so it didn't really soak up the broth. The nice part about the lamb pao-mo is that they give you the pickled garlic and special chili (if requested) as part of the dish. I went to another restaurant and they charged extra if you wanted the special chili and pickled garlic. The lady at the restaurant was nice because she noticed I finished the pickled garlic so she asked me if I wanted more. She said they usually only give one piece because people usually don't try or like it and they don't want to waste/throw it away so I told her that I like it and she gave me more. She also gave me an extra piece when she packed up my leftovers. The other lady also asked me if I wanted a refill of the free drink which was really nice! I wouldn't order the beef wrap again, it was a lot smaller than the photo on the menu and was different than I was expecting. I thought it would be closer to a Taiwanese beef roll from the photo but this was more closer to a Mediterranean wrap. It was like a few pieces of grilled beef skewer with a little romaine lettuce, didn't think it was worth the price point. The thing is this restaurant is still making improvements each day so I feel like they will eventually refine their offerings. When I went the first time, they didn't have vinegar/chili at the table, but when I went the second time, they had it on each table. They had a good amount of people eating there too so I feel like people are able to find them. They also on the food delivery apps, saw someone picking up a Doordash order. They also pack up to-go orders and leftovers in a nicely insulated carrying bag. I notice they have some unique dishes here that I never heard about (like Xi'an dessert). I would love if they added biang biang noodles to their offerings (right now they only have more thinner noodles) but my most favorite part of Xi'an food is the wide...

Solid spot for Xi’an cuisine with fresh lamb and an open kitchen vibe. I recently checked out Xi’an Foodie and left satisfied overall. This place does a lot of things right—from the fresh ingredients to the clean, modern setup. While I enjoyed most of what I tried, I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars mainly because the lamb kebabs didn’t quite hit the mark in terms of charcoal flavor, which is a big part of what makes Xi’an street food pop.

Ambiance: 4.5/5 The restaurant is clean, nicely lit, and has a welcoming atmosphere. One standout feature is the see-through glass kitchen, which offers a cool peek into the food prep process—something I always appreciate in places that serve regional dishes. It adds transparency (literally) and builds trust in food quality.

Authenticity: 4/5 You can tell they’re aiming to stick close to traditional Xi’an flavors, especially with their use of lamb and classic spices. That said, the lamb kebabs lacked the distinct charcoal-grilled aroma you’d expect from a proper street-style skewer. It seems like they may be using a conventional oven instead, which loses some of the authenticity.

Flavor: 4/5 The lamb itself was fresh and tender, and their seasoning blend hit all the right savory and spicy notes. Most dishes came out hot and flavorful. If they can improve the grilling method to capture that smokiness, the flavor score would easily go up.

Cost: 4/5 The pricing is fair for the quality and portion size. You’re getting good value, especially with lamb dishes—which can often be hit or miss elsewhere. Everything felt fairly portioned for what we paid.

Service: 4.5/5 Staff were courteous and helpful, food came out in a timely manner, and the kitchen looked well-run. No issues here—just good, solid service all around.

Final Verdict: 4/5 Xi’an Foodie is definitely worth a visit if you’re craving authentic Northwestern Chinese cuisine. They’ve nailed most elements, especially their fresh ingredients and kitchen transparency. I’ll be back—but hoping next time the kebabs come with a bit more of that classic...

A lovely place in Arcadia for Xi’an food and it's relatively new. Parking is in the back and the entrance is on the right before the restaurant. I don’t know much about the authenticity of Xi’an food in China but the food here is very delicious. The vibe is also cozy and local.

The noodles in their You Po noodles are made in house and you could see it through the kitchen window. They can do mild spice which was perfect for me. The dumplings in vinegar are really good. Rou jia mo is another signature that the server recommended to me. The meat inside was very juicy. I also really love their soybean milk just because it’s full of real soy flavor and it’s not sweet! The server told me they made the soy milk in house and it’s just like soy milk I remembered from...