The regional Chinese restaurant Good Alley opened in Rosemead on September 26, 2024, specializing in guan tang bao, a soup dumpling from the city of Kaifeng in Henan located 430 miles northeast of Beijing. The restaurant’s Chinese name (谷巷里) translates to “in the valley alley,” which is appropriate given its semi-hidden location in a Valley Boulevard strip mall. The contemporary and well-appointed 62-seat dining room is full of Chinese artwork and design accents.

The restaurant’s owners, David Shao and chef Peter Pang, also run Ji Rong Duck House, a San Gabriel Valley culinary landmark since 2004. “Soup dumplings, regular dumplings, and rice or noodle dishes are staples in every Chinese household,” says Pang. “Our experience with Ji Rong has shown that the local community appreciates these dishes, and we want to share more traditional foods.”

The opening of Good Alley was 13 years in the making. Since 2011, Pang, along with cooks from Ji Rong, learned the dumpling-making ropes from the fifth-generation chef at Kaifeng Soup Dumplings in Shenyang. Kaifeng closed during the height of the pandemic after a 100-year run, making Pang even more dedicated to preserving its legacy at Good Alley. Pang is originally from Shenyang and began his culinary training in 1989 specializing in Liaoning cuisine, one of China’s eight culinary traditions.

Guan tang bao is thought to be the predecessor to xiao long bao. Both dumplings contain soup but differ in size, wrapper thickness, and filling. Xiao long bao, which is originally from Nanxiang, Shanghai, features thin delicate wrappers made from semi-leavened dough and are often filled with pork and aspic that transform into liquid when steamed. In contrast, guan tang bao is larger, filled with minced meat and a gravy-like broth, and made using a thicker dough. Some versions of guan tang bao are served with a straw for diners to drink the broth before eating the dumpling; Good Alley sells oversized guan tang bao with straws on weekends in limited quantities.

Pang takes pride in the purity of his chicken broth, a key component of guan tang bao’s flavor. “The chicken is thoroughly rinsed, blanched to remove impurities, then boiled and simmered for hours to achieve a rich, clean broth,” says Pang. Once cooled, the broth forms a gel, which is mixed into the dumpling filling.

Good Alley’s menu extends into genres beyond soup dumplings. Other signature dishes include rou jia mo (Chinese hamburger) and beef noodle soup. According to Chef Pang, the rou jia mo is made with a Shanxi-style thousand-layer pancake instead of the traditional baiji mo flatbread and comes stuffed with Kurobuta pork, American wagyu, or cumin lamb. The beef noodle soup includes hand-pulled noodles and a six-hour beef broth. Good Alley’s beef rolls are made with a flakier, thinner dough based on Pang and Shao’s family recipes. Pang makes the XO chile crisp that appears on a few dishes, like the cold cucumber starter. A basket of freshly steamed guan tang bao is priced under $13, while noodle dishes clock in around $12; the American wagyu hamburger rings in under $13.

To drink is a selection of Asahi, Suntory, and Sapporo beers, as well as various Japanese sake and soju. The drink menu also includes sparkling teas, traditionally brewed teas, and mixed boba drinks with cheese foam and popular toppings like water chestnut popping pearls, barley pearls, and agar agar jellies. Green, black, oolong, and pu-erh teas are sourced directly from Chinese farms and prepared using a custom-order teaspresso machine.

Good Alley is located at 8450 E. Valley Boulevard #108, Rosemead, California, and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.