On a rainy, cold evening last week on our way to the Gourmet Traveller Institute with Mark Best, we stopped off at Din Tai Fung for a quick bite to eat. We wanted just a few light things, not to fill us, to allow for potential taste-testing later.
Din Tai Fung was perfect for that.
It was funny watching the staff with their protective gear 🙂 I don’t know why the need for the face masks. It seems that protocol is a priority. Our table was less than 3 feet from the counter, but it was still necessary for the staff to put the drinks on a tray and then turn around and take the drinks off the tray and put them on our table.
Now, for the dumplings. This is where that attention to detail shines, with 18 folds at the top of each dumpling. We ordered by ticking a list of items on the menu, then they went away and made what we ordered, fresh to order. First, the xiao long bao, the steam pork dumpling with the hot soup inside which spills out as you bite into it.
Then the vegie dumplings:
Then the crab xiao long bao, similar to the first one, except with crab as well as pork inside:
On the top right here are the shrimp and pork shao mai. They look spectacular, looking like a fountain with some shrimp sitting on top. Very tasty.
And then we had to have some of the good-sized steamed buns. On the left vegie bun with green vegies, and on the right the pork bun. The pork was not the cha siu bao pork found typically at yum cha, but a more plain pork mixture.
The atmosphere was warm, the food excellent. I look forward to getting back again to try more dishes, especially the dumplings. Perfect for a winter’s night.
Details
Here are the details about Din Tai Fung at time of posting. Please check their web site for more current details.
| Web site | http://www.dintaifungaustralia.com.au/ |
| Address | World Square, 644 George St, Sydney, NSW, 2000 |
| Phone | (02) 9264 6010 |
| Open | Lunch Mon-Fri: 11:30-2:30 Sat-Sun: 11:00-3:00 Dinner Mon-Wed: 5:30-9:00 Thur-Sat: 5:00-9:30 Sun: 5:00-9:00 |
| Menu | Chinese: dumplings and more ($10-20 per serve) |
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Where do you like to go for dumplings?
Eat. Travel. Bliss. 
“Where do you like to go for dumplings?”
Din Tai Fung!
Ok, and Ashfield too. 😉
Ha ha! I like New Shanghai, for dumplings, too. I would like to come back to Din Tai Fung, to try more dishes next time 🙂
I love this place – I still think they do the best Dumplings in Sydney by a country mile…time for a revisit I think!
Somehow those hot dumplings which leak hot soup when you bite into them seem ideal for winter. Mmmm.
I’m feeling the warm dumpling love. Sigh
Oh yes, yum yum yum!
yum i love din tai fung! the noodles are worth giving a try too!
Ah. Thanks for the recommendation on the noodles. Gotta get back there soon.