Din Tai Fung
Disclaimer: I am in vegan week right now, and I just want to announce that I consumed this meat-heavy meal last week. I didn't cheat (yet).
I go to New Shanghai for cheap eats, I go to Din Tai Fung for the real deal.
First up, drink. Most people of non-Asian descent may be unfamiliar with the idea of using avocado in sweet dishes - but it is absolutely heavenly. This is a seemingly-impressive but absolutely easy to make drink: simply combine avocado, milk and condensed milk in a blender; then drizzle the glass and the top with some chocoalte sauce. I used to make this high-energy smoothie at home, and even without the chocolate sauce it is amazing.
Not the healthiest of 'green smoothies' though - it is really full of fat and sugar, but completely worth it. I would highly, highly, highly recommend trying.
The Shanghainese soup dumplings (xiao long bao - 'little steamer buns') at Din Tai Fung simply cannot be beaten - I have never seen thinner, more delicate skin anywhere else. Eating these soup-filled morsels are a complete and utter joy; they are the only thing I really crave from Chinese cooking.
They are also a test of whether you have mastered the chopsticks. On the back of the Timeout London embarrassment of an article, here's the proper way to consume these babies, straight from the mouth of a Shanghainese:
The sweet and savoury combo is something I have always loved. Deep fried, not so much. The prawn and mango roll isn't my favourite dish of the night because I think the prawn-mango ratio is a bit off (it's too sweet), and I think it would have been better if the dish were in rice paper roll instead, with more savoury elements. Having said that, it's not a bad dish, it's just not as amazing as everything else.
This is technically a 'dry noodle' in the sense that you're not supposed to drink the broth (because it's quite oily and very strongly flavoured) but only use it to dip and flavour the noodle. The broth is rich and flavourful - I can taste a very distinctive star aniseed flavour.
Despite not being a fan of spicy food, the noodle-wonton combination ended up being one of the best noodle dishes I have ever had! I may even need to add it to the currently single-item list of 'Chinese food I crave from time to time'. The wontons have a beautiful filling of prawn and pork and are drenched in a chili oil.
If you are a die-hard chili fan, be warned that this dish isn't actually as spicy as it looks. Yes, it does warm you up and have a bit of a kick, but let's face it, it's Shanghai-style food: it's really more sweet than spicy.
Now we move onto the desert portion of the night. I was really curious about the steamed taro buns, which are shaped like xiao long bao but are filled with mashed taro (purple yam). The mash is smooth and silky, and these are even more delicate than their savoury counterparts, but unfortunately the mild taro flavour couldn't quite cover up the flouriness of the skin.
The best dessert item on the menu is hands down the 'golden lava'. I have written about these in a previous post on Din Tai Fung, and it still holds true that not only does Din Tai Fung do the best xiao long bao, they also do the best golden lava.
What is golden lava? It is salted egg yolk, which is a highly prized ingredient we use in both sweet and savoury dishes. In sweet dishes, the slight saltiness of the egg yolk balances the sugar perfectly. I particularly like the Din Tai Fung version because they don't stint on the filling, and they make it beautiful and runny, encased in the fluffiest bun.
Score: 4/5
The key is to know which items to order off the menu. The popular items (indicated with a logo on their ordering sheet) are guaranteed winners, and most other dishes are good. Experiment with weird-sounding dishes (such as the taro steam buns and prawn mango rolls) at your own risk. Having said that, the overall quality is high so there really isn't much to worry about.
Cost: approximately 30%-50% more expensive than other eateries of its kind, but absolutely worth it given the quality.
Address: various, but I always prefer their sit down restaurants over food court stalls (or what they call cafe courts): you get more variety, better service, and the staff have larger and better equipped kitchens to work with.
Website: https://www.dintaifung.com.au/
I go to New Shanghai for cheap eats, I go to Din Tai Fung for the real deal.
First up, drink. Most people of non-Asian descent may be unfamiliar with the idea of using avocado in sweet dishes - but it is absolutely heavenly. This is a seemingly-impressive but absolutely easy to make drink: simply combine avocado, milk and condensed milk in a blender; then drizzle the glass and the top with some chocoalte sauce. I used to make this high-energy smoothie at home, and even without the chocolate sauce it is amazing.
Not the healthiest of 'green smoothies' though - it is really full of fat and sugar, but completely worth it. I would highly, highly, highly recommend trying.
 |
| Avocado and Chocolate Shake |
The Shanghainese soup dumplings (xiao long bao - 'little steamer buns') at Din Tai Fung simply cannot be beaten - I have never seen thinner, more delicate skin anywhere else. Eating these soup-filled morsels are a complete and utter joy; they are the only thing I really crave from Chinese cooking.
They are also a test of whether you have mastered the chopsticks. On the back of the Timeout London embarrassment of an article, here's the proper way to consume these babies, straight from the mouth of a Shanghainese:
- You should always use both chopsticks and a spoon.
- Resting the dumpling on the spoon, bite a tiny hole in the skin, and suck the juices out. Alternatively, you bite a tiny hole and tip the juices onto your spoon and drink it straightaway (that's why our spoons are so deep compared to Western-style spoons). I usually opt for the second option because these dumplings are best enjoyed piping hot, but I don't want to burn my mouth. This second option is far better than waiting for them to cool a little bit.
 |
| Xiao Long Bao |
 |
| Prawn and Mango roll |
This is technically a 'dry noodle' in the sense that you're not supposed to drink the broth (because it's quite oily and very strongly flavoured) but only use it to dip and flavour the noodle. The broth is rich and flavourful - I can taste a very distinctive star aniseed flavour.
Despite not being a fan of spicy food, the noodle-wonton combination ended up being one of the best noodle dishes I have ever had! I may even need to add it to the currently single-item list of 'Chinese food I crave from time to time'. The wontons have a beautiful filling of prawn and pork and are drenched in a chili oil.
If you are a die-hard chili fan, be warned that this dish isn't actually as spicy as it looks. Yes, it does warm you up and have a bit of a kick, but let's face it, it's Shanghai-style food: it's really more sweet than spicy.
 |
| Spicy noodles with pork and prawn wonton |
 |
| Taro steam buns |
What is golden lava? It is salted egg yolk, which is a highly prized ingredient we use in both sweet and savoury dishes. In sweet dishes, the slight saltiness of the egg yolk balances the sugar perfectly. I particularly like the Din Tai Fung version because they don't stint on the filling, and they make it beautiful and runny, encased in the fluffiest bun.
 |
| Golden lava |
Score: 4/5
The key is to know which items to order off the menu. The popular items (indicated with a logo on their ordering sheet) are guaranteed winners, and most other dishes are good. Experiment with weird-sounding dishes (such as the taro steam buns and prawn mango rolls) at your own risk. Having said that, the overall quality is high so there really isn't much to worry about.
Cost: approximately 30%-50% more expensive than other eateries of its kind, but absolutely worth it given the quality.
Address: various, but I always prefer their sit down restaurants over food court stalls (or what they call cafe courts): you get more variety, better service, and the staff have larger and better equipped kitchens to work with.
Website: https://www.dintaifung.com.au/
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