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Din Tai Fung
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Taiwanese Chinese, Taiwanese
1108 S Baldwin AveArcadia, CA 91007
(626) 574-7068
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Sat 10 am - 9:30 pm
Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
2351 reviews for Din Tai Fung
Review Highlights
-
"This place is so good for juicy pork dumplings." In 369 reviews -
"Xiao long bao & Rice cake was sooo good." In 308 reviews -
"My favorite is the Shanghai Rice Cake." In 54 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
2351 reviews in English
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Review from Amy H.
Los Angeles, CA
5/23/2012 2 Check-ins Here
every bite is a anticipated!
i always order the juicy pork dumplings, garlic sauteed broccoli, shanghai rice cake sauteed with spinach and cabbage and chicken, steam chicken soup, shrimp and pork dumplings in spicy sauce.
don't forget to drizzle vinegar on your juicy pork dumplings. i always use their spicy oil on the rice cake. The spicy sauce that comes with the shrimp and pork dumplings can be used as a dipping sauce for everything! the flavor is amazing!
when i come in bigger parties, i also order the dan dan mien (noodles with sesame sauce), their dumplings with red bean (so simple but great way to end a delicious meal).
honestly, i bet everything on this menu is spectacular. so come back and try everything if you get a chance, i'm still working on it! warning: you will get cravings for din tai fung and they will come strong! totally worth the drive, but seriously ATTENTION DIN TAI FUNG: OPEN ONE IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. MONEYYYY!!!!! -
Review from Anna L.
5/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
I asked my friends where they like to take their out of town friends and they said here so....I asked to go here! And my cousins/friends all said we should go here at least once to try it.
We got the sticky rice (it was okay - tastes like the vietnamese version which I'm pretty used to so I wasn't wowed), pork dumplings, crab / pork dumplings, vegetables, rice cake and shumai.
I really like the rice cake dish and the pork dumplings. The crab/pork dumplings aren't as good as ny's joes shanghai but they are decent. They ran out of the xiao luong bao :( boooo hiss. Service is okay. -
Review from Natalie K.
Arcadia, CA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
No sure how this place ended up with 2 different profiles on yelp so I will just write my review on the one that has more reviews.
Din Tai Fung is completely overrated. I understand that juicy pork dumplings or xiao luong bao is good but there are so many places that make them better than DTF. The only thing DTF beats the other places in is their cool double meaning abbreviated name.
I would rather go to Kang Kang in Alhambra or Luscious Dumplings in San Gabriel for my dumpling fix. Luscious also has better noodle dishes. -
Review from Sandee T.
Beverly Hills, CA
5/15/2012
(Out of 5-star rating)
What:
- Noodle w Sesame Sauce (4): HELLO! I'm in love (with these noodles).
- Juice Pork Dumplings (4): Indeed juicy but so tiny! Sooo good.
When/Where/How:
- Casual weekday grab-a-bite
- Wait (4): didn't have to wait long (bonus!) and were seated promptly...doesn't seem to be the norm though
- Service (3.5): Fair. I mean, better than most Asian restaurants but I still prefer if they come back to check on you often.
Why:
- B/c of other's rave reviews. And I will be back~ -
Review from Tiff C.
Did you know Din Tai Fung is on the list of Yahoo's top international FAST FOOD restaurants? Whaaaa?
Yeah... I have no idea. Anyways, I've had this place bookmarked for the longest time and was always hesitant to go wait hours just to eat some XLB, but this time around, we decided to go try different things and landed at Din Tai Fung.
The wait wasn't too bad for a Saturday night. We went in around 6, and expected it to be a super long wait, but we waited at most.. maybe 40 min max. I've heard worse! So our wait time was not bad at all.. They also have superb customer service. They have their hosts offer cups of water or tea to their waiting customers. That's awesome.
We decided to get an order of XLB, shanghai rice cake noodles with chicken, baby bok choy with garlic and braised beef noodle soup.
XLB (juicy pork dumplings) - yummy, nice juiciness and tasty
Shanghai rice cakes - lots of flavor, good texture, I'd recommend this
Baby bok choy - can't really go wrong here, could use a bit more garlic but nice to have some veggies
braised beef noodle soup - pretty good but lacked in flavor, noodles were al dente and beef was chewy but still tender.
Overall, it was delicious and I'd definitely go back in the future. -
Review from Ji-In L.
5/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Love these dumplings. The skin is right. The soup is delicious. The pork is juicy and flavorful. It's hard for me to justify waiting in line for that long for anything, but on a nice day with a delicious boba drink from next door in hand, the wait isn't bad at all. I think it's smart that you basically order while you're waiting so as soon as you sit you can put your order in. To all you XLB newbies out there, please do your research on how to eat soup dumplings first. Please don't just pop these dumplings in your mouth and end up with scalding hot soup burning your mouth!
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Review from Alex S.
Los Angeles, CA
I hate using the word overrated. It conjures up negative feelings and horrendous memories of my alma mater getting knocked out of the 1st round in the NCAA tournament (I'll leave it at that...). But Ding Tai Fung, I'm sorry. You were good, not great.
My 3 star rating is probably more of a relative judgment in relation to the Ding Tai Fung in Taiwan where I first got addicted to these soup dumplings. Granted, dining experiences are isolated events but it's all I've got and I was way too hyped coming into this to brush it off.
Don't get me wrong, this was a solid meal, a delicious one. But I found a common thread in all five soup dumplings we tried: Good Taste, Good Flavor, So Small. The more I think about it, the more I hate myself for being such a haggler on one small thing but I'm sorry, it was a noticeable annoyance that left me still hungry and hounding down 25 ounces of frozen yogurt to quell my appetite. Another thing that bugged me (this is pretty dumb but it must be mentioned): they had the twisty straws and I asked at least 4 different waiters/waitresses if they could provide us with some but for some reason, we never received our twisty straws . . . what's up with that???
On a more positive note, the food was great in terms of taste. My favorite dumpling was the crab pork dumpling. I'm a huge fan of crab and the crab-flavor definitely came out very strongly. My friend also ordered a chicken fried rice on a whim but it was surprisingly delicious. So don't get me wrong, the food is really really good. Unfortunately, it's good to the point where if you don't have enough, you will still be desperately hungry and inevitably end up making a bad dietary decision for your abdominal section.
After writing this review and with more reflection, I'm tempted to add one more star for how good the food was but in the end, I think one of the the primary responsibilities of any restaurant is to have every customer leave feeling full and satisfied at a reasonable value. I guess the customer could always order more but not everyone is made of money and as we all know, the customer is always right. -
Review from Edward L.
San Mateo, CA
5/8/2012
Came here for lunch after just arriving from SF.
The XLB dumplings here are simply 'delicious'. Everything here seems to be well-made in terms of quality.
My Mother and Sister believe that the Ding Tai Fung in Taipei seems to be better than this location here in LA, so, I'll have to go to Taiwan and try that location sometime.
We got here around 12:30-1:00 and just waited about 20 minutes. In addition to the XLB dumplings, we ordered cold appetizers, noodles, and tried their pork chop with rice. Their thin cut pork chops were very tasty as they had been flavored with various spices and they cooked the pork slices just right! Very tasty!
I would definitely come back and visit this place soon. It's somewhat far from where my family resides, but, I'm quite certain that we'll be back soon. -
Review from Jason T.
Berkeley, CA
5/22/2012
I constantly hear about Din Tai Fung and their dumplings from my friends who live in Arcadia. I also heard that the dumplings are more expensive than the dumplings from other restaurants. I'm definitely a person who appreciates good value in food, but despite knowing that tidbit of information, I thought that I had to try out these famous steamed dumplings.
I entered the restaurant with my mother on a Monday evening a little past 8pm. It was packed, but we were seated quickly. You can easily see the chefs making the dumplings by hand and steaming them, so that was an interesting sight. I didn't read the whole menu, but it had the usual Chinese cuisine, including fried rice and fried noodle dishes, and you can choose between beef, pork, and chicken for many dishes.
We ordered a set of pork dumplings, a bowl of braised beef with noodle soup, and the pork cutlet fried rice. Everything came out in an acceptable amount of time. The dumplings were delicious, but didn't live up to the hype given by my Arcadia friends. I only wish that I had eaten all of them while the broth inside was still hot. After they cooled down they were significantly less appetizing than before. The beef noodles and fried rice were also great (the beef was extremely soft and tender), but the portions were smaller than expected.
All in all, the food was really good and the service was excellent - the hostess even opened the door for us as we left. But as someone who looks for value in each purchase, I can only give Din Tai Fung four stars. -
Review from O H.
Covina, CA
5/22/2012
Found in a shopping mall in Arcadia, CA. The decor is nice, atmosphere is good a well rounded mixture of Asians and others. The prices are about 7 dollars a plate and nicely presented. Parking can be a problem, so get there early....a hostess will seat you as soon as you arrrived or have you wait for the next available table; in doing so you can watch the Latinos in the kitchen prepare the dumplings!
Once seated, you are given a golf score sheet to itemized your meal preferences, or ask for a colorful menu that has each item listed by number with no prices. The servers are pleasant and nicely dressed and groomed. The meal went exceptionally well until our crab dumplings came with a large black hair that was wrapped around a juicy dumpling. We summoned our waitress and she seemed alarmed at seeing the hair and quickly disappeared into the kitchen...we informed her that we did not wish another dumpling as that had turned our stomachs.
We slowly ate the remainder of our meal, carefully inspecting each dish to insure there were no more unexpected items....we waited several long minutes for a manager or assistant manager to come to our table and discuss the matter. However, after 15 minutes we decided that are appetite had disappeared and asked for the bill. The dumplings had been removed from our bill, and we insisted that the manager come to our table. After many minutes a young Asian woman came to our table and said she was aware of the hair but that she did not know that she should come to our table and discuss the matter or apologize!
We told her we would have like to have discussed the matter with her and the the affect on the rest of our meal. She said she was sorry, but it seemed she was unaware of what the impact of finding foreign objects in food mean.
We left a bit disillusioned and disappointed with the results of our first visit to this restaurant. There seems to be a disconnect between understanding good hygiene practices in restaurants and maintaining communication with patrons.
Perhaps, someone in the restaurant would care enough to respond to this review... -
Review from Jordan A.
Las Vegas, NV
4/28/2012
I am always down to DTF, dumplin.
The soup dumplings/XBL here are some of the best things I have eaten in the entire life (I am not exaggerating even a little). I could literally eat 50 of these things. Not to be completely out-shined, the noodle dishes are also fantastic, but it's hard to convince yourself to fill up on noodles if it means less XBL.
Be careful you don't burn the hell out of your mouth on that delicious broth though.Listed in: California Love
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Review from Sabine M.
Thousand Oaks, CA
5/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
AMAZING dumplings. The food is delicious, so clean. AMAZING! I will be back. The wait is long but SOOO WORTH IT!!!!!
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Review from Mimi T.
Westminster, CA
This place was such a disappointment. I mostly blame my friends for over-hyping it but I came in with no crazy expectations and I'm sure I'm a black sheep with this review b.c it seems like everyone adores this place. I'll also take into account that I drove a little over an hour to try this place so I was a bit pissed about the distance and it turned out not to be mind blowing.
Food* I ordered the juicy pork dumpling, the shrimp/pork shumai, the garlic spinach, and the sweet and sour soup. The dumplings and the shumai tasted EXACTLY THE SAME and after two dumplings, my taste buds were completely dull...not because of the hot juice that explodes at every bite, but because it was so underwhelming. The sweet and sour soup was bland as a mother, ever heard of salt? The best part of the meal was the garlic spinach.
service* Nothing extraordinary but it wasn't bad. It was definitely overpriced though...ordered 4 items and it was almost $40 bucks after tipping and we weren't even the slightest bit full or satisfied. -
Review from Sam P.
4/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
People need to chill the fuck out about the wait times to get into this place. It irks me to see seasoned yelpers let an expected long wait time poo poo on their entire dining experience... they'll usually start by saying "OVERATED!!!". Buy a smart phone and keep yourself busy.
That said, this is a dumpling place so all I ordered were dumplings. One reviewer mentioned that the juicy dumplings were neither dry nor juicy. WTH is that? You can't have middle juicy, idiot.. these people make me wanna not live in this world anymore. The juicy dumplings were juicy but they didn't explode in my mouth with juice. I ordered only the juicy stuff this time around: one shrimp, one pork, one shrimp mixed with pork. If my friend didn't have to leave early, I would have ordered another round of pork. I loved every bite. Dip your dumplings in a bit of soy sauce and eat it with the ginger slices all at once for an enhanced experience.
This place is comparable to another dumpling restaurant called Dumpling Inn in San Diego, which is more hole in the wall one of my most all time favorite restaurants, dumpling lovers should come check it out.
I can't wait to come back here. Advice to anyone considering going here, have some form of distraction or good company and don't come back here moaning about wait times. -
Review from Lana N.
I will always have a soft spot for Din Tai Fung... despite how overpriced it is and how truly over-hyped it is. Din Tai Fung took my XLB cherry (and played me silly, mind you) and will forever remain in my heart as my first [XLB] love... and now it is forever ingrained and it will forever be like a drug. But like any good drug, nothing is as good as the first time. Every XLB venture outside of DTF has not faired as well - my return here since having unsuccessful XLB elsewhere faired no different and left me longing for something new...
On second look, the XLB at Din Tai Fung are really not that hot and juicy... The meat was lacking in flavor and the overall dish was kinda cold?! My mind wandered off to more recent and future possible XLB flings. Similarly, the Shrimp and Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce were good, but not as good as I remembered the Pork and Vegetable Wontons...
Since we were here with a bigger group this time, we were hoping to also get their Shrimp and Pork Shuimai - but they were out come 3pm on a Sunday... So instead, we also ordered the Shanghai Rice Cakes and the Minced Pork Noodles. The noodles continued to be the best noodles I've ever had, but overall both were less than stellar dishes.
I probably won't be in a rush to come back with the crazy lines and less than stellar results... but if anyone ever really wanted to go, I wouldn't turn down the idea of trying to rekindle my love for DTF - for its love is like a drug.
/cheesy lyric references
/crazy drug referencesListed in: Is it worth the HYPE?, SGV (San Gabriel Valley) EATS, Oodles of Noooodles, mmmBRUNCH, The Michelin Guide
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/24/2011
Is this place worth the hype? Maybe not... but this is a great place for any Xiao Long Bao (XLB)… Read more »
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Review from Elizabeth L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2012
This place is so overhyped and overpriced. The dumplings are good but I've had better, i.e. din sean. The wait is also ridiculous and the waiting area is way crowded. We had the shanghai rice cakes dish in addition to the dumplings, which I'd say was more impressive than the dumplings.
Definitely good to visit just for the experience but I won't be having dtf cravings any time soon. :P -
Review from Shirley Y.
Hayward, CA
5/18/2012
I have heard about Din Tai Fung from family and friends all over the world so I was determined to try it out when I'm in LA. The best XLB I ever eaten ran out of business so I been hoping to find a replacement.
Sadly, I was fairly disappointed overall. The service was quick and efficient. The skin was super thin but still hold the juices in so I get why it's popular. I hate super thick doughy skin on my dumplings so I was quite happy with the texture. BUT the inside was flavorless and overcooked. I got the crab one too and it was a bit better in flavor but still overcooked. I think it's because they use lean ground pork so there isn't any fat to keep it moist and yummy. It wasn't bad but I expected better XLB considering their reputation. With the price they charge and long lines I would rather go elsewhere.
If I ever go to Din Tai Feng again, it will be in Asia. -
Review from Stephanie Y.
San Francisco, CA
4/19/2012
ONE WORD- GOODNESS!
This place is the "go to" place for your fix of juicy pork dumplings (xiao long bao). The later you come, the more hectic this place becomes so let me tell my readers the secret, get here before 11AM! I came here 2 days in a row, and noticed the people start lining up at 11.
This restaurant has two locations, right behind each other because they obviously needed more space to accomodate the demand. They have tiny, taiwanese hostesses talking back and forth on their mics for maximum efficiency. They send you to the other location if they have seating for you there. I don't know exactly how it works, but it does!
This time around, we had:
(YAY!) Juicy Pork Dumplings: They don't call it juicy for nothing! These things are sensitive to the touch so let me share with you the trick to eating these. Pinch the top with your chopsticks while holding your soup spoon right next to it, lift, it slowly, and place it carefully onto the spoon so as to keep all the juice inside from leaking.
If you're taking a date here, be sure to put the whole thing in your mouth at once. If you bite into it, I'll guarantee the juice will squirt right out onto your date!
(YAY!) Spicy Oil Wonton w/ Shrimp: This is the best spicy wonton I've EVER eaten, and I've tried this dish in quite a few places. The spicy chili oil had a bit of saute sauce flavor in it, genius!
(BOO!) Beef Noodle Soup: I keep ordering this dish in restaurants all over America, knowing I'd probably be disappointed. Nothing can compare to my grandma's (who is in Taiwan)!
(YAY!) Bean Curd & Tofu Soup: This is a light soup. It's not heavy in flavor, and everything in it just makes it taste great. It's a perfect starter.
(MEH!) Soup Pork Dumplings: I expected too much from this because everytime I come, they're out. There are 20 of them in each order so you can imagine how small they are. There wasn't much soup in this at all! The skin was too thin to hold any of the soup in.
(MEH!) Crab Dumplings: Yeah, it has a lot of crab in it (probably not fresh).
Bottom line, Taiwanese food will never be as good in America but this is as good as it'll get so eat up, my fellow yelpers. (when you're in the neighborhood, of course) -
Review from Jeanne L.
Overrated. Not worth the 1.5 treacherous hour wait. Get the steamed pork dumplings if you come here and be prepared to share a table.
There is also a secondary restaurant right around the corner from this location so check which one has a shorter line. -
Review from Michele L.
Pasadena, CA
4/11/2012
I've been here so many times, I've lost count. Overrated? I think so. Although, I am still a huge fan. The thing is, only a select few items are truly delicious and worth the hype. The rest are really just a waste of money. So please take my advice:
Definitely get the Juicy Pork Dumplings. And please, get a few orders. I assure you none of the other dumplings (or any item) on the menu will come close to them. The Juicy Pork/Crab Dumplings are pretty good too. I absolutely love eating crab, but I still prefer the plain Juicy Pork Dumplings to the crab ones. Many people I know also agree and some even despise the crab ones. They say it takes away the pork taste and it's not like it's fresh crab meat. Thus, you get a mouthful of frozen crab meat which doesn't sound too good, does it? However, if you must order something with seafood, get the Juicy Pork/Crab Dumplings and NONE OF THE OTHER DUMPLINGS, I MEAN IT! None of the shrimp or fish ones are good. You can make those yourself.
Okay, onto one more item that I think is appropriate to spend your money on: the Rice & Pork Shiaomai. Think lotus leaf sticky rice served at dim sum places (but BETTER) wrapped in dumpling skin. It is 10 times better than the Shrimp & Pork Shiaomai. It has so much more flavor and it is actually unique.
For dessert, I suggest the Red Bean Rice Cake (2 pieces). Big enough to be shared by 2-3 people. Or. hop on over to Phoenix! -
Review from sabrina c.
West Covina, CA
5/15/2012
For the price, i rather go to another restaurant for soup dumplings. There is too much hype for this place, therefore the eating experience is ruined.
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Review from Teresa L.
San Gabriel, CA
4/25/2012
This is one of my favorite places to eat! I've tried many different locations and noticed that the taste of their food is pretty consistent. Pretty much everything is great, except the pan fried udon (I've had better) and the WAIT! *Never come here on a holiday unless ur willing to wait 2+ hrs!* Too popular! I've opted to share tables many times to cut the waiting time; sumtimes it's a bit odd, but the food makes u forget there r strangers across ur table ;)
The dumplings are a MUST, the House Chicken Soup (steamed), Spicy Beef noodle soup, Shrimp fried rice, Taro dumplings &... are all very yummy! I don't know why don't they have the Rice Wine w/ Black Sesame Mini Mochi Balls here (not sure if this is what it's called?), but had this when I ate at the DTF in Shanghai; it was really good, maybe rice wine is an acquired taste? Overall, food & service is great =), just minus the long wait :/ -
Review from Judy L.
3/24/2012
As over hyped as this place is, it still meets or exceeds my expectation every time I go, so I guess it's not really "over" hyped for me. I just wish it wasn't so busy!
Got here at 11:45 on a Sunday, and we waited for an hour and 15 min to get a table. We're usually the type to avoid the busy restaurants, or go during low peak hours, but once we have our minds set on Din Tai Fung, it just won't be satisfying to go anywhere else. So we waited, and waited, and waited, and finally got seated after an hour and 15 min.
As usual, we got the juicy pork dumplings (2 of them). Also ordered the dan dan noodles, shrimp fried rice, red bean buns, and minced pork noodles. Between the minced pork noodles and the dan dan noodles, definitely like the dan dan noodles more. Dumplings were good as they always are. Sometimes we also like to get the steamed shrimp and pork dumplings and the pork fried rice. -
Review from Tai P.
Placentia, CA
3/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Juicy dumplings, please!
The food gets 5 stars!
If I am going to wait an hour to be seated, I need to know it's worth my time. This place does not disappoint.
It's crowded and noisy. The hostesses and wait staff are constantly shuffling people and food. Makes a person anxious. I love it!
You can watch the guys make the dumplings by hand through the glass while you wait. It's like a factory. Don't know how they stand there and do that hours on end, but I truly appreciate it.
Each soup dumpling is a little work of art. So cliche, but heck, it's fitting here. -
Review from Stephanie J.
Fremont, CA
4/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I heard so much about this place for years and this time around I was finally in town and close enough to Din Tai Fung, so I seized my chance and head right over here after I had landed in Burbank airport. wahahaha
Came here fairly late right so didn't had much of the wait when we got to the restaurant. Awesome! I did heard the line get crazy during the day time.
The place is INDEED awesome! =P I love the xiao long bao! So moist and juicy inside. The favor is just right and the juice pops into your mouth. My advice is eat it while it still hot and use the ginger soy sauce they provided. It's the right way to eat a xiao long bao.
We also ordered the rice cake, fried rice and a noodle dish which were all not bad but nothing to brag about. -
Review from Lynda P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/12/2012 3 photos
The infamous Din Tai Fung. I hear that this place is second best place to get them besides directly from China. The wait is ridiculously long and when your number is finally called, the thrill and anticipation is like you just hit the jackpot.
We were finally seated for 2 after about an hour an 30 minute wait on a Saturday evening. My tummy was growling and as I walked through, perusing every table on the items on the things we should order. The fragrant aromatic smell of the dumplings quickly diffused through my nostrils. Even before I sat down, I felt like I was in dumpling heaven.
We ordered all their popular items, including juicy pork, shrimp and crab dumplings (XLB), chicken soup, and stir fried veggies. Everything was pretty good, however, disappointedly, I had higher expectations. Still, I'm probably not gonna be able to find dumplings this good anywhere else in Socal. I'll be back again if I'm in the area. -
Review from Ron M.
Montebello, CA
3/28/2012
Din Tai Fung has some pretty good dumplings (and desserts). Buuuuut, and it's one J.Lo.-sized "but" here, it's simply not worth the wait. It's like when the Kogi truck was super-popular before the whole over-saturated food truck craze. Korean bbq tacos? Delicious... but 2 and a half hours for it? No friggin' way.
My recommendation is to come during an off-hour. It's also a lot easier to get in with a party of two. Seating is pretty close to each other if you get seated in the middle of the room, so get prepared to get cozy with your neighbor. If you do go, make sure you have an idea of what you want to order as they ask you to fill out the order form prior to being seated. On a side note, I did appreciate that they brought out ice water for people waiting in line during a freakishly hot winter afternoon a few weeks back.
Some of the serving sizes are small for the price, but nothing too ridiculous. And it's true, there are non-Asian people making the dumplings in the window... but these non-Asian people can make better dumplings than a lot of Asian people out there. So meh to that.
Now that I've tried it... would I come back? Maybe if someone I knew desperately wanted to go and I had 2+ hours to kill and its not 90 degrees outside... Otherwise, sorry Din Tai Fung, your sweet sesame bun was delicious... but I'm out. -
Review from Mei W.
This place is definitely overrated; not quite sure what the hype is about. Came here one evening on a weekend and this place was packed! I noticed the staff here is very fast and efficient! They made sure we had a look over the menu while waiting and took our order in immediately once we were seated. With the use of their headset for better communication - it seem like they were able to seat people and get them out quick! (Even though we had to wait an hour for our table!)
We ordered a total of 40 dumplings amongst 3 people to share (yes it may sound like a lot, but each dumpling is bite-sized) - with a combination of pork, shrimp with melon and beef. To be frank, they all tasted the same. I could not tell the difference between all 40 of the dumplings. We also ordered hot and sour soup which was a bit too spicy, but it was still good.
I would probably recommend anyone who wants to try this place to come on a weekday - perhaps it will be less crowded. I wouldn't classify this place to be an ideal restaurant for dinner when all you're eating is dumplings. It reminded me of the sieu mai's they serve for dim sum; very similar taste. -
Review from Amy L.
Irvine, CA
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went on a Saturday afternoon around 2:30 and there was a line out to the side of the bldg!! You need to go in and get a ticket with your number and also a menu.
It was in the mid-80s that day and the staff came out with ice waters to distribute to the customers in line ^^
After we received our ticket, we waited about 30 min before being seated.
Once we sat down, we just handed our server with our menu and the orders came in very promptly. We ordered:
(1) Sauteed Bok Choy (About 2-3 servings)
(2) Juicy Pork Dumplings (10 each per order)
(1) Pork and Crab Dumplings (10 each per order)
(1) Pork and Shrimp Shu mai (10 each per order)
The bok choy was very good! Very tender and flavorful and not greasy!
The juicy pork dumplings were the best with the best flavor and plenty of juices.
The pork and crab dumplings were too "fishy"...the crab flavor/smell overpowers everything.
The pork and shrimp shu mai were good but the skin is much thicker than the dumplings so it fills you up but it's surprisingly very juicy!
Everything was worth the wait and the servers were all very friendly and attentive!
(About $45 total before tip) -
Review from T C.
Fountain Valley, CA
4/13/2012
Yum. Wow. In that order.
The pork and shrimp wontons in spicy sauce was absolutely my fave (~$7)! It soooo wasn't spicy at all. The juicy pork dumpling and shrimp and pork dumpling were predictably good (~$8); the rice and pork shao mai were completely forgettable (think sticky rice wrapped in dumpling wrapper - yes, too much starch in one bite; ~$8). The shrimp fried rice was decent (~$7) but the portion was pretty small. The sesame noodle tasted like peanut butter; first bite was great, subsequent bites were forgettable (~$6). The minced pork noodle, shanghai rice cake w/ pork, and the pork rice bun were all forgettable (~$6, ~$8, ~$3, respectively).
Other important info: crowded with long lines, great service, large portions of dumplings - 10 per order (by my calculation, about 25 cents per dumpling more than other dim sum places), ask for menu w/ pictures, prices printed on paper brochure and order sheet only and not in menu. -
Review from Gina M.
like, yum! i came here with a group of friends after a morning hike, so you can imagine how hungry i was! we waited about 40 minutes, not so bad since we were able to kill time next door at Dream Era.
We ordered a ton of plates... and the food came out quick! Everything tasted great... our table got quiet. my fav dumplings was of course the juicy pork dumplings and also the shu mai. They had shopao on the menu!! i had to try one and it did not disappoint! there isn't anything bad to say about any of the foods we tried... the rice cakes were bomb!!! shrimp fried rice was not oily, which made it tasty. pork minced noodles were yummy! we ordered so many dishes, i can't remember all the names. boo! if you want to sample a lil bit of everything on the menu, i suggest going with a group of 5 or more. -
Review from Ari M.
3/11/2012
I finally got to experience the original Arcadia location of Din Tai Fung after an excruciating hour long wait. This was on a Saturday around 3:30. My party had originally walked to the other location next door (where I have been a couple times before), where we were happy to find a packed restaurant, but no wait outside. Unfortunately, they had just closed at 3:00 and would not reopen until 5:00. I know it's not really fair to hold that against them, but when there's an hour long wait at the other restaurant, you'd hope both locations would be open.
Putting that aside, when we were finally seated we were served quickly and the food kept rolling out just as we nearly finished what was in front of us. The pork dumplings were amazing as always, and the shrimp and pork dumplings were great too. I also got to try a pork bun, chicken fried rice, and spicy noodles. None of those orders were spectacular, but they were all enjoyable. Of course, I had to order one extra platter of pork dumplings before I got too full. -
Review from Chubby T.
Los Angeles, CA
3/24/2012
A restaurant with over 2000 reviews and it still has 4 stars really did impress me, so I decided to give it a try.
I bought an order of steamed pork dumplings and it didn't live up to my expectations. The meat inside of the dumpling was standard and the texture of the wrapper was soft but yet still intact. My only problem was it's so-called "juicy-ness". It wasn't juicy nor it was dry -- every single time I bit into that dumpling, I felt a rush of liquid enter my mouth. That's not a pleasant feeling. It would overpower the dipping sauce and it felt like I was drinking steamed water, rather than the juicy-ness that is supposed to come from the dumpling. Their dipping sauce didn't hold that much flavor either. It did however have a very overpowering unpleasant smell.
I don't think I will be coming back, especially because of their parking.
They may have their own parking lot, but it's tiny so don't expect to find parking that easily. -
Review from Lili H.
AWESOME place!
A former co-worker recommended me this place about 5 years ago.
When I tried it, the wait seemed excessive but after being inside I understood why people are willing to wait and seat is shared tables.
Now 5 years later, I heard that the place expanded, I was nearby, so why not?
First of all the location expanded but seems like the crowd too, the place had a line outside, just like the first time I went but now there are 2 lines one on each door.
After patiently waiting we were seated, they don't have the shared tables anymore we proceed to order the traditional, juicy and sensational dumplings:
- Steamed Chicken dumplings http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Steamed shrimp and pork dumplings http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Side dishes:
- Mustard collard with ginger http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Garlic Spinach http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Seaweed and tofu
The flavor was as usual extraordinary, juicy and delicious, complemented with the soy and ginger sauce.
The garlic veggies were steamed to perfection, not too raw not to saggy. For the people that don't like vegetables, they should try these ones here!
Vegetables and healthy food are not supposed to taste THIS GOOD!!!!
This is one of the best recommendations I have ever received, I wish they were closer to me! So I'd go often.
Next time I crave this I'll make sure to gas up my car and make the drive
Highly recommended! -
Review from Sarah P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/12/2012
Xiao long bao (XLB's) dumplings are really good! Lovely-juicy-hot surprise after your first bite.
Also, their spicy noodles dish and sauteed green beans are delish as well. -
Review from Thuy T.
If you are going to come here for the first time, do not come in with high expectations. If you come with no expectations I guess it could be good??
Came with a group of 9 and wait was 1 hour on Sunday afternoon. I guess that's a normal wait time.
Parking - horrible - but that's a given. It's not part of why I would give it a 3 star. Just wanted to point it out.
Wait - pretty long but there are a bunch of stores in the same plaza that can keep you pretty occupied.
Restaurant - clean but pretty small.. I didn't know it would be soo small but then that helped me understand why the wait was long.
Customer service - friendly and very prompt
Food - A-OK. It wasn't something that I would wait in a long line for.. If I am waiting for more than 30 minutes for food, it better be worth it!
-all the dumplings and they were okay. Everything came out fresh and quick but they were just okay.. nothing to rave about. They actually almost taste the same. I couldn't tell the difference between them.
-Spicy dumplings - not that spicy? We tried to ask for Sriracha but they don't serve it. An ASIAN restaurant that doesn't have Sriracha sauce? Could I say FAIL?
-fried pork chops - small portion and it was okay. it came out in a tiny plate?
-pork Fried rice - BARELY any pork in there.. there was more EGGS then the pork in the rice? I never had that experience before.. but I think I can make better fried rice than that. Also the Fried rice is NOT FOR SHARING.. it was also a small portion.
Overall, Over hyped over priced, and small portions. I would rather go eat Dim Sum so there are more options.
Overall 3 stars would be fair. I wouldn't come back or recommend it to anyone.. It was rather disappointing.. I actually LOVE dumplings too... -
Review from A P.
San Bernardino, CA
4/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Finally had the chance to get dine here early in the morning 10 am, on a Saturday; What a wonderful experience; what is amazing is the quality of service.
1. Juicy Pork dumplings A+
2. Shrimp and Veg dumplings A
3. Chicken Dumplings B+
4. Fried chicken noodles A
5. Spicy pork and shrimp dumpling soup A++
6. Spicy noodles A+
7. Red beans bun B+
8. 7 sweet rice B -
Bill with tip $60.00 for two. worth it!
Everything was outstanding; timing is everything, everything comes out on time, right when you finish, keeping everything nice an warm to eat. Dining took us 1h 30mins of non stop eating. -
Review from Michael W.
La Verne, CA
For a dumpling virgin I thought this place was pretty good.
All those lines people go on about? There was none when I got here SCORE!
Obviously they knew how sophisticated I was because of the drink they served me.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Yeahhhh......
First I had pan fried house made noodles with chicken
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
It was good! Needed some spice I thought though.
Crab and pork dumplings
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
These you need to get used to. The flavor grew on me but next time I would just try pork seeing as its cheaper.
Would I go to Din Tai Fung again? Yes
Would I recommend it to a causal newbie to Asian cuisine? Yes.
Would I want a ridiculous bendy straw again?.....yes.Listed in: Yelp bookmarks, 1000, The city of Peacocks, Asian Persuasion, Men Candy
-
Review from Kris H.
2/24/2012
Stellar xiao long baos and other dumplings. Very reminiscent of Kirin in Vancouver.
We ended up going to the older DTF in the front because the wait was slightly shorter.
I am not one to wait hours on end for food but I was willing to wait the hour plus for these tasty dumplings. Everything is fresh and made with love. All the dumplings were awesome. The crab XLB were superb. My other favorites were the shrimp dumplings in chili sauce.
We also had this chicken soup that was incredibly sublime. It's just chicken in broth and yet I still yearn for this uberflavorful soup how many days later. -
Review from lesly l.
Bellflower, CA
5/3/2012
This is review is past due. I just went again for a very special outing with family. The juicy pork dumplings are the winners, so juicy and savory. So many dumplings to go through. We ordered two Juicy pork, two chicken, one chicken rice cake, one shrimp fried rice, and one chicken fried rice. The chicken dumplings were deliciously hot. It added to the level of enjoyment. The rice cake is by far my favorite thing to order. The gummy texture of the mochi is the best. Its savory and helps clean my palette for another dumpling. The chicken fried rice had no flavor, the shrimp fried rice was much better. We stayed away from the shrimp pork dumplings, they tend to be dry.
