Din Tai Fung

I’ve eaten xiaolongbao everywhere (dim sum joints, Shanghainese specialists, dumpling generalists—you name it, I’ve tried it) but thanks to the consistently high quality and ubiquity, I still defer to Din Tai Fung. This international chain, originally founded in Taipei, now has locations in Arcadia, Glendale, Century City, Torrance and even Downtown Disney, with a Santa Monica outpost in the works. Each soup dumpling is meticulously made, resulting in lovely, thin-skinned pouches filled with pork—there are crab-inflected, truffle-anointed and chicken options, too, but the go-to is the plain pork—and hot broth; eat with a dab of soy sauce, vinegar and ginger, slurping the dumpling’s soup carefully when you begin. My other favorite dishes on the menu include the Shanghai-style rice cakes, spicy wontons (any filling), pork chop fried rice and sesame buns. Make a reservation or you run the risk of a lengthy wait, particularly at the mall-bound locations in Arcadia and Century City; you can also opt for takeout or delivery, though I will say the soup dumplings do not travel particularly well. Solo diners and pairs can also try their luck at the bar, which accommodates walk-ins.