Din Tai Fung
Chinese restaurant · Santa Monica ·
Soup dumplings, ocean views, and stylish bamboo steamer booths
Soup dumplings, ocean views, and stylish bamboo steamer booths
"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 that you’ll want to put on everything. The spacious turf-lined patio, bamboo steamer-shaped booths, and see-through dumpling window into the kitchen? Added bonuses. There’s even a giant abacus by the front, in case you want to calculate the tip the old-fashioned way." - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore, cathy park
"This beloved Taiwanese dumpling chain needs no introduction, but their location on the third floor of Santa Monica Place offers something special—the opportunity to eat xiao long bao with an ocean view. Expect expertly pleated soup dumplings, garlicky string beans, and spicy wontons with chili oil that you’ll want to put on everything. The spacious turf-lined patio, bamboo steamer-shaped booths, and see-through dumpling window into the kitchen? Bonuses. There’s even a giant abacus by the front, in case you want to calculate the tip the old-fashioned way." - brant cox
"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
"At the newest Din Tai Fung in Santa Monica, you can sit outside three floors up, take in ocean views, and order cucumber salad and ice-cold mango tea in a steamer-basket-shaped booth. That’s what we call luxury. Also, no more long waitlists—this DTF has plentiful reservations." - brant cox, cathy park, sylvio martins, jess basser sanders
"With multiple patios, two indoor dining rooms, and a full bar, Din Tai Fung in Santa Monica stays busy. The Westside location is on the top floor of Santa Monica Place, and is the most ambitious Southern California location to date, with impressive design and three separate stations where cooks prepare dumplings throughout service." - Rebecca Roland