Opened this past July in Midtown Manhattan, Din Tai Fung is the hot, new, exclusive Taiwanese restaurant on everyone’s list to try. By popular demand, reservations filled up quickly in the first few weeks of the grand opening, but I managed to snag one last week by booking only a few days before. The restaurant is below street level and is the first easternmost location of their world-renowned chain, which started in Taipei, Taiwan. Having seen the viral videos online and hearing the tagline “world’s best dumplings,” I knew I had to try it. My two roommates and I went on a Wednesday at noon, and the atmosphere was lively. We entered through a glass-box entrance on Broadway and descended a set of stairs, greeted by the exclusive, exotic atmosphere. They require a reservation, so do not come as a walk-in. Interestingly, they give you a menu ticket to review while waiting for your table so you can know your group’s exact order before sitting down.
Upon sitting down, our waiter gave us a spiel about the history of Din Tai Fung. Every dish is family-style. The waiter checks your menu ticket, but there are also physical menus at each table. They feature QR codes with links to their online menu, featuring pictures of each dish. This helped us understand how many pieces come in a dish so we could proportion the size to our group. As such, my friends and I planned on six different dishes: chicken spicy wontons, the must-try chicken xiao long bao, chicken dumplings, string beans with garlic, pork chop fried rice and the chocolate and mochi xiao long bao for dessert. The waiter presented each dish individually to space out the course of the meal. I ordered matcha milk tea, which was perfectly frothy and sweet in matcha flavor. While waiting for our first course to arrive, I noticed the iconic glass window kitchen view of chefs preparing the dumplings. Many people considered it a great photo opportunity, but seeing how many diligent chefs it takes to produce quality dumplings was fascinating.
Our first dish to arrive was the pork chop fried rice, neatly plated and topped with strips of crispy pork chop. The cooked rice is fluffy, mixed with a fried egg and chopped green onion, and flavorful without extra sauces. The Shanghainese-style pork cutlet was almost breaded-like and seasoned, and I tasted it alongside soy sauce and vinegar. This rice dish was perfect for three people and a great starter.
Next was our side of string beans with garlic. These freshly cut string beans are covered with minced garlic and tossed in high heat, making a great vegetable side dish. They were some of the best string beans I’ve had in a while, but I only wished the garlic taste was more robust. They are pretty generous with the portions, and we did not even finish all of them by the end of the meal.
The most anticipated part of our meal was the chicken xiao long bao or the soup dumplings. The waiter’s recommendation is to try a bao first before adding any chili oil or ginger. The waiter unveiled the 10-bao dish gracefully, and we each had about three or four. The small but compact dumplings had broth with carrot, celery, ginger and green onion notes. The soups and dumplings were my meal highlight and a must-try for anyone dining here. Each dumpling is hand-folded with its signature golden ratio of 18 folds, demonstrating the restaurant’s pride in its most-known dish.
After the soup dumplings, the waiter presented the chicken dumplings in the same manner. To our disappointment, this particular dumpling did not stand out to me like the others. It was simply a regular chicken dumpling, also filled with sweet onions. Soy sauce complemented the chicken flavor, but the dish was nothing outstanding. In its place, I would try the kurobuta pork buns next time. At this point in the meal, I would reorder everything a second time except the chicken dumplings.
The chicken spicy wontons, however, were another group favorite. Served in a signature house spicy sauce and topped with garlic and green onions, one order had about seven wontons. The spice level was perfect, and we used the leftover sauce to dip our other dishes. There would be no hesitation in ordering these a second time. By now, we had received all our main dishes, and there were no leftovers besides the string beans and some rice. For three people, we ordered the perfect amount of food to share, and no one was left feeling hungry. We appreciated the well-spaced timing of the dishes, which kept us well-engaged in eating while waiting for the next.
We tried the chocolate and mochi xiao long bao for dessert, which contained five small bao. When ordering initially, our waiter recommended the side of sea salt cream. The addictive, warm chocolate inside is rich and paired nicely with the sea salt cream, and I was glad we ordered it along with the bao. I only wished they were more generous with the bao portion, such as in the soup dumplings featuring 10 pieces. If dining with more than three people, get an additional order or another dessert, such as the chocolate buns.
When we left Din Tai Fung, I immediately started planning my next visit’s menu choices. The total cost was more affordable than I expected, primarily if split among the group. Satisfied with my experience, I can say the quality cuisine and atmosphere live up to the hype.
