Din Tai Fung, Taipei

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Din Tai Fung is a very famous restaurant which serves delicious steamed dumplings. I went there 20 years ago for the first time and since then I had dreamed of going there again. During the past 20 years the restaurant has become so famous and they have a lot of branches in many Asian countries including Japan. I've been to two branches in Japan. When Din Tai Fung first made their branch in Kyoto, I was so glad that I hurried to the restaurant. But I think Japanese branches compare unfavorably with the one in Taipei in everything. This may be because I had too strong impression when I first ate delicous dumplings in Taipei before.
And, I went there again at last! The restaurant had been remodeled. The interiors were simple and clean. But the taste of Xiaolongbao and Shao-mai with the topping of crab meat was what I had long wanted to taste again. I was so satisfied with it.
*They have two more branches in Taipei City. The other two may be bigger than Xinyi Restaurant. Please visit their website. They have an English version.
*Xinyi Restaurant is so popular. I recommend you to go there earlier. (It opens at 9:00. I went there at 8:45. Several people had already been waiting.)

Favorite Dish: Xiaolongbao is a steamed dumpling with minced pork and soup inside the ravioli-like stuff. Eat it with vinegar, soysauce and ginger. When you eat it, take care not to burn your tongue because the soup is so hot. And take care not to spill the soup. You should use a Chinese spoon in eating it.
Shao-mai with the topping of crab meat is one of my favorite dishes. The shape is very cute and the color of crab meat is beautiful.

This is the very famous dumpling empire that is now found in Taiwan (where it originated from), Hong Kong, Shanghai, US, etc. Long lines everywhere you go.

I went to the "original" Din Tai Fung. Well, nice restaurant, very good service, orderly wait and you get to rub shoulders with dumpling pilgrims from at least 10 countries. What's not to like?

Don't get me wrong. The food is very good, particularly the dumplings. But I didn't think it was that much better than similar places in Hong Kong, New York, LA or Taipei.

Still thumbs up though! They have quite a few locations in Taipei as well that aren't as busy.

Favorite Dish: Dumplings! Dumplings! Dumplings!

Din Tai Feng (Din Tai Fung) is the considered by many people to be the best restaurant in Taipei (The New York Times once called it one of the best in the world). The restaurant lives up to the hype, though the crowds and lines here will make me reconsider coming back.

Despite the immense number of customers, Din Tai Feng's service is fast and very good, and it's food lives up to its fame (with one exception, a bowl of wild chicken noodles; stick with the xiao long bao related foods while you're there).

Because of its popularity, Din Tai Fung has branched out, and you can now taste the same food in Japan and Los Angeles.

Favorite Dish: Well, of course, the xiao long bao (small steam dumpling); meat wrapped in a small steamed bun, folded delicately, probably the best I've ever had (with the possible exception of a restaurant in the New York Chinatown, now closed).

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It's a Chinese restaurant offering high-quality dumplings, Chinese, breads, noodles, fried rices, fried vegetables and soup. The restaurant was once ranked as one of top 10 in the world by New York Times but the price is not as high as its ranking at all. (Everyone can afford it easily.) Its decoration is simple with a little bit Chinese atmosphere. At lunch/dinner time there are always a lot of cutsomers waiting and standing in a long line in front of the gate.

Favorite Dish: My favorite dishes are steamed pork dumplings, shrimp and pork shaomai and fried rice with eggs. The outside of the steamed pork dumplings is very thin. Once we bite the dumblings, the fresh pork juice flows immediately out full of mouth. The outside of shrimp and pork shaomai is less thin bit it's also very juicy. The shrimps on the top are fresh and complete. Although ingredient of fried rice with eggs are very simple (rice, egg and spring onion), it tastes good with nice smell proving the great cuisine technics of cook.

Taipei MRT took us to Zhongxiao Dun Hua or thereabout and after checking with the friendly commuters, we walked up to this easy-to-locate Chinese Restaurant which boasts of many worldwide branches including Singapore's Bishan Junction 8 and Tampines. At Taipei's Zhongxiao's Branch, crowds mingled at the entrance waiting to be seated. Less than ten minutes later, we were ushered to our table, hot tea already served for us....

Taipei Restaurant sells Ramin, fried rice and other `fast' food. The `Little Dragon Buns' came fast and special in that it tasted hot and aromatically fresh with the `juices' inside flowing out to the tongue as we took a bit. The feeling and the taste are terribly good and unforgettable, incomparable to those we ate elsewhere, nay, not even in Shanghai. It's best if we gently pick up so that the thin skin of the bun is not broken enabling the `juices' to drain out....

Our dinner for two, comprising 10 pieces of Dragon Buns, two ramin prawn soup, meat cutlet and tea cost about S$28, which I would say, is a reasonable price...no tips given as I believe they don't practise this. Taste and see that it is good. Enjoy!

Favorite Dish: Ramin, which comes with vegetables and plenty of unshelled prawns, is very fresh and elastically crunchy. Soup is clear, tasty and not oily.

The deco of the restaurant is traditional chinese. Almost every dish that we tried is good. Plus, the service is also top-notch. However, be prepared to get a queue number and wait cause' there is always a crowd!

Favorite Dish: It has to be the steamed dumplings. Every one of these dumplings contains some excellent soup stock besides the meat filling. There is a special technique to eat them. First, put the dumpling onto your spoon. Second, bite a small hole on the skin and slurp up the soup. Lastly, dip your dumpling with any sauces you like to finish it. That's it!

P.S: The dumpling skin is very delicate. Handle with care! ^_^ Don't waste the soup...

Dim Tai Fung is world famous. They now have branches in Japan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Los Angeles, and Taipei. This is the place to go for Shanghai soup dumplings. The skin is so thin and the soup...yummy...

Favorite Dish: Soup dumpling with crab powder, hot and sour soup, the pork chop....and on and on...all good!!!

This is the most famous steamed dumpling restaurant in Taiwan, and is very popular for visiting Japanese tourists. I've been there three times now and each time had to queue in the street for a table. You book your table with a girl at the door who gives you a number and a menu. You then place your order whilst still in the street and wait for a table to become available. While you wait you can look through a window into the kitchens and watch the chefs preparing the dumplings and steaming them. The best way to eat the dumplings is with mixture of soy sauce and vinegar with freshly grated ginger. You should also try the hot and sour soup, it's GORGEOUS !!

Favorite Dish: The Dumplings are great, but also check out the "hot and sour" soup !!