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. With some hundred-and-sixty-five locations worldwide in Asia and in the West Coast, the restaurant’s scarcity contributes to its rarity and individual nature. Its largest one is twenty-five thousand square feet, accommodating four hundred and fifty people, in Times Square, New York. Din Tai Fung has become a sensation, blowing up on TikTok and bringing more curious foodies to its doors, making it difficult to get a reservation.
Since its opening in 1972 in Taiwan, Din Tai Fung has become world-renowned for its Chinese-Taiwanese cuisine of xiao long bao, steamed dumplings, steamed buns, handmade noodles, and vegan dishes. It is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, serving more than ten thousand xiao long bao dumplings a day. The famous dumplings are assembled by hand in a kitchen visible to the public, showing their attention to detail and careful construction of the soup dumplings that must weigh twenty-one grams with each wrapper having no fewer than eighteen folds. The vast restaurant is dimly lit, with Taiwanese decoration and a statue of the restaurant’s mascot, Bao Bao, adding to the iconic experience.
The menu is given to each table as the evening begins with a pen so that customers can select the dishes per course, with varying options from the extensive menu, just like a traditional Dim-Sum experience. The trick is to order about 2 dishes per person, as the portions are sizable, and if several dishes are shared, they can be the perfect amount. We went with a group of 6 people, and ordered two dishes each, including dessert, and although it sounds like a lot, each portion allowed everyone to have plenty of each dish.
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 tongues for the tastes ahead. What we were really there for was the xiao long bao, which comes in four different varieties. However, we only ordered the pork dumplings, the most traditional and popular, that come in portions of ten in a steamer basket, a traditional look for all of Din Tai Fung’s locations. The meat had appreciable seasoning with a good consistency, which was encased in a thin wrapper that gave the look of a dumpling and the classic experience of a traditional Chinese xiao long bao. It was so light and well executed that it was tough only to have one, as well as having a sort of flavor that made it uniquely delicious, definitely worth the $17.00 it is priced at. To add, the chicken and vegan dumplings are notable dishes that are also served in portions of ten and make a perfect companion to the other mix of dishes that did not disappoint either.
The Korubota buns were an interesting dish, served as a pair in a basket, but were not worth it since they were dense and not as tasty as the other options. Along with other noodles and soups, we ordered vegetable and mushroom fried rice that exceeded our expectations. The rice had an unexpected but pleasant flavor that made it different from the standard fried rice in Asian cuisine. It was a considerable size and delicious.
Another TikTok hit that is a must-try was the dessert, a chocolate & mochi xiao long bao. It is a rich and warm chocolate truffle enveloped in a thin layer of mochi that, with every bite, unleashes bursts of chocolate. This was one of the most memorable dishes of the night, its surprising experience was certainly a great way to sum up our Din Tai Fung experience.
Din Tai Fung is known for its quality and consistency, and it definitely did not disappoint and exceeded our expectations by providing us with an unforgettable meal. The Taiwanese meal was exceptionally remarkable and memorable, speaking as a first timer, and the restaurant’s mood helped make it an immersive experience. Any Chinese food lover should visit Din Tai Fung since its dishes are top-notch and extremely unique, like nothing we had ever experienced before.
