Good Alley — Restaurant in Rosemead

*Update: Came back the second time and tried a few more dishes and it was all great. We got the beef roll wrap, dan dan noodles and beef noodle soup.

Good Alley has been on my list to try for quite awhile. A friend of mine came here last week and said you have to try it because it's like Din Tai Fung.

My friends and I finally took the leap to try out Good Alley. So glad they just opened so people don't know about this place yet. But I am not going to keep this place because I want them to succeed.

I love the fact that the condiments such as soy sauce, chili oil and black vinegar are on the table so you can make your sauce for the dumplings/xlb.

They are a la carte restaurant/ family style which was perfect for us. The more people you have in your party you can try more dishes.

For our items: Appetizer: Xi'an cold noodles (reminded me of dan dan noodles), Sliced Beef and Ox in chili oil Vegetables: Cauliflower dry pot Handmade Dumpling: Kurobuta pork with shrimp and chives Soup Dumpling: Kurobuta pork with crab meat Burgers: Cumin Lamb Chinese Burger and the A5 Wagyu Beef Chinese Burger Drinks: Saving space for dessert elsewhere so we just had ice water Dessert: Not much choices just a steam red beans bun (But we did not try it)

The Highlights: The winner of all the dishes were both the dumplings (the soup dumpling had real crabs and was juicy and the handmade dumpling had a nice mouthful bite to them with fresh ingredients). We definitely enjoyed the Xian cold noodles (refreshing and memorable). Both Chinese burgers were excellent choices to try Roujiamo (buns for the burger-It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and holds the meat nicely). Our least favorite dishes were the Sliced Beef and Oxtail (bland and the only thing you can taste was the chili oil). My friend had to fix this dish by asking for sugar and adding more soy sauce. The dry cauliflower clay pot had sliced pork belly in there but the skin wasn't cooked down enough so it was hard.

Service was very efficient and the food came out piping hot. The staff are constantly checking in on you and checking if you need anything. They are constantly clearing the empty plates and refilling our drinks. The staff at this restaurant are always checking so thank you for being organized and so efficient! Definitely recommend and would definitely come back.

Tips: *Accepts Credit Cards *Restroom for customers. *Indoor seating only *They sell a variety of teas and boba type drinks *Same plaza as 888 but on the Shin-Sen-Gumi Ramen side with Cha Tra Mue (thai tea spot)/ Golden Delight #2 *Parking lot shared with other businesses Can be challenging...

This place has it all, one of my favorite dining experiences in a while. Delicious food, friendly, professional service and nicely decorated place. Wait can be a bit due to the space but it’s worth the wait.

Portions are perfect and all the food is easily shareable. It’s the best way to come here, share and order multiple dishes and enjoy the delicious food and atmosphere.

I try not to compare food but the XLB & dumplings here are easily on par and dare I say it better than DTF. We got the pork XLB and pork and cabbage dumplings. Both delicious, juicy, and very flavorful.

Sweet & sour pork ribs are sweet and tangy. Meat falls off the bone and it’s beautifully plated. Enough to share. The only problem with this visit was that it came out last even though it was an appetizer.

Dry noodles were very good. Not too salty, but very flavorful. I added some chili to give it some kick. Lots of pork and cucumber.

The wagyu beef “burger” I really enjoyed. It’s a more personal dish. Strangely, the filling makes me think of it as an asian inspired fajita mix with the beef, bell pepper and onions.

Forgot what it’s called but what surprised me most was the pork cabbage dish with vermicelli noodles. Not usually a fan of sour/pickled dishes, but wow this was one of my favorite dishes. Be warned though, it is sour, but the way to pork tastes with the cabbage is just perfect.

By the way, it was just two of us eating all this. Will be recommending and bringing more people here next time. There’s so many dishes I still want to come back...

Another dumpling spot has joined the SGV, and while I was excited to try it, it ultimately fell short of expectations. The Xiao Long Bao (XLB) were full of soup, but the pork filling lacked depth of flavor, and they weren’t as hot as they should’ve been. To make matters worse, XLB are usually served in portions of 10, but here you only get 8—and it costs more.

On the other hand, the Xian Cold Noodles and Cucumber Salad were definite highlights, with their chewy, bouncy texture and refreshing, balanced flavors. Unfortunately, the White Bud Jasmine Hand-Muddled Lime Tea was all hype. It tasted like basic jasmine tea with lime slices, but the lime grind added an unpleasant bitter edge. At over $7, it didn’t feel worth the cost.

Service was another letdown. Despite arriving early, well before the dinner rush, we felt rushed throughout the meal. As we were leaving, a staff member even asked if they could take the table while we were clearly already on our way out. It felt like the sole focus was turning tables quickly, which made the experience feel impersonal.

With so many dumpling places opening in the SGV, you can easily skip this one. The smaller portions, higher prices, underwhelming XLB, and overhyped drink just don’t make it worth the visit. While I appreciated the cold noodles and cucumber salad, the overall experience ensures I...