Satisfy your Xiao Long Bao cravings at the ORIGINAL Din Tai Fung at Dong Men Station, Taiwan

Yes, yes and yes. Just yesterday I did the 24 hour food tour in Penang and today, I'll be bringing you to Taipei, Taiwan. As we had paid our flights to Taipei, we decided to go all out by visiting the original Din Tai Fung restaurant which is opened in year 1949. Upon stepping out from Dong Men MRT station, we tailed the large group of MRT commuters. And it was one of the wisest decisions as they led us to Din Tai Fung and we joined the queue like the rest.

Make sure you take your number first!

On average, the waiting time is an hour, be it you are in small group or big group. After jotting down on what we would like to order, we decided to stroll along Da’an, marveling each and every Yong Kang street. We couldn’t resist our temptation so we had some light snacks in between. Not so-wise decision in fact.

After an hour, we got our table in Din Tai Fung. It is a narrow 3-storey space with a really, really small space. At most, it can accommodate up to 8 – 10 tables in each floor while ground floor is mainly taken by its main kitchen.

This is how the order chit looks like

The service was great! Every few minutes, the servers would check on us. At some point, it gave us the feeling as if they were rushing us to quickly finish our meals. Nonetheless, first that came to our table was the signature xiao long bao.

Paired with soy-sauce, vinegars and strips of freshly ginger, a bite of xiao long bao should smack your lips with juicy pork fillings and delicately flavored broth, however, I was quite disappointed as it didn’t taste like what I would have expected.

Next up is the Pork Chop Fried Rice. One of the staple dishes which I would order whenever I visit Din Tai Fung in Malaysia. One thing about this dish is that you can choose to opt for brown rice or white rice. And as always, white rice will bring out the best version of the taste and smell -   Good taste with aromatic smell.

We opted for another of their signature dish called Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shao Mai. I would rate this as our least favorite dish. The combination of prawn and pork didn’t seem to gel well. The prawn is too dry and the skin is too thick. It could have been a better dish if they use fresher prawns.

Like the saying, when you are in Rome, you must behave like a Romans. So, when you are in Taipei, you must eat like them. Hence, we opted for the Steamed Wantan in Chilli sauce. I was expecting it to be spicy but it was not. A common taste where anyone can eat it. Thus, don’t be afraid to order this.

All in all, the taste doesn’t vary much between Din Tai Fung, Malaysia and Din Tai Fung, Taiwan. In a good way, kudos to Din Tai Fung, Malaysia for retaining the standard. 

If you wish to experience the joy of waiting with a large crowd and squeezing in a small restaurant plus, ticking off the bucket list of visiting the original outlet in Taipei, then head over to Din Tai Fung at Dong Men MRT station. You will like it.

Oh, they sell the above too.

Ambient: 2/5

Price: 3/5

Food: Non-halal, Chinese food

Service: 4/5

Verdict: Try the steamed wantan in chilli sauce
Remarks: Accept cash only!

Din Tai Fung Restaurant

No. 194, Section 2, Xinyi Road,

Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106

Monday – Sunday: 10am – 9pm

Regards,
FoodiesTravel