| 700 Bellevue Way NE, Ste 280, Bellevue, WA 98004 Website: http://www.dintaifungusa.com |
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Started in 1958, Din Tai Fung has been expanding greatly since 2000 to Japan, China, the United States, and other parts of Asia. Well known for their steamed pork dumplings (siu long bao), Din Tai Fung is very busy with 2-3 hour wait times on weekends. Even weekdays have 45 minute wait times. I had to wait 30 minutes for an open seat at the bar.
Hello Dumpling welcomes all who come to Din Tai Fung. A lot of people are fascinated that Latin Americans are preparing the dumplings and buns rather than Chinese people. For me, as long as the food is good and clean, I don’t really care.
A basic interior with bright non-decorated yellow walls
It’s casual dining. It’s not a typical Chinese restaurant, there’s actual cleared walking areas
Steamed Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
The pride of Din Tai Fung. Is it all it’s hyped to be?
Inside the steamed pork dumplings
The pork is juicy and the soup inside is hot. The wrapping is thin but won’t fall apart lifting it lightly with chopsticks.
Vegetable and Pork Bun
These are thicker breaded. They’re soft and came out hot.
Vegetable and Pork Bun
It’s a very filled blend of cabbage and pork. The bun is not overly thick but soft and yummy. But I would recommend getting dumplings over buns unless you really like buns.
Shanghai Rice Cake with Chicken
I love rice cakes. They’re thick and chewy. There isn’t much vegetables in this dish and not much chicken either. For me, it’s on the side of too oily.
Din Tai Fung has really good dumplings that are made just right. Does it have good food? Yes. Is it awesome and worth waiting 2-3 hours? No way. Is it worth waiting even for 45 minutes? Not for me. I’ve had dumplings and Shanghai rice cake in Toronto that were almost or as good. It’s also on the pricy side with dishes on average 30% higher than comparable places. But you can’t go wrong coming here.
Tummy Points: 3.5 out of 5
Tummy Points 