A hip and relaxed environment diffuses across the restaurant creating a unique interior. (BTW - be sure to check out the restroom to see the kitchy but delightful wall decor.From fueling cars to now fueling bellies, Xiao Bao Biscuit found its home in an old gas station situated on Rutledge Avenue in Charleston, South Carolina. It will definitely be one of those places I will always return to on my visits to Chucktown. (My husband, on the other hand, was wanting a bit more.) I left Xiao Bao with a smile on my face.wishing I had more days in Charleston so I could go back a few more times. The portions are perhaps on the small side compared to what you get in a typical Asian restaurant, but my portion, for me, was just right. It was so delicious that I think I cleaned my bowl a bit too quickly. For my entree, I settled on the stir-fried noodle special of the day (cannot remember the name of this dish, sadly). I ordered the lemongrass ginger beer and it was delicious - neither the ginger nor the lemongrass overpowering this delicious beverage. But the food is what makes this place truly special. Its decor is hip and the ambience is relaxed and casual. Xiao Bao Biscuit, first of all, is housed in a former gas station. This is one of Charleston's newer restaurants that is getting a lot of good buzz these days, and after having lunch there, it is easy to see why. Well done XBB and staff! BTW, this is the longest winded review I have done, but every word was worth the praises of XBB. We cannot wait to bring our friends here. Not fancy high end snobby joint, but a very homey relaxed family atmosphere. Duolan informed us that her restaurant is owner/chef operated and tonights chef was owner "JOSH". She came to us as we were on our way out to check on our experience and we could not help but gush over what XBB puts out for an overall dining experience. Turns out, she was one of the owners (Duolan Li). As we were finishing up our dining experience, we noticed a lady going from table to table speaking with diners. Served "Manhattan style" with Ramazzotti Amaro, chocolate bitters and bourbon served with a twist of orange peel. We opted to share an after dinner beverage. She said it was good, but a "lighter beer would have been better". I had the Howling Wolf Hefeweisen which paired well with the meal. I love the spicy dishes.not the "burn your face off" type of spice, but heat with flavor! We each had two beers. So we ordered another Okonomiyaki!! **Some of the dishes had some good "heat" to them, however, when we ordered the Gong Bao Xia after the spicy dishes, it somehow put the "fire" out. We were still craving more! Not that the "share" items were lacking portion wise, but that the food was just so fantastic. So, we didn't stop! LOL we ordered the GONG BAO XIA- Head on local shrimp (Love the fact they are using local ingredients) stir fried with green beans, peanuts and toasted chili. We ordered it with the "pork candy".OMG, wonderful! So many flavors and textures going on in this simple yet complex offering. But we both loved it! Then we had the OKONOMIYAKI- cabbage pancake. Next came the SAMUN PHRAI- Herbal Thai sausage with roasted veggies in a yam, coconut, chili sauce with basil.i loved the heat of the spice, my wife found it a bit too hot for her. We started with JIAO ZI-Chao Shou style pork wontons in a spicy chili sauce.fantastic, just the right amount of heat and the flavor was spot on. We ordered off of the "share" menu.tapas. My wife and I were seated at a corner low table. Nothing fancy by any means.but it works! There were a mish-mash of barstool seats, they had some "tall-boy" tables and some low tables with bench seating. The interior decor was that of an abandoned warehouse that a couple "foodies" held a secret dinner in. The entire staff worked in harmony with each other shuttling drinks, plates and taking time with each customer. Very attentive without being overwhelming. She was fantastic! Very knowledgable of the menu as well as the beverage menu. There were not a lot of customers (scary), but not to worry. We were greeted at the door and seated immediately (6:00pm on a Friday night). There were some plantings that acted as a "wall" between the outside dining and the street traffic. The old "pump area" of the converted gas station was repurposed as outside dining area. We were a bit leery about XBB based on the exterior. We parked out front (one of about 6 parking spots on property). We drove by a couple of times until we realized the abandoned looking old garage is actually the restaurant! Very low key and unassuming from the outside. If you don't know where it is, find it! if you can't find it, ask someone! Friends of ours recommended we give it a try.
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