Nan Xiang Express - Cypress, TX — Restaurant in Jersey Village

Let me start by saying my standards for Shanghainese food are quite high. I’ve lived near San Francisco for four decades and have frequented countless Shanghainese restaurants. With that in mind, Nan Xiang Express delivers what its name promises: fast, convenient Shanghainese-style comfort food.

This isn't a traditional sit-down dining experience. Everything here is systematized. From ordering to preparation to presentation. Meals are served in individual paper containers, ideal for dining in quickly or taking on the go. It’s “express” for a reason, so don’t expect a leisurely, full-service meal.

Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao): The XLBs were above average. While the wrappers were a bit too doughy for my taste, the broth was rich and flavorful. We enjoyed the traditional pork and the crab & pork varieties the most. The spicy beef and chive shrimp & pork options were less impressive, with the spicy beef being our least favorite. Overall: 7/10

Soup Noodles (Braised Beef): This dish was average. The beef was overbraised - more dry than tender. The noodles had a nice texture, but the broth lacked depth of flavor, though it packed some heat. Personally, I’d skip this and stick to Vietnamese Bo Kho or Bún Bò Huế when I want a comforting beef noodle soup. Still, I’ve had worse versions elsewhere. Rating: 7/10

Dry Shredded Beef Noodles: A decent option. Nothing particularly memorable, but satisfying enough to consider again for a quick lunch. Rating: 8/10

Beef Stir-Fried Noodles (Kids' Pick): The kids enjoyed it, and while it didn’t stand out, it’s a solid repeat order for them. Rating: 8/10

Vegetables:

Stir-Fried Garlic Bok Choy: Crisp, flavorful, and well-executed. 9/10

Cucumber Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette: Disappointing—overly salty and lacking in garlic flavor. 6/10

Final Thoughts: Sharing its name with the Michelin-starred Nan Xiang, this “express” version falls short of the prestige. If you’re looking for a more polished Shanghainese or Chinese experience, I’d recommend Dough Zone or many of the restaurants in Chinatown Houston instead. But if you need a quick fix for XLBs and don’t mind paying a bit more for the convenience, Nan Xiang Express will...

Nan Xiang Soup Dumpling at the Cypress location — we visited to compare it with the Nan Xiang store in New York’s Flushing. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing, especially with three dishes: wonton soup, soup dumplings, and pan-fried crispy dumplings. Being an express store, we did not expect much in terms of quality and service, but it was even worse than we thought.

First, the flavor and taste were completely different. Even as an express outlet, where costs are tightly controlled, there should be room to offer presentable quality. However, there was none; all products seemed like machine-made, premade frozen items. The three dishes had the same filling, so essentially, you were eating the same dish with different wrappers. The price was high considering this low quality.

More importantly, we were concerned about the quality of the meat filling. The wontons and pan-fried dumplings were overwhelmed by an excess of five-spice powder, which appeared to mask poor-quality, bland, or even spoiled meat. The skins on all the items were machine-made, poorly textured, sticky in the teeth, and difficult to bite—this fundamentally undermines these signature products.

This seems like a business model focused on quick profit rather than providing good food and service. Speaking of service, there was nothing worthy of mention in this industry. We hope the brand seriously re-evaluates and revives the spirit of fast and authentic food for the general public. They should not assume that customers from diverse food cultures will simply pay the bill when they...

Initial appearance, restaurant looks nice & clean. Plenty of seating. Friendly woman at the counter who greets everyone entering. There are two screens for ordering, but if both are being used, customers can also order at the counter. There's a station for customers to grab water, bowls, utensils, and sauces (chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, etc).

We enjoyed everything we ordered. Chicken soup dumplings, crab meat & pork soup dumplings -- good size, wrapper aren't too thick, good amount of soup, and very flavorful.. Shredded beef & pepper noodles -- well seasoned and noodles had a nice bouncy texture.. Beef scallion pancake -- these were my favorite item, sweet & salty, crispy & flaky, so delicious.. Cucumber salad, bok choy w/ garlic -- both very good, huge portion too.. Grapefruit & peach green tea -- sweet & refreshing, perfect drink for this hot weather.

Overall great experience. Service was fantastic. Food came out quickly, and the employees are all very nice & respectful. Tables get wiped down immediately, they keep the restaurant very clean. I will definitely come back to try more items...