What Has Happened To Din Tai Fung?

I had my first taste of Din Tai Fung during a Taiwan trip in 2006. The whole experience is now a blur but I have always remembered that we had the pleasure of eating at Din Tai Fung. It’s where  my obsession for xiao long bao actually started.

Exquisite

Fast forward to 2008 in Singapore where I saw a Din Tai Fung branch in Wisma Atria.

There's always a line outside Din Tai Fung

I didn’t let the opportunity pass and had to be reunited with the best xiao long baos I’ve had.

Ready for Action



For an Enhanced Eating Experience

Dipping Sauce

Reunited and It Feels So Good

It was as good as I remembered it to be with the stock being so flavorful. What’s more amazing is how the thin skin of the xiao long bao managed to hold all its soupy goodness. It's everything I want a xiao long bao to be and more!

Last year in HK, we also dined at Din Tai Fung in Silvercord.

Longer lines in HK

I unfortunately found the HK xiao long baos inferior when compared to its Singapore counterpart. The expected flavors of the soup of the xiao long bao were nowhere to be found. It left me so disappointed that I vowed to never step foot on another Din Tai Fung branch in Hong Kong.

Looks Better than It Tastes

This year, when I learned that Murtle was going to Singapore, I had a list of food items that I asked her to buy for me. Of all the things on the list, the one thing she managed to bring home was Din Tai Fung xiao long bao.

The world famous dumpling

I wasn’t able to give the xiao long baos a try the night Murtle landed so it was frozen first.

It goes downhill from here

This is how it looks like after steaming.

Looks Promising...

Unfortunately, the xiao long bao didn’t taste as good as I remembered it to be. Similar to the HK experience, the xiao long bao was lacking the rich soupy goodness I remember it having. It was a second rate version of its old self. This is all too bad as Murtle took home 50 pcs. Ack!

I now wonder if the quality of Din Tai Fung's xiao long bao has generally deteriorated or this latest experience should not count as the xiao long baos were in transit for four hours after all.

Has Din Tai Fung lost its magic? The jury's still out! I will try to find out the next time I’m abroad.

Din Tai Fung has branches all over Asia. For more information, visit, www.dintaifung.com.tw/en/index.asp .