This past month has been an exceptionally busy one for the famed Din Tai Fung restaurant group as they opened several branches and earned a few new awards for their excellent Chinese food.
Din Tai Fung Bellevue Now Open
Din Tai Fung recently opened its first franchised location in the United States -- Bellevue, Washington. While Din Tai Fung operates numerous franchised locations elsewhere in the world, the original branch in Los Angeles is still family owned and operated. The Bellevue location has been open for nearly a month and it has been already garnered over 145 reviews on Yelp.
The reviews have been mixed with a consistent perception that the signature xiao long bao are not as good as what you find in Taiwan or at other restaurants. They seem to lack the "soup" filling that Chinese food connoisseurs seek out in good xiao long bao. Also, some patrons have become disenchanted already after experiencing 3+ hour wait times.
XinYi Taipei Din Tai Fung in Miele Guide 2010 / 2011
The original XinYi branch of Din Tai Fung in Taipei was included in the 2010/2011 edition of the Miele Guide. The Miele Guide was created in 2008 to showcase some of Asia's best restaurants and chefs. Each year, they publish a new edition listing Asia's Top 20 and 450 of the best restaurants in all of Asia.
Restaurants that are included in the Miele Guide are selected after four rounds of judging. The first round involves creating a shortlist of restaurants chosen by the best local restaurant critics. The next two rounds of judging are conducted through online polls, which are open to both food professionals and food lovers. The final round involves the Miele Guide's staff and contributing editors dining anonymously at the highest rated restaurants to confirm the ratings.
Hong Kong Din Tai Fung Awarded One Michelin Star
Earlier this month, the results of the 2011 Hong Kong and Macau Michelin Guide were announced at a press conference in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong branch of Din Tai Fung was awarded one Michelin star for the second year in a row, which is quite an honor. Many have questioned why Taiwan has never received any stars. Unfortunately, Taiwan does not have a Michelin Guide (yet) so there is only speculation as to what rating the original branch in Taipei would receive.
Two New Singapore Din Tai Fung Locations Open
In addition to the highly anticipated opening of the Bellevue location, Din Tai Fung recently opened two new locations in Singapore in November and December. When visiting Singapore, be sure to check out one of the two new branches:
Marine Link Mall Din Tai Fung
- 8A Marina Boulevard #B2-05/06
- Singapore 018984
- Telephone: 66347877
Singapore Serangoon Branch
- 23 Serangoon Central B1-10/11/12
- Singapore 556083
- Telephone: 65-6634-7787
To learn more about the history of Din Tai Fung, please see the article, Chinese Dumplings at Din Tai Fung Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan.
Erin De Santiago - Erin is a freelance travel, food/wine, & Disney writer in Taipei, Taiwan, who has traveled within 40+ different countries to date.
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