dan modern chinese - santa monica

Had a really great experience eating here! Our server was Javier and he was very friendly and attentive the entire time. The food was SOO GOOD and came out fast. Highly recommend trying this place!

Had dinner here during a long layover at LAX. Food was just OK. The first red flag was that none of the service nor kitchen staff were Chinese or even Asian. The second red flag was that none of the guests except our table were Chinese/Asians either. Ordered some fried rice, noodles, dumplings, Xiao Long baos, bok choy and mapo tofu to share. The pork chop fried rice was decent but no wok hei, chicken fried rice was kind if bland, ox tail noodles were extremely bland, bok choy was decent, chicken dan mein was OK, mapo tofu didn't hit the spot. Service was decent and ambience was bright and modern like their name.

Just pass the long queue in din tai fung and come to this restaurant. You won’t regret. Xiaolonngbao is good and at standard price. Beef fried noodles is superb. The spicy ox tail soup is a must try and basically it’s the broth of Taiwanese beef noodles. Service is excellent!

The dan dan noodles I ordered here are a bit oilier than in other places. Oxtail noodles were good same as others. Xiao Long Bao was delicious 😋

This is a neat little place I found on Yelp when I was craving some Chinese food. Portions could be a little bit more generous, but it was very flavorful. I'm looking forward to trying other dishes. I tried the veggie dumplings because they were out of chicken. I don't know what was in it, but it looked like minced kale? The soy sauce was ridiculously salty, it's like drinking from the dead sea. Very fast and friendly service. Beautifully decorated inside.

Absolutely delicious food! Servings are very generous and are family style. We went at a time when it really wasn't very busy just yet prior to dinner. Our server was very helpful and accommodating. The menu was varied, and it was hard to choose amongst so many great options! Our food came out very quickly, our waiter checked in on us regularly, and we had plenty of food left over to take home! Parking was easy in the parking garage nearby, free parking if you're there less than 2 hours! It was only a short walk from the garage to the restaurant. The restaurant seating is fairly comfortable, my only concern with atmosphere is just how loud it is. The kitchen sounds reverberate throughout the dining area and just make it very distracting for me and this was the only reason I put the atmosphere at a lower scale. The place was very clean as was the bathroom!

Food: this place is definitely not authentic, very American spin on the food. I would skip the dan noodles, it was WAY too sweet and awful! Ma Po tofu was solid and the dumplings were mid Service: Food comes out VERY slow, and one by one. Atmosphere: is modern and very clean Price: overpriced for mediocre food, understandable bc it’s downtown santa monica and touristy

Delicious xiao long bai (soup dumplings) and entrees!! Our server, Javier, was attentive, friendly, and offered great recommendations for our first time here. We tried the map crab tofu (spicy) and short rib dan noodles (meat was soft and tender). For the soup dumplings, we loved the pork and shrimp combo and their pan fried dumplings were great too - just crispy enough! Great flavors all around!! Came around 4:30pm on July fourth - no wait at that time! Thank you for serving us!

I love this place!! Very similar to DTF, minus the wait. Every dish I had was very flavorful and comforting, and is reasonably priced. My personal favorites are the Beef Rolls, Short Rib Fried Rice, and the Pork Xiao Long Bao. The beef rolls are filled with tender oxtail, cilantro, and has a crispy outside! The fried rice also has melt in your mouth short ribs, bean sprouts, and green onion (can do without eggs). Service is really kind, and is accommodating for allergies. Reasonably priced and fast too! Nice ambiance. I'm curious to try their other dishes, including their fried dumplings! Phenomenal place, and I highly recommend checking Dan out! 10/10

We've had dan before in the 626 and it was leagues better than our experience here. The popcorn chicken portion was small and was unevenly seasoned. Pork chop never came apart as separate pieces, every single one was still stuck together at one end and wasn't cut properly. The sting beans with garlic were fine but a little undercooked. The egg fried rice had a good flavor. For the prices of this restraunt, was expecting much better but was fairly disappointed.

beautiful atmosphere, very welcoming my servers name was very informative and kind so if you go ask for oscar food was 10/10

The food was tasty but the servings felt a bit small. From the pictures I've attached I had a few bites from the bowl (it was full) and had 1 or 2 of the tofu bites. The servers were great at helping recommend options to us but this place just fell short in serving size. It was a lunch special as well which I understand is definitely smaller than dinner plates but compared to other spots it just didn't seem worth the price. I'm also someone who without fail always has leftovers because I really don't eat too much.. I would consider coming back for a full fledged dinner bc our service was great and the food was solid. Aside from that, there was plenty of seating and open space so it did not feel encumbering to eat out with family.

I ordered the chicken fried rice and 2 orders of xiao long bao. The fried rice was $15+ and the xiao long bao $7+. The portions were tiny, especially considering I paid nearly $40 for my entire meal (I only ordered these 2 items and water to drink). It took forever for a server to even wait on us and get a drink once we were seated. And then after we ordered I think the server may have come back once. We actually had dirty utensils so we had to get new ones. When we asked the server they said nothing, took the silverware and very forcefully put the new set onto the table without a word. The whole experience was quite unpleasant.

The interior was clean and modern. Our waiter was friendly and gave great recommendations. We ordered the chicken dan mein, pork xiao long bao, and mapo tofu with pork. Everything was incredibly flavorful; I'd definitely recommend the Dan mein noodles.

I was so happy to find a Taiwanese / Chinese restaurant at the Santa Monica 3rd street Promenade ! The food was flavorful and authentic. We ordered steamed dumplings, a veggie dish and fried noodles. Even though it was a busy night and the restaurant was short-staffed, our server apologized profusely and offered 3 different types of hot sauce for us to try! The interior was clean and modern and I will definitely come back to try their other dishes. If you are in Santa Monica and are craving delicious Taiwanese / Chinese food with good value, I highly recommend this place!

1 million stars if I could, this place was freaking fantastic!!! The four of us friends got together for a last-minute dinner and we couldn't decide for the life of us where we should eat. One friend mentioned dan's modern Chinese and we all were really impressed with the reviews and the pictures of the food. Other people posted. We decided to give this place a try we ordered so much food! Beef roll- was absolutely full of flavor and delicious Cucumbers- light refreshing Garlic green beans- I don't even like green beans but these were delicious Crab fried rice- loved it!!! Shisito pepper and shrimp- table favorite We would all agree the short rib noodles were our favorite they were soooooooo soooooooo yummy Vegan dumplings- not bad! Last but not least we got the chicken soup dumplings and those were just Alright I don't think I would get those again.

An easy go to spot that I've visited and ordered takeout from. I do prefer going there as the cost of the food is too much for takeout. Service is good and the restaurant is clean. The only downside is that it's a tad too pricey in comparison to the portion size. Regardless, it's definitely worth a try if in the westside.

I only get the dumplings here because they are steamed and quality. I've tried the other dishes not bad either. We come here every so often

The food was very bland and the service is OK. I just didn't like it and I love Chinese food. I won't be returning to Dan Modern

We stopped by after watching Kooza (Cirque de Soleil) near the Santa Monica Pier. It was a quick walk and we knew the food would be good since we've been to several other locations. The Short Rib dan mein was good but for me, it was in the sweet side. The Pan fried dumplings were tasty along with the scallion pancake. I think my favorite was the popcorn chicken, I'm a total sucker for those and they did do it Justice. Service was quick and friendly, it's pricy for Chinese food but worth it because of the quality of their food. The area is convenient, there's a city parking lot which offers 90 min for free a few doors down on the same side heading towards Broadway. We took the E line train in which is super convenient to the area so you don't have to deal with the traffic - this area is usually pretty congested with tons of tourists. Whatever the case, if you're craving some good Asian food, this place won't disappoint.

Worst dining experience of my life! On Sunday we went for dinner around 6:30pm. During our meal there was a roach crawling on the next table. Yep, you read that right, a ROACH on the table next to us. I tried to be calm, but I was freaked out! I told the manager as I was racing to leave. She didn't se surprised or shocked!?! Good luck!

We called to make reservations and were told that they take no reservations. When we arrived, they said we couldn't get a table because reservations were necessary. This place is a disaster, totally disorganized. Anorher time we visited, the service was slow. And the food mediocre at best.

I've ordered takeout from dan modern chinese a few times but this was my first time sitting down and enjoying a meal. Both are exceptional experiences with the food either way. The soup dumplings are a must - 5/5, try the spicy pork. Dump those babies straight in your mouth and the soup is bursting with flavor. The three cup rice was also veryyyy good and worth an order. We also got the popcorn shrimp and scallion pancake. Both were okay but the real winners were dumplings and 3-cup chicken so I would skip the others for next time. When I order at home I usually get the oxtail beef noodle soup which I also highly reco.

Randomly decided to stop and eat here with my boyfriend from our walk. Fast service, friendly staff and amazing fried rice. I never trust seafood in restaurants to be quite honest, but the shrimp here exceeded my expectations. We only ordered 2 things and it was enough to fill up my boyfriend and I. I love the inside look of the outside and modern interior.

No seasoning anywhere to be found on any 3 dishes we got Spicy pork dumplings Veggie steak dumplings Chicken fried rice You'll really enjoy this place if you have no taste buds

As a huge fan of Xiao Long Bao, I was so stoked to try Dan Modern Chinese. The restaurant feels upscale and elevated, but prices here are so reasonable. This location is so centrally located and the interior is gorgeous. I came here with my sister, and we ordered a few items to share, including the Beef Rolls, the Pork / Crab Xiao Long Bao, the Garlic String Beans, and the Spicy Oxtail Beef Noodle Soup. The food comes out quick and the service was outstanding throughout. My favorite item was probably the Beef Rolls -- I truly think it was one of the best I've ever had. The meat is braised to perfection and was very tender. And it was the perfect textural contrast to the crispy pancake that it was rolled in. So good. The Xiao Long Bao, as expected, was delicious, and the soup was so umami and flavorful. The string beans had a great garlic flavor, and the beef noodle soup was also a hit. I don't think it was the most traditional reiteration of this dish and it wasn't spicy at all, but it was still delicious. Such a seamless dining experience! Definitely worth the stop if you're in Santa Monica :').

Dan modern Chinese was a surprisingly good way to end our night in Santa Monica. When I think of Santa Monica I wouldn't think great Asian food, considering we were in a sea of burgers and bars, ban Dan modern Chinese really changed my mind. Dan offered a smaller menu which of a handful of dumpling options, handful of rice and noodle options and veggies. I started off with an oolong tea. This hot oolong tea deserves all the praise, this floral oolong tea was out of this world. The second it was dropped off the floral aroma over took our section. I wish I grabbed the name of what type of tea it was so I can stock up at home, that's how great it was. We started off with crispy veggie dumplings, pork and shrimp steamed, beef noodles, green beans and scallion pancake . 1 dish came out at a time and it seemed like they forgot about the green beans towards the end. But everything was delightful, crispy veggie dumpling was my favorite, it was unique for the crispy top and still perfectly steamed middle. The short rib noodles were also 10/10, perfectly cooked short rib with freshly handmade noodles. I would def skip on the scallion pancake, it was pretty dry and lacked flavor as well as being soggy. If I'm ever in the area again I'd def stop in for some crispy dumplings. Also pro tip try to be there for their lunch hours, prices are great!

We got overcharged on tax. Our subtotal was $39 even, so with California State tax at 7.25% our tax should've been somewhere around $2.83. However, they charged us $4. When I politely brought this up to the waiter, he tried to tell me that it was the correct amount. Gaslighter. I insisted that it was an incorrect amount and he started talking about how I could wait in line to talk to someone if I want but they were so backed up and how I wouldn't want to go through all that just for my money back. Very dismissive. I did not ask for the manager because I'm white and also my friend was in the bathroom. I didn't want her to come back to the table and the manager was there. Also, we took the mapo tofu home and there were pieces of what looked like coating from a frying pan inside? The food was pretty good. Don't get the mapo tofu. Also none of the meals come with rice

So I called 3pm Christmas Eve asking if they were open and If I needed a reservation. Gentleman said no reservation tonight first come first served and from the number of phone calls they expected to be busy. So we arrived 5:30 before our movie across the street. Walked in lady asks for name for reservation. I explain blah blah...her rude tone of voice, you need a reservation, they are full. "Sorry I do not know who you talked to but it wasn't me, we have nothing for you". And out we went really pissed...

Found this place, 25mins before close and what a find! The 3-chicken was phenomenal and the short rib noddle very good. Also had the pork and shrimp dumplings. Our server was fantastic! Ambiance was nice. Highly recommended

My friend ordered delivery from this place and wasn't too hungry, but I got an order of the crab and pork dumplings to try something. Very delicious. The dumplings were surprisingly very juice and not messy. I'm gonna try the other crab dishes from here and will update this then.

Really enjoyed our dinner here after a long day at the beach. Our table ordered an assortment of food to share, including; shrimp and pork dumplings in chili oil, pan fried chicken dumplings, green beans, scallion pancake, and ma po tofu. All of the dishes were delicious! The scallion pancake was very not greasy, which I think they often can be. The green beans were crisp and full of garlic. The dumplings were tasty, but I cannot say anything in particular stood out. The chili oil was more sweet than spicy, and my preference between the two. The ma po tofu, was the star. A hefty portion for the price, and a a bit spicy, but the silky tofu up against the pungent beans was delightful with rice. How did they handle allergies? My partner has a few allergies, including sesame and shellfish. Our server was attentative about calling out which dishes had sesame, and made sure to ask the cooking staff about ingredients before confirming if the food was safe to eat. It did not seem like there was a menu with a more extensive list of allergens, but in the moment the staff did work to accommodate and inform us.

VEGAN REVIEW for vegans, this is a 3.5 stars. The only protein option is the salt & pepper tofu. They won't add tofu to other dishes Came here for Sat dinner with the hubby before a movie on 3rd St. Lovely space! Small, but airy. Modern & clean. Food is good. We for scallion pancake, aforementioned salt & pepper tofu, pea shoots, steamed veg dumplings & the veg dan mein (basically chow mein). All were flavorful, very garlicky. NEED VEGAN PROTEIN OPTIONS!!! Friendly service.

My girlfriends and I were walking around Santa Monica last night and came across this spot looking for a place to eat and we are SO glad that we did! The food was insanely good and really well-priced. We also ordered the chicken soup dumplings but I forgot to take a picture and those were incredible as well. The rest of what we ordered is in the picture below! We split the four dishes and all felt very satisfied but not too full afterwards (would consider getting one more dish next time). There were three of us and we all love to eat so the four dishes might be perfectly fine for another group of three though lol! Our favorite was the short rib noodles- WOW. Our waiter was extremely nice and made us all feel very welcome and taken care of. Highly recommend this place for a quick and delicious bite when you are in the 3rd street promenade area :)

Dan modern noodle needs to do better we came with a Service dog and they wanted to restrict us from dining in this is not only illegal but embarrassing the manager was confrontational and said she would look into weather they dog could sit with us or not this is a federal law not up to her and this company should be aware of the law Ada should be informed of their illegal practice we were humiliated and only ate half or mean and Left we should not have to feel this way as they watched us

Visiting from out of town- saw this was close to where we were staying and they had one of my favorite foods- XLB! The amount of juice in the pork XLB was insane! Loved that We ordered XLB (2kinds), dumplings, broccoli with garlic (and they do mean GARLIC) and the cucumber salad (this dish has the Sichuan pepper that makes your mouth feel numb...). Personally I'm not a fan of this spice so it kind of ruined it for me. The broccoli has a TON of garlic, so if you don't like that much, I'd make sure to ask for less. The dipping sauce for the dumplings was super salty- like hoisin viscosity, but only soy sauce flavor. Not my favorite. Bottom line: The portions (dinner) are generous, the XLB are solid, the dumplings are solid. (Din Tai Fung is my go-to and I haven't found another place that does them better in SoCal) My favorite thing about this restaurant experience though was the service and ambiance. The people here were all super nice and the decor is simple, but very zen while the music keeps it lively. My only wish was that instead of "lunch" portions they would do "half" portions so you have more flexibility to try more types of dumplings - especially when here for dinner as we were.

Maybe I'm biased because I was starving when I had this meal, but it was truly amazing and exactly what I needed. The xlb are amazing and I really appreciated the amount of filling. The noodles pictured were thick and chewy and I loved the sauce. Scallion pancake hit the spot. Food came quickly, and best of all it was reasonably priced! Only thing I would say is that the crispy dumplings were over great, perhaps not worth the upcharge over the other kinds. Overall I would love to come back here, great spot in Santa Monica.

Disaster of a visit. We arrived at 11:41 a.m. to beat the lunch rush. We were one of two parties in the restaurant at that time. The first part of our order did not come to the table until 12:23 p.m. and the order was not completely served until 12:35 The iced tea was so dilute that I politely requested it to be made stronger and a second glass came and it's still was all water with very little tea. I ordered pork and shrimp dumplings and received chicken dumplings instead. When I pointed this out at 12:35 I was told that the restaurant was now very busy and in order to receive the pork and shrimp dumplings I would have to wait about a half an hour. We were already late because of the delay in the food service and could not afford to stay another half hour without being late for or 1:00 p.m. appointment. On a plus side The food quality was good but waiting 54 minutes for our order when the restaurant originally was empty is ridiculous. Making mistakes on what you ordered can happen but there was no way to remedy the situation at the time without waiting a half hour additionally. Ice-T that is essentially water without any tea in it should never be charged for and is unacceptable. I have to think twice about every returning to this restaurant where we had such a miserable experience.

We were seated promptly and attended to, although unfortunately, our waiter forgot our drinks, which was disappointing. The atmosphere is open and refreshing, with several seating options available. It's just a short walk from the pier and offers affordability for a group of four. Now, let's talk about the food. The appetizers are served small-plate style, as they inform you, while the entrees come in large plates or family-style servings. However, for a table of four, I would recommend ordering two of the large plates or family-style meals, as one person could easily finish off an entire plate. The Dan noodles were simply outstanding. Handmade with thick noodles, snow pea leaves, mushrooms, garlic sauce, and your choice of protein (we went for the short rib), they were absolutely to die for!

Large portions at reasonable prices? Seems like dan old-fashioned chinese to me, before it went freakin' Hollyweird!!! Highlights included the beef roll and short rib noodles. Soup dumplings are ok but if you want those you're gonna have to go to the San Gabriel valley. I don't make the rules

Visited with my girlfriend and we were very happy to be served by mason. He was very helpful and made great recommendations. He knows how to treat people with respect. On top of that the food was awesome! Soup dumplings (spicy pork) were delicious spicy ox tail soup is great! Crispy is dumplings were bomb. Once again thanks Mason and management take note

Pork xiao long bao: 4/5 Beef noodle soup: 4/5 Three cup chicken: 5/5 I was pleasantly surprised by dan modern chinese. We tried the classic pork xiao long bao, which were absolutely delicious - thin dumpling skin and loads of soup inside. The beef noodle soup was great as well. It's not the rich beef broth that I was expecting - it's more of a light, refreshing broth, but still very good! And finally the three cup chicken was super flavorful and delicious. Great service and a very nice ambiance.

Anytime we are in a different city, we are always looking for good places for dinner (and all meals really). We were looking spot with some good soup dumplings. This place was close to our hotel and looked to be exactly like what we were aiming for. Little did we know how good it would be! We came with a group of nine - and they got us seated very quickly and the wait staff were super attentive. We put in an impressively large order with something like eight orders of soup dumplings, a couple steamed dumplings, some bok choy, string beans, and a couple orders of short rib dan noodles (Order those!) Soup dumplings as a genre, are sort of in a league of their own at this point. These were as good as anything we've had in Seattle and were actually more reasonably priced and many of the spots we go. It was something like nine dollars for five of them. Not a bad price for what we were getting. They had six different flavors which generally had pork, crab, chicken, and shrimp, either alone or in some combination. The pork and shrimp were quite good! The show stoppers here. interestingly enough, were the noodles and, surprisingly, the baby bok choy. All of the vegetables are served in a sort of garlic brine that is seriously good enough to drink after you're done. It may actually be good enough to swim in! We ended up going through the veggies and ordering another plate of them because they were so good. We did the same thing with the short rib dan noodles. We've done a lot of noodle eating, especially after our little guy discovered his love of the heavenly carb laden harp strings. These might be the best noodles we've ever had! The noodles are superb - thick, a little chewy and really nicely done. The sauce was divine and the meat was fantastic. The mushrooms and Bok Choy were perfect compliments as well - the ideal wingman of sorts! The vibe here is super chill, the lighting is good and the music relaxed, but upbeat. It's loud enough for you to hear and not loud enough to be distracting. The staff was running hard, but also present enough to make sure we were taken care of. It was as good of an experience as we've had in a long time! We talked about coming back another night and will plan to come here when we're in town next. Well worth your time stop by!

Fantastic! Food was delicious, fresh and flavorful, service was friendly and courteous. Can't wait to return!

Come here if you want excellent Taiwanese cuisine. My mouth salivates whenever I think about their noodles. Simply delicious. They have a small menu which means they're able to make everything perfectly. The only thing that I don't care for is the décor. Too modern and sterile. I think a splash of color on the walls would do wonders for this place. Short Rib Dan Mein - 5/5 The absolute best dish here. Saucy, chewy noodles tossed with tender beef. Get this and thank me later. Dungeness Crab Fried Rice - 5/5 Mmmm so good! They don't skimp on the crab either! Mapo Tofu w/ Crab - 5/5 Yum. Huge portion and best eaten with rice. Pork & Shrimp Xiao Long Bao - 4/5 Probably my least favorite item here. Still good and soupy. I'm just not a huge shrimp fan so should have ordered a different flavor. Service: 5/5 Excellent service. Workers are very nice and food comes out quickly. Bathroom is clean.

Mid Chinese spot out of all the options in sawtelle/la in general honestly. I had high hopes as my friend recommended it but it was hard to justify seeing there are better value places if yo compare quality and taste and overall the food just didn't wow me or anything. Would've rather gotten other go-to Chinese spots. That said definitely would be down to try again or some other items and give it another shot

Enjoyed my meal here! Came here on a Wednesday evening and was seated immediately as it was pretty empty. We ordered the vegetarian noodles (delicious), the scallion pancakes (tasty and nicely flaky), the garlic string beans (cooked well and worth ordering) and then my friend and I both ordered dumplings. That was the only thing I didn't enjoy, the steamed vegetable dumplings, as it was really only filled with spinach and didn't taste the best. But everything else was solid and I'd definitely come back! Service was also super quick.

I ordered the Short Ribs Dan Mein Noodles on Uber Eats and Wow! They are really delicious! The short rib was so tender, the noodles had an incredible flavor - impressed with this entree. So far, I highly recommend the noodles and will have to try different entrees.

Food is great. We had several types of soup dumplings, pan fried, and chili oil dumplings. All very tasty. Service was pleasant, atmosphere is modern and upbeat, and everything was ready quickly. Don't live here, but would return if we did!

Staff great, food heavy and salty. Not what I expected for the price. I took it as take out, won't be back

This is my go to spot for Chinese food at Santa Monica. The mapo tofu is delicious and the noodles are also good. Not pictured are pork pan fried noodles, but those are definitely a must. Would 100% recommend if you are in the area -- especially lunch time. They have great prices for lunch and you can try more options. Also not as busy during that time. I suspect they are busier in the afternoon and evening!

Good for dumplings! Nothing too special but good and simple quality. The ambiance of the place is nice, service is good. Takeout is easy.

I was craving dumplings while shopping on 4th street and stumbled upon this spot. I really liked how simple the menu was. For the XLB you can have the option to order either pork, pork and shrimp, or chicken. The soup dumpling was a lot more juicer than a din tai fung, however not as flavorful. The pricing is very fair for what you get. For the other dumplings you get choose then to either be steamed or deep fried. I thought that was a nice option, for variety in taste. I will say, the sides were better than the dumplings. I really enjoyed the popcorn shrimp! The fried rice we ordered was on point too! We chose the Dungeness crab fried rice, and it was definitely my favorite dish. As of the noodles, we were recommended to try the short rib dan mein. Lots of flavor and a decent amount served. The service was great and food came out fairly quick. This is a great spot in Santa Monica if you're ever craving Taiwanese food.

Excellent dumplings and crab fried rice. However I would recommend the owner or manager please turn the AC on during warm days. If not for the hot indoor temperatures I would have given a better rating but it's hard to enjoy a meal when your in the heat Service was good and acknowledged with a generous tip. Menu is pretty good also with plenty of options Good experience but next time maybe take it to go

Was in the area early and looked for a breakfast/brunch spot, and decided to try this place. I've eaten this type of dish a lot, from the Taiwan mom and pop shops and the places here in San Gabriel Valley area. The items i tried was their spicy beef noodle soup, Fan mein beef, XLB pork and XLB pork and crab, and lastly the onion scallion. Beef noodle soup spicy. Spice level low, enough kick. Broth is flavored nicely, abundant levels of flavor here. They got the broth right. The meat, instead of the chunks of meat you normally get, with tendon pieces, are more of a pulled beef Birria type of meat. Imagine Birria meat in this soup. No fatty chunks. I prefer it this way, but some people may expect more traditional pieces. Some portions of veges (wish there was a bit more) but everything was really good. Next is the Dam mein beef. A little sweet on the sauce, noodles thick and doughy, and beef tender. No complaints here. The XLB, both outstanding. I was pleasantly surprised and on par with other places that specialized on this juicy bite of yumminess. If you are in this part of town, this item was well done. Lastly, onion pancake. This one was the least impressive. It's a bit too thick, and not flaky. This dish needs to be flaky, and scallions inside needs to be the main flavor. There was very little flavor, and the dipping sauce on the side would completely overwhelm this side dish. More importantly this should be served first... typically served first as a snack to prepare for the meal, but it was served last. If anything I got today, I hope they go back and be more traditional on this as it should be the easiest dish to prepare. Our server was very attentive, friendly, and was efficient with her position. She kicks this review from 4 star to 5. Summary, this place is a modern take on traditional Taiwan/Chinese dishes. I don't mind that they refined the dishes for the American audience, some stuff works, some don't. We had 3 people in this party, and split the meal with tip included to be about $30. Not bad for the value, and pleasantly surprised here in the Santa Monica area. Decor was clean, bathroom modern (two gender neutral) but expect the area may have some homeless people if you get their early. There was one person sleeping on the doorsteps before their 11:30 opening time.

Stumbled upon Dan Modern Chinese restaurant while searching for a lunch spot and it wasn't bad. We Ordered: Pork and Shrimp pan fried handmade dumplings . The flavor was light and texture was good. Wish I had tried their crispy dumplings though. Vegetable Dan Mein Noodles. This was so full of all the perfect flavors ! The mushrooms added so much more taste to this dish . The consistency of the noodles and the greens were on point as well. Scallion Pancakes . Not the best I've had but not bad either. The light crunch to each bite was great but it was lacking flavor for me . Shrimp and Shishito Peppers. The waiter recommended we tried this and it did not disappoint. Pork and Dungeness Crab Xiao Long Bao. Great texture and consistency but lacking so much flavor. I honestly wouldn't order this one again . Had to pour on so much sauce to taste something. Chicken and Shrimp Xiao Long Bao was perfect though. They definitely have the texture and consistently of the dumplings on point but what really had me was the amount of soup in them ! So delicious.

This is my second time at Dan (first time was at the Sawtelle location) so now I feel confident enough to review it. The location is a bit hidden from the hustle bustle of the Third Street Promenade which is great because I was dreading there'd be a long wait on a Saturday afternoon. Fortunately for me, there was no wait and my son and I were seated expeditiously. We ordered: pickled cucumbers, garlic string beans, pork xlb, pork pan fried dumplings and vegetable dan mei noodles with a Thai tea. The picked cucumbers were pretty good, I can say I've had better but these were decent and a very generous portion compared to DTF. The garlic string beans were probably by favorite and also extremely similar to DTF's, if I had a blindfold on I wouldn't know the difference. The pork xlb were a 3/5 because I was not a fan of the soup, it had an offputting aftertaste. The pan fried dumplings were amazing except the dipping sauce was way too sweet. The dan mei noodles were extremely greasy and over sauced in my opinion. At some point it felt like I was eating more sauce than the actual noodles so I wouldn't get those again. The Thai tea was also a little too strong and could've been creamier and a hint more sweeter. Dan is a great spot for lunch and my son and I ate extremely well!