By Kerry Slater
A dumpling restaurant recently opened in downtown Santa Monica–its third Westside location–bringing bare even flavorful taiwanese food to the table .
This fall, Dan Modern Chinese opened in downtown Santa Monica at 1403 2nd Street. The restaurant–which besides has locations in Sawtelle, Playa Vista and Pasadena–replaced ephemeral ramen spot Ippudo that closed over the summer.
“ Dan Modern Chinese is a modern take on traditional chinese cuisine, featuring hand-made dumplings and noodles, wok-fried rice, vegetables and other delicious delicacies, ” the restaurant ’ s web site reads. “ hera is a delicacy to each cup of tea on the menu which comes from the techniques used to prepare our food, and besides the use of fewer ingredients, letting the food talk for itself. Dishes are flavorful and clean. ”
Does Dan Modern Chinese ’ s self-assessment bear up to scrutiny ? For the most region, yes, though like many restaurants amid the pandemic, the delivery process slenderly hampers the final product .
I ordered for lunch two types of dumplings : pork xiao long bao ( soup ) and chicken steamed, each decree containing five dumplings. The soup dumplings were by army for the liberation of rwanda the superior dish.
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The fat and savory broth of the soup dumplings immediately filled my palate after biting into the delicate bao. There was good the arrant sum of ground pork barrel inside the dumpling–enough to add texture while letting the soul-warming broth fall. even though these dumplings were not piping hot upon arrival, they still travel well due to the dilute boodle ( doesn ’ thymine get chewy ) and just overall delectability .
The steamed chicken dumplings did not hold up during the delivery equally well. The boodle was thicker than the xiao long bao and without the lend moisture of the broth, the steam dumpling became a sting tough after the 15-20 minutes travel clock. The chicken itself–also ground–was very delicious : lightly seasoned with spices I could not figure out. If these buns were fresh out of the soft-shell clam, they would be phenomenal, but that will have to wait a few months until in-person dining returns .
The baby bok cho was ace, about a good as the soup dumplings. Cooked with a simple sauce similar to the soup dumplings and ample garlic, this is a dark leafy green that even vegetable-averse-kids may enjoy. In summation, there were a few cloves of caramelized roasted garlic, adding a memorable grind of umami.
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One of the highlights came at the very end of the meal : slurping up the remaining broth from the steamed dumplings and the bok choy. even though it had become halfhearted, its soul-warming properties remained ; a few sips of pure, flavor-packed comfort food .
The total charge was barely under $ 30, costly, but it could have easily fed two people for lunch. After six dumplings and a goodly serve of bok choy, I was full and have enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. While there are cheaper options for chinese food on the Westside, the quality and simple even bluff flavors of Dan Modern Chinese make it worth checking out when in the temper for dumplings .
rate : 6.5/10
taste : 8/10
timbre : 8/10
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Overall: 7.5/10
