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Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Seriously, what can I NOT say about the best soup dumpling place around. I can only recommend that you get there before it opens, wait in line, and have all your group there before you sit down. Because on the weekends it fills up fast and you DON'T want to miss the mini0soup dumplings that they only make a limited quantity of before they say "sorry, no more!"
If you miss the mini ones, no worries, you can get the regular size pork soup dumplings. They're like crack and soooo gooood! I recommend the shrimp fried rice too, and shumai, and the pork buns. It's not your typical dim sum place with carts all around and lots of stuff to choose from. It's a small menu but very tasty in everything I've tried!
If you want standard cart style dim sum, I can give you few other places to go to close by. But if you want the best soup dumplings this is the place. So goood I even ate at their location in Australia!
Check it out - go early - or you'll wait quite a long time!
A juicy dumpling bomb in your mouth!!
The title just says it all!!! I came here really not expecting much because I never heard of it until I got to the restaurant. Right when I got to the restaurant, there were so many people inside and out just waiting to get seated. It was crazy!! My friends told me it was good and they waited a while just to get our table. With all the people waiting outside, I figured that this place must be that good!
We let our san marino friends do all the ordering. We ate the xiao long baos - pork dumplings, red bean buns, some vegetables, etc.
Out of all the stuff we ordered, the XLB pork dumplings were awesome. They are so delicate and juicy! These things are so tricky to eat, but worth it! You first have to make sure to pick them up gently so that they don't pop open, but once you get over that obstacle, you are all good to go. Just put it in your mouth and let all the yumminess take over! I actually had never ate or heard of these dumplings until I came here. So, based on a first timer, these are amazingly good!!
Parking - the lot gets really full quick. I had to find street parking. You could also park right across the street. There is a parking lot that a lot of people park in to eat at this place.
Interior - The decor is nice, but I couldn't really have a good look because my table was literally right next to the entrance. However, I got to see the workers make those cool XLB dumplings because they have these large windows that allow you to see their kitchen.
Service - It's good, but the place is really busy.
People thought this was:
I love soup dumplings. I've eaten them countless times all across the US and in 3 countries. I was disappointed at these tiny shriveled, dried up lumps. The parent restaurant was much better.
Food = D
Service = C
Decor = D
Overall = D+
Had to try this place from all the reviews from yelp as well as the long lines on the weekends!
Not really knowing what to order, me and my friend ordered the chicken dumpling and a noodle soup. The chicken dumplings were juicy and delicious but the noodle soup was really bland. We probably should have just ordered dumplings.
But I personally think this place is a bit over rated... especially for the price and the long wait! but supposedly these are authentic taiwanese dumplings!
Sometimes i come here during lunch because i eat out everyday
but the XLB is really just OK....
not bad...but not that good so i think it's overrated ^^
I always order the original XLB and the crab meat XLB and that's it
Their beef noodle and chicken soup are not good...dont order !!!
People thought this was:
Din Tai Fung, I'm gonna give it to you straight: You are nothing special. I have to wait half an hour to be seated then pay $30 for a meal that doesn't even fill me up? Srsly? SRSLY? Granted, the dumplings aren't bad, but I just can't wrap my mind around what's so special about this place that warrants the bill. If all I can say is that I didn't hate the food, then I'd rather save my money to load up on Yogurtland right around the corner.
I understand there is a certain hype about this place (...why?) but for my xiao long bao fix, I drive to Monterey Park to visit Mama's Lu. And the typo in the name is even more of an homage to the authenticity and deliciousness of their food.
People thought this was:
Best steamed dumplings on this side of the Pacific. And, it's cheap.
I would probably give DTF 3 stars max if you asked me to write a review years ago. DTF food is bland for me. I still think DTF shu mai is dry and not good but at least I'm a fan of their XLB now. I only like XLB, chicken soup (bland but good) and red bean dumplings here. I do not recommend their shu mai or non juicy dumplings. One of the reason why I like going to Din Tai Fung is the kitchen. I love seeing dozens (okay maybe not) of people in the tiny kitchen making dumplings. It's like they are being punished and we get to watch them. Go to Pearl's or Mandarin Noodle for regular pan fried dumplings. Btw they will not seat you until everyone in your party is there. Sometimes they ask you to sit with other people.
People thought this was:
Been wanting to try this place forever. I haven't had xiao long baos in who knows how long so the thought of popping these juicy little suckers in my mouth were haunting me.
Din Tai Fung definitely satisfied, but I had no idea it would be so big or so clean! With all the rumors I heard about the crazy lines I thought it'd be a dinky hole in the wall, but nope. Luckily, we were seated immediately because we came at 2pm on a weekday. They have a paper menu lying on your table ready to be marked. My mom marked the stirfried rice cakes ($7), beef soup ($5.95), chicken soup ($5.95), and crab/pork dumplings ($9).
At first I was shocked at how much she ordered, but the portions aren't that big so it was a good amount for 2 people. The soups were refreshing with a delicate ginger taste, the rice cakes were stirfried to perfection - nice and chewy without any mushiness. And of course the xiao long baos...
How to eat a xiao long bao:
1. Mix soy sauce and vinegar with the sliced ginger
2. Pick up a xiao long bao and dip it in the concoction.
3. Put xiao long bao on spoon and add a bit of ginger on top.
4. Put the whole thing in your mouth. Don't try to bite into half of one or else you'll lose all the juices.
5. Careful not to burn your tongue.
6. Good luck to you, my good sir. :)
This is good stuff, but no dumplings should cost this much, hence the 4 stars.
People thought this was:
so my boo & i got here around 2:15 on a saturdai afternoon eager to see what all the fuss was about...it was a short wait and after refusing a shared table we were seated. The place looked pretty busy so we got right on ordering
Juicy Pork Dumplings ($7.25/10): These are juicy and i love how every dish came steaming hot...good but not spectacular...solid dish...these were served up fast
Pork Buns (2/$3.60): The bread on these is good...solid dish...bit of a wait for these
Red Bean Dumplings (10/$5): I'm a dessert kinda girl so i loved these! well done, outside was not too thick and inside was thick and just sweet enough..my boo who's not big on dessert thought they were good too...ate a whole bunch
Service is excellent...we were constantly checked on to make sure our dishes arrived...a bit of a wait for the food but that's understandable...overall...too much hype but good food...nothin spectacular
Am I the only one who thinks Din Tai Fung is overrated? :( I've had better dumplings. I mean, their dumplings are average. They don't taste bad; they're ok, but they're not out of this world. There's definitely better dumpling places scattered throughout LA. The dishes @ DTF are tiny, as well as their dumplings, and it's overpriced.
and oh my goooosh, the parking sucks major ass. You're lucky if you even get one in that lot. Don't forget, there's Pheonix and JJ Bakery in that tiny plaza too, with an even tinier parking lot = AIYAH!
People thought this was:
I've been wanting to come here since moving to California because this was always the #1 childhood stop whenever I visited Taiwan. Watching the Next Iron Chef was the tipping point.
This place is really good. Obviously doesn't compare to the original, but still awesome. There's not really much to add after the thousand other reviews about the foodd. The only problem is getting over the initial sticker shock. Yes, they do charge a huge premium for being.. THE ding tai fung.
And what the hell is with the mexicans making my taiwanese dumplings? Oh well.
To be honest, I live kind of far and I probably wouldn't make a special trip to come here.
I would totally go here again!
After living in NY and eating at Joe's Shanghai's soup dumplings, I've been craving them ever since I came back to LA. I would talk about them, but no one would really know what I was talking about! Finally, I was talking about Joe's Shanghai's soup dumplings (again) to my boyfriend, and he says that it sounds like the thing that Din Tai Fung has! Of course, we rushed over and tried it to see if it is the same thing I was craving! And it was!!
I got the pork ones and they are prettyyy delicious! They're not as good as Joe's Shanghai in NY, but definitely close! And they definitely satisfy my soup dumpling cravings.
My friend's grandfather actually owns Din Tai Fung in Taiwan so I'm being nice when giving this place 3 stars. Other than the extra juicyness of their dumplings (xiao long baos), the food here is nothing special and totally overrated. Sure if I want my fix of dumplings, my bf will make a special request to come here (he doesn't know better lol) and so there I'll be but I would personally never crave Din Tai Fung.
Food here is a little overpriced but I mean that's no big deal since they're known for their food. Make sure you order a side of vegetables and their noodles because it's pretty good and pairs really well with the dumplings. I wouldn't bother with their shrimp dumplings or siu mai because they're nothing special and fall short of your ordinary dim sum places. The place is generally clean and well organized so service is pretty good.
Parking is relatively easy to find if you're lucky but if you go during rush hour it'll definitely be hard since there's also a Pheonix and JJ Bakery in the plaza. Since I usually don't order drinks at the restaurant, I get a mixed fruit delight from Pheonix or pick up some dessert after lunch.
People thought this was:
My honest opinion of this infamous dumpling house? It was only so-so. This place is overpriced and overhyped. I was heavily disappointed by just how unexcited I felt about their dumplings. I love XLB. I love dumplings. To me, XLB is such a special treat. It's food-art to be able to keep the savory juices contained within a thin little wrapper. Carefully dipping the XLB in a tart soy-vinegar dip while keeping the skin intact is a gentle matter. All worth it, as that first bite is like pure hot bliss exploding in your mouth.
Din Tai Fung's XLB is not soupy enough. There's very little soup in the XLB, and not so much flavor. It was kind of bland. After the initial disappointment of the first dish, maybe the other dishes we ordered would make up for it. Perhaps they aren't skilled at XLB like their other dishes?
They aren't skilled at XLB, but neither are they at the other dumplings and dishes. I came with a big group so we ordered many different items on the menu. Pork/crab dumpling, Vegetable and pork dumpling, Shrimp and pork dumpling, shrimp and pork shui mai, beef noodle soup, pork-fired noodle, and seasonal vegetables. Nothing was impressive. For the most part, the flavor was bland and the texture of the wrap was not special. In addition, as much as I enjoy crab, the pork-crab dumpling tasted slightly off in flavor to me. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the noodle dishes much more but even those dishes were not exceptional.
Would I eat here again? Yes, I would. Although this isn't one of my top dumpling houses, I did still enjoy the dumplings. Thus a 3 stars for "A-OK" status.
People thought this was:
"Every lil step I take. You will be there. Every lil step I make, we'll be together..."
Din Tai Fung Dumpling House, you'll now be apart of my life with "every lil step I take."
Took it back to the old skool cuz Bobby Brown knew what he was talkin about! It was my first time here after a friend had mentioned that Din Tai Fung was THE place to get one of the best dumplings in the area. So who am I to stop myself from tasting the goodness?!
I was impressed by the contemporary decor as I stepped right in and was greeted with a smile from the friendly hostess as I mentioned that I'd like to place my order to go.
I ordered my friend's recommended dish Xiao Long Bao (Juicy Pork Dumpling - 10/pcs for $7.25) and Shrimp & Pork Shiaomai (recommended by one of the staff - 10/pcs for $9). As I bit into one Xiao Long Bao, my taste buds were met with a surge of juiciness. The Shrimp & Pork Shiaomai was equally tasty. Love the soy/vinegar and ginger dip and I appreciated the instructions on "How to eat a dumpling" on the chopstick wrapper. Big shout out to the Dumpling Makers behind the glass dome who were quite entertaining as I waited for my order.
People thought this was:
The food is good, but never Wow when I went.
Pricer than should be and the lines each time
I have been were killer.
Not bad to go if you dont realy know this food
and want to try some Taiwanese dumplings
in an easy to order..
"im talking to you other gringos"
Ive had better in LA, but not bad.
The cities of Arcadia, Monterey Park, El Monte, and Alhambra have the best Chinese & Taiwanese food in the greater Los Angeles Area. Unrivaled in taste and presentation... They just do things better out here. Din Tai Fung is no exception.
I would bare-knuckle box a medium sized bear over the food at this dumpling house and as I emerge victorious I would celebrate by eating juicy bear meat dumplings w/crab made by the chefs at DTF.
Go with a big party so you can order as many dishes as possible. Truly nothing bad on the menu... can't really make any mistakes...but I do Recommend the following:
Juicy Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
Juicy Pork & Crab Dumplings
Fried Green Pea Shoots
Noodles w/ Minced Pork
Shanghai Rice Cakes
Red Bean Dumplings
*Do not forget to add the chili oil to you soy sauce/vinegar/ginger dipping mix.
The staff is always moving as the place is in a constant state of extreme chaos. But, they manage to provide great attention to detail and execute service with tremendous efficiency. This place is a little bit far... but it is never a wasted trip.
Highly Recommended
There are so many good reviews for this restaurant, that there's not much left to say, but I will add this. This place is totally worth the drive, wherever you are coming from! You gotta try the "Shanghai Rice Cake," it's like a savory mochi dish with onions and bok choy. Lastly, the dumplings with vinegar and ginger are so good, that even your burps taste good afterward. I know that's gross, but it's the god awful truth. You have to experience it to understand.
If you haven't been here, you NEED to go here. Just bring a jacket and be prepared to wait, you'll be standing outside for awhile (but so worth it!).
Well, I mean.. seriously? Over 900 reviews? What do you want me to say? It's good... I'm kind of torn over either 3 or 4 stars though because my first experience ever at a Din Tai Fung were in Beijing and in Taipei and, of course, they are MUCH better over there...so this was a bit of a let down. BUT...I know they can't really be compared to each other.. it's just not fair... so 4 stars it is!
After all you Yelpers recommended the good plates, we went off your recommendations and ordered the 'right' plates supposedly. A really great place to get some yummy soup dumplings... but as some have griped already...those prices kinda get to ya! So... be forewarned.. sure, they're yummy yummy dumplings...but those plates don't come too cheap!
People thought this was:
Let me qualify this review by first saying that I live in Portland. If this place were in Portland, it would be a five star dumpling house. It's all about context. 95% of Chinese restaurants in Portland either specialize in "deep-fried meat in fluorescent orange/lemon/red sauce". For those of you NOT in the know... the Chinese invented lots of things, but they did NOT invent fluorescent food sauces. Those may actually be circa 1964 when they discovered elements 104 through 106 on the periodic table.
Let me also qualify this review that saying that I have eaten at the Din Tai Fung in Taipei. That place is the BOMB. If crack-cocaine came in the form of small doughy dumpling bundles filled with juicy fillings, Din Tai Fung would be Taiwanese for "Pablo Escobar".
Based on the above, I give this place 3 stars. Was it good? Yes. It was. My favorites are the dumplings with the pork and the sticky rice. Also, the dumplings with the black sesame paste for dessert. Was it expensive? Yeah, it kinda was. While I would not expect to find a bargain in L.A., we're not in L.A., we in friggin' Arcadia. Service was pretty good. Word on the street is that there are other, less expensive and better dumpling houses in the area.
They did have very clean restrooms.
This restaurant serves disgustlingly good food. This is one of those restaurants where you secretly find yourself in a race to stuff more dumplings down your throat b/c rarely enough pork dumplings are ordered and they're served family style. If you've eaten here, I know you know what I mean.
I don't think I need to write a real review. Just read the 300+ that others have written.
I'm writing this post, b/c I now live in Phoenix, and I want to expose to Phoenicians to this fine establishment.
If you're about to visit Los Angeles, mark this place down as a must-see. This restaurant is so ridiculously good that I stop by this joint every time I'm in LA (every 2-3 months)... I'm even inclined to say that this restaurant is one reason I'll probably move back to LA.
Today I actually drove 6 frozen orders back to Phoenix, so that I could serve them up to my sister and brother-in-law who'll be visiting from NYC in 2 weeks . Make sure you order 24 hours in advance, if you decide to do the same. :)
The interior, btw, has recently been redone (within the last 3 years), so the place is in much better shape than a typical chinese restaurant. Unfortunately, they chose super stiff uncomfortable chairs. At this restaurant, it's super important to swoop in and swiftly steal the bench seating from your friends. :)
Out of 10 (10 being the best, 5 average)
Decor: 6
Food: 10 (I've had other dishes besides the dumplings btw)
Service: 7
***4.5 Stars***
Totally unnecessary review #908
and another 252 reviews makes 1160
if you count the adjacent DTF on Baldwin at 1088
Sure i see there's a 'Don't Believe the Hype' cold war a'brewin', seemingly between a loose coalition of Mainland native Chinese, ABC's, and those of non-Taiwanese ancestry, AND, of course, the Taiwanese peeps on the other side.
Well all i can say on that one is that I, as a completely unaffiliated par-tay, will stay far far away from this subjective spat.
i am neither a facilitator
nor an instigator
interloper
or troublemaking cat.
what i WILL say is that, mind-blowingly, in all my time here in LA-LA, it has taken me until this very eve to finally grace the hallowed walls of this international dumpling institution. and, i must confess that these are indeed the most meticulously constructed, delicately balanced, and most addictively awesome tasting Xiao Long Baos i've ever inhaled.
and yes, it was an inhalation of epic devastation.
Pork Xiao Long Bao
Crab Xiao Long Bao
Whitefish Xiao Long Bao
all lined up
and sucked down
juicy and slurpy
and the magically delicious
little rounds
didn't even leave me
burpy.
i dunno i got a great appetite
but the complaints about small portions
and high prices
are hardly this place's vices.
$40 bucks plus tip
for a filling dose of those 30
bites
chews
and sips?
I'd give it five stars
but the other dishes
like the spicy beef soup
just didn't reach that far
though the buttery-garlicky-esque spinachy stuff
almost passed the bar.
sorry again for the rhyme
but i'm glad i finally gushed those juices
at the DTF table for the the first time!
p.s. one final non-rhyming tip
to fully reach orgasmic dumpling heaven
make sure you hit up a weeknight
and get there before SEVEN!
oy!
yo!
DUM.
Pling.
Bling!!
People thought this was:
A great Wednesday lunch with my buddy Dr. John (I try to call him Mr. John, but he won't have it). Waited only 5 minutes (at about 1:45pm). They started to send us to the other location, but things were clearing out quickly. Service was EXCESSIVELY efficient! I don't think we waited more than 120 seconds for any person, food item or drink to arrive at the table.
First good sign was homemade chili oil on the table. Second was a plate of shredded ginger.
XLB were nice. My first time! Had many dumplings before, but these were heavenly. Worth driving to Arcadia? Maybe a couple more times, but the newness may wear off. The soup inside the dumpling tasted good and so did the pork, and the ginger was nice. Didn't bowl me over or make me change my religion, BUT provided a welcome taste treat. Once I got my soy sauce, chili oil, ginger mix perfected, I dipped the XLB, plopped into a soup spoon, and inserted in mouth.....and waited for the explosion. YUM.
Most impressive was the fried pork chop. Sliced nicely to be edible with chopsticks, this was one of the best thinner-style chops I've ever had. Absolutely flavorful, absolutely tender. Incredible, with just the right amount of golden flour coating.
Got some string beans wtih garlic. Perfectly cooked, and were a nice compliment.
We still wanted something else starchy (sorry, nutritionist of mine over at St. Joe's Med Center), so we ordered Shrimp Fried Rice. This was of the Yang Chow tradition, rather than the browner soy-sauce colored tradition. Fluffy white rice, with wonderful shrimps of a decent size, scallions, onions, egg. All perfectly stir-fried and seasoned.
Dessert? Was it called Sesame Bao? Bao with a black granular filling that had just the right amount of austere sweetness. Loved it.
The place was clean and bright and filled with an "LA mix" of both Asians of various varieties and non-Asians (meaning white folks, Latino folks, and moi). My people.....all of yawl.
I'll be back in a few days!
Omg! The juicy pork dumplings are juicy!
I came down to LA from SF to see what everyone was raving about. These pork dumplings might be the best I've tasted!
We also tried the dumpling with crab and vege. The were ok, not as good as the original pork dumplings.
The pork sui mai is always sold out or not available everytime i go.
The service I must comment on. One of the lady worker in black uniform did whatever she can to get me my frozen dumplings. Normally you are suppose to order a day in advance, which I didn't know about. But when I told her I came all the way from san francisco and was in a rush to head home, she did whatever she can to get me the frozen dumplings! I was the happiest customer! Don't even try to ask the red uniformed waitresses.
This place is a mandatory stop when you visit LA.
People thought this was:
xiao long bao = love
This place has enough good reviews so it would be pointless to share my opinion.
crab & pork dumplings. I like these a lot.
same with the shrimp dumplings. any kind of dumplings actually.
red bean dumplings for dessert.
good thing they opened up another location which is not far from the original location.
just dont come on busy dinner hours or you will literally kill yourself with the wait. try coming in during lunch , like 11ish or way early for dinner, like 5ish. maybe its too early, but better than waiting for 2 hours!
This is my favorite dumpling house. I remember the good old days when I would just drive 7 hours for a food trip in LA; this being the one place that I had to go. The dumpling is so juicy. I recommend getting the dumpling soup when you're there. They only make a limited amount of dumplings for the soup, so you must get there early. Also it's best to get there at least 30 minutes before they open. Unless you don't mind waiting 1-2 hours outside for a table. (It's that busy)
Although they are busy, the service is very efficient. While you are waiting, you can place your order and by the time you are seated the food is ready in minutes.
Food: I'll get straight to the point. The pork (best and original way of eating) xiao long bao here is good, better than all other American establishments serving xia long bao. The thing is that Asian pork is better than American pork hence pork dishes in Asia will always be better, this includes xia long baos. Just like how American beef is superior to Asian beef (unless we get into Wagyu beef). That's why Easterners are always shocked when eating steak (not Applebee's/TGIF garbage, or what they call steak, they will always suck) here for the first time. It is actually good. Back on topic, order the sour-spicy soup, pairs superbly with xio long bao.
Bottom line, I think this is still the best place for xiao long baos in America.
Drink: Get some, MSG city, you would think the Knicks were playing in there.
Service: Average.
Crowd/Ambiance: The lines get unbearably long in the Cali heat. One of the few places in Cali with such long lines. You guys in Cali are spoiled. Typical large Asian restaurant layout, tables, and utensils, which is to say tacky and the plates are chipped somewhere. Crowd gets noisy so come with your own group and have fun eating!
The food is pretty good - it's clean tasting, high quality ingredients, and they have a lot of different varieties...
People thought this was:
Too much MSG. Didn't seem like it while we were there-- seemed tasty as usual, but five hours and a liter of water later, I'm still thirsty...
Server took our hot sauce and gave it to another table without asking us.
Our last (of three) order of xiao long bao, the shrimp and pork ones, took forever to arrive.
And we ordered the spicy beef noodle soup, which was a mistake. Meh.
Still... if you want good xiaolongbao, well, there aren't that many places to go here, and DTF isn't bad.
If you can't go to Shanghai, well, Din Tai Fung in Arcadia is an acceptable substitute. Certainly… Read more »
Yes yes, the XLB is amazing here. Juicy pork is exactly that - juicy! How they get the dumpling wrapper to be both thin and firm/chewy is a food mystery.
However, the most memorable part of my meal here was the red bean dumplings!! The perfect end to the meal. Warm red bean paste wrapped in that magical dumpling wrapper and steamed. They are so freaking good, especially to a dessert fanatic like myself. And this is one dessert that won't make you feel too guilty after eating it... well, unless you ate the whole tray of dumplings. ;)
People thought this was:
This place was pretty good. Well prepared dishes, dumplings, noodles were great.
My mom's friend said the one in Taipei is waaaaaaayyy better than this location..figures.
We had a very enjoyable dinner and ordered too much to finish. At the end the red-bean xiaolongbao was actually my favorite dish, even being a desert.
I liked their dandanmein but I prefer No. 1 noodle houses' or Ding's in Rowland better than DTF.
However, this place still rocks and you're in for some really good food regardless!
Review based on 5-10 visits.
This place is seriously overrated. I've tried their xiao long baos every single time and have NOT been impressed. I need to stop lying to myself that this place is having an off day when I eat here! The portions are small for the prices they charge. I've had NOTHING here that was extraordinary. I do like how the place looks though. Other than that, I don't have much else to say about this place. Average food. Way overrated. Din Tai Fung's xiao long baos is like Pinkberry's fro-yo. Big name, very well known, but just very average taste.
People thought this was:
below par.
two of my friends and i were thinking of a place to eat, and one mentioned that this place should do. when we got there, several groups of people were waiting around to get their numbers called. i was thinking, a lot of chinese people at a chinese joint... this must be where it's at!
the dumplings were tiny! apparently this place is owned by hobbits. you end up ordering several more menu items, and it ends up getting a little pricey (for some damn dumplings)
if the quantity sucks and the price is kinda high, then that wait in line must mean that the food tastes sensational yes? well it's not bad, but the taste is very bland. it's like you're eating an edible sponge wrapped up with edible rubber. the same description for the texture. everything seems slightly overcooked.
the service is fine, but the food comes in waves, and as i said, the quantity is rather lame. if you want to torture a hungry friend, this is the perfect place to recommend.
if it's 10 bucks a person, this place is doable. change that number to 20, and suddenly it kinda sucks. for that price range, you should eat something delicious and filling like korean bbq instead.
honestly, just go to an asian market and pick up a good pack of dumplings. you'll save money, impress your company, and eat something with flavor. if i'd go back to a mcdonald's but i wouldn't come back here, it kinda says something about din tai fung.
People thought this was:
Din Tai Fung received multiple awards; it was highly recommended by my super fob friends, so it had to be good... right?
We arrived, and not surprisingly, found we had to wait 45 minutes in line. When I finally sat down, I took a bite and was transported back 10 years ago when I took a tour in China with my family and had dumplings from every city. I was little, but every dumpling tasted the same, as did the ones at DTF.
Maybe I lack the appreciation needed for dumplings, or maybe these are just... dumplings. To give em credit, their traditional dumplings are surprisingly full of soupy goodness, and while they're good, I don't think they're worth a 45 minute wait or all the hype surrounding it.
People thought this was:
It's Din Tai Fung and that's all there is to it. I even tried their Tokyo and Taipei branches and they are equally good and just as expensive.
You may be tempted to try their other dumplings but eventually you'll just get pork only because the other ones just doesn't compare. Shao mais are crap and often come out a bit dry, its not their forte.
Also, a newer and hopefully better one opened next door? I am kicking myself because I didn't know until recently. =(
DELICIOUS . that's all you really need to know .
now, what to order...
1. Dumplings . TRY ALL KINDS .
2. Shanghai Rice Cakes (delicious stir fried rice cakes with pork and veggies) . It's a MUST!
3. Noodle soup .
It's not like the one in Taiwan, but hey, it's as good as it gets here in the states! It's definitely worth the one hour drive plus half an hour wait!
The Dumplings were exceptional.. as good as I remember them from Hong Kong. The fried noodles were also good. Didn't really like the service all that much and the ambiance weren't as great as the one in Hong Kong.
I thought it's a bit funny that they have two restaurants right behind each other but not connected.
A Taiwanese friend of mine introduced me to Din Tai Fung a few years ago and I've been back about seven times even though it takes almost an hour to get there from my house.
The restaurant is known for its xiao long bao which are these delicious little dumplings filled with meat and soup broth. The other noodle, rice, and meat dishes I've had are very good, too, but those yummy dumplings are the main attraction.
I've only ever come to the restaurant on weekends and there is always a wait. You can expect to be cooling your heels for 45-60 minutes if you come for dinner on Saturday or brunch on Sunday. There are a variety of tables and the restaurant can accommodate big groups (8-12 people) if you're willing to wait long enough.
Once seated, however, your food comes almost instantly. You'll be done with your meal before you know it, so don't worry too much about that wait outside. Your total time at the restaurant is roughly equivalent to what you'd spend at a "normal" place.
And yes, Din Tai Fung is kind of a churn shop (similar to other authentic Asian restaurants I've been to, though). Don't plan on sitting around after your meal for small talk. The restaurant wants to turn your table and they will give you the evil eye if you don't get the hell out.
Din Tai Fung used to be charmingly ethnic and I wouldn't dare go without my Mandarin-speaking friends. I just went for brunch today, though, and it seems more American-ized than before. The wait-staff accepted some requests in English and the food seemed a bit watered down. I hope that this was just an off-day for the restaurant because it is truly one of my favorite spots in all of LA.
Tips: Parking is a major pain within the small plaza that Din Tai Fung resides in but there's parking on the street and in the bank parking lot nearby. And after your meal, stop by the place next door for boba tea or go across the parking lot to JJ's bakery for dessert. Yum!
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