Kang Kang Food Court

"Most don’t come to Kang Kang Food Court, a cafeteria-style restaurant in Alhambra, for the soup dumplings. Their specialty is shenjianbao, a heftier, thicker-skinned cousin of the xiao long bao that has a deep-fried, crispy brown bottom. However, if you’re craving something steamed, their traditional XLB are quite tasty as well. Super-sized, approximately 50% larger than the average soup dumpling, these are served with a slightly sweet sauce that’s rich and less vinegar-y than others in the area." - kat hong

"This well-known San Gabriel Valley spot is less of a food court, and more of a cafeteria-style restaurant, but if we’ve learned anything from our time as writers, it’s that semantics are for losers, especially when the food’s this good. There’s a lot of ground to cover here, so we’ve outlined our favorites - and luckily, they’re all relatively inexpensive. Focus on the crispy, pan-fried bao, beef rolls, and soup dumplings, and if you’re feeling a little frisky (read: you just got paid), pick up a package of their frozen dumplings from the freezer before you leave. Available for takeout, call (626) 308-3898 or order through their website." - kat hong

"Despite its name, this legendary spot on Valley Blvd. is not an actual food court. It’s a cafeteria-style restaurant with a massive menu and the best shenjianbao in LA, a heftier, pan-fried cousin of the xiao long bao. Kang Kang also has ample open seating and is open until 9pm every night, making it good for a free-flowing group dinner in the SGV where people might show up at different times and arrive with varying levels of hunger. If you aren’t in the mood for dumplings, we recommend ordering anything else that’s calling your name from the steam bar. Cash only." - brant cox

"Our Favorite Dishes: Shanghai Steamed Small Crab & Pork Bao, Shanghai Fried Pork Bao, Simmered Beef Roll In reality, this tiny Alhambra spot is much more of a cafeteria-style restaurant than an actual food court, but those details are irrelevant when the food is this good. The menu is large and covers a lot of ground, but your focus should be on the dumplings and beef roll. The fried bao is easily the most popular dish here (it’s on every table), and while it’s very good, we prefer the slightly sweet steamed crab and pork bao even more. Cash only." - jess basser sanders, amy clark, brant cox, brett keating

"Alhambra’s Kang Kang Food Court is selling frozen dumplings, and we’re not sure there’s a better way to cheer yourself up after a sh*tty day. These excellent, hand-folded soup dumplings are doughy, fluffy, and stuffed with salty ground pork. The people at Kang Kang will give you instructions on how to cook them when you pick them up, but don’t worry - they’re extremely easy to pan fry." - brett keating