"Din Tai Fung needs no introduction, but the dumpling chain’s newest location on the third floor of Santa Monica Place offers something special—the opportunity to eat xiao long bao with an ocean view. That alone is enough reason to visit after hitting the mall, but the food is reliably great, too: expertly pleated soup dumplings, garlicky string beans, and spicy wontons with chili oil you’ll want to put on everything. The spacious turf patio, bamboo steamer-shaped booths, and see-through dumpling window into the kitchen? Added bonuses. There’s even a giant abacus at the front, in case you want to calculate the tip the old-fashioned way." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, garrett snyder, cathy park, cathy park, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder, sylvio martins, cathy park