Din Tai FungCHAIN

4.4/10Chinese

AI-generated summary

People argue hard about this one. Fans say nobody gets the skin as thin. Doubters say the here come out dry and bland for the price, and that Chinatown or Flushing does it better for less. Even the skeptics recommend the and the . Service gets disorganized at peak hours, so don't cut it close before a show.

1633 Broadway, New YorkHell's Kitchen, ManhattanGoogle Maps

What Reddit says727

View all
  • postMy lil food tour on my 4 day trip + reviews398 pts

    “7. Din Tai Fung- I made a reservation about a month ago, i was pretty excited to see what the hype was about, but im just gonna get straight to the point and tell you guys that you can get 1000000% better in chinatown for a third of the price. the soup dumplings lacked flavor, spicy wontons lacked spice, sesame noodles were just ok.”

    H3

  • in:Din Tai Fung26 pts

    “I think the Manhattan one is not as terrible food wise as everyone says but the service is abysmal.”

    H3

  • in:Din Tai Fung16 pts
    replying to u/curiouslywanting: Can you get cheaper food more authentic flavors with larger portions at another restaurant? Yup But DTF scratches an itch for me as a Taiwanese American- it’s a refined slightly Americanized version of those dishes that are more expensive but super tasty in a nicer setting. My kids love it and I’ve taken good friends there. We also like Nan Xiang, Joe’s Shanghai, etc.. I know of other Taiwanese Americans who also enjoy going there. The only dish that I’m not happy with is the Beef Noodle Soup, but it’s hard to match my mom’s version of it. I’ve been to DTF in Socal and Taipei. People love to hate on it and that’s fine because it’s an expensive not as authentic chain. It’s still a super successful restaurant despite the hate.

    “I also think the beef noodle soup is great. It’s not necessarily my favorite, but the broth is more delicate and refined than the usual ones.”

    H3

  • in:Din Tai Fung Reservations13 pts

    “But, I regret to report that the food was surprisingly disappointing. (Having been to Din Tai Fung locations in Taipei and Singapore before). The meat the XLB were bland and mealy, and devoid of "soup." Other dishes were also very mid.”

    H3

  • in:Din Tai Fung13 pts
    replying to u/Raekwonse: Can get better soup dumplings for way cheaper elsewhere.

    “Cheaper yes, better absolutely not. No one gets the skin as thin and stretchy as they do and yes I’ve tried your favs in NYC (and more importantly in Asia and the west coast Asian food hubs).”

    H3

  • in:Din Tai Fung (Paramount Plaza) on track for a spring opening12 pts
    replying to u/JayMoots: Can someone explain the cult popularity of this place? I've heard a lot about how excited people are for this opening, but can't figure out what makes this place so much better than your average dim sum experience.

    “They’re a big chain now, but the original location in Taipei as well as some of the others, like the one at Taipei 101 make XLB at a very high standard, particularly in terms of the thinness of the skins and the precise pleating.”

    H3

  • in:Reservation at Din Tai Fung11 pts

    “been twice now, their xlb's have been the low points, not up to their standards (compared to taiwan locations). the skin is still too thick for DTF, especially at the top where the folds meet. filling has been pretty bland/mild in flavor, and not much soup.”

    H3

  • in:Din Tai Fung Reservation11 pts

    “I would suggest you go for dinner after the show rather than lunch before. They're really disorganized during peak hours.”

    H3

  • in:WHEN TF IS DIN TAI FUNG OPENING5 pts
    replying to u/nightkhan: >tastier? no but really depends on each location, for some of us from TW or who grew up in asia/taiwan this is the gold standard. some of the locations in LA are on par with the asia locations. the common problem with the XLB's here is that skin is too thick, but that's just my own opinion

    “The wrap here are not rolled thin enough which adds chewiness which adds an extra (?unwanted) dimension when you just want the warm soup, soft meat and the thin wrap that would just slide down softly.”

    H3

  • in:Is Din Tai Fung worth it?5 pts

    “I love it but I'm from the west coast so it has a special place in my heart. When I lived downtown (before DTF opened in NYC) and tried a bunch of other restaurants I found their soup dumplings really chewy (more dough) compared to Din Tai Fung. Their xiao long bao is really delicate..”

    H3

See all 727 mentions