As you walk down the long stairs of the new social media sensation, Din Tai Fung, in New York City, sprawling tables and chairs full of people and a unique atmosphere welcome you into a cultural Taiwanese experience. Although the restaurant has many locations worldwide in Asia and in the West Coast, reservations are hard to come by. Its largest venue, located in NYC’s Times Square, boasts 25, 000 square feet, and accommodates 450 diners. With its popularity on social media outlets such as Tik Tok, the restaurant chain has become a dining sensation among foodies and fans of Asian cuisine.
Since its opening in 1972 in Taiwan, Din Tai Fung has become world-renowned for its Chinese-Taiwanese cuisine of soup dumplings, steamed dumplings, steamed buns, handmade noodles, and vegan dishes, and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. One of its most served and popular dishes are their soup dumplings, which are assembled by hand. Diners can see chefs at work at the open kitchen, and can witness their careful attention to detail as they create each dumpling to the precise specifications. Each of the dumplings must weigh 21 grams, and each wrapper must have at least 18 folds.
As you wind down the multiple flights of stairs, you’re greeted by the iconic Bao Bao statue near the entrance of the main dining room. The vast restaurant is dimly lit, a welcoming ambiance.
Upon arriving at your table, you’ll be handed a menu along with a pen to make your choices. All items are served family style, with the dumplings offering the more sizable portions. The menu is extensive, offering a wide variety appetizers, mains, drinks and desserts. We went with a group of six people, and ordered two dishes each, including dessert, and although it sounds like a lot, each portion allowed everyone to have plenty to try without feeling too full.
Its iconic cucumber salad, at $8.50, did not disappoint – a tower of crispy, thick Persian cucumbers topped with drizzles of sesame oil and Din Tai Fung chili oil was a solid appetizer to set the tone of the meal, warming up our palates for the tastes ahead. What we were really there for was the “xiao long bao” – the soup dumplings – which come in four different varieties. We ended up ordering the chicken option, which came with ten pieces housed in a traditional bamboo steamer basket.
The dumplings were perfectly seasoned, filled with a juicy broth, so well executed that it was tough only to have one. The craftsmanship and flavor definitely made the $17 price worth it. Aside from the soup dumplings, the traiditional dumplings were equally delicious. We tried the chicken, vegan, and pork options, and they did not disappoint.
The Kurobuta buns were an interesting dish, served as a pair in a basket, but were not worth it since they were doughy and dense and not as tasty as the other options. We also tried the vegetable and mushroom fried rice, and the spicy noodles – both of which exceeded our expectations. The rice had an unexpected but pleasant flavor that made it different from the standard fried rice at other restaurants. The portion was also large enough to share among our group.
Another TikTok hit that is a must-try were the chocolate & mochi dumpling. It is a rich and warm chocolate truffle enveloped in a thin layer of mochi that, with every bite, unleashes bursts of chocolate. The dumplings included a side of sea salt foam which enhanced the chocolate flavor. This was one of the most memorable dishes of the night.
Din Tai Fung is known for its quality and consistency, and it definitely did not disappoint and exceeded our expectations. From a first-time-diner perspective, the restaurant’s decor and ambiance, along with its unique and top-notch dishses, made for an unforgettable dining experience.
