Good Alley, a Shanghainese and Northeastern Chinese spot known for its soup dumplings — and for being a Din Tai Fung doppelgänger — was recently added to California’s Michelin Guide. What makes a dupe a dupe? Trendy dishes (like the current hyperfixation
on dot cakes) get immediately replicated by the masses before petering off into obscurity. Can a traditional dish like xiao long bao even be considered something to dupe, when Din Tai Fung can’t claim ownership for its invention even while it may be responsible for bringing the dish more widely to the West’s consciousness? If Good Alley is a dupe, it’s a very good one: exciting, comforting, and competitive with all the other Chinese restaurants scattered across the San Gabriel Valley.
What to order
- Kurobuta pork soup dumplings do not have skins as thin as those at Din Tai Fung nor does it feel as delicate — but that’s kind of the point. This version of dumplings is known as guan tang bao, a heftier counterbalance to the delicate nature of xiao long bao. If you’re seeking a big bite with a full-bodied, porky broth and a bouncier dumpling skin, this is your soup dumpling. However, at $15.98 for eight dumplings, this is not a cheaper alternative to DTF (for comparison, Din Tai Fung’s version is $16.50 for 10 dumplings).
- Wagyu feels like a marketing term which, as of late, doesn’t really pay off. But Good Alley’s A5 Miyazaki wagyu burger is actually worth investigating. The flaky pancake “buns” give way to tender, melt-in-your mouth beef accented by the sharp, wok-fried flavors of onions and peppers. At $15.98, the price is a bit steep — but the burger can absolutely be shared between two people.
- Vegetarian Xi’an cold noodles are composed of a base of wide rice noodles drowned in a nutty, chile-flecked sesame. Cubes of tofu absorb the sauce while thin cucumber strips provide freshness and some reprieve from the (mild) heat.
- As the name suggests, the hot and sour soup strikes an ideal balance between warming, spicy heat and bright zinginess from vinegar. This version is vegetarian, with strands of bamboo shoots, tofu, wood ear mushrooms, egg ribbons, and green onions. The viscosity of the soup is flawless: not too gloopy from cornstarch, but also not watery.
What to drink
Good Alley has a wide selection of refreshing and aromatic brewed tea drinks, including ones topped with fluffy cheese foam and blended fruit drinks. I particularly loved the white bud jasmine tea, which is deliciously floral and fragrant.
Make a night of it
If you have the energy — and stomach space — for a bang-bang meal, Good Alley’s sister restaurant, Ji Rong, is just around the corner and has one of the best Beijing ducks in Los Angeles.
Insider tip
On the weekends, baseball-sized guan tang bao are available in limited quantities. The dumpling balloons to a size so large that you’re meant to pierce the skin with a straw and suck out the luxurious soup inside.
