Ol’ Reliable.
Everyone should go to Din Tai Fung at least once to have a textbook xiao long bao, or soup dumplings. Once you’ve been to one Din Tai Fung, you know what to expect at any DTF branch around the world.
The xiao long bao are the stars of the show for sure, and they are made with precision. It’s fun to watch the chefs in the window weighing each piece of dough and then folding the dumplings so quickly & perfectly every time! Makes you wonder how many thousands they have made.
There are a few different varieties of bao here, but I tend to stick with the classic pork. The skin is perfectly thin, nice unctuous soup. They also have more luxurious dumplings, like the truffle xlb or the ones with crab roe. Last time I tried the mushroom stuffed bao and they were quite nice. The sweet dumpling with red bean & chestnut is a great choice for dessert.
All the food here is well-made and good quality, so you really can’t go wrong. Veggies are always fresh and the shrimp fried rice is also a crowd pleaser.
The atmosphere is nice & clean and the service is good. Some people scoff and say that it’s not a “real” or “authentic” experience. Does a restaurant have to be dirty with crappy service to be good?! No, quite the opposite! In my opinion, a place that has good food and that serves it pleasantly and efficiently is always worthwhile.
Prices might be slightly high, but what you are paying for is actually priceless – CONSISTENCY.
More deliciousness from DTF –
Din Tai Fung has a whopping 9 locations around Shanghai, as well as outlets all over the world. I’ve listed a few of the convenient Shanghai locations here.
Nanjing Xi Lu: Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, 1/F, Room A104, near Xikang Lu
南京西路1376号上海商城1楼A104室, 近西康路
Xintiandi: Lane 123, Xingye Lu, Bldg 6, 2/F, Room 11A, near Madang Lu
兴业路123弄新天地6号楼2楼11A室, 近马当路
IAPM: 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu, IAPM Mall, 3/F, Room 318-319, near Shaanxi Nan Lu
淮海中路999号环贸IAPM广场3楼318-319室, 近陕西南路
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