Since it all started in Taiwan, Din Tai Fung was one of the places my dad was dying to try once we got to Taipei. We’ve been to the one in Hong Kong numerous times now, and it never seems to disappoint.
There are many branches in Taipei (and worldwide), but we opted for the one in Xinyi district. We went quite late that night (around 9pm), and had to wait 20-30 minutes for a table. Despite the crowd, our server was very attentive and approachable, definitely deserves a thumbs up!
These xiao long baos were definitely one of the best ones I’ve tried to date. The dough was rolled out super thin, but not to the point where the soup will easily leak out. I had no difficulty lifting them off the cloth underneath, which I always find to be an issue when I eat these elsewhere. They were delicious!!!
I love drunken chicken but am always worried that the chicken will either be too dry or meaty… Didn’t have any of those issues with this dish. The meat was so soft and marinated thoroughly. Highly recommend trying this item, I don’t recall the dish being this good in HK!
The dish that stood out less that night was probably this bowl of noodle. The spare ribs were tender and not too dry, but having been soaked in a bowl of soup, I felt it has lost a bit of its taste. Perhaps it would have been better if I had ordered this with rice instead of noodles.
The noodles were al dente, the beef was juicy, and the soup was flavourful, albeit slightly oily. Overall, I’d highly recommend grabbing a bowl.
I’ve never been a huge fan of this dessert, but this bowl here really changed my impression of sweet rice wine soup. There was a tint of sourness in the soup, but I kinda like how it helped balance out the sweetness. The rice balls were rolled out nice and thin (not too doughy) and contained a generous amount of sesame!
Overall, our experience in Din Tai Fung was excellent! Both the service and food were impeccable and the quality was definitely better than the branch in Hong Kong. Expect long queues if you decide to stop by.
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Price range: $300-500 TWD/person
Recommendations: 小龍包, 紹興醉雞, 紅燒牛肉麵
Location: 110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, City Hall Rd
Website: http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/en/
Itch-to-eat (out of 5):
that-itch.com 