Hi guys! Hope everyone is having a fantastic year so far :)
I recently went to Din Tai Fung (twice actually) in the past month, and decided to share what the hype is all about!
If you live in SF or the Bay area, you may know that a Din Tai Fung opened up in Santa Clara and the next closest location is in SoCal.
So what's the hype? Well DTF was founded in Taiwan and is best known for it's one of a kind xiao long bao's AKA soup dumplings. They have several international locations, and some of their locations in Hong Kong have been awarded a Michelin star.
TIP: Currently, all their regular tables are reservations only and they go fast during dinner hours so plan ahead of time. You can make reservations on their website or Yelp. Otherwise, be prepared to wait for bar seats only!
When you first check in, you are given one of these handy little menus that you later mark off - please read it because I've ordered dumplings instead of wontons before.....
WHAT WE ORDERED//
Pork XLB - Definitely a winner! The outer skin is very thin and doesn't tear easily. Soup inside is super tasty, so definitely order this! We also ordered the crabmeat XLB, but I wasn't a big fan because it tasted very fishy.
Braised Beef Noodle - This was definitely one of my faves as well. The braised beef is so tender that it just melts in your mouth. The soup is a little spicy but SOOO good with the noodles. I ordered a bowl for myself both times I came - so go figure lol!
Vegetable & Pork Spicy Wontons - OKAY heres the deal, I personally like the wontons MORE than the xiao long baos. This dish has a nice spicy chili oil and shacha sauce taste that works well with the wontons. I find these more filling and tastier, whereas the XLB don't really fill me up.
Potstickers - These were very very crispy and juicy on the inside. These reminded of Japanese gyoza's but a little bit bigger. I did like the sweet sticky sauce it came with (sorry I don't know what it is).
Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs - these reminded me of the spare ribs my mom used to make when I was younger, if you grew up with a Chinese family, you'll prob know what I'm talking about! They tasted more sweet than sour IMO, but overall spot on for a typical Chinese spare rib.
Shu mai with Sticky Rice - What this reminded me of was a "Lo Mai Gai" except instead of leaves on the outside, they used the same skin as the XLB. Don't get me wrong, they still tasted good but I was just expecting more of a "shu mai" type of dish than this.
Overall, I had a good experience at Din Tai Fung. I obviously came back twice already so something brought me back!
My Favorites were:
1) Pork xiao long bao
2) Braised beef noodle soup
3) Vegetable & pork spicy wontons
If I ever go back again, those 3 would definitely be on my list - but ultimately the goal is to go to a DTF in Hong Kong or Taipei!
Hope you enjoyed my "review" and let me know what your experience may have been like in the comments below.
xo
Michelle
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