All 727 rated mentions, most helpful first
“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
“TLDR: The food was meh/good at best. Not AMAZING. I can say I ate there and wont be back for a long time.”
H3
“I think the Manhattan one is not as terrible food wise as everyone says but the service is abysmal.”
H3
“NYC DTF has far thicker/tougher skin and less silky fillings with double the price vs. the China and Taiwan locations I’ve been to.”
H3
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“I would suggest you go for dinner after the show rather than lunch before. They're really disorganized during peak hours.”
H3
“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
“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
“I’d say DTF is a few steps above them regarding thinner but sturdier wrap with way more tastier juicy marinade.”
H3
“Agree with your assessment, been to this location twice now and the XLB's were the low points of the meals.”
H3
“Their XLB had no broth when I went. Their customer service was sooo good from the waiters too, but I waited each at least 20-30 minute for each new dish. It was a horrible experience over all.”
H3
“The pork chops and sticky rice dishes are good.”
H3
“Went there recently and it’s a solid 4/10 in my opinion. The XLB, which are supposed to be the main star, are flavorless, small, dry skinned, bland soup.”
H3
“I recommend going once and trying it out.”
H3
“Din Tai Fung has become ridiculous. $50 for a dozen dumplings. A lot of money for a scrap of dough and a spoon of meat. It’s not the most expensive place, just horrible value for money.”
H3
“The one in Glendale wasn’t good. Small portions, food was cold, lacked flavor. Not sure what the hype is about this place.”
H3
“their pork XLB remains the standard I compare all others to. It’s difficult to find XLB as thin without tearing easily.”
H3
“In my experience from locations outside of Taiwan is the xiao long bao output isn't as great and the xiao long baos feel like they've been on the keep warm steamer a little too long reducing the quality.”
H3
“the XLB were technically perfect but I prefer the plumper more flavorful ones at Shanghai You Garden in Flushing tbh. The pork chop fried rice was great though”
H3
“Just want to second this. Went recently with my wife, and the quality control on the Xiao long bao still needs work.”
H3
“I love many a soup dumpling in Chinatown and flushing, but almost all have doughier/thicker wrappers. DTF is highly rated bc the food is executed at a consistently high level”
H3
“We both agreed it was mediocre for the $100+ price.”
H3
“I personally like the chain for the consistent quality of the hot and sour soup. The thin cut tofu rocks and decent Taiwanese style HSS is not very easy to find”
H3
“NYC DTF dumplings are probably the worst DTF dumplings I’ve had internationally, they’re tiny which means the ratio of soup, filling and meat are completely off, the meat filling is dry and the skin is thick.”
H3
“I personally really enjoyed all of the food, our server was SOO kind and went above and beyond for us, and this is their largest restaurant in the country (or world….? Not sure) it’s underground, swanky, and feels cool. I know there’s some din tai fung haters in this thread but I enjoyed it - food , service, ambience.”
H3
“The food is def just okay but still enjoyable.”
H3
“All the DTFs outside of Asia are terrible, the quality isn’t up to standard nor is the service!”
H3
“It's ass. I have had Din tai fung in other countries, and they were far better than the Time Sq location. Everything was either under seasoned or on the sweeter side. Their soup dumplings were okay, but lack flavor. For that price, this quality is unacceptable.”
H3
“I was thoroughly unimpressed. Soup dumplings were tough, the broth inside was flavorless. Steamed Bao bun was filled with air, hardly any pork.”
H3
“DTF to me is just always consistent. The dumpling skin is thin and never breaks, but there are probably places that can do it better although I haven’t tried one that consistently has.”
H3
“NYC dtf is not good, the soup dumplings are very bland and with the exception of the green beans everything also was also strange, the fried pork chop was soggy, the sesame noodles were watered down, idk how else to describe that. It’s disappointing”
H3
“I had a delicious meal there with my gf, and all for I wanna say around $100?”
H2
“while the vibe is nice, you can get better food just wandering around Chinatown”
H2
“It's legitimately very good, just overpriced. While not the best dumplings I've had, if you ignore price/value I'd say it's pretty comfortably top 20%.”
H2
“DTF was so disappointing. Tiny dumplings with minimal broth.”
H2
“Great service, fun vibes, good food.”
H2
“DTF’s American locations are underwhelming and overpriced, not to mention overrated AF.”
H2
“Subpar ass soup dumplings at prices that makes no sense.”
H2
“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.”
H2
“We love it. It’s bustling, fun, the food is reliable and tasty and the chocolate dumplings sound terrible but are amazing. Great for a group.”
H2
“Not worth the hype.”
H2
“Din Tai Fung is an acclaimed international chain that is increasingly leaning (if not already) to the high end. They sell delicate dishes at a premium.”
H2
“Din tai Fung has a black sesame espresso martini and black sesame Xiao Long Bao dessert dumplings that are super tasty”
H2
“If you’re in the area for a theatre show, it’s a solid pick. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here - better soup dumplings in Chinatown or Flushing.”
H2
“Maybe unpopular opinion but Din Tai Fungs fried rice is so umami and delicious”
H2
“Having been to Din Tai Fung outside of Taiwan, none of the tastes as good to the ones in Taiwan.”
H2