Writing this article has aggravated a dumpling-shaped hole in my soul. I am now sufficiently miserable. I day-dream about spinach during class. I feel the gravitational pull tearing me apart—a continent away in one direction, an ocean in the other.
Think I’m being too melodramatic? Then you’ve never tried Din Tai Fung.
I’ll be nice. This article will be accompanied with somewhat random and not particularly tantalizing images of food. If you would like to suffer through the temptation of these culinary masterpieces or have the honor to be able to make a reservation, you can find your Din Tai Fung website.
Din Tai Fung was initially founded by Mr. Yang Bing-Yi in Xinyi, Taipei. Half of the shop sold cooking oil, but this was overtaken by the success of the product of the second half of the shop: Xiao Long Bao.
Xiao Long Bao translates to “little dumplings in a basket.” Din Tai Fung’s shops tend to include a clear window through which chefs in white uniforms and masks can be viewed churning out these delicate creations with precision and efficiency. Waiting in line with a bunch of other people anxious for good food, you can watch the care with which Xiao Long Bao is made.
The process involves rolling out thin discs of dough traditionally filled with pork (though there are many variations) and gelatin, then wrapping them within an 18 pleat twist of the dough around it. The gelatin melts into the broth within these “soup dumplings” (as they are known in English) as they are steamed within a bamboo basket whose lid is removed at the table in a mouth-watering puff of steam.
For those who aren’t scalding their mouths in impatience there is tradition even to the way Xiao Long Bao is eaten.
At Din Tai Fung, each person has a small plate (dishes are ordered communally and divided onto these plates), chopsticks, a rimmed soup spoon, and a dish with threads of ginger. These are your tools for eating Xiao Long Bao.
First, you pour vinegar and soy sauce over the ginger dish into which you dip your Xiao Long Bao. Placing the dumpling in the spoon, you use a chopstick to poke a hole that releases the broth. Top this masterpiece off with a few threads of ginger and eat in one bite. A handy video of this can be found on Din Tai Fung’s United States website.
However, this restaurant, whose Hong Kong branch has been awarded one Michelin star five times, has more delectable tastes than just their iconic Xiao Long Bao. Their dim sum includes steamed dumplings and pork buns, their “Greens” Spinach and Garlic option that could make anyone crave vegetables, and their wontons, noodles, and fried rice which are not to be ignored. Accompany this with a bottomless glass of tea and top it off with the pocket of joy that is Chocolate & Mochi Xiao Long Bao and you’ll be missing the food the moment you step outside the door.
Accompany this with a bottomless glass of tea and top it off with the pocket of joy that is Chocolate & Mochi Xiao Long Bao and you’ll be missing the food the moment you step outside the door.
At the very least, you’ll know that the three hours you spent wandering the mall waiting for a table were worth it. You can also call in ahead to make a reservation and be the envy of the inevitably long line waiting for a taste of brilliance.
Din Tai Fung has 13 locations in the United States—all on the West coast (California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada). It also has locations across Asia, in Australia, UAE, and Europe. So, for those of you for whom one of Din Tai Fung’s 170 locations is a road trip or a plane ride away—boy, do I sympathize.
And for those of you close enough to pay this dim sum heaven a visit, take me with you?
