Din Tai Fong- 鼎泰豐 Review

Why come all the way to Taiwan to eat something that I can eat in Los Angeles you ask? The same reason why Boudin's sourdough doesn't taste the same in San Diego as it does in San Francisco- the meat, the vegetables, even the air makes the food inherently taste different and we all know that chinese food in Taiwan is always going to be better then food in LA. Dad and I never planned to go to Din Tai Fong (鼎泰豐), we just happened to be in the area of Yong Kang Street (永康街) and since there was no line (I know what luck- there's ALWAYS a line at Din Tai Fong!!!) we decided to see what the hype was all about.
We knew that we had to order the Shiao Long Bao 蟹粉小籠包- (little dragon dumplings) since they are what brought Din Tai Fong all of its fame. First came the soft ginger or young ginger- this ginger is used for its less pungent flavor then old ginger (in the US, old ginger is generally used as young ginger is much harder to come across).Next came a bamboo steamer filled with identicle carefully created dumplings that had been freshly steamed and meticulously pinched together. One look at the fine creases of the Shiao Long Bao indicated that the skin of the dumpling was going to be thin and soft. Carefully lifting the dumpling off of the steaming tray, liquid sank to the bottom of the dumpling- indicating that the dumpling would be filled with lots of pork soup- remnants of the steaming of meat encapsulated in the dough. We both quickly popped the dumplings into our mouths. The dumplings were tender, juicy- the skins thin Q but not so thin that they just disintegrated in the mouth, the meat of the dumplings seasoned well with a good porky taste. The soft ginger and vinegar complimented the meat and helped to cut the meaty flavor with a breath of freshness. The soup was rich, flavorful and by far the best part about the dumplings. Overall the dumplings were some of the best dumplings I have had in a long time- by far better then anything I've ever had in the states. We gobbled the dumplings down being overly courteous about the last dumpling- I knew that dad wanted the last one even if he offered it to me. We also opted for the vegetarian steamed dumpling 香菇素餃- The skins again were thin and translucent- the workmanship in the creases of the dumplings were so fine but the taste- would it stand up to the shiao long bao? The answer sadly was no. The dumplings were dry (ok, no meat, no fat, taste will often be compromised)slightly powdery and just not very good and definetly not recommended. If I ever get the chance to go back to Din Tai Fong, it's only Shiao Long Bao for me!
So, is Din Tai Fong worth the normal hideous wait? Maybe not. Worth the visit with no wait? Definetly yes. Next time I'm going to count the number of creases on each dumpling.. I have a weird sick feeling that they mandate the same amount of creases on each dumpling becuase we are asian.. and that's totally something we would enforce as a standard yeah?

Din Tai Fong (the recommended one to go to):
10651 Daan, Xin Yi Road, SEction 2, Lane 194 ( at the entrance of Yong Kang Street)
10651台北市大安區信義路二段194號(永康街口)
TEL:02-2321-8928
Monday- Friday：10:00-21:00/ Sunday：09:00-21:00