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Category: Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Theater District, Hell's Kitchen8th Ave-42nd St (A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, S, 7, N, Q, R, W)
"OMG, I've never had anything bad here. I'm in lust with their Thai ice tea and their Grilled porkchops which is pretty much the pork…" read more »
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Great concept, but this place is more trendy than it is tasty.
I love the space, the service is super helpful/friendly, and I love how they serve the food in long, clear trays rather than plates.
But... the food is not good enough to justify the price. I suppose it's nice having an asian sandwich place in this neighborhood, but for people who've been spoiled on $5 bahn mi in chinatown, xie xie won't impress.
Onto the sandwiches:
BBQ Beef - Tasty, reminiscent of a burger, but the beef was a little dry and too sweet. i don't think the veggies were pickled, so you also lost out on that nice vinegary tang of bahn mi.
Fish sandwich - Again, kind of had a McDonald's filet-o-fish flashback in my mouth. My bf really liked this sandwich, but I HATED how sweet the relish was. It was so overpowering that I had to pick it out.
For the price, I just wish they gave you a little something extra on the side, like cold slaw, pickles, or a handful of chips (give us sodium, please!).
Good if you're in the neighborhood and want something different, but definitely not a destination spot.
Having heard a lot about Xie Xie (good and bad), I decided to make a special trip there. Unsure of what I'd like, I bought three of the sandwiches to go to share with family: fish chaca la vong, sweet glazed pork, and the Vietnamese barbeque beef. The fish and beef sandwich were both leaking with sauces, while the shredded pork (which came in a plastic container for you to stuff into the three accompanying white peking-duck like buns) was too much meat and would have benefited with some accompanying greens. If forced to recommend, I'd go with the bbq beef.
Most likely, my sole purchase on the next trip will be the universally well-rated 1000 year old ice cream sandwich.
I was on my way to observe a class in Hell's Kitchen this morning and passed by this place, so I decided to give it a go for lunch.
I ordered the sweet glazed pork sandwich. It was ok, but it was waaaaay too sweet for my liking. It also seemed too - I guess the word is "prepared". For something derived from Chinese food, this looked way too put together and too artsy. I guess it's because I was hungry that it tasted ok, but if faced with the choice of having this again or not, I'd probably pass.
Also, they crammed too many seats into the place. If you were sitting down to eat, it's difficult to get up and leave without disturbing all the others around you.
Maybe we caught them on an off day but I definitely won't be giving this place another shot.
I've walked by Xie Xie a bunch of times and it always looked interesting so today we decided to actually take the plunge. I ordered the fish chaca la vong (fish with carmelized onion, probably an entire dill plant and a spicy mayo/dressing) and the boyfriend sweet glazed pork.
For whatever reason, my sandwich was BURNT! It was so hard to bite into that it made my teeth hurt. NOT cool. And these two things plus two sodas came in at over $26. Definitely not worth it. It's a shame, too, because the flavors of everything showed so much potential but this place was a fail.
i eat here and will continue to eat here as long as nothing comparable to num pang turns up in the neighborhood. compared with its downtown rivals, xie xie offers less memorable and more expensive sandwiches. having said that, it's great to have another lunch option on 9th, even if it's a little overpriced. my fav is the glazed pork, but I think they overdo the sweet.
It's unfortunate what just happened to me when I ordered takeout for lunch from here. I ordered two sandwiches: the fish and the pork. The chef first made the pork order and placed it in the bag. Then he placed the bun for the fish and the fish itself in the toaster oven. As he was about to make the sandwich, he instead chose to pause and speak to a vendor in the restaurant over some invoices for about 10 minutes while I waited for the food to be made.
So the outcome is that my pork was COLD and the bun for the fish was BURNT. We're not talking dark brown or crispy but black as coal scraping the roof of your mouth burnt. Not a very nice lunch for $26 that included two bottles of Boylans soda, the only thing I enjoyed about the lunch.
This is a small cafe/restaurant with 6 sandwich options, five salad options, and 2 dessert options. I went for the 1000 Year Old ice cream, and my friend got the Vietnamese BBQ beef.
For $4, I was delighted with a unique, creamy ice cream sandwich with a gooey, sweet caramel center. It was a tasty snack but perhaps not worth $4. Then again, I'm glad I tried it.
I tasted a bit of the BBQ beef, which was flavorful, but, similarly, the size compared to the cost seemed a bit off.
There are a surprisingly large number of beverage options, including beer and wine. I could not find the price listed anywhere, so beware!
The stools are a little awkward and tall given how short the tables are. Sit on the bench if you can!
There is limited seating, but my friend and I didn't feel rushed to leave, which I appreciate.
The restaurant feels kind of sterile - like a pinkberry - but I say "xie xie" for the unique ice cream experience.
I'm a big fan of the Asian sandwich craze. Have I mentioned that before? I might have. That being said, I do not understand all the hate this place is getting!
And I'm glad I convinced my friend to come here. He took one look at the menu and said; "We just had this at that Num Pang place!" He asked me for a plan b and that place turned out to be closed as well (when did Say Cheese close?! LOVED that place!) So we ended up walking right back in to Xie Xie, and the guy behind the counter greeted us with a smile and a "You're back!"
So anyway, we ordered the Fish Cha Ca La Vong sandwich and the Vietnamese BBQ Beef as well. My friend quickly stated he liked this place more than Num Pang and proceeded to yell at me for not insisting in the first place that we eat here. Boys...
My first comment is that they have a different type of bread for each of the sandwiches (unlike Baoguette and Num Pang). So they really put a lot of thought into the overall finished product.
My second comment is the fish sandwich was moist, flaky, sweet. Perfect consistency, and wonderful balance of flavors. It's messy (or it might just be me) so make sure and eat over the plate so that you can scoop up the yummy fallen bits afterwards.
Third, the beef bbq was also really good, my second favorite, super soft, kind of pulled-pork style and really full of flavor, also messy.
The guy behind the counter was nice enough to give us the 1000 year old ice cream free as they were closing. I really liked it a lot. The sweet caramel center was delicious and the cookie itself was crunchy-- a really unique ice cream sandwich.
I'm sure I'll be back to try the rest of the menu. Oh and the drinks here are really cool! Sake in a bottle in the cooler is available, as is wine and other modern looking drinks. So this is a great date place for someone looking for someplace fast and different.
I miss Hell's Kitchen. Hubby and I always stick to our favorites, and we were determined to break out of the mold today. Xie Xie had a cutesy Asian fro-yo decor theme about it, but we looked past that to the limited menu board outside. The sandwiches seemed intriguing, kind of a modern fusion of Vietnamese and ? It could go horribly wrong, or be different and ok.
The sandwiches were kind of pricey for a quickie lunch, but for dinner, it was worth a shot.
I am happy to say that the Fish Cha Ca La Vong sandwich was a nice surprise. The sweet onion jam complemented the (loads of) fresh dill and spices of the fish. I didn't think it would. Hubby had the braised chicken sandwich. The smoky flavor and Asian Spices were somewhat familiar to him (based on his food experiences with me) combined with the comfort of chicken and egg. He was happy.
Dessert? We tried the fortune cookie with yuzu cream. That was exactly what it was, a big fortune cookie that you dip into citrus custard-like cream, and you can usually score free fortune cookies at the restaurants all over 9th ave. I will try the ice cream sandwich next time instead.
Nice to find new tastes on one of my old blocks. I'll do this again.
Num Pang is one of my favorite lunch spots near my office in Union Square. So, when I found out about Xie Xie I was thrilled to have an Asian fusion sandwich shop closer to home. My boyfriend and I have been reading all the hype about Xie Xie and getting super excited to try this place for weeks.
We finally stopped by for lunch this Saturday, and boy were we disappointed. On the surface, the restaurant looks charming and the menu is alluring. I opted for the Fish Chaca La Vong and my boyfriend chose the Sweet Glazed Pork buns.
My sandwich came with globs and globs of the onion jam. It was so overwhelmingly sweet that I couldn't eat it. So much for the dill, sriracha mayo, and tilapia...those flavors were indistinguishable. Not to mention, the sandwich was cold. My bf's pork buns were also way too sweet. I know the pork buns have "sweet" in the title, but it really tasted like candy.
If you want a good sandwich, don't waste your time with this place. Instead, head to Num Pang where everything is fresh and flavorful.
I got the Fish Cha Ca La Vong sandwich and it was amazing! They freshly make your sandwich after you order. The fish is really well seasoned and lightly battered with onion jam-dill on top. It was not too big but just about the right size.
I am going to try their Vietnamese BBQ Beef next time!
Wow, it's interesting to read reviews when people have drank waaay too much hatorade. Anyhoo, let's face it people, this is a not a full service restaurant; you order the food from the counter, you sit, and someone brings it to you. There are no "specials" or waiters to take your order, and the small space (the place can only seat about 25) doesn't make it, say, a full restaurant experience.
Although Xie Xie means "thank you" in Mandarin, the menu is a medley of "fusion" inspired sandwiches that includes influences from Vietnam, Southern China, Japan, and Korea. You're not going to get a Banh Mi or any sort of $5 street food sandwich; you're in Hell's Kitchen, people, not Chinatown.
The Fish Cha Ca La Vong is a pan-seared tilapia served on a French roll. The onion jam - caramelized onion with turmeric and coriander - is divine. There's also some Sriracha mayo and lettuce. They put quite a bit of dill in the sandwich, so if you're slightly adverse to dilly dilly, just ask for them to keep it light. Since Cha Ca La Vong is not easily is not that easy to find outside of Vietnam, Xie Xie does a nice job adapting the traditional dish in their Americanized sandwich.
My other favorite is the BBQ Vietnamese Sandwich. It's short ribs braised for hours in sweet savory goodness served on a toasted brioche hamburger bun with basil mayo and carrot "kimchee." The kimchee is a far cry from the Korean kimchee you would get in, say, Koreatown, but it's slight pickled spiciness matches well with the delicate braised beef.
The lobster roll, which is a whopping $14, is from Nova Scotia that's been mixed with Kewpie Mayo, which is a Japanese mayo (think slightly lighter and and SLIGHTLY sweet in comparison with American mayo). It's served on a toasted roll sprinkled with crispy shallots.
The sweet braised pork is served on three Chinese steamed buns. I enjoyed it, but I think the Beef is a lot more hearty, and, well, I love beef, so that's that. BUT, the braised Chicken, is surprisingly delicious! The chicken is served on a French baguette. It's served with a smokey egg salad, which would be too rich by itself, but it's paired perfectly with pickled purple cabbage. But beware, this Chicken is juicy, like most of Xie Xie's sandwiches, so ask for some extra napkins if you, like me, love to stuff their faces with any edible delights.
There are also salads available and vegetarian options for you rabbits out there.
OH, and last, but not least, try their 1000 Year Old Ice Cream Sandwich. There's nothing 1000 Year Old about it, except that the color of the delicious black gooey caramel in the center of the caramel ice cream resembles the liking of a Chinese 1000 Year Old egg. The sandwich part is made from cacao nuts. Unique and delicious.
They also have beer and wine in bottles, but as someone mentioned before, ask how much they are.
So thank you, Xie Xie. I will continue to indulge in your fusion delights as there is not other Asian delights in the area worth frolicking to.
That is all.
We ordered the beef and the fish, and two soft drinks. It was almost $30. You order at the counter, you sit at bistro tables, and your food is served to you in clever little plexi boxes that must be a bitch to clean. The service was nice, so no problem there. The food, though--which we'd just gone to great lengths to investigate, as Asian sammich enthusiasts--was just straight NOT worth it. The beef was better than the fish, but they were both way too drenched in sauce, and way too sweet. It's one thing to have shredded carrot in a sandwich ... this adds sweetness (and light). You don't need to add some honey-backed syrup dressing to it. And although I really enjoy an abundance of herbs in a sandwich (or anywhere), the amount of dill in the fishwich was absurd. Too much. No subtlety, no cleverness. I won't be back.
If I could give less than 1 star, I would. If you want a real "Asian sandwich" please do yourself a favor and go somewhere else (Num Pang!). I can't even muster up a review besides this word: pathetic.
Crap bread, crap ingredients, dry, horrible staff, overpriced, blah blah goes on forever. I love how they are trying to make this place into a chain because it's about as crap as McDonalds.
I'd heard a lot about the sandwiches here so a friend and I finally checked it out. We decided to split the two most often cited sandwiches - the fish chaca la vong (with onion jam, sriracha mayo and dill) and the vietnamese bbq beef (with basil mayo and carrot kimchee). You order and pay at the back counter - they bring you the sandwich tray when it's ready. It's a small eating area containing very short tables and stools pretty close together, but it's ok and seems to work. The bring us our order. Fish sandwich: The fish is tasty, but there could be more of it. It is a bit overwhelmed by the sauce which is very sweet (if you don't like sweet, do not order this or get them to nix the sauce). The sandwich is literally drenched in the sauce (I'll come back to this). The dill was fine - a piece got stuck in my teeth, to emerge a couple hours later...an interesting dessert. The bbq sandwich: the beef was also tasty - but they pull the old deli trick of piling up the meat in the middle only, so it looks like it's a lot when cut in half. There is a ton of carrot on this sandwich - I suggest you remove some before proceeding. Didn't care for the bun and, while not overwhelmingly so, this sandwich was sweet as well.
Now, they serve you your sandwich on a tray with a paper napkin. I can't see how anyone can eat the fish sandwich (sauce squirting out of it) without at least a few napkins. My friend gets up to track down another napkin, having to ask one of the employees. She politely delivers...ONE more napkin(?). Now, this may seem kind of minor, but we were paying $22.05 for these two sandwiches (we didn't order a drink).
To summarize:
- Tasty fish and beef, but not enough of either
- PLENTY of additional ingredients (sauce, dill, carrots) - suggest you adjust
- The sandwiches are sweet (not "saweet!")
- Not enough napkins - suggest you bring a few of your own (not a bad idea whenever you leave the house)
- Not cheap
This is a small restaurant, seating maybe twenty, with a fresh interior (charcoal, white and purple) like many of the non-traditional asian restaurants in NYC.
I waited twenty minutes for one Lobster Roll sandwich, even though I was the only order and the restaurant was half full and already with their food. I did not complain, but they apologized and gave me a free bag of chips. Sadly, the lobster roll tasted excellent (slightly spicy and creamy) but the lobster itself was sub par - chewy and tough, not at all worth $14.
I also had their 1,000 Year Old Ice Cream sandwich, which was simply delectable! Thus I was torn on giving my review between the slow service, sub par sandwich and excellent dessert.
If you want a quick and delicious meal, this is the place to go.
I've had the beef and the pork rolls, and they are both outstanding. So many interesting flavors and spices.
That ice cream sandwich is a wonderful finish. Caramel center... mmmm
Xie Xie was great! The Asian-fusion sandwiches were great. There's a short menu with a choice of 1/2 a dozen sandwiches and they are now doing salads (Basically the sandwich without the bread). A few fun beverage options and adult beverage options as well.
The staff was super nice and informative as well. The decor is funky but minimal and the stools are great for taller guys like myself.
The GF and I split the lobster roll and the sweet pork sammies. DELICIOUS...both of em. The lobster roll was PILED with lobster (REAL NOVA SCOTIA LOBSTER) and not over mayo'd with dill and tarragon and topped with crispy shallots. The roll was delicious as well. The pork was tender and sweet with cilantro and pickled onions and served as a triplet of buns like you would get at other Asian eateries. These were melt in your mouth goodness. Pop chips on the side are always a fun addition but not necessary as the sandwiches are the star offerings.
The 1000 year old ice cream sandwich for dessert was delicious as well. The interesting ingredient of black caramel ooozes from the center, but you don't want it to stop it was so good.
I think the place is trying not to be a cheap bun mi which I think other reviewers were expecting. I really enjoyed the fresh ingredients and look forward to another visit or since the GF works in the hood, a delivery for dinner.... Definitely get here for change of pace sandwich with tasty Asian flavors that won't leave you disappointed or hungry for more.
No where in this neighborhood will you find such and interesting and filling lunch at such a great price. Vietnamese BBQ beef is great. Been meaning to write a review as I have been going here for a few months now and really hope it will stay open.
Nice to have something different than just Lenny's everyday (nothing against Lennys, Xie Xie is just shking things up a little which is good!)
I was so excited to order delivery from this place since I am tired of my food options around the area. Sad to say that this is a huge disappointment.
First of all, these sandwiches are extremely overpriced. Perhaps if they are good then its okay because they will be worth the money. But I got the chicken one and it's definitely really bad. Flavor just isn't really authentic. Bread was uninspiring. Extremely messy to eat as well.
I've been meaning to write this scathing review for Xie Xie since I ate there last week. But I decided that it would be more professional if I wrote this review when I have cooled my head. It took me a few days to get over my fuming anger for this sandwich shop.
Let me just identify myself to the Xie Xie management. I was a customer there when http://behindtheburner... (probably another shitty food site, yes I checked out your website) was shooting at the restaurant. Maybe because some stupid website was there that the waitresses decided they didn't know how to serve or bus and the chefs decided that they didn't need to serve quality food. I mean customers don't matter if some stupid website is giving you the time of day.
This is embarrassing because I don't even know where to start. How about I tackle the food first then. We ordered the pork buns and the vietnamese beef because we did not have the courage to order their signature tilapia fish. The pinkberry-ish decor of Xie Xie didn't really instill any confidence in me. All I was thinking was i don't want to get food poisoning. Anyway, the food came. The pork buns I thought were of good size but my date complained that it was too tiny for his manly appetite. I believed him. They looked like 3 hors d'oeuvres served in an Asian themed cocktail party ran by some white folks. Both the pulled pork and what looked like pulled beef (so that's what vietnamese beef is?!?!?!?!) in a seeded hamburger bun was about as moist as the sand in the mojave desert. I mean come on i know the food was pre-cooked/braised so at least cook it well and serve it to me warm, not cold as my date complained about his dish. Whoever gave this place the time of day probably is from either 2 groups. 1) You are a celebrity chef or some food website that is good for Xie Xie's publicity. Ducasse, is it? 2) You don't care about food
Moving on, the bad experience we had was made worse by the horrible service. Those who run this restaurant have no regard for training its employees or hiring competent servers/cashiers/busgirls. Apparently, the only criteria they had for hiring servers was that they were pretty. Well, I went and saw those servers. They were ugly and had to wear glittery eye makeup which I don't think is kosher in a real restaurant. It's pretty dirty and disgusting. These employees were not helpful at all. When asked if they served cola, the cashier had no idea. She told us to check in the fridge that was right in front of her. When we told one of the busgirls/servers that we were freezing, she just dumbly looked at us and just told us lightly that there was nothing she can do. I don't think she knew what her job was. I could have thought about 5 ways for them to make the situation better and more tolerable.
Needless to say. I don't know what the hype of Xie Xie is about. People there is num pang. Please go there.
Xie Xie, which means 'thank you' in Mandarin, is one of the few recent Hells Kitchen restaurant openings that has received substantial buzz from local media. I'm still not sure why everyone shits themselves with excitement every time an Asian sandwich joint, burger shop or trendy pizza place opens, but that's one of the little idiosyncrasies that makes me love New York City.
I've always hated on the Theater District and Hells Kitchen restaurant scene for a variety of reasons, whether it be the unnecessarily high prices, faux Italian trattorias catering to the busloads of tourists from Ohio, ridiculously stupid restaurant concepts, or the glut of crap Thai and Asian fusion food. Xie xie fits my preconceived stereotype of 'ridiculous restaurant concept' and 'high prices'.
The restaurant space itself is actually pretty cute. Flamboyant colors, simply decorated, and quite cozy. The staff are friendly, and on my visit, very enthusiastic. Well the place was empty, save one other lunch'er... maybe they were thinking, "Oh thank God, a customer!! Our existence is validated!"
Flavor wise, their food is delicious. The chicken sandwich comes with shredded chicken, cilantro, red cabbage slaw and egg salad on a baguette. Nicely balanced flavors, earthy from the egg salad, cut with a hint of acidity from the slaw and bitter from the cilantro.
But the baguette was tough, and uncomfortably so (I feared for my teeth). The bread also caused the annoying trait where all the sandwich innards goosh out when masticated, ensuring that shrapnel and sauce are expelled onto your lap (I'll be sending Xie Xie my dry cleaning bill).
And the prices. (!) I know this place is supposed to be trendy and hip, but charging $8.50 for a rather unsubstantial (but tasty) sandwich is ridiculous.
Points to Chef/Owner Angelo Sosa for opening up a somewhat ballsy restaurant in a very un-hip part of town, but i'll save my enthusiasm for the next banh mi shop or Momofuku outlet.
I had one of the most delicious fish sandwiches of my life at Xie Xie. I can't recommend every item on the menu, but only because I haven't been back often enough to try everything out... yet! A small restaurant with a unique take on the sandwich, beers in the fridge, and a friendly ambiance, too. Stop by on your way to or from somewhere, as it isn't conveniently-located unless you live in Hell's Kitchen already or work somewhere they deliver to. Potted rosemary grows outside. A nice touch. You may find the portion sizes smaller than you'd expect for the price. Larger, cheaper, arguably just-as-good (though maybe not as innovative) Vietnamese sandwiches are available elsewhere in the city, though probably not in this neighborhood.
LOVE the sandwiches. Would drop kick someone for the ice cream sandwich. All that caramel, yummy goodness . . . (drool)
Yummy, quick, and easy.
Tried the Viet BBQ Beef which had a lot of beef and made it a little hard to eat.
The 1000 Year Old Ice Cream sandwich is a must try bc of the curiosity in the name and it's not like any normal ice cream sandwich.
The other sandwiches all sounded good and there was a good variety-will have to try them!
Xie Xie, or thank you to people of Chinese decent (though the restaurant is a Vietnamese fusion), is a hole in the wall eatery. What it delivers however, is one fine sandwich. Allow me to explain,
My experience with Xie Xie was really nice. I had an audition and I wanted something quick and satisfying. I got the Lobster Roll which was excellent. The dill that every other reviewer here has mentioned, bares a repeated mention. It complimented the thick juicy lobster really well. The fried shallots were also awesome, I think that's what really made the sandwich for me. Speaking of making the sandwich, I also got to do that. So I decided how much to give to the bread and how much of the lobster concoction I wanted to just eat straight up.
What I did not enjoy was the amount of space. Yeah its tiny, so when a lunch crowd is there, its loooooud and full of people. But I guess you can't necessarily call that a bad thing for business or food wise. I would also suggest they get a Vegetarian selection, cause though I do eat fish, the Lobster Roll stands as the one thing I can really get. Though the Fish sandwich intrigues me and I will be going back o try that one. Also, try serving a hot sandwich, though the day was already scorching so something cold was nice, I think a hot lobster sandwich sounds good... in fact, its what I am going to eat for dinner now. Yes! I rule.
In short: Want something quick that you can actually taste and appreciate. Go here
3.5 Stars
White people--what won't they expropriate? Question is--do they enhance the product they purloin, as in Elvis and Led Zep, or dishonor said product, à la Vanilla Ice?
Last time I had Vietnamese sandwiches I paid $2 apeice for two mind-blowing mystery-meat sliders bursting with alien flavors served by a lady as shriveled as a peanut husk who spoke no English at a dumpy downtown hole-in-the-wall that mainly sold Vietnamese videos. Here I paid $9 and change for a hamburger roll holding a nice but slightly dry hunk of brisket topped with some shredded carrots. There was a bit of a hot and sweet thing going on but it was fairly bland overall.
Sporting a modernest decor heavy on the chartreuse and suspiciously chain-like (do I smell the stirrings of a faux-Vietanmese McDonalds?), Xie Xie (pronounce it shay-shay) is nonetheless a welcome addition to the neighborhood. 9th Av between 42nd St and Lincoln Center is really shaping up as a kind of linear West Village.
The menu, in its entirety:
Fish Cha Ca La Vong - Onion Jam, Sriracha Mayonnaise, Dill - $8.75
Sweet Glazed Pork - Chinese Bun, Sweet & Sour Condiment - $8.50
Vietnamese BBQ Beef - Basil Mayo, Carrot Kimchee - $9.00
Shredded Braised Chicken - Smoked Egg Salad, Cilantro - $8.50
Asian Lobster Roll - Kewpie Mayo, Tarragon, Crispy Shallots - $14.00
"1000 Year Old" Ice Cream Sandwich - Chocolate Cookie, Black Caramel - $4.00
Xie Xie Fortune Cookie - Yuzu cream - $3.00
Boylan Soda - $2.25
Mash Soda - $2.00
Fiji Water - $1.75
Red Jacket Orchards Juice - $2.25
Finally! Something great falls in midtown and really presents another option for lunch. I'm a huge fan of pork buns and vietnamese sandwiches and they did both excellently. The decor is cool and the outdoor seating was especially relaxing today. Make you sure try the 1000 year old ice cream sandwich because it was delightful (although I'm mystified about what's in the middle).
The only thing I'd say is that for like $6.50 I'd let them get away with three pork buns, but at $8.50 I really wanted four. I could have eaten one more and walked away feeling sated.
Also, they totally have sriracha sauce behind the counter so don't forget to ask for it.
Decor is cute, but I wish it was a little less fluorescent at darker hours...
After getting a little "box" of wine and the most expensive sandwich on the menu (the lobster roll), I spent 30 bucks--I left feeling like I had rather sat down at a nice place and had two glasses of vino and an appetizer for the same price.
The lobster roll was good--bread was obviously fresh, but it was impossible to eat without a fork. It was more of a "lobster salad" sandwich of sorts, lobster in a rich creamy/mayonnaise like sauce with lots of dill. It got sort of monotonous without any condiments or side items in between to give my taste buds a break.
My friend enjoyed his sandwich (some kind of BBQ beef situation). He will likely return, but it just wasn't my thing.
what a fun cafe place... lil toy fortune cookies along the wall... white color setting... stools at the bar to watch the chef at work... with a dab of color in certain spots! great place to grab a quick bite and chill temporarily durin a slow weeknight! i heard weekends are a diff story! wouldn't be surprised if there is free wifii here...
so the concept of this place is NOT vietnamese... cuz vietnamese would require the traditional mayo, soy sauce, cilantro, pate... none of which is offered at this joint i don't think...
anyway chef angelo is super nice and very humble with his work... almost like a science to the way some things were presented...
got to try the following:
short ribs sandwich - yum... tons of pickled crunchy not soggy carrots, pour on sriracha... over nicely flavored short ribs (not much fat) and packed between soft buttery hamburger brioche bun... and with a dab of some sorta dressing i couldn't figure out wat... and u are in bliss! and wow so cheap!! 8-9 bucks?
thousand yr old ice cream - how do they make the center look like thousand yr old duck egg? and yet not taste like it? that's a secret... u gotta ask the chef and he'll tell ya if he wants haha otherwise yum... light, not overly creamy... the "yolk" was a lil too sweet for me but overall nice ice cream sandwich to munch on in the summer times... can't wait til it hits whole foods!
Not always one to travel to the West side of NYC , but Angelo Sosa 's Xie Xie is worth the "trip" . Formerly a Jean-George Vongerichten acolyte , Angelo's Asian-fusion sandwich shop is more than sufficient for this type food .
Fish Chaka La Vong , a Vietnamese marinated tilapia and the Asian lobster roll are very good and cheap for what you get
i guess i was a little confused about the name of this place to start off with. its called xie xie, but has no actual chinese food? ok fine, but i feel like its just kind of all over the place with the food, and none of the dishes are that great. The beef sandwich, while substantial was the chewiest thing i've ever had..that's not good because it hurts my jaw. The pork buns were a little too sauced, but ok. The ice cream sandwich was kind of interesting though (but note, don't cut it in half..it gets messy).
I've come here a few times, since its so close to where i live, but i'd say the food here is somewhere between "ok" and "a-ok"
My mom awaited my visit to NY just so she could take me here for lunch.. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! i really liked the lobster roll and the beef sandwich. I can't wait to take my boyfriend here because he is a sandwich connoisseur. My only gripe was the 30-something mini bottle of wine- outrageous but then it wouldn't be NY if it wasn't.
really 3.5 stars from me.
i see a lot of people have complained about the prices here... and yes, $8.50 or $9 is a bit high for a sandwich, especially when it's supposed to be like asian street food. but i've come to accept that this is a fact of life in new york city -- i went to dinner the other night and the restaurant had pho on the menu for $11! that stuff costs about $2 when you're actually *in* vietnam. so like i said: fact of life.
when you consider Xie Xie's prices in the context of theater district eating options, it becomes quite an affordable alternative, so that's worth something. it was also super-quick, which came in handy when Alli K and i had left the office late and had very little time before we needed to be at the theater. plus, the food was tasty! we shared one of the bbq beef sandwiches (the woman working the cash register told us it was the best one) and one of the pork, and both were really yummy, albeit a little messy -- but i would gladly eat either one (or both!) again.
so is this my #1 top choice for pre-theater dining? no, but it's definitely a good option to remember, especially when my budget and time are both tight.
I cannot talk for the decor of the place for I had xie xie delivered-
I found it fantastic that there are literally only a handful of choices on the menu and that they offer great little treats like the 1,000 year old ice cream (incredible although half melted by the time it got to me!).
The order we got consisted of the braised chicken sandwich, said ice cream, and the sweet and sour pork 'sandwich' (which is actually not a sandwich at all but rather pork on the side and then three small buns).
Both sandwiches were actually really excellent and extremely tasty conveying the pan-asian that they advertise.
The only reason why I'm giving it three stars rather than four, apart from the fact of not having actually been there, is that the pork was a little too oversauced and literally lingered in my stomach way over needed.
I would definitely be interested in seeing the actual locale and trying it out again thought!
First time today - I went here for my birthday lunch with wife and kids. Got the beef, chicken and pork sandwiches to share. Also had the 1000 year old ice cream sandwich and a pear cider. Everything was delicious and tasty. The portions were great. I was expecting something smaller based on some of the reviews. We were totally stuffed and took home some leftovers. My kids didn't like everything, but I was glad to eat more of it for myself.
The cook and host were super nice/chill. They were a little busy and even threw in some extra pork rolls for our wait time. Definitely will go back to try everything else. I would say check it out and decide for yourself. For me I thought it was pretty amazingly tasty, innovative and awesome. Will not wait till the next birthday. Probably go again tomorrow :)
The sandwiches here are okay... but I don't think they're a good representation of an "asian sandwich". More like, "asian sandwiches tailored for an americanized palate".
First of all, any place that fuses vietnamese, chinese, AND tries to throw in a little korean (kimchi carrots? what?) is not going to be authentic. The vietnamese sandwich: I don't see what's vietnamese about it at all - where's the cilantro? Why are you putting basil in my vietnamese sandwich? Don't be fooled, it's not a banh-mi in anyway. The fish sandwich is tasty, but does have too much sauce.
It's a decent sandwich place, and has cute trendy decor, but if you want a real asian sandwich - dont go here.
some nice takes on asian fusion sandwiches. Everything was a bit messy, but quite delicious.
Nothing mind blowing, but quite decent. Great for a nice lunch switchup.
I love banh mi and Asian fusion, so I was excited to try this place. Friends who got the tilapia sandwich and steamed pork buns complained about the salt -a subtle criticism i may have been able to recognize if I wasn't distracted by the rubbery beef in my sand which.
That said, I will come back to try the amazing looking ice cream sand which.
My only interest in restaurants - and my ratings here only reflect - the food. That said, the music here was discordant and inappropriate, one sing-songy tune clearly seemed to be repeating an anatomical term over and over like a broken record. It made for a strange experience.
First the good:
Very cool interior and fun selection of drinks (even though I do not like Chang Beer).
The "so-so" :
Prices of sandwiches is ok. I mean, let's face it, it's a sandwich. Tasty, yes, especially when I drown it in their hot sauce, haha. I don't think you need to be a culinary master to make this. Obviously you are paying for their rent.
The not so great:
The music volume. I was there with two friends and we were enjoying our dinner. Talking etc.. All of a sudden the music volume goes WAY up. I turn around to the the girl at the counter and say motion to "turn it down" please.
Her response, "He (the sandwich maker), likes it this way".
I don't give a crap what he wants, his customers are trying to enjoy their food and some conversation. for this he lost a star. I mean, he's making sandwiches, he's not creating a masterpiece.
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