Foodie Paradise

Din Tai Fung
Various outlets around Singapore: Wisma Atria, Junction 8, Paragon, Tampines Mall

Ratings: 6.5/10

From its first outlet at Paragon a few years back, numerous outlets of Din Tai Fung have sprung up around Singapore. Though the Singapore version of Din Tai Fung is nothing compared to its pioneer in Taipei, it’s no doubt a decent Chinese restaurant located in town that is reasonably priced.

Steamed Pork Dumplings or Xiao Long Bao - the signature dish of Din Tai Fung

The “Xiao Long Bao” or the steamed pork dumplings are of course best eaten when they are dipped into vinegar along with shreds of ginger added to it. The thickness of the dumpling skin is just right and the pork fillings together with the juices in each dumpling are delicious.

On the whole, the food at Din Tai Fung can be described as mildly-flavoured. As a result, it is the ingredients that take a centre stage in the dishes that it serves. The dishes neither hit you with an overpowering taste as a result of a strong concoction of sauces, nor do they attempt to “wow” you with delicacies. It is this simplicity in the dishes that are served that highlights the intricacies in the food. And this is the reason why I like the food at Din Tai Fung.

Noodle soup with shrimps sliced bamboo shoot and green vegetables

Steamed mashed sesame buns

Steamed Chinese-style layer cake

Steamed mashed yam dumplings

The steamed mashed sesame buns and the steamed Chinese-style layer cake were one of my favourites among the dishes that were called that day. I especially love the sesame filling in the steamed mashed sesame buns. The filling is just right, not too sweet and absolutely delicious. However, I didn’t like the steamed mashed yam dumplings that I had ordered that day. When I had my first yam dumpling, I pretty love it as the filling reminds me a lot of the Chinese yam paste dessert. Sadly, for the subsequent yam dumplings that I ate, I became quite sick of them. I suppose it is probably because each dumpling is packed to the brim with the yam fillings and each subsequent dumpling seems harder to digest as a result of the yam fillings.

Din Tai Fung is a decent restaurant to patronise, especially with its convenient locations around the town and reasonably-priced food. The food is delicious though not exceptionally fantastic. It’s definitely a place I’ll patronise when it doesn’t have its characteristic long queues, but not a place where I’ll develop a craving for.