Din Tai Fung Taipei: Steamy little buns, anyone?

There’s really very little I can say about Din Tai Fung that hasn’t already been said in all the various travel books, magazines, and blogs about Taiwan.  Open up any of them, and the top must-visit eatery in Taipei that gets mentioned will just about always be the famous Din Tai Fung.  Any travel guide or tour of Taiwan without it would be incomplete.  Its fame goes back to the 90′s, when it was selected as one of the world’s top ten restaurants by New York Times.

My history with DTF goes way back to my childhood around that same time.  I remember back before my teenage years, I would enjoy coming to Taiwan every summer with my family to visit the family overseas.  And every trip would include a pilgrimage to the Din Tai Fung on XinYi Road (the original location).  At that location, the kitchen is on display right by the front door so that everyone can see what incredible technique they use to make sure each dumpling is uniformly made for consistent cooking.  It’s a very well-oiled machine, and it needs to be, to fulfill the hungry masses that come every minute for their juicy buns, better known as Xiao Long Bao.

These perfectly shaped buns are filled with mostly with pork (sometimes shrimp) and small gelatinous stuff that, when melted in the steamer, give off the juice in the buns.  This picture actually took four tries to take, because at my table, you’re never fast enough to snap a shot of all eight before someone jacks one of them.  Seriously, I have maybe four or five pictures where I have 6 out of 8 buns in shot.  I guess my family got full by the time we ordered our last set.

Since my childhood, they’ve expanded.  A lot.  There’s now branches all over Asia, including many in Japan, China, Australia, and a Southern California outpost in Arcadia.  I’ve been to the one in Arcadia a few times, and honestly, I think it’s just as good.  It’s nowhere near the same experience, but I would have their Xiao Long Bao, fried rice, or chicken soup any day of the week.

These warm buns have a black sesame filling – sweeter stuff for the end of your meal.  You’ll notice that the skins are much thinner and there are many more swirls to the top.  I can’t tell you why that is… I can only tell you that they are yummy.

Man, what’s not good at Din Tai Fung?  Of course, their staple is the delicious Xiao Long Bao, but curious eaters should feel free to explore the rest of their menu.  Personally, I’m as big a fan of their chicken soup as I am of the xiao long bao.  My favorite remedy for the common cold, or an empty stomach.

This will always be my definition of comfort food, even though it is now a huge tourist attraction for Taiwan.

Din Tai Fung (Taipei)
Multiple locations in Taipei and Taiwan

Din Tai Fung (USA)
1088 South Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007