Let me preface this all by saying, a good Xiao Long Bao aka soup dumpling aka heavenly deliciousness, should in fact have soupy goodness in it. If it doesn't, and you don't see that liquid goodness through the skin, when they bring it out in the steamer, then you're just eating a glorified bun shaped dumpling.

But don't feel bad, I don't, because sometimes a glimmer of goodness is better than none at all.

Harold and Kumar were on to something, with their journey in search of White Castle, because good food is worth going the distance for.

It was an early Saturday evening in Huntington beach, when we decided that since there was too much traffic to make it back to San Diego in time to watch a fight, that we may as well endure traffic up north and seek out these magical Xiao Long Baos that we had a couple years back.

I won't wait in line or drive 15min for a free movie, but for amazing food, I'm almost always game to go the distance.

An hour later, we find ourselves at the exact plaza, standing at the location of what was the exact store front, except everything looks off. The menu, the look of the place, the lack of patrons and even the name.

After a few text messages, digging around, looking across the street and asking store owners, the original place were were looking for was just a few doors down, renovated and renamed. Once inside, the smells, the menu and the woman hand making the dumplings for each order, became wonderfully familiar.

The soup dumplings we ordered: traditional pork, pork and crab (my favorite) and fermented duck egg (equally amazing).

Also ordered: Green onion pancakes, pig stomach salad, fried dumplings and a bean paste/chilli oil noodle bowl.

How would I describe everything? Well.... Gregg Wallace said it best "That's banging on the door of divine, that is."

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since the restaurant has moved and been renamed, a lot of the online directories and info are a bit inaccurate.  So here's a link to the google maps of the plaza in which the restaurant is located (first floor)