Dumplings at the Famous Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung originated in Taiwan and expanded into a worldwide phenomenon for their undeniably delicious and consistently perfect dumplings.  I have tried Din Tai Fung in the United States, and in Hong Kong, but one must not settle until one has eaten at the motherland of Din Tai Fung.  The Taipei 101 Din Tai Fung was awarded one Michelin Star, so that was yet another compelling reason to wait at the front of the restaurant 40 minutes before opening to beat the crowd of hungry tourists and locals.

I opted for the Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao as opposed to the traditional pork ones due to its uniqueness. As far as I know, the Din Tai Fung in America did not offer such a filling.  The skin was delicate and of the perfect thickness, but also without being overcooked and mushy.  The filling was juicy and flavorful, and each bite reveals pockets of soup, bursting with flavor (lucky for me, they actually cooled the dumplings so that the bursting soup was not boiling hot!). Every dumpling was consistently made to order... I mean, have you seen how the chefs work?  Din Tai Fung (at all locations) make a point of encasing their kitchen behind glass so that customers can gawk at the speed and skill required to make these dumplings.

The Xiao Mai (Shrimp Pork mixture) was also delicious, but was not like the typical dim sum Xiao Mai.  It was more like a Xiao Long Bao with a slab of shrimp paste at the top. While it was delicious, I would not actually consider it as the real Xiao Mai.

The first real Din Tai Fung location was obviously not at this location (Taipei 101) but somewhere else but my hotel accommodation was right next to the Taipei 101 so I opted for the closer one. One secret tip that the lovely waitress revealed to me which the other locations I've been to did not bother to tell me was that the BEST way to to dip your dumplings was to have a 3-to-1 ratio of vinegar to soy sauce. This is a MUST try if you are in Taiwan! They even brag about how "Best Mannered" their staff are by showing the top 3 each month to set a bar for their other staff to match.

Name: Din Tai Fung
Address: 110, Taiwan, 府路45號B1樓
Phone: +886 2 8101 7799
Google Maps: Click Here!

Store Front

3-to-1 Ratio of Vinegar to Soy Sauce

Perfection

Crab Xiao Long Baos

Spicy Shrimp Wontons

Shrimp on top of Xiao Long Bao

Potstickers

Dumpling Masters hard at work!