Xi’an Famous Foods Opens Permanent Boston Restaurant in Downtown Crossing
“It’s characterized by spicy and sour, and a fragrantly spicy flavor profile,” Jason Wang, CEO of Xi’an Famous Foods, told boston.com regarding the menu at the brand’s new Boston location. The New York-born chain soft-opened a 1,700-square-foot permanent restaurant in Downtown Crossing on Friday following a Roxbury pop-up, with a grand opening scheduled for the first week of November.
The fast-casual spot specializes in cuisine from Xi’an, a city in China’s Shaanxi Province that was once an imperial capital. The expansion brings the brand’s total footprint beyond its nearly 20 locations across New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., continuing a growth trajectory that began in a Flushing, Queens mall food court in 2005. Late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain visited that original location in 2007, loving the spicy cumin lamb burger featuring wok-fried lamb, onions, and peppers served in a crispy house-made flatbread.
Imported Peppers Create Fragrantly Spicy Chili Sauce
The restaurant’s signature chili sauce relies on Sichuan peppercorns, cardamom, star anise, and close to thirty other ingredients, including specialty peppers imported from Shaanxi province. Those imported peppers clock in around 3,000 Scoville Heat Units, contrasting with jalapeños that might reach around 8,000 units. Jason Wang told boston.com that the visual heat of the dishes does not equate to extreme burn. “The ‘fragrantly spicy’ is quite important for the region because it means that [the dishes] look very fiery, but it’s not actually supposed to be super spicy,” Wang said. “So, it should be pretty approachable.”
Dishes such as the spicy beef muscle highlight mala peppercorns, which produce a distinct physical sensation. Wang prefers describing the effect as tingly rather than numbing. “I like to call it ‘tingly,’ just because ‘numbing’ sounds like something at the dentist office,” he said. “Where ‘tingly’ is more enjoyable.”
Hand-Ripped Noodles and House-Made Ingredients
The Downtown Crossing kitchen pulls its signature hand-ripped noodles to order directly in front of diners. The menu features hot and cold noodle dishes, spicy and sour dumplings, and cucumber salads. Liang pi, or cold-skin noodles, offer a smooth and chewy texture paired with bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro, and seitan. Other offerings include Chang’an spicy tofu custard featuring soft house-made tofu with pickled vegetables and herbs. According to Wang, all stews, dumpling dipping sauces, sesame oil, and lamb spice blends are prepared in-house.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Boston Opening
When does the Downtown Crossing location officially open?
The permanent restaurant soft-opened on Friday, with its official grand opening scheduled for the first week of November 2026.
What are some signature menu items available in Boston?
The 1,700-square-foot restaurant serves hand-ripped noodles, cold-skin liang pi noodles, spicy cumin lamb burgers, spicy sour pork dumplings, and Chang’an spicy tofu custard.
How hot is the restaurant’s signature chili oil?
The chili peppers imported from Shaanxi province measure around 3,000 Scoville Heat Units, offering a mild kick rather than extreme heat.
Keep reading