Little Alley

To preface this review, I was invited to Little Alley for a free tasting menu. While it is possible this could bias certain aspects related to my service experience here (which was excellent), I strongly believe my review of the dishes I had here are unbiased. You be the judge. We came on a rainy day and were seated promptly. Our dishes came out very quickly. All dishes were very flavorful (bland is not on the menu here!!), umami, and savory. None of the dishes we tried were spicy (an important thing to consider when going to a Shanghainese place is whether they have enough non-spicy options so you won’t leave with any orifices burning). Onto the specifics: Little Alley’s Lion Head: This looked like a giant meatball served with some bok choy on the side but it was so much more than this. The meat was delicate yet flavorful and while very savory on its own, pairs great with veggies and/or rice. Dong Po Pork with Buns: This dish was one of the standouts for me. In terms of standing on its own, probably my favorite dish. 8 large chunky, fatty pieces of pork belly which *melt in your mouth* paired with 4 soft steamed buns. Messy and sloppy, but packs a punch in terms of flavor. I was worried that this dish would be too small, but it was actually quite substantial. Braised Yellow Croaker: If you like fish, try this dish! Flaky and delicate, the mild flavor of the fish is surrounded by a thick oyster sauce that’s drenched in pieces of meat (pork?) and more importantly delicious mushrooms that really rounded out the place. Definitely a centerpiece in terms of the meal. Soft Shell Crab with Rice Cake: The soft shell crab was probably my favorite one piece of any dish here (although the Pork with Buns was my overall favorite pick). This dish had less flavor than the others which in this case was actually a good thing because it balanced out the strong aromatic flavors of the other dishes we tried. I tried the Moulin Rouge as a cocktail. Tasty and I have no complaints, but the food here was much better than the drinks (at least the one I tried). If there’s one word to describe this place it’s flavor. Prices are reasonable for the area, especially given the portions are quite decent as well. This isn’t the fanciest restaurants, but this type of food with great classic Asian dishes really isn’t meant to be fancy. Definitely need to come back to try some more dishes here!

Revisited little alley after a year or so. Changed location for the better however the food was a bit of a letdown. We ordered pork XLB , sausage rice, Shanghai Stir Fried Thick Noodle, , Wuxi ribs, Sautéed Chicken with Hot Chili, and crispy duck. XLB wrapper, size were just right but broth inside was a bit bland, which surprised me. Wuxi ribs were clearly reheated which is fine but ours were lukewarm/cold at best. The chicken had great texture but unfortunately was oversalted. Duck was fine , not too chewy but also not particularly flavorful.  Our favorite were the noodles that were well seasoned and had nice texture.  Overall, we were a bit disappointed for $150 meal, considering previous experience was not as lackluster

Just find a cozy Chinese restaurant in Murray hill! You can enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine with cocktail here! Yan Du Xian soup It’s winter time, a warm soup is a must. This soup had rich pork broth and very flavorful. Dong Po Pork with Buns The pork was super tender and soft. The sauce is in the sweet side. Fish Fillet in Rice Wine Sauce This actually my first time had this sauce. It’s more on sweet side as well. Pork Soup Dumplings Very soupy:) The seats was very comfy not too crowded. The price was pretty reasonable. Each dish is around $15-20. And they also have happy hour!

Their marinated sauce pork with buns was the bomb! Must try dish at the restaurant. Their soup dumplings were not the best it was alright.

Vegetarian options: Vegetables dumplinFood: 5/5  |  Service: 5/5  |  Atmosphere: 5/5 …More