WHY Pan-Asian delicacies, with an unforgettable side serving of small planes taking off over the Pacific at sunset.

WHAT This place is just plain fun. With a window-lined dining room overlooking retro Santa Monica Airport, a chic Asian décor with aeronautical touches, a good bar and a fairly priced menu of dishes from Singapore, Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Burma, Typhoon can’t go wrong. Thrill seekers try the deep-fried white sea worms or Singapore-style scorpions; everyone else shares sui mai, Vietnamese egg rolls, Korean-style short ribs and Thai river prawns with a cilantro-garlic-peanut paste. Great jazz on Tuesday nights.

WHO Adventurers, aviation enthusiasts and savvy hosts with hard-to-wow out-of-town guests.