August 4, 2016

Taipei, Taiwan: Din Tai Fung; restaurant review

Din Tai Fung in Taipei

The original Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor opened here in Taipei in 1958.  This flagship shop was named in a New York Times article in 1993 as one of ten restaurants around the world that were worth making a pilgrimage to.  Hong Kong branches have been awarded a Michelin star four times since 2010.  In 2013, this chain was number one on The Daily Meal website’s “101 Best Restaurants in Asia,” and rated as the world’s number two best chain on CNN.  Din Tai Fung has more than 100 locations around the world, including 10 in Taiwan, 4 in Los Angeles, and a new one in Santa Clara near San Francisco.

For the specialty xiao long bao dumpling (also known as a Shanghi dumpling) chefs make exactly 18 folds—17 is too soft and the soup inside could spill out, and 19 is too tough for good texture, but 18 is just right.  Each dumpling is also weighed to make sure it is perfect.  The kitchen activity is visible through large glass windows located outside the restaurant entrance.  The menu also offers delectable pea shoots (the best I’ve had), steamed wood-ear mushrooms, and hot & sour soup.  Raised cloth baskets with a cover are provided tableside and make a great place to store a purse or jacket.

entrance to Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
entrance to Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


interior of Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
interior of Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


purse holder at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
purse holder at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


kitchen at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
kitchen at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


steamers at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamers at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


Shanghai Dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
Shanghai Dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan





how to eat Shanghai Dumplings card at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
how to eat Shanghai Dumplings card at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor
in Taipei, Taiwan


crab dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
crab dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


hot & sour soup at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
hot & sour soup at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


won tons at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
won tons at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


stir-fry dish at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
stir-fry dish at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


green beans at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
green beans at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


pea shoots at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
pea shoots at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


steamed wood-ear mushrooms at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed wood-ear mushrooms at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan


birthday dessert at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
birthday dessert at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan



This dumpling shop is part of a food court on the lower level of an indoor shopping center.

i Store in Taipei, Taiwan
i Store in Taipei, Taiwan

Across the way from the restaurant is:
Alexander’s Patisserie specializes in colorful macarons, chocolate bon bon balls, and cake rolls.  A branch is in Mountain View in the San Francisco area.  

Alexander's Patisserie in Taipei, Taiwan
Alexander's Patisserie in Taipei, Taiwan




7 comments:

  1. Mmmmmm I love these soup dumplings! We were at Din Tai Fung in Bangkok last fall and it was so good we had to come back again. Your delicious-looking photos are making me so hungry right now!

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  2. We love us some dim sum, so if we ever make it to Taipei we will definitely be stopping in at Din Tai Fung.

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  3. Oh dear. I was hungry before. Now I'm absolutely starving. I wish I had known about Din Tai Fung when we visited Taiwan and Taipei in 1997. The food we encountered on that trip (before we planned travel on the internet) was mostly heavy and greasy.

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  4. I think things have gotten better. I'll be doing more posts on food in Taiwan.

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  5. I heard that Taipei is a foodie city and those pictures prove it...I would love to visit some day.

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  6. I never thought about how a dumpling is made and so this was fascinating as well as seeing all the different folds, shapes and sizes. Loved your photos and the hot and sour soup pic made me almost drool! We are planning a trip to Thailand and surrounding countries next year and you can bet, after reading this, that Din Tai Fung in Bangkok will be on our list of places to visit!

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  7. I love it! I ate at this very restaurant a couple years ago and loved it. I loved the explanation card on how to eat them and seeing the chefs preparing them. It was a treat to relive that tasty experience. Thanks Carole!

    ReplyDelete

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