XO Brasserie — Restaurant in Charleston

I'd been wanting to visit XO Brasserie for ages, but it was always booked solid online. I was incredibly lucky to get a table. The interior is incredibly stylish with a high-energy, upbeat soundtrack. However, the origami crane artwork on the walls felt a little out of place, perhaps slightly confusing the Asian-inspired aesthetic. While beautiful, the use of origami cranes, a strong symbol in Japanese culture, felt like a slight misrepresentation of Chinese cultural identity.

The bar area is chic and sophisticated, a world apart from the often-homey atmosphere of many neighborhood Chinese takeout spots. You know the kind—where you might see the owners' kids doing their homework, a sign of a family-run business and often a good indicator of tasty food. XO Brasserie, however, caters to a more upscale and modern dining experience.

The "XO" in the name, like XO sauce, seems to signify high quality and premium offerings, and the restaurant certainly lives up to that. Located in a newly developed area slightly removed from Charleston's bustling core, it offers convenient on-site paid parking—a huge plus for anyone who dreads the typical Charleston parking hassle.

The drink menu is equally impressive, featuring unique creations that blend unfamiliar liquors into inventive, fruity cocktails, including the familiar and distinctly Chinese classic flavor of lychee, which feels authentic and well-suited. Just browsing the drink options was exciting. The food menu, while not extensive, offers familiar Chinese staples alongside Americanized twists. It's fun to imagine the dishes just from the descriptions, and the servers are incredibly helpful, offering spot-on recommendations when asked.

The food presentation is truly stunning—a next-generation take on Chinese cuisine. This is exactly what I've been searching for. Around here, Chinese food often means either a massive buffet or dishes with a heavy sauce often served in paper or plastic containers. XO Brasserie is different. The dishes are beautifully plated with vibrant colors and artful arrangements. The flavors are delicate and delicious. The dumplings, in particular, were very yummy, with an authentic and beautiful appearance. My only minor critique is that the dumplings, which appeared to be homemade were a bit lukewarm (all other dishes were served at a perfect temperature). However, temperature is important, so next time I'll request them to be cooked a little longer.

Many of the dishes (though not all) feature traditional spicing, with star anise lending a distinctive, almost fragrant aroma. While this bold fragrance might not suit every palate, I personally found it both refreshing and authentically appealing.

Simply put: you have to go. XO Brasserie will redefine your expectations of Chinese food. You'll likely encounter dishes you've never seen before, sparking lively conversation with your dining companions. And when the food arrives, you'll be blown away by the sophisticated...

The family style dining makes it a great way to entertain whether the in laws are in town or a double date. Getting to share and try so many foods creates positive conversation. Service is always friendly and professional. Music is energetic and trendy. Layout is playful, inventive and all out carefully curated. The mural by the bar is great for pictures. Ambience has good vibes all around especially when the restaurant fills to capacity and it will. Definitely book ahead of time, online. Reservation of six or more people will get you a large round table with a lazy Susan so you can spin the food to one another. Always order too much because you will have great left overs. The crudo changes often which is cool for regulars. Chinese Awakening and Paper Lantern cocktails are fantastic. I order different starters depending how I’m feeling but always Xo wontons with chili soy, pot stickers with the ginger tea soy and crab Rangoons with blue crab, provolone and ricotta. Mains, I like the savory steak chow fun. XO Lobster, the nice presentation with the full body. The taste of the meat itself after being flash fried then finished in the wok, plus the flavorful Xo spicy seafood sauce and sautéed greens to go with it. Miso marinated Seabass, crispy Mala Chicken and garlic green beans are always a must. If the owners not stuck in the kitchen cooking the very food you ate, he will check to see how your meal was. Best new restaurant in Charleston. Order the midnight snack for dessert, go to the bathroom to see the wall paper, get the full experience and...

Truly awesome experience! From the service, atmosphere, food, location, creative cocktails and prices, XO Brasserie met or exceeded our expectations. We went with some friends and decided to share everything in order to try as much as possible but next time I plan on getting one of the entrees all for myself. The salt and pepper shrimp were excellent- definitely recommend a side of white rice to accompany it if you order this. The lamb lollipops had a surprisingly flavorful curry sauce that was one of the best curries I’ve ever had. The chow fun noodles were absolutely my favorite dish of the night - the kind of noodle you crave on a chilly Sunday afternoon cuddled up on the couch. Laura was our server and brought great recommendations and contributed to a positive experience throughout the night from her friendly personality to relatable conversation. The ONE THING I really do feel a need to mention, however, is the chairs were not comfortable. I have never mentioned furniture in a review before, but by the end of the night we all realized our backs were sore from the artistic curve in the chairs. If you have back problems or pre-existing back pain I would request a booth or maybe even sitting at the bar instead. Hopefully management can find a solution for the chairs because all four of us are in great shape and never complain about things like that but all had notably sore backs within two hours. I’m writing this review the next day and my back is still a tad sore. Other than that, GREAT NEW ADDITION TO THE...