Xian Noodle Place — Restaurant in Ferry Pass

Meh. Didnt really come through in many ways. BUT the new clay pot dish with shrimp was fabulous, if a bit over done (shrimp were fine, veggies were nuked). We were there with a large family group so we tried many things.

Apps were mostly from a frozen bag as far as I could see. (I am constantly amused at how few places make their own shumai or pot stickers. Its easy and so popular. Even a hand made egg roll would be great).

But the real downer here are the broths that they use in the bowls. ANY and all of them. They look like they are from a can or bullion. Clear and for the most part flavorless. The veggie broth for the vegetarian might as well have been pure water, and probably was. But even the meat broths were watery and mild to the point of absurdity. If you order the short rib protein it will add some flavor thankfully. If you order pork noodles forget it. You can add hoi sin, hot sauce, soy sauce at the table (they should add sesame oil) but the broth could be so much better with so little work. Sadly a broth is in most of the bowls so be warned.

On the better side the duck and chicken were good and the BBQ pork was really good but the portion was small on a triplet plate. The Peking Duck bao was good but needs hoi sin, which is on the table. So remember to add hoi sin at the table, which is a part of the dish after all and should already be on it, or it will be very bland.

I would urge ownership to make your own shumai and big Chinese egg rolls and pump up your broths to something much more boldly flavored. Also, you have a big open space perfect for weekend Dim Sum complete with carts. Just sayin'. (Note: we did not try any of the Thai dishes or other things off of the newer additions menu except the clay pot shrimp and General Tso's Chicken (sauce seemed sickly sweet and from a jar). The bowls are on the original menu: you get two menus at the table.) The idea of this place gets an A. Execution for now is a C (for Pensacola), or incomplete. I am honestly rooting for them. We need better...

This is a casual restaurant specializing in Chinese noodles in broth (but they do a good job at the other foods we tried) that is conveniently located near the airport.

Braised Beef Noodle - $15.99. The broth was flavorful, with a beefy richness balanced by just the right amount of saltiness and sweetness—seasoned without being overwhelming. The noodles were thin, soft, and pliable, and the thin-sliced beef was incredibly tender. I really liked this dish and added some of the mixed vegetables (additional side dish) for extra vegetables. Beijing Style Pot Stickers - $6.99. These were ordered as an appetizers. These appeared to be machine made / factory made due to their appearance (wrapper thinness and uniformity, precise fold, crimp, and size for each one) but they were a high quality version with a good mix of meat and vegetables. The dipping sauce was a slightly sweet blend of soy sauce and not spicy. Pick 3 Platter - $18.99. We ordered roast duck, short ribs, and BBQ pork. Roast Duck – Tender and went well with the provided duck sauce. Grilled Beef Short Ribs – Flanken-cut and very tender, with a flavor that reminded me of galbi. Honey BBQ Pork (char siu) – Tasty but not as tender as the other meats. Side of Mixed Vegetables - $3.50 A plain-boiled mix of napa cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, woodear mushrooms, and bean sprouts. This can be a bit plain and bland by itself (depending on what you are looking for). For extra flavor, I added some to my beef noodle soup.

We enjoyed having the option of the Pick 3 Platter so we could try more than one item at a time and adding more variety...

Tonight we decided to try Xian Noodle Place. We tried the Spring Rolls, Peking Duck Steamed Bun, and Lemon Pepper wings for appetizers. I had the Grilled Chicken w Noodle, My son had the Honey Bbq Pork w Noodle, and my husband tried the The Xian Sizzling Hot Pot. The food was good, but the best hands down was the Xian Sizzling Hot Pot with shrimp, chicken, and beef. This was an incredible amount of flavor in a clay pot! I will go back for my own next time! Watch out for big pieces of garlic and ginger though, they can be a bit overwhelming--but that sauce is magnificent. And before you dive in, be aware that the clay pot means it's HOT and you will burn the crap out of your mouth if you don't let the food cool off for a minute. As for the noodle bowl: Have I had better? Yes. But don’t get me wrong, they were still pretty good. They make their own Ramen and my broth had a light spice similar to Pho. I would order something beside grilled chicken next time because it was pretty lackluster to me. BUT my son’s bbq pork was nice. The amount you get is insane. There was no way I was going to finish that massive bowl of soup, but I put a good dent in it! The only complaint I had was the amount of Peking duck they bring for the 2 steamed buns. Plus the duck was just ok, and I love Peking duck so...sadness. The Spring Rolls were perfect, and the lemon pepper wings were tasty, Overall it was a good meal, the service was excellent, the server was very nice and helpful, and the food came out in a timely manner. The place is nothing fancy, but it was clean. Oh and get a Taro Milk Tea, it's...