Din Tai Fung's Reviews - OpenRice Mobile

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐
English Address : Shop 130, 3/F, Silvercord, 30 Canton Road Tsim Sha Tsui
Chinese Address : 尖沙咀廣東道30號新港中心3樓130號
Map : Display Map
Phone No. : 2730 6928 (Add to Contacts)
Categories : Taiwan | Shanghai | Chinese Restaurant | Dim Sum | Chinese Buns | Business Dining | Group Dining
Spending : $101-$150
Overall Score : 3.7
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Other Information

Signature Dishes: Special Xiao Long Bao
Opening Hours: 星期一至日: 11:30-22:30
Number of Seats: 228
Payment Method: Visa、Master、AE、Cash、UnionPay、JCB、Others :
Alcoholic Drinks: Yes
10% Service Charge: Yes

Gourmet Reviews

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Affordable Michelin cuisine
2012-11-26
permarexics (48 Review(s))

Din Tai Fung was not a new name when we decided to visit the restaurant located at Tsim Sha Tsui. Having tried it several times in Singapore when it first opened up years ago, I arrived at the restaurant expecting the same quality considering that it was awarded Michelin 1-star in Hong Kong and it was also ranked as the world's top 10 restaurants by the New York Times.

The queue was comparable to the Din Tai Fung in Singapore. After receiving a queue ticket from the receptionist, we had a stroll around the shopping mall for almost 30 minutes before we finally got a table. It was not even the peak dining period at about half six in the evening, but the crowd was already building up and pretty fast too.
One of the features of Din Tai Fung was that you would be able to witness the making of the dumplings and 'baus' right in front of you.

Signature Steamed Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) - (小笼包)

The unique Din Tai Fung's signature rendition of the steamed pork dumpling consists of juicy meat filling wrapped in a supposedly melt-in-your-mouth skin. The silky smooth dough was made in small batches to maintain freshness. Subsequently, it would be rolled out and cut into identical pieces, with each piece being weighed to ensure that it meets the requirements of 20.8-21.2 grams. The small pieces of dough are then rolled out transforming into silvers of thin smooth skin before being pleated with at least 18 exquisite folds. Finally, the dumplings are steamed at the perfect temperature and served piping hot.

Despite the rather impressive set-up to how the dumpling was actually made, the skin of the dumpling tasted slightly stiff, probably owed to airing, which was rather disappointing to say the least. The dumpling skin however was relatively thin, yet managed to encapsulate the warm soup within. Upon the first bite, the soup within the dumpling burst out and it tasted clear and fresh. The minced pork being the core of the dumpling was tender and succulent. The essence of this dish was supposedly the delicate dough skin, which was pleated, twisted at the top and subsequently steamed. For some reason, it was not delivered to us fulfilling those expectations.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Steamed vegetable and pork dumplings (菜肉蒸饺)

Delicately handmade with precision once again as you might have seen the folds on the dumpling, the steamed vegetable and pork dumpling tasted juicy with delectable delights of savoury pork meat and fragrant Chinese cabbage. The cabbage had been finely diced and well blended with the meat, though we would have preferred it more with more meat filling to give a stronger punch to the flavour. It somewhat tasted too 'vegetarian' with the cabbage being the dominating taste, which did not quite go with the balanced palate we were expecting. Made with similar dough for the skin of the wrapping, the texture of this tasted much fresher, softer compared to the xiao long bao.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Noodle with minced pork in bean sauce (炸酱面)
Despite being a simple dish, we enjoyed the handmade noodles which was cooked to al dente standard, giving it a pleasantly springy consistency texture. The minced pork in bean sauce was itself a very savoury-inclined element to the dish, which the dish owed its flavours to. Complementing the plain noodles, this was a delightful tuck in, with peas and diced tomatoes to go alongside.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Egg fried rice with fried pork chop (排骨蛋炒饭)

The fried pork chop was one of Din Tai Fung's signature dishes, with the thin slice of meat finely marinated with complex herbs. It tasted very tender and managed to retain the moisture much needed within the meat. Despite it being fried, it did not dehydrate the meat of its much desired moisture to give it the juicy bite. There was a lot going on with the flavours with each mouthful, but the underlying taste was a very palatable savoury one. Minimal seasoning was used for the eggs, without stealing the limelight away from the natural fragrance of the eggs. The 'wok-fire' of the dish was highly desired and unlike most fried rice, you would be able to taste large egg fragments. Despite it being a simple dish, Din Tai Fung did everything right, focusing on minute details such as using the right kind of rice, coating each individual grain with the imparted flavour and each plate of rice was kept to a measured weight to ensure consistency in serving size like the dumplings.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Supplementary Information：
In general, the service was top-notched. One would expect to be warmly greeted by each and every passing server upon walking into the restaurant. Food wise, I would say it was value for money, considering that it was accredited Michelin 1-star. With or without the award, it was an affordable meal at a comfortable setting. Despite the lackluster dish of their famous 'xiao long bao', there were merits worth visiting for.

It would be worthwhile to get a queue ticket first and have a walk around the shopping mall while waiting for a table to become available. Alternatively avoid the peak dining period.

Table Wait Time: 30 Minutes
Rating : Taste4 Environment4 Service5 Hygiene4 Value for Money4

One of the best Shanghai Pork buns I've had
2012-07-18
lcha073 (11 Review(s))

huffy

Waiting time was long.... but well worth it.

Everyone that come to HK, must try this place. But come prepared to wait in the queue. If you come at off-peak hours it is much better, otherwise the average waiting time is over 30 minutes.

I like the pork bun very much, the pastry is not thick and the soup inside is just right.

Also love the beef noodle soup, the soup base is perfect, it has a little spice but not too much.

The fried pork cutlet on fried rice was good.

Also the Spinach stir fried is well worth the $$ charged.

Overall I will recommend this place to everyone and I will come again.

Date of Visit: 2012-06-02
Table Wait Time: 60 Minutes
Spending per Head: HKD100
Rating : Taste4 Environment4 Service3 Hygiene4 Value for Money3

Soup dumplings and fried rice
2012-06-27
mjhk (122 Review(s))

As other reviews will tell you, Din Tai Fung is expensive, busy, and overrated. But that doesn't mean it's not good or not worth it. The menu is small and contains appetizers, dumplings, buns, xiao long bao, siu mei, noodles, fried rice, sauteed green vegetables, and soup. Dim sum fare. Here's what we got:

Cucumber slices in chili oil: The cucmber was nice and crunchy and the dish had a mild amount of spice. Way over-priced for what it is though. 6/10

Xiao long bao: Piping hot and tasty. Not as soupy, I guess, as they could be. 8/10

Pork & shrimp wonton in chili sauce: The ground pork & shrimp combo is pretty tasty. The sauce is a little bit spicy-- spicier than the cucumbers-- and it has some of the numbing Sichuan peppercorn in it. Not surprisingly though, the "sauce" it comes in is mostly grease-- use sparingly! 7/10

Spring rolls: I found these to be quite tasty, hot, crisp, and not greasy. They came with a dipping sauce, but only a small amount of it. 8/10

Egg fried rice with pork: The fried rice is a must. It's fluffy pearl rice with plenty of egg and scallions. We got it with a big hunk of fried (but not breaded) pork on top. The rice is oily, as fried rice tends to be, but not overly so-- just the right amount so that all the grains are separate. There're chilis in oil on the table, and I threw a teaspoonful of them in my rice-- very spicy. The pork was flavorful. 9/10

Overally, I'd say it's pretty good. All the food is done well, though none of it is amazing. It's a little pricey, but not extremely so. The 'spicy' dishes are notably spicy, although not very spicy-- yet on every table there are chilis in oil that have a fair degree of heat to them. The food is on the greasier side of food in general, though far less greasy than you get at many Chinese restaurants. My lunchtime wait was only 10 minutes, and we used that time to read the menu and figure out what we wanted. Restaurant score: 7/10

Recommended Dish(es): Egg fried rice
Table Wait Time: 10 Minutes
Spending per Head: HKD150 (Lunch)
Rating : Taste4 Environment4 Service4 Hygiene4 Value for Money4

VERY DISAPPOINTING
2012-06-11
xiao long bao lover (Non-member)

ABSOLUTELY BAD!!!
I have been to din tai fung in taiwan and sydney and had eaten xiao long bao in shanghai as well... was looking forward to it in hk but was absolutely shocked by the poor quality of the crab meat xiao long bao.....
first bite of the dumpling - skin was good... but instead of yummy juice you are hit by the off smell of the crab meat as well as the bad metallic taste of the juice.. so "sang" (in cantonese)... i had not ever tasted food that i seriously had to spit it out after first bite....
What's worse.... when we tell the waitress....(she was kind enough to change it to normal xiao long bao for us) but she came back to tell us that the chef had tasted it and that it's how it should taste and that the crab meat taste like that and that maybe we should re consider before ordering at a shanghainese restaurant.... we didn't argue since they exchanged it for us but seriously.. i have tasted many crab meat steamed dumplings before in different countries and crab meat does not taste like that unless they're not fresh and i mean extremely not fresh.....

The other thing is it is the first time when we tried to order 擔擔麵 the other waitress warned us that it may taste bitter... so we didn't order it just in case and thank god we didn't order... i am sure the peanuts are off as well... i never had problems with 擔擔麵 elsewhere....

EXTREMELY disappointing and annoying experience if the chef thought the taste of off crab meat is normal then really i don't trust their cooking huffy

Date of Visit: 2012-06-07
Rating : Taste1 Environment3 Service3 Hygiene4 Value for Money1

Classic Xiao Long Bao around the globe!
2012-05-27
DixonW (152 Review(s))

It was probably one of the most consistent global restaurant chains. I have tried the ones in Taiwan, Shanghai and Hong Kong, diners will not be disappointed. The only put off is you have to queue, waiting is never my thing. Once in a while for quality food as such, isn’t too bad I guess.

Cuisine: Chinese
Food rating: 5/10*
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Price: HK$150 pax

* Food Rating: 6/10 is equivalent to 1 Michelin star, 8/10 to two Michelin stars, and 9/10 or 10/10 to three Michelin stars

特色小籠包
The wrapper was pretty thin, moist the outside. The meat was juicy and the soup inside the wrapper is hot and full of flavour.

四喜烤麸
This is a classic shanghaiese dish. The 烤麸was spongy, steamed well. The 面筋has washed away and there weren’t any 豆腥味, a very successful四喜烤麸.
蟹子小笼包
Despite the wrapper was a bit dry on the outside, else is pretty good like the特色小籠包.
云吞面 (6/10)
The noodles was al dente, perhaps it was freshly made. The broth was cooked carefully; it wasn’t oily or too salty. The wontun was nicely cooked, the wrapper was juicy and smooth, the filling was moist and marinated nicely, and absorbed the flavour thoroughly.
荔芋小笼包 (5/10)
Something unconventional, definitely worth trying! Stuffed with 荔芋 inside the bun, yet it wasn’t too sweet but delicate. A good way to end the meal.
A restaurant provide high quality Xiao Long Bao and traditional Shanghai Cuisine with 21st century twist. If you don’t mind to queue up, this is a place to visit. And actually is rather expensive for Xiao Long Bao.

Date of Visit: 2012-05-01
Table Wait Time: 30 Minutes
Spending per Head: HKD150 (Dinner)
Rating : Taste3 Environment3 Service3 Hygiene3 Value for Money4

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