Kang Kang Food Court
Dumpling restaurant · Alhambra
27 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801
Highlights
Shanghai pan-fried buns, beef rolls, and a huge menu
Shanghai pan-fried buns, beef rolls, and a huge menu
"Despite the name, this casual, cash-only Chinese spot in Alhambra is less of a food court and more of a cafeteria-style restaurant. The move here is to pick out some family-style dishes from the steam table area and/or order a bunch of the fantastic dumplings and buns from the a la carte menu. Kang Kang 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. Make sure to get a few orders of their famously juicy, pan-fried pork buns to share, then maybe snag a bag of frozen dumplings on the way out to reward the friend who paid with cash and had everyone Venmo them." - brant cox
"Head to Kang Kang Food Court for the famous sheng jian bao, which are crispy pan-fried buns stuffed with minced pork and broth. For takeout orders, Kang Kang packages the bao in foil-lined takeout containers so they stay warm even if they sit in the car for a bit. The trip over is worth it for the sheng jian bao alone, but while there, try the jing dong meat pie and beef rolls. Make sure to bring cash, Kang Kang is cash-only. Order takeout or delivery through Fantuan." - Rebecca Roland
"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
