Din Tai Fung
Taiwanese restaurant · Costa Mesa ·
Taiwanese chain famed for Shanghai-style soup dumplings & noodles
Taiwanese chain famed for Shanghai-style soup dumplings & noodles
"The legendary soup dumpling restaurant from Taiwan lives up to its global reputation in the Westfield UTC mall. When diners first walk into the dumpling mecca, they can marvel at the rigorous dumpling-making process in the kitchen window. Pair the Kurobuta pork soup dumplings (also called xiao long bao or XLB) with the pear lychee martini made with whole lychees. Chicken xiao long bao is also an alternative. Cap off the meal with the chocolate-filled XLB for dessert. Starting November 23, the restaurant will be retailing dumpling-inspired holiday gifts including clip-on plushies of its mascots, Bao Bao and Shao Mai, and a pair of holiday ornaments fashioned after a xiao long bao in a steamer basket and the brand’s iconic takeout bag." - Helen I. Hwang, Candice Woo
"Opening: TBD Finally, our own Din Tai Fung. The worldwide chain, which has a bunch of locations on the West Coast, is opening its first New York City outpost a few blocks from Radio City in a space that’s Tao levels of enormous. You’ll be able to eat cucumber salad, spicy wontons, and, of course, delicate xiao long bao with exactly 18 folds each." - bryan kim
"Din Tai Fung is known for its xiao long bao. But dumplings for dessert? Only if it’s the chocolate mochi xiao long bao. It’s slightly chewy with gooey warm chocolate encased inside. Request the cream top, which is essentially whipped cream in a teacup, for dipping." - Jenn Tanaka
"Included among the plaza’s two major soup-dumpling offerings, Din Tai Fung is portrayed as a Taiwanese dumpling dominator and anchors a high-traffic corridor—so much so that Miàn chose a space directly below it to capitalize on dumpling-driven foot traffic and the plaza’s culinary draw." - Jenn Tanaka
"An internationally known Taiwanese restaurant chain famed for its xiao long bao (soup dumplings), which are expertly pleated and steamed in view of diners through tall kitchen windows. The broad menu also includes Taiwanese staples such as beef noodle soup, starter cold salads and vegetables, steamed buns and various noodle dishes. New openings reliably draw heavy, near-constant crowds — a popularity that has even inspired local memes — and the brand, which launched its U.S. presence via the San Gabriel Valley, now operates multiple Southern California locations (including an outlet in Costa Mesa). A new location is planned for the busy Downtown Disney retail and restaurant district in Orange County as part of a major revamp." - Farley Elliott