4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: February 21 | Eater LA
"Ask the manager how long this tiny dumpling spot has been open and he’ll say "two months," even though the opening was originally slated for "early 2025"; the restaurant has been quietly serving at the new Sunset Row development in Silver Lake. The space feels like it belongs in a dusty strip mall in Temple City or Rosemead rather than Silver Lake, and veteran chef Meng Defei brings a very regionally-specific Chinese approach: start with the "very herbal, almost medicinal-smelling hot and sour soup that is really delicious and like no other hot and sour soup I've had." The dumplings are a Mongolian-inflected pleated package that’s almost too big to eat with one single bite; the skins are incredibly thin, yielding an almost feather-like ethereal quality, filled with meaty beef or chicken with mushroom. The cold sesame noodles, wide pappardelle-like strands of rice noodles, are a cooling contrast to the hot dumplings. So far, the reviewer says they really enjoy the place and could see themselves coming back to try the rest of the menu—"as long as I get lucky enough to find parking." — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Eater Staff
