A glimpse of authentic China at Din Tai Fung

Authentic Chinese is quite a rarity. And more often than not, we tend to confuse these original dishes with their equally appetizing, albeit adapted Western counterparts. But that was about to change at Din Tai Fung. After their success at MOE, they have opened up the second branch of this restaurant at the Dining District in Al Ghurair Centre. It was surprising to see that they offer not only a massive seating space, but also an unending variety of items on their menu which are quintessentially Chinese.

There were some classics I never expected to see on the menu, while there were others that broke some myths in terms of how they taste when prepared in an authentic Chinese manner.

Read on to find out all about Din Tai Fung.

XiaoLongBao

Din Tai Fung is the home of the legendary Xiao Long Bao. In very simple words, these are steamed dumplings, and this restaurant specializes in them to such an extent that everytime you order these, the staff give you a little placard with instructions on how to eat the XiaoLongBao.

We tried two varieties of these dumpling. First off we had the Truffle Chicken variety and next we opted for the Chicken & Crab filling. While three of these fillings come in a portion of 6 pieces, the truffle ones, which are slightly special for obvious truffly reasons, are priced per piece.

Eating them is not some rocket science. Our server gave us a small sauce dish with fresh ginger in it. She then added one part soy sauce and three parts rice vinegar to the ginger to give it an ideal flavor balance.

We simply picked a piece of the dumpling and dipped it in the sauce first, after which we placed it in a spoon. The fun part was to poke the dumpling with the chopstick just a little to make a hole in it that would release the broth within.

Once that was done, we quickly popped it into our mouth and wow, that burst of flavors was quite an experience. The warm truffle enriched broth coupled with ginger, soy and vinegar flavors was a total delight. Add to that the tender chicken meat, and this little XiaLongBao instantly made a place in my heart. I found myself craving for more of these, so you might need to order at least 2 per person. A word of caution, make sure the dumpling isn’t too hot before you eat it.

Sweet Tea

Good food is always compatible with good drinks, and there was no stopping us from trying out the cool specialties at Din Tai Fung. Keeping it authentic, we opted for the Mixed Fruit Tea and the Passion Fruit Green Tea with sugar syrup on the side for both.

The mixed fruit option came with a blend of sweet fruity flavors, with some crunchy seeds in it as well, while the passion fruit green tea was a refreshing delight. I like the passion fruit one more than the other, but that’s simply because I am love the flavors of that fruit.

They also have a warm jasmine tea, which is their specialty. So if you don’t feel like going for a cold drink, you can always opt for this one.

Here’s a secret: The Chinese are often known to maintain their slim structures with the help of their special teas. Despite of their rice rich diet, they make sure they have a hot cup of tea with every meal to cut down on all the fat. Try it out and you never know, it might actually aid in weight management!

Hot & Sour soup

I never knew how Hot & Sour soup actually tasted until I had it at Din Tai Fung. This spicy chicken broth came with black pepper sprinkled all over it. This added tons of spicy oomph to its existence. And don’t miss that beautiful chilli sauce giving it a perfectly red hue.

Ideal for winters or summers alike, this one is sure to open up your palette for the upcoming mains.

Szechuan Shrimp & Chicken Wontons

Do you Wonton? Yes, I do. These Szechuan Shrimp & Chicken Wontons at Din Tai Fung were my favorite.  Lightly pan fried, they did not feel heavy at all, and the shrimp and chicken within was cooked perfectly.

But what stood out the most was the sauce. Once served, the wontons were gently tossed in the spicy chilli gravy until coated with a light layer of the sauce. This made sure that every bite brought together all the flavors in this dish. I’m so used to having wontons just plain steamed with the sauce on the side, these brought in a refreshing change.

Do you like Wontons? Which filling do you like the most?

Noodles

Noodles. The one thing Chinese food can never be complete without! We tried two of the bestsellers at Din Tai Fung.

These Ja Jian Noodles came in a savory sauce with lots of minced chicken and beans.

These are the House Special Chili Noodles which I loved just a little more than the chicken ones. This was mainly because of their chilli based sauce giving it a spicy kick. What really impressed me was how these noodles were so perfectly laid out like silk threads.

They have lots of noodle options at Din Tai Fung, so you are sure to find one that you like!

Dynamite Shrimps

While everyone ends with desserts, I prefer to end it with Dynamite Shrimps. I have been hooked onto these style of shrimps ever since I started eating them. So I decided to swap dessert for these.

I usually like them very spicy, and these were slightly sweet, but the crunch was on point. Such a perfect way to end the meal at Din Tai Fung.

Din Tai Fung

Location: Al Ghurair Centre, Al Rigga, Dubai
Contact: 04 2264448