East Alley Dumpling and Beer — Restaurant in Melbourne

I am regular customer of the restaurant. I go there on a weekly basis. However, today’s experience is so terrible that I need to write this review. My family and I have previously noticed their poor dine-in service (lots of waiting time) due to understaff, so we preferred having taking away instead. Yet, it is unbelievable that their take away service is very badly done as well. We had ordered a take away today and was told there was a 25 minutes wait. We arrived early and waited in front of the restaurant. But with extra 15 minutes past the so-called 25min waiting time, no one had called out our number at all. Only until my dad went in and asked, then we were notified that our order had not been cooked at all because an ordered item was sold out. This is ridiculous. Not only that there was no one tried to inform us during that 40min wait, but also they just ignore our whole order just because of one lacking item. WTH. Totally unacceptable. Wasted so much time...

East Alley is a solid local spot for dumplings, noodles, and casual Asian eats in Tunstall Square. The modern, minimalist interior and laid-back vibe make it a good choice for dinner with friends or a casual date.

The dumplings are the highlight — juicy, fresh, and full of flavour. The menu also includes crispy beef, noodle soups, fried rice, and a good mix of meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. Portions are generous, and prices are reasonable.

Service is friendly but can be a bit slow, especially during busy periods. Also worth noting: they charge extra for takeaway containers, even if you're packing leftovers from a dine-in meal.

The restaurant is licensed with beer and wine options, and there's plenty of free parking in the square.

Overall, East Alley offers tasty food and decent value in a casual setting — just be patient if you're dining...

What beautiful interior this restaurant has. Red booth setting on the side separated by a circular woodern frame and individual black chairs in the middle.

This place has so many dishes to offer we couldn't decide what to pick.

The Har gow was okay. Compact amount of meat but the skin was slightly overcooked.

Prawn toast - crisp , airy and generous amount of sesame seeds. That flavour was great.

Chicken and prawn pan fried dumplings - love these potstickers. The filling is flavourful and the skin is made just right and lightly fried on one side. I'd recommend this dish.

Xiao long bao - a must try. Full of rich and flavourful broth and the meat is so soft and tender.

Special beef noodle soup - a generous amount of noodles but the beef meat balls were slightly chewy. The braised beef brisket was tender and juicy. The five spice and...