"Before we give Good Alley its due compliments, know that wait times at this SGV dumpling spot can reach up to an hour (especially on weekends). That might not always be the case, but show up around opening time to spare yourself some strip mall loitering, and rest assured that this is a meal worth planning an evening around. Onto the fun stuff: this casual Northern Chinese restaurant from the Ji Rong people resembles a well-lit airport lounge equipped with gadgets like touchscreen wait lists and a fancy teapresso machine. The long menu has plenty of eye-grabbing dishes to choose from, like chewy scallion oil noodles that release a plume of garlic-kissed steam when you mix them and a flaky Chinese wagyu “burger” (rou jia ma) with shaoxing minced beef spilling out the sides. Every dish we’ve tried is good, but if there’s one item that can’t be missed, it's the signature soup dumplings. Good Alley’s Kaifeng-style guan tang bao (a cousin of xiao long bao) look like XLB after bulking season, plumped up with thick wrappers and lots of rich, flavorful broth. The pork and crab ones are king (they even get a little star next to their name on the menu), and each one practically glows yellow given how much sweet gravy-like crab stock and minced pork are stuffed inside. It takes just one pop of these gorgeous dumplings to forget about the long wait time, or that you squeezed your sedan into a strip mall parking spot the size of a twin bed. Food Rundown video credit: Nicolas Zhou Scallion Oil Noodles These chewy noodles twinkle under the recessed lighting, but they’re not dripping in scallion oil. They’re coated enough to make them fragrant and delicious, with a nice bite of black vinegar that keeps you going back for more. video credit: Nicolas Zhou Chinese Hamburger We understand why we’ve been seeing this dish all over Instagram. The flaky zhua bing “bun” unravels into a thousand flakes once you bite in, and the tender bits of beef practically turn into jelly after a long simmer in shaoxing wine. It’s more filling than it looks, so go halfsies with a friend if you’re ordering a lot. video credit: Nicolas Zhou Kurobuta Pork & Crab Meat Soup Dumplings Meet one of our favorite soup dumplings in the city. The first time we filled our spoon with these guan tang bao’s sweet, golden crab broth, it felt like watching a burst pipe. The liquid kept flowing and we didn't mind. That’s how juicy and soup-heavy each one is. It also creates two distinct bites: a big spoonful of broth and a moist crab-pork meatball wrapped in a thin, chewy casing." - Sylvio Martins
