Good Alley

With a “teapresso” machine cranking out delicious tea-based drinks and well-executed regional mash-ups, this sleek Rosemead noodle and dumpling specialist is already drawing long lines, particularly on the weekends. Run by the same team behind nearby Ji Rong Duck House, Good Alley serves phenomenal Kaifeng-style soup dumplings and a hybrid roujiamo—a.k.a. Chinese hamburger—made with flaky thousand-layer pancakes and three different choices of meat filling. The menu also includes various noodle dishes, stir-fries, soups and skewers. While I’ve yet to sample everything on the menu, everything I have tried was excellent, particularly the baby napa cabbage and cumin lamb roujiamo. In the San Gabriel Valley’s competitive Chinese dining landscape, this newcomer is one you don’t want to miss—though I’d still recommend arriving just before opening to cut down on your wait.