Chinese Food in Los Angeles

Temple City’s destination for imperial Manchu-style banquets, with jeweled interiors and refined dishes like crispy shrimp and imperial-style soups. Consistently recognized by the Michelin Guide and celebrated by local critics, it’s ideal for family-style feasts and special occasions.

A San Gabriel Valley favorite for Jiangnan and Shanghainese cooking—think delicate xiao long bao, Dong Po pork, and elegant whole fish. Listed by the Michelin Guide and frequently cited by LA food writers for polished flavors without the pomp.

Family-run stalwart famed for Shanxi knife-cut noodles and handmade dumplings. Beloved by longtime LA diners and spotlighted by ABC7 and legacy critics for generous portions, wok aroma, and chewy, rustic noodles that define SGV comfort eating.

A lunch-only, cash-only institution known for Taiwanese beef noodle soup, fiery chili oil, and soulful side dishes. Revered by the Michelin Guide and LA critics, it’s a master class in straightforward flavors and old-school hospitality.

Husband-and-wife team pulling from Shanxi traditions to craft standout bowls like the Wife’s Special and knife-shaved varieties. A Michelin Bib Gourmand and an Eater favorite, it’s tiny, personal, and focused on exceptional noodles.

Good Alley Restaurant in Rosemead Serves Rare Regional Soup Dumplings | Eater LA

Occupying a semi-hidden slot in a Valley Boulevard strip mall, Good Alley opened in Rosemead on September 26, 2024, and specializes in guan tang bao, the larger Henan-style soup dumpling from Kaifeng; its Chinese name (谷巷里), which translates to “in the valley alley,” is fitting for the location. I found the contemporary, well-appointed 62-seat dining room lined with Chinese artwork and latticed lanterns chic and evocative of a fashionable Chinese city. Owners David Shao and chef Peter Pang — who also run Ji Rong Duck House — spent 13 years preparing for this opening, training since 2011 with cooks from Ji Rong under a fifth-generation chef from Kaifeng Soup Dumplings in Shenyang; Kaifeng’s closure during the pandemic deepened Pang’s commitment to preserving that legacy. Guan tang bao here is presented as a distinct predecessor to xiao long bao: larger, with thicker wrappers and a gravy-like filling (some oversized versions are sold with straws on weekends in limited quantities). Pang emphasizes the purity of his chicken broth — rinsed, blanched, then simmered for hours until it gels and is folded into the filling — as central to the dumplings’ flavor. The menu also spans rou jia mo (made with a Shanxi-style thousand-layer pancake and fillings like Kurobuta pork, American wagyu, or cumin lamb), beef noodle soup with hand-pulled noodles and a six-hour beef broth, beef rolls based on family recipes, cauliflower dry pot, and clay-pot pork with pickled cabbage; Pang makes an XO chile crisp used on starters like the cold cucumber. Price points are modest (a basket of steamed guan tang bao is under $13, noodle dishes around $12, and the American wagyu hamburger under $13). The drink list includes Asahi, Suntory, and Sapporo beers, Japanese sake and soju, sparkling and traditionally brewed teas, and mixed boba drinks with cheese foam and toppings such as water chestnut popping pearls, barley pearls, and agar-agar jellies; green, black, oolong, and pu-erh teas are sourced directly from Chinese farms and brewed using a custom-order teaspresso machine. The San Gabriel Valley will never tire of great dumplings, and this latest entrant from the Ji Rong team plays the part well. - Kristie Hang

Happy Together El Monte - Review - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

Everything at Happy Together, a banquet-style Chinese restaurant in El Monte and the second location of Chino Hills spot, is big: big tables, big groups, big portions, a big menu—you get the point. It’s an easy, delicious walk-in option in the SGV whenever you’re tasked with feeding a bunch of people, and one of the better meals you’ll find inside a hotel event space (heads up: the dining room is in the lobby of a fancier-than-usual Quality Inn). Happy Together’s lunchtime dim sum menu is pretty extensive. It features a mix of the standard offerings like steamed pork buns and shrimp shumai with less typical items like rice noodle wraps stuffed with corn and cheese-filled eggrolls. One thing missing from the lunch menu, however, is Happy Together’s stir-fries, which are the main reason we'd send you here for dinner, specifically the pungently garlicky green beans and roasted pork perfumed with handfuls of chives. There’s bound to be something on this giant menu for everyone, so fingers crossed that your group leaves happy together. Or at least happier than before you fed them. Food Rundown Cold Dish Cucumber Prepare for full-blown garlic dragon breath. These cucumbers are so cold and crisp you’d think they took an ice plunge before being dressed in salty, punchy dressing. A great refreshing start for what will likely be a hearty meal. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Spicy Pig Ear A perfect pig’s ear salad if you ask us. It hits the mark on crunchy texture and flavor, with a polite touch of tingly mala spice. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Soy Sauce Chicken This is a dish of wonderful contrasts and a great centerpiece to a group dinner here. Every piece of cleaver-chopped bird is cold enough that you get nibbles of salty, jellied fat, but it still tastes incredibly light. There’s also an occasional "buy one half, get the other half free" special, so go nuts. Any leftovers will still be juicy the next day. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Roasted Pork Stir Fry If you don’t like oily stir-fries, skip this. However, if you like tender sliced pork and the smell of chives in your nostrils, you’ll appreciate this hearty dish. It could do with a smidge less oil, though. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Stir-fried String Beans Our server recommended this dish to balance the table out with fresh veggies, but these beans were cooked down to mushy oblivion. However, they do a good job of soaking up the copious amounts of garlic and soy sauce. photo credit: Sylvio Martins - Sylvio Martins

A thoughtful, produce-driven take on Taiwanese comfort—beef noodle soup, lu rou fan, and seasonal plates—with deep ties to local farms. Praised by the Los Angeles Times and Eater for clean flavors and a distinctly SGV point of view.

A family project from Humberto Leon’s clan, weaving Chinese, Peruvian, and Taiwanese influences into char siu, lomo saltado, and more. A Michelin Bib Gourmand with a lively design, it’s a snapshot of LA’s Chinese diaspora culture today.

Jon Yao’s elegant tasting menu channels Taiwanese heritage through seafood, sauces, and refined technique. Michelin-starred and led by a 2025 James Beard Best Chef: California winner, it’s a landmark for contemporary Chinese-Taiwanese expression in LA.