Drive along the San Gabriel Valley’s endless boulevards, and you’ll be hit by a riptide of noodle houses and dim sum halls. The smell of toasted garlic and chile wafts through its more than 300 square miles, in an expanse known for decades as a regional and modern Chinese food mecca.
Of all the staple foods, one delicious, juicy entity arguably remains king of this land: dumplings. Found in all shapes and sizes, they can be enjoyed over breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Sometimes they have lacy, crispy skirts, and sometimes they are chewy, broth-filled bombs of delicious joy. Either way, you’ll find the best dumplings in Los Angeles among the neighborhoods that make up the San Gabriel Valley.