Din Tai Fung

During my latest trip to Hong Kong, I made it my mission to get my xiao long bao (XLB) fix. I took my wife to four different restaurants that specialize in these soup dumplings. Interestingly enough, my verdict remains the same. For these «pillows of happiness» to endear themselves to Anthony Bourdain, Din Tai Fung (DTF) is still one of the top dogs. They have really gotten it down to a science when it comes to the technique in making XLB.
They don’t take reservations. Since it wasn’t too far from our hotel, we just hopped over to check it out. Lunch time during the week was easy. We were seated immediately. When there’s a crowd, your stay is limited to 1.5 hours per the sign at the front. I saw locals and tourists in the mix of patrons. Unfortunately, DTF only offers one type of tea. Oolong? For those who are tea connoisseurs, you will want to look elsewhere. Service was attentive and they have an open kitchen where you can see the crew doing the prep work before sending the morsels off to the steamers.
My XLB arrived piping hot. That’s exactly the way they should be served. The skin was thin, the soup was flavorful and the pork was tender. DTF knows how to balance the filling-​to-​dough ratio perfectly. The vinegar and ginger are always great enhancement. I savored every single bite. If you are new to XLB, no sweat, there are instructions in different languages along with pictures to guide you through the eating process. We had other dishes too: string beans with minced pork, black sesame buns, soy bean milk. I’m sure they tasted fine but I mainly remember the XLB heehee.

Black truffle Xiao long bao!!! WHAT?!
… four stars from me + one Michelin star.
Oh and get an order of the veggies because they are cooked absolutely PERFECTLY.

Ambiance/​décor-​4
Service-​5
Food-​5
Strikeouts-​0/​3
This place is rated a one Michelin star restaurant and it deserves it.
The service was as expected but each food dish that came out was better than expected. It’s quality was the same as when restaurants first open and their food taste fantastic. Except this place is consistent with each of their dishes. My only disappointment was the veggie like dumpling, which I’ve had MUCH better. This one was too minced up inside. The noodles were fantastic and on the spot. The food wasn’t too spicy for me, which was a surprise. Yeah, I would definitely say this play is an awesome place to go for Xiao long bao!!!

The Din Tai Fung at the Mira was an overwhelming disappointment. I was early, right after they opened at 5:30. Being solo, dim sum is ideal. I ordered the xiaolongbao dumplings, drunken chicken and a large veggie mantou, with a beer. The chicken came first, must be the ovens haven’t been fired up yet. What a chicken serving! The shaoxing wine sauce was fine. But the chicken pieces were tough and very stringy! Every piece!, I had Shanghai fried chicken the day before in a different restaurant, and it was so much tenderer! Not a good beginning.
The dumplings came quite a bit later. This was good, nice and juicy. Good. The veggie mantou came last. Alas that too was simply bad. The stuffing tasted stale, and it was dry. Probably been around too long. Service matched the food, self satisfied and unaware. The waiter was in another world and relied on others to do everything.
I’ve been to several other branches of this chain and the food was always good, service at least reasonable. This one at the Mira Center is unbelievable. They took a wrong turn after that Michelin star last year. The stringy chicken had to have been a corporate economy sourcing choice. Many restaurants in this part of the world. I’ll stick to Crystal Jade and Old Shanghai for xiaolongbao and Shanghai food from now on.

Having been to Din Tai Fung in Los Angeles, I was expecting a long wait to be seated. Glad to say at this particular location we were seated immediately!
I actually visited this location twice, for a late dinner flying in from Manila, and another time at lunch on a weekday.
Both times I had their soup dumplings, or Xiao Long Bao. They are famous for these, and for good reason! The broth is flavorful without being too fatty or salty inside, and there are even directions table side on how to properly enjoy the dumplings.
I also had their braised beef noodle soup. It was a bit on the spicy side but the tenderness of the beef in the soup is something I’ll never forget. It literally melted in my mouth. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something warm and filling.
Only gripe was that the hot tea wasn’t complimentary, and they did not mention that to us. Don’t get me wrong, it was great and worth what we ended up paying (about 8 HKD/​person) but I wish they’d let you know.

I have been to Din Tai fung twice in Shanghai, so when I found out there is many in Hong Kong, it was a must! It is a bit more expensive than other dim sim restaurants around, but this chain does have a Michelin star and never disappoints.
I was hoping for my favourite «hairy crab meat» xiaolongbao but no such luck, however the special steamed pork dumplings hit the spot. We also had the steamed vegetable and pork which is full of high iron greens, offering a different texture and limited broth which can make it a bit dry.
The Shrimp and pork wonton with special sauce was a nice surprise, slippery as anything to get with chopsticks but delicious. The shrimp is sweet, mixed with the pork and the special sauce creates a needed acidity to make this dish a bit sweet and salty. The Shrimp and spring rolls were a bit ordinary, nothing exciting to report there.
Ordering is easy with pictures in the menu and the waitress gives you a sheet to tick the number you want. All dishes are made fresh and service is efficient. I love the big windows at the back of the restaurant where you can see them making the fresh dumplings and other delicious things.
Note there is a $ 9 water and Chinese tea surcharge per person, but the tea does help you eat to your full potential.

Truffle xiao long bao is the best. Pork xiao long bao is on the lean side but the ample amount of soup still makes it juicy.

Din Tai Fung speaks for itself, no need to go into further details. A must go when you’re in Asia, this Taiwanese restaurant features the best of dumplings and its signature dish, Xiao Long Bao. Just go by any one and look at the queues — you’ll know what I mean. It’s a restaurant you don’t mind paying a little more than the average price, and get superb taste and excellent service. No wonder it has earned a Michelin star.