Xin Wong — Restaurant in Minneapolis

I decided to call in a take-out order at 10:30am which is opening time and got there 20 minutes later as instructed but had to wait another 25 minutes for my order to be ready at 11:15am in the waiting dining area with a couple of big horse-flies flying around. As the only customer, it was not like there was a big back-log of orders and people waiting. The cashier girl was pleasant and nice unlike the other reviews. My shrimp EggFooYoung consisted of four wafer thin egg patties with just 2-3 miniature shrimp per patty and nothing else. This was the most authentic dish in my order. The KungPao Chicken was missing the dried red chili's and was not spicy as ordered but bland with baby corn, mushrooms, and green bell pepper which is clearly not authentic KungPao style anything. The SzechuanBeef which is supposed to have match-stick beef, carrots and celery and be spicy was instead bland micro thin flat slices of beef again with mushrooms, baby corn, and green bell pepper and so I was wondering if the cashier girl had got my order wrong on the phone or if they just have a one style bland micro thin slice of your meat choice with mushrooms, baby corn, and green bell pepper in everything. The portion sizes were just average - I guess I am spoiled as I remember when a large order used to be a big quart size paper carton instead of these one inch plastic container plates...

I have been eating at Xin Wong for over ten years. I have watched their family grow. I have literally seen their kids doing schoolwork at the front counter while the parents are in the kitchen working nonstop. This is a real Chinese family doing everything they can to build something good for themselves and their community.

I have seen them hand roll wontons while phones are ringing and the kitchen is flying. They grind. Every time I stop in, they are all in.

I have lived in San Francisco, Seattle, Brooklyn, and now Minneapolis. I have eaten a lot of Chinese food in a lot of cities. This is my favorite spot. Not because it is flashy, but because it is real. The food hits. It is bold, satisfying, and never phoned in.

I have ordered just about everything on the menu. Like anyone, I have my go to dishes and a few I would not get again. But I kept ordering because the place is that good. You want to see what else they have.

The Szechuan Bean Curd is legit. The Egg Foo Young is in a league of its own. Even the cream cheese wontons have their own style, and I have watched them roll them by hand while I waited.

If you are leaving low stars over small stuff, this place might not be for you. But if you care about food made with pride by people who never take...

When we lived in Midway in St Paul, New Asia Express was our go-to Chinese takeout. It was everything we missed about quick cheap Chinese takeout in NYC. Since moving to Minneapolis we hadn't found its equal but had enjoyed Evergreen now and then. Then Evergreen closed. Many wept. But we must persevere, now more than ever. And after surveying friends we settled on trying Xin Wong.

Good people, I have not had a bowl of wonton soup so rich, salty, and mouth coating since leaving Brooklyn in 2006. That is a compliment to the soup, just so we're clear.

The General Tso's chicken is sublime. My only complaint is I wish they'd use more broccoli but I say that about every General Tso's chicken so take it with a shake of soy sauce.

The only thing I would change? The crunchy noodles for soup. Rather than the deep fried fat noodles one often gets, which are so good to dip into some duck sauce, Xin Wong uses a pre-bagged variety that are more akin to crunchy two-inch bits of fried spaghetti.

Next time I'm getting a fried tofu dish. Also some vegetable lo mein. If they get those right I'll never need another Chinese...