Los Angeles - Best Xiao Long Bao (Chinese Soup Dumplings) in LA

So... resident experts of all LA things Chinese... where do I go to get the best Xiao Long Bao's in Los Angeles....?????

Please tell me where I have to go... dont mind a hole in the wall place, dont need a fancy setting, I just want the best XBL's in town.

Thanks,
Alex / Gaucho100K

Just sent you a PM.

www.yelp.com/biz/din-tai-fung-arcadia-3#query:Ding%20tAi%20feng

Din Tai Fung is located in Arcadia about 30 miles east of Downtown and should be about 1 hour drive from your hotel near LAX

Just sent you a PM.

Is this a secret? :)

Just sent you a PM.

Didnt get a message.....

Tastes differ - I personally felt Din Tai Fung here in LA was just OK and not worth the wait (but i never tried other locations).

While i can't say about "the best" in LA a great bet is a trio of places side by side in a plaza in San Gabriel next to Hilton. We usually go to MeiLong Village (as they pack some frozen stuff on ice for us to take home) but the other two are just as good.

1. J & J / Jin Jian Restaurant

301 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776

2. Mei Long Village

301 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 284-4769

3. Happy Kitchen

301 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 284-2619

Tastes differ - I personally felt Din Tai Fung here in LA was just OK and not worth the wait (but i never tried other locations).

do you know there's a back dining room w/ a wait that's usually a lot shorter? :D

Tastes differ - I personally felt Din Tai Fung here in LA was just OK and not worth the wait (but i never tried other locations).

+1 ^

While i can't say about "the best" in LA a great bet is a trio of places side by side in a plaza in San Gabriel next to Hilton. We usually go to MeiLong Village (as they pack some frozen stuff on ice for us to take home)

Emphatic +1 ^^^

Tastes differ - I personally felt Din Tai Fung here in LA was just OK and not worth the wait (but i never tried other locations).

While i can't say about "the best" in LA a great bet is a trio of places side by side in a plaza in San Gabriel next to Hilton. We usually go to MeiLong Village (as they pack some frozen stuff on ice for us to take home) but the other two are just as good.

1. J & J / Jin Jian Restaurant

301 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776

2. Mei Long Village

301 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 284-4769

3. Happy Kitchen

301 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 284-2619

Thank you kindly, these are a little closer from where Im staying (Century City). Mapquest puts the drive to the places in San Gabriel at 23 miles from my hotel on West Olympic Blvd.... and the Din Tai Fung is 29 miles. Both destinations are on the same route, seems like the best way is to get on I10, and head East, or...?

So traffic is an issue in LAX, so Im guessing I may go direct to one of these places after I land in LAX as I guess its out of my way to go to the hotel in Century City and I cant be sure they will allow me to have an early check in.

Thank you kindly, these are a little closer from where Im staying (Century City). Mapquest puts the drive to the places in San Gabriel at 23 miles from my hotel on West Olympic Blvd.... and the Din Tai Fung is 29 miles. Both destinations are on the same route, seems like the best way is to get on I10, and head East, or...?

So traffic is an issue in LAX, so Im guessing I may go direct to one of these places after I land in LAX as I guess its out of my way to go to the hotel in Century City and I cant be sure they will allow me to have an early check in.

These places are at least 50 minutes from LAX.

These places are at least 50 minutes from LAX.

OK... so if I budget 1 hour from LAX on a Thursday morning... I will be good, or...? Also, the San Gabriel locations are 7 or so miles closer... unless Im not reading mapquest properly.

San Gabriel locations would be I-10 West, exit Del Mar Avenue and then head north about .5 miles to Valley and make a left (the large Hawaii Supermarket will be on your right). Head west on Valley, past the Hilton (which you cannot miss) and then look for the strip mall on your right.

If you look at a freeway map of Downtown LA, you'll note that the 10 goes through the East LA interchange which can get a little tricky; pay attention to the highway signs carefully.

OK... so if I budget 1 hour from LAX on a Thursday morning... I will be good, or...? Also, the San Gabriel locations are 7 or so miles closer... unless Im not reading mapquest properly.

Yeah. That could work, but just be flexible with your schedule. As long as there's no rush to be anywhere, I say go with the flow (pun intended). :)

San Gabriel locations would be I-10 West, exit Del Mar Avenue and then head north about .5 miles to Valley and make a left (the large Hawaii Supermarket will be on your right). Head west on Valley, past the Hilton (which you cannot miss) and then look for the strip mall on your right.

If you look at a freeway map of Downtown LA, you'll note that the 10 goes through the East LA interchange which can get a little tricky; pay attention to the highway signs carefully.

Thanks... I will have Never Lost in my rental car so I hope Im not dumb enough to get lost... :eek: :p

We were turned on to Din Tai Fung by an expat friend who was living in Shanghai. Since then, we have been to other DTF's : consistent quality product! Last place we visited was in Sydney, Australia, ... correction, it was Beijing, October 2010. --I look forward to visiting Arcadia.

We were turned on to Din Tai Fung by an expat friend who was living in Shanghai. Since then, we have been to other DTF's : consistent quality product! Last place we visited was in Sydney, Australia, ... correction, it was Beijing, October 2010. --I look forward to visiting Arcadia.

I've also been to multiple Din Tai Fungs across the globe, including Shanghai, Arcadia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and every one of them has been good. But I wouldn't put it as the best dumplings I've ever had, but definitely consistently good.

To avoid downtown traffic from LAX to San Gabriel I'd take 105 - 710 -10 route (appr 30 miles)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=FefvBQIdKTrx-Cm1T7IT0rDCgDHxrYtpV3uodw%3BFRAFCAIdm9_1-CkPrI9QttrCgDHpuENWQto37w&q=lax+to+301+W+Valley+Blvd+San+Gabriel,+CA+91776&aq=&sll=33.975253,-118.140793&sspn=0.451548,1.056747&ie=UTF8&z=12&layer=t&saddr=lax&daddr=301+W+Valley+Blvd+San+Gabriel,+CA+91776

You can check average traffic situation for any day/time using google maps traffic and change from live to any day/time in lower left corner.

Thanks for all the traffic tips.... I will report back after I visit on both the food and the traffic.... :D ^

Also try Mama's Lu in Monterey Park.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mamas-lu-monterey-park

Also try Mama's Lu in Monterey Park.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mamas-lu-monterey-park

Sooo many options.... sooo little time.... :(

Having just finished my last year of USC we scrounged around the SGV to find the best soup dumplings. My friends and I came to the conclusion that Mama Lu's was probably the best and easiest to get to, with the quickest line and the cheapest. It was basically a no brainier whenever we would be in the mood.

DTF is good (not as good as I have had at DTF in HK) though more expensive, further away and usually with a 30-45 min wait.

We also enjoyed the XLB that you can order off the menu at Elite Dim Sum which is nice as you can also order a variety of other dishes.

I finally made it out to San Gabriel and am very sorry to say that the two places I tried were lame.... and Im trying to remember that I dont want to commit a TOS violation. The XLB were bland, the broth was weak and not seasoned.... I was hugely dissapointed. I walked into the first place, ordered.... tried the first, gave a second dumpling a chance.... asked for my bill and left. Walked into the next place... ordered.... and suffered the same dissapointment. Horrible.

To end on a good note, the concierge at the Courtyard Marriott Century City send me to a small place in a strip mall that was excellent... I will post a review later. Hop Woo is its name... more details later.

I finally made it out to San Gabriel and am very sorry to say that the two places I tried were lame.... and Im trying to remember that I dont want to commit a TOS violation. The XLB were bland, the broth was weak and not seasoned.... I was hugely dissapointed. I walked into the first place, ordered.... tried the first, gave a second dumpling a chance.... asked for my bill and left. Walked into the next place... ordered.... and suffered the same dissapointment. Horrible.

To end on a good note, the concierge at the Courtyard Marriott Century City send me to a small place in a strip mall that was excellent... I will post a review later. Hop Woo is its name... more details later.

Hop Woo is a little hole in the wall on Olympic Blvd near Century City. They are not known for XLB but they have excellent peking duck... the only place to get good duck on the West side.

I finally made it out to San Gabriel and am very sorry to say that the two places I tried were lame.... and Im trying to remember that I dont want to commit a TOS violation. The XLB were bland, the broth was weak and not seasoned.... I was hugely dissapointed. I walked into the first place, ordered.... tried the first, gave a second dumpling a chance.... asked for my bill and left. Walked into the next place... ordered.... and suffered the same dissapointment. Horrible.

To end on a good note, the concierge at the Courtyard Marriott Century City send me to a small place in a strip mall that was excellent... I will post a review later. Hop Woo is its name... more details later.

That's not good. I wonder if being there early in the morning on a weekday had smth to do with that. In general San Gabriel is so competitive that bad places don't usually last very long as margins are small and they have to rely on volume - as you probably noticed this neighborhood is mostly asian.

Hop Woo is a little hole in the wall on Olympic Blvd near Century City. They are not known for XLB but they have excellent peking duck... the only place to get good duck on the West side.

Yes... I didnt go to Hop Woo for the XLB... had excellent seafood and veggies... ^ They dont even have XLB on the menu... but what they do have on the menu was very very good.

Also try Mama's Lu in Monterey Park.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mamas-lu-monterey-park

After my dismal San Gabriel XLB experience, I guess this place is on the top of my list for my next trip to Los Angeles.

After my dismal San Gabriel XLB experience, I guess this place is on the top of my list for my next trip to Los Angeles.

I honestly think you won't be disappointed at Mama's Lu. My family dines there every week.

I honestly think you won't be disappointed at Mama's Lu. My family dines there every week.

That sounds like a good sign..... ^ :D

You were here and didn't tell me! Shame on you! I would have asked my Chinese friends that all happen to be foodies. That's what you get for not saying hi while you were in town. :)

My wife has professed a desire to have XLB. We have had DTF in Taipei, and she loved it. However, we will be going from LAX to Westlake Village. It looks like Arcadia is out of the way. Any places near Westlake Village or LAX or on the way?

Thanks
FDW

Again we have not been able to trek down to southern CA for XLB. Good to have additional suggestions!-- next I'll need to get a map.:D

My wife has professed a desire to have XLB. We have had DTF in Taipei, and she loved it. However, we will be going from LAX to Westlake Village. It looks like Arcadia is out of the way. Any places near Westlake Village or LAX or on the way?

Nope, for the real deal you pretty much have to head over to the San Gabrial Valley (east and south of Pasadena).

My wife has professed a desire to have XLB. We have had DTF in Taipei, and she loved it. However, we will be going from LAX to Westlake Village. It looks like Arcadia is out of the way. Any places near Westlake Village or LAX or on the way?

Thanks
FDW

My friends think this is funny so I guess that means that you are out of luck.

My wife has professed a desire to have XLB. We have had DTF in Taipei, and she loved it. However, we will be going from LAX to Westlake Village. It looks like Arcadia is out of the way. Any places near Westlake Village or LAX or on the way?

Thanks
FDW

It usually takes appr 1 hr to go from Westlake Village to San Gabriel area - we make this trip every couple weeks. If you want XLB or any respectable chinese food (of any variety) you'll do it as well.
The only nearby option is my freezer :D which I loaded with XLB from Mama Lu yesterday - unfortunately we didn't have a chance to actually eat there but the place looks very promising and much cheaper than DTF and even other places I mentioned earlier.

(mouthwatering...) how do they sell their XLB? bagged in multiples of? a current price? I am thinking about bringing a cooler to transport some home for future yum-yum. We've had travel plans that steered us away from So.Cal, but definitely will need to visit soon.

After my dismal San Gabriel XLB experience, I guess this place is on the top of my list for my next trip to Los Angeles.

Don't do it. Stick with Din Tai Fung. It is a bit more expensive, but the quality is assured. I'm not a bit surprised at the recommendation for the two places in San Gabriel; people like it for the price and not necessary for being the "best". I no longer go to the two in SG, only Din Tai Fung.

Ordering Xiao Lung Bao at a dim sum restaurant can only be decent at best.

I just went to shanghai last week and went to plenty of places which "specialized" in Xiao Lung Bao. I went to a place which ranked as top 5 on Tripadvisor called Jia Jia. The XLB was not tasty at all. I've ordered a regular and a crab one. I did not enjoy any of them. The prices were fantasic though. I went to Nan Xiang Steam Bao at the City God Temple area, and went to the 2nd Floor and ordered a crab roe XLB and a crab roe soup bao. The soup bao is definitely overrated. The crab roe was pretty good; it's a bit pricey.

sink-- thanks for the advice... I agree that good XLB is $$$ well invested... I would gladly cough up serious cash for a gourmet or high-end XLB if such a place existed... last trip I had to choose more on location due to logistics issues....

Thanks again,
Gaucho100K

Good news! Just realized that our trip from Westlake to Lake Arrowhead will take us right by DTF!

FDW

Good news! Just realized that our trip from Westlake to Lake Arrowhead will take us right by DTF!


Lucky you.... if you have a chance, please post a report !!!! ^

any places in the OC? i've been to Shanghai Dumpling up in Millbrae (SFO) and those dumplings are amazing.

any places in the OC? i've been to Shanghai Dumpling up in Millbrae (SFO) and those dumplings are amazing.

I have only tried Capitol Seafood-and I was not too thrilled(although I love their Arcadia Branch) http://www.yelp.com/biz/capital-seafood-irvine

The Oc has some great Korean/Vietnamese/Japanese places-not so much for Chinese.

Going to try Mama Lu's for the first time(after living in the SGV for 16 years)today!

(9/9)follow up... Very authentic divey place with indifferent service. Food heavily laced with MSG and very oily. Dumplings ok-not great.Best to eat while hot because they are very tough once they cool down. I don't think I will return.

I have only tried Capitol Seafood-and I was not too thrilled(although I love their Arcadia Branch) http://www.yelp.com/biz/capital-seafood-irvine

The Oc has some great Korean/Vietnamese/Japanese places-not so much for Chinese.

Going to try Mama Lu's for the first time(after living in the SGV for 16 years)today!

I took Mama Lu's stuff home and i have to say that i still like XLB from Meilong Village more. That being said I still plan to stop by and have lunch at mama lu (perhaps even today) as i am sure their kitchen makes it much better.

Zagat's has a listing of LA dumpling places.I am going to try Dumpling 101 today. http://www.zagat.com/buzz/best-dumplings-in-southern-california?zagatbuzzid=oct11week1&utm_source=buzz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=buzz20111005

I found 101 Noodle Express aren't that good.

Have you tried the new fortune Dumplings in the new AMC plaza off Atlantic? Their tri color dumplings looks nice but taste so so. However I like their xiao long bao, clear chicken broth wins me over.

I've not been to that one yet. There is a new development in Monterey park that is bringing in some high end Chinese places-including a new Dim Sum place-I will report when I try it.

Tried Fortune Dumpling today. Servers were way overwhelmed and they were out of a few items(no onion pancakes) XLB were very good -as good as DTF IMO, and they have a 2-for-1 deal going. I would suggest trying this place on a weekday because it is probably a madhouse on weekends.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fortune-dumpling-monterey-park

Mama's Lu has opened another location at 501 Garvey in Monterey Park. I went in to pickup a to-go menu and it looks very nice in there. If you are familiar with Mama's Lu, all menu items are not available at the new location.

Anyone visit Shanghai No.1 Seafood Village yet for XLB? Jonathan Gold gave this place a great review.

http://www.laweekly.com/2012-02-02/eat-drink/jonathan-gold-Shanghai-No.-1-Seafood-Village/