Review of Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant franchise that specializes in xiao long bao, or soup dumplings. They have 119 branches is 14 different countries. When the Din Tai Fung near me opened, it was near impossible to get a table, and to this day- if you don’t get there early enough- there can be 3 hour waits to eat! This is my favorite restaurant because of the nice atmosphere the restaurant has and the consistently amazing food they serve. You can see the employees making the dumplings behind a large window, which is fun to watch while you wait.
Every time my family eats at a Din Tai Fung, we get xiao long bao, chicken dumplings, string beans, veggie dumplings, wontons in spicy sauce, and the fried noodles.
Starting off with the most iconic- xiao long bao. Din Tai Fung has perfected these. They have 18 folds in them, which Din Tai Fung calls the “golden ratio.” Ginger and scallion are added to enhance the flavor of the pork. When eating at Din Tai Fung, it is crucial to order these! Make sure you eat them with sliced ginger and vinegar to cut the fattiness of the pork broth.
My favorite item on the menu is the jidori chicken dumplings. They are bursting with flavor, the chicken is high quality and releases so much juice; these dumplings could be called soup dumplings! They have a delicate skin that holds all of the juice and meat together. These are a must get on the menu!
The vegetable and mushroom dumplings are my mother’s favorite. They are filled with glass noodles, bok choy, mushrooms, and tofu. I personally don’t like these because I think the texture of the filling isn’t good, and they just lack flavor.
Next are the shrimp and pork spicy wontons. These have a unique flavor (maybe five spice) thanks to the spicy sauce. The wonton filling has a great texture and nice flavor. The more of them you eat, the more their unique flavor grows on you. They are addictive! I don’t think the sauce is that spicy, it just has a bold flavor that complements the wontons very well.
Recently, I tried the kimchi and pork dumplings. These dumplings are not as good as the chicken ones, but they still have a nice flavor. The kimchi adds a fermented funkiness to the filling which I enjoyed. Kimchi is often used in Korean dumplings so it was interesting for a Taiwanese restaurant to make them.
Next up are the fried noodles. Shown is the chicken version, but the shrimp and all veggie variations are great too. These noodles have a great chewy texture and they are coated in a flavorful sauce. Stir-fried in are spinach leaves and napa cabbage for added crunch! I highly recommend these noodles.
The last item I like to get are the string beans with garlic. The green beans are perfectly cooked - they are still a little crisp! They are coated in a minced garlic sauce that is absolutely perfect. I have tried some of the other vegetable dishes at Din Tai Fung, but none compare to this amazing dish.
If there is a Din Tai Fung near you, I highly recommend eating at it. These pictures are from takeout because we are not able to eat at the restaurant due to COVID-19. Remember that the dumplings are steamed so they are better fresh at the restaurant, but microwaving them for a few seconds at home is a good alternative. Din Tai Fung is on the pricy side; an order of 6 dumplings is about 13 dollars and the veggies and noodles range from 12-14. I think it is worth it though because everything on the menu is delicious- you can’t go wrong!
