Leaf and Plate

Spicy and sour beef dumpling soup: Dumplings tasted homemade with strong beef flavor and nice soft dough. Broth was nicely sour and extremely clean-​tasting, with good seasonings. Tiny dried shrimp added a wonderful funkiness.
Anxious to try the other North-​Western Chinese items on the menu!
Nice spot for lunch and takeout; no delivery unfortunately.

Very cozy, nice and clean restaurant. As someone who has never tried this type of Chinese food before I was pleasantly surprised.
The beef dumpling soup was served in a large portion and the dumplings were very filling. I was able to choose a spice level and it was made to perfection. The food also came out in a timely manner.
They have an interesting selections of teas and fun events going on throughout the week. The waitress was able to separate our checks easily and they even had a small fireplace going.
I would definitely come back!

I ate here for the first time today and it was great! I had the lamb dumpling soup, which was juicy and flavorful. The café has a very friendly atmosphere and I’m looking forward to trying the other items on their menu, some of which I’ve never seen before. They’re also trying to get some sort of Chinese film-​watching group going, so I hope to come back for that.

This place has lots of potential. It is certainly an interesting concept – a tea room and northwestern Chinese food hybrid. In terms of the latter, their menu has a number of different items, and this time we had the lamb pilaf and silkroad chicken. Both dishes packed a lot of flavor, particularly with the spices typical of Xinjiang cuisine. The lamb pilaf had a lot of meat mixed in, and the side pilahong salad was a nice complement. The nang bread chicken had a nice presentation, almost like a small hard pizza bread on a thin layer of sauce and topped with stir fry. It’s quite different from any other Chinese found in Pittsburgh.
I think the pilaf portions could have been a bit larger (and the salad as well), while the chicken in the other dish was just a tad on the dry side, but otherwise both were delectable. I look forward to trying other items like the dumpling soup and Lanzhou noodles, as well as the tea.

I’ve been meaning to review this place for a couple weeks now. Stumbled upon it while walking around the neighborhood and it was such a nice surprise! I’ve been twice now, once for tea and once for dinner.
The owner is extremely helpful if you’re overwhelmed by the extensive tea menu and not sure which kind to get. She led me to two «dessert» teas: eight precious and honey ginger, both of which were so delicious.
We sampled a few things on the menu, all of which I’d recommend: smashed cucumber salad, pork sandwich and vegan pilaf.
Overall: Unique (at least in Pittsburgh) and delicious Northwest Chinese cuisine, good service, unpretentious, very affordable. I hope this place sticks around — it’s a great addition to the neighborhood!

Settled into a quaint corner of Shadyside, Leaf & Plate is one of the few places to find authentic Chinese dishes in Pittsburgh. The mother-​daughter duo who run the place make guests feel at home with the friendly environment and home style cooking.
The design of the space is bright and modern. The back patio area has a coy fish pond that’s perfect for the fall season. It’s a good atmosphere just for hanging out and drinking tea. I know they also have movie nights and it’s BYOB.
Food is excellent. Try it for yourself.
I recommend this place for any Chinese who miss the taste of North-​Western Chinese cuisine, or any American who wants to try something different. There is something for everyone.

2 Pork Sandwiches and Pilahong salad
The sandwiches had great flavor, spices, and texture. First time I really had sandwiches that were super authentic and from this region of China.
The bread was very soft and very authentic to me. I really like the bread because it paired well with the pork filling.
The Pork was marinated very well, spiced, and was cooked to perfection. I enjoy pork a lot so this pork sandwich is one I will get again. The flavor is great because the pork was really immersed in it. 2 sandwiches was a great portion. I felt full and complete with the meal.
The Pilahong salad which consisted of sliced potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and celery were served in a great tasting dressing. It was a vinegar but had great spice to it. Perfect salad to accompany the sandwiches.
Service and Ambiance were great for my Saturday lunch.
–Ashok C.

What a charming and sweet little tea shop. Just opened this week, we stumbled upon it shopping in Shadyside. The Jasmine green tea was delicious. Clever little find!