Din Tai Fung Taipei: Steamy little buns, anyone?

Alex @mwp — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:29:35 +0000

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

Golden Deli: Pho the win!

Alex @mwp — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:01:08 +0000

A while ago, I discovered that the best remedy for a hangover was a nice, large, warm bowl of good pho. My previous best remedies included mashed potatoes and gravy and the spiciest bowl of gumbo I could get my hands on, but now for me, there’s nothing that beats a good bowl of pho. Why? Maybe it’s the noodles soaking up those toxins, the flavorful broth reminding your tongue what things tasted like before tequila, or maybe it’s the msg putting your body into a euphoric comatose state. Whatever the case, it just gets the jackhammer inside my skull to stop for a while.

This past weekend, I had a friend in need after a night of hard partying in Hollywood. He looked pretty bad in the morning, so being the helpful friend that I am, I took him out east to “Where the Asian things are” for some delicious pho at Golden Deli. About five bites in, he already started to look much better.

No matter what state of mind you are in when you sit down at the Golden Deli, you will have your taste buds dancing to the tune of their noodle soup. So far, this is the best bowl of pho I’ve had in Los Angeles–and quite possibly anywhere in California for that matter. The broth they use to cook your raw meats in is unbelievably flavorful and needs no addition of condiments. A shame really, because I love making a happy face with the hoisin and sriracha sauces.

A friend introduced it to me about a year back and I’ve tried to fit a trip out at least once a month to fill my pho cravings. It’s got 4 stars and 300+ reviews on Yelp, so you know that the web-savvy foodies approve (for whatever that’s worth to you). One of the best comments I’ve seen is “If I were baptized in a bowl of their #1, I would [surely] go to heaven.” You might think that’s blasphemous, but that’s only because you haven’t tried it yet.

If you come, expect a wait and a very casual setting. Once you do get a seat (much quicker if you avoid busy hours), you’ll likely feel rushed by how quickly they want to take your order, have you pay your bill, and turn the table over. It’s not unusual to get the bill placed on the side of your table only five minutes after you’ve gotten your food, and if you don’t have your cash out, they will actually slide the bill closer to you whenever they walk by–just in case you didn’t notice it the first time. This very casual, to-the-point environment is hardly a deterrent from enjoying your bowl of pho. I’m just warning you not to bring a date that you would like to have a nice, long meal with.

If the wait is too much, there is the lesser known Vietnam House across the street that is their sister restaurant. Word is the food is the same over there with less rush. You can find both restaurants on Las Tunas in San Gabriel, just west of Mission.

Go and eat here. I’m not pho-king around.

Golden Deli Vietnamese Restaurant

815 W Las Tunas Dr
San Gabriel, CA 91776

My Weekend Passport » San Gabriel Valley

Din Tai Fung Taipei: Steamy little buns, anyone?

Golden Deli: Pho the win!