Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐
Taiwanese restaurant · Century City ·
Handmade soup dumplings, noodles, and Chinese fare from a Taiwanese chain
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24489209/2023_02_07_Galleria_Americana_DTF_034.jpeg "Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 by Wonho Frank Lee")
Handmade soup dumplings, noodles, and Chinese fare from a Taiwanese chain
"Iconic and Michelin‑starred, this Taiwanese chain’s soup dumplings have famously mastered the “golden ratio,” folded 18 times to achieve that delightfully thin, aesthetic wrapper; an evening of xiao long bao and pear‑lychee martinis is truly a gift worth remembering." - Francky Knapp
"Yes, we know Din Tai Fung is a large chain with locations in nearly every giant mall in LA—but still, put some respect on its name. DTF manages to keep the quality of their famed delicately made xiao long bao pretty consistent, which is darn impressive given the LA competition, as well as how many customers they serve each day. Beyond soup dumplings—which should absolutely be your priority here—start with the refreshing, if a bit overpriced, cucumber salad and make sure to order enough of the chewy, wok-fried Shanghai rice cakes for everyone to try." - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder, cathy park
"If Westfield Century City were a high school, Din Tai Fung would be the starting quarterback—revered and undefeated. This upscale Taiwanese chain specializes in soup dumplings, which are folded by xiao long bao maestros in a glass room next to the host stand. But the noodle soups, spicy wontons, and lychee martinis are also great. Despite being a pretty huge restaurant, Din Tai Fung fills up quickly, so book ahead or get there early. Weekend wait times can get scary, but the speedy servers seem to thrive under pressure." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park
"If LA’s soup dumpling scene were a high school, Din Tai Fung would be the starting quarterback - so prolific you almost want to roll your eyes, but nonetheless, they win every game. Each dumpling is weighed by hand and crafted with some god-like ratio of exactly 18 folds, top-quality pork, etc. It’s all a bit… heady, but in essence, Din Tai Fung has cracked the xiao long bao code. Each dumpling comes out perfectly crafted—uniform, with no soup spilling out. The skin is thin, just membranous enough to keep everything together, and the marinated ground pork pairs well with the hot POP of broth and fragrant ginger and onion." - kat hong
"Din Tai Fung has officially arrived on the Westside. The popular soup dumpling chain’s newest location is on the third floor of Santa Monica Place, which means you can now enjoy their xiao long bao with an ocean view. Along with their usual menu of dumplings and noodles, look for fun touches such as booths shaped like steamer baskets, a huge outdoor patio, and of course, their signature window into the dumpling-making room. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Cathy Park
