Wow, almost ten years later, my updated review of Din Tai Fung (DTF) in New Town Plaza of Shatin is now posted. The location remains well alive at the basement level near several other eateries and the movie theater. The other tenants have already come and go while DTF is kicking. The crowds are still very present and seating is hard to come by without any wait, especially during dinner hours regardless of being a weekday or weekend. However, their previous system of securing a table by reservation online via an app has long been gone. The only way to reserve a table is to wait in line in person and they won't seat you until the entire party is present. The service is still great and quite attentive. The menu extensively includes a variety of dumplings, including those pan-fried, steamed, or soup dumplings. They also offer amazing noodles, noodle soups, fried rice, hot and cold appetizers, vegetable dishes, and a nice handful of desserts. The flavor is also on point for all the options I've ordered and not one dish to disappoint. My group and I always found a favorite item such as the pork chop fried rice, spicy chili oil dumplings, crab roe soup dumplings, jellied ham, and more. It's really an endless list of must-gets because there's hardly anything on the menu we would refuse. Overall a group favorite because of all the options on the menu plus legendary handcrafted soup dumplings that has thin enough skin to hold all the soup without the leak and juicy meat. It's still on my must-visit list everytime I'm around. read more

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I was craving some good XLB and I knew Din Tai Fung would deliver so I came here for lunch. Good thing I came early because there was a line by the time I left. Service was excellent and I loved how attentive the staff were. I ordered the pork XLB, the Dan Dan mian, and a Coke. Everything came out super hot. The XLB was very juicy and wrapper to meat ratio was perfect. I would definitely dine here again if I'm ever in the area or craving for XLB again. read more

鼎泰豐 - Taiwanese Near Me - Sha Tin, HK

If you're a fan of Din Tai Fung, then I recommend visiting one when you are abroad in Asia. We've been to a few locations in the States and they are just as good or better overseas. You get 6 dumplings vs 10 in the States. The soup dumplings are delish. The black truffle dumplings were flavorful. I love the variety of dishes that you are exclusive to each location so a chance to try something new! We didn't have to wait too long since we were dining at a later hour. Prices are on the higher end. Service was efficient. Bright restaurant with plenty of seating. It is located on Level 1 in New Town Plaza I so on the lower level. Highly recommend! read more

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This restaurant sells the best xiao lung bao in the world. I keep mentioning this brand at school an everywhere for me I personally don't like yum cha but exept this DING TAI FUNG THIS RESTURANT IS AMAZING I love thier cucumber every food they make. My mom bought food panda and food usually goes cold after a while but ding tai Fung hits different. read more

World famous with locations all around the world -- Din Tai Fung might be expensive and there is probably a line to get in at almost all hours of the day (they put a time limit on diners as well), but the food is fantastic. In a lot of places, you'll either get good looking food that isn't that tasty or very tasty food that is sloppily assembled. Every dish at Din Tai Fung is presented perfectly so that your eyes, nose, tongue, and mind are all stimulated at once. There is never any confusion around the star ingredient or intent of a dish as careful thought seems to have gone into designing every element of every dish. Highly recommended. Make sure you also try their excellent non-dumpling dishes as well. read more

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I heard about this place is a must try, currently in many parts of Asia and the West coast of the United States. They are famous for their soup dumplings, which is made fresh, you can see them making it in the front of the store. I heard this place was packed so we came around 2ish on a weekday and we didn't have to wait. We had: Steamed Angled Loofah and shrimp dumplings - pescatarian friendly, the skin is just the right amount of thickness, not too thick, this tasted very good, and you rarely see shrimp and angled loofah combination at other restaurants. Hot and sour soup - not hot or sour, I didn't really like this particular dish Tossed sliced cucumber with chili and garlic - tasted very good and refreshing Braised gluten (bean curd puff) with black fungus - this dish is okay, just like the other restaurants. Noodle with spicy sesame and peanut sauce - one of their signature dishes, the noodles and sauce was flavorful and it is one of the best noodles I ever had. Service is good and the restaurant is very modern. Prices are a little on the high end. Very pescatarian and vegetarian friendly. There is a lot of hype about this chain restaurant, it didn't give me a "wow" feeling, but the food tasted good. Looking for one to open on the East Coast of United States, any investors? I'm sure the license fee is a steep one... read more

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I ordered the truffle Xiao long bao with a plate of veggies and a bowl of soup noodles and pork chops to share. The truffle Xiao long bao was obviously more on the pricier side but it was very good. If you're not one for salty tastes it may not be for you, but I found it very flavourful. The bowl of noodles we ordered came with the pork chops on the side and it tasted great. The pork chops were cut into pieces and we're seasoned nicely. It paired well with the soup noodles and the veggies that we ordered. The only reason why I didn't give 5 stars is because they seemed to rush us. We had a 1.5 hour time limit to eat but everytime we finished something they would take it away instantly. We wanted to sit for a while and just talk and hang out but they gave us the bill right as we finished our last plate. If they could rush their customers less...I would give them 5 stars. read more

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The duck tongue had a slight alcoholic quality and had a nice texture. The black truffle soup dumplings were worth the extra amount as the flavor powerfully permeated the taste buds. The home made ham jelly had a nice gelatinous texture and a light saltiness. The deep fried pork chop was okay, not particularly special. Drunken chicken was somewhat too salty. Service was quick as dishes came without too much of a wait. read more

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I came here expecting to be blown away by their famous xiaolongbao but ended up enjoying their spicy sesame noodles more. The xlb skin is thin but not so thin that it easily breaks, and the pork filling is very flavourful and tasty. However, I found the sesame noodles to be my favourite - the broth had just the right amount of spice. The noodles were chewy but not too undercooked; just the way I like it. It's a bit on the pricier side but still worth it. Overall would recommend making a visit here. read more

鼎泰豐 - Pork Xiaolongbao and pork & vegetable dumplings - Taiwanese Near Me - Sha Tin, HK

Here's my take with Din Tai Fung, and this is from a former Honker who literally grew up at Newtown Centre mall back in the 80s - it's definitely overhyped with a sprinkling of false advertising thrown into the mix. If you survey their menu, they proudly proclaim its status as a Michelin star awarded restaurant. They are clearly not. Michelin star(s) are awarded to a specific branch of a specific restaurant at a specific moment in time. Din Tai Fung earned it at their TST and Causeway bay locations back in 2009/2011, and then lost it in 2015/2012 respectively. The stars are re-evaluated each and every year. and once you lose it, you don't get to use it for bragging rights unless you earn it again. The stars are also not transitive across the entire chain - if McDonald HQ's food testing labs outside Chicago gets a Michelin Star, their entire chain do not get the right to claim the same...because that's simply not how it works (the day McDonalds gets a Michelin nod will be a very cold day in hell). So no, this restaurant is not Michelin rated. Now, onto the Xiaolongbao. Now, MAYBE if you are some expat who lived their life at West Podunk, Indiana whose first assumptions about Chinese food involves a packet of fried noodles, an egg roll and putting Sriracha sauce on it, sure, this stuff is like fresh baby jesus jizz. Now for someone who had some experience with the stuff under his belt, it's better than the usual tripe cranked out by Chinatown eateries in New York (Joe's Shanghai), Montreal (Maison Kim Fung *barf*) and Toronto (too numerous to count), but it's not a step above thr rest made with pixie dust and organic free-range unicorn meat. You can accept that while they are decent, the best is still a 14 hour flight away. I would grant you that the real Din Tai Fung in Taipei is brilliant and freaking magical - but then, so are most items in their night markets, and let us not forget the 900 pound gorilla macdaddy of the soup dumplings - Nan Xiang in Shanghai. This place qualifies as neither. So here's my bottom line. The dumplings are decent and fresh. But it's not awesome, or the best, or even superlatively great - it had clean flavors and delicate skin, but that's about it, and that does not earn it a ton of accolades. I don't wake up in the middle of the night in New York reminiscing about the soup dumplings here. It was simply "meh", and I didn't really need to fly 16 hours non-stop for this. However, what I did remember was the fact that I blew ~550 HKD for 6 items - that's 70 USD for not much - what the heck did I pay for? The courtesy of drinking my tea without sharing a table? Pretending to lunch at a (not) Michelin starred joint? There is a Shanghaiese place on the 8th floor of the mall that matches it in terms of quality or accouterments - and you won't have to deal with the 75 minute dining limit or the better-than-thou attitude. Oh yeah, it's certainly not very "Hong Kong" either. I would rather bank up, do the 60 minute flight to Taipei and eat the real thing. If you want authentic dimsum with an actual Michelin star rating and HK homegrown-to-boot, hit Tim Ho Wan is on Wharf Street in North Point. Feel free to go nuts there, at least your money will be better spent on better tasting wares. As for me - once is enough. It's a city of 7 million, and better/cheaper food is everywhere. read more

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BEST DIM SUM. I've tried a good number of Dim Sum places, and I have to say this is my favorite. It's also such a great deal for a Michelin star restaurant. Once they seat you, you only have an hour and a half to eat, which is actually plenty of time. My favorite dish was the Spicy Shrimp Wonton. The sauce for it was AMAZING. I loved the Spring Rolls too. And you have to try the Xiao Long Bao, since that's one of their most popular dishes. The noodles were alright, but I'd skip over it for some of the other dishes. All in all, go go go! read more

鼎泰豐 - Taiwanese Near Me - Sha Tin, HK

Din Tai Fung is famous for their xiaolong bao. Imagine my surprise when I found one located in Hong Kong. I had to try it! Your soup dumplings are made to order in the front of the restaurant. There's a window into the kitchen for spectators. It's actually quite the visual treat to watch the chefs make it. I ordered their original Pork Soup Dumplings and the Black Truffle Soup Dumplings. The first thing I noticed was that their xiaolong baos have really soft and delicate skins. I had to be very careful not to rip them and lose all the broth inside. The original was quite good. It's exactly what you would expect, but somehow there's just a bit more. The black truffle was very fragrant. Definitely something I would eat again. I highly recommend eating at a Din Tai Fung to see what the original xiaolong bao is about. It's definitely a worthwhile experience! read more

鼎泰豐 - Pork Xiaolong Bao ($60 HKD) - Taiwanese Near Me - Sha Tin, HK

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Can't go wrong - a strong formula followed consistently at every location - worldwide. Needless to say, the pork xiao long bao were awesome. We followed up with the dumplings in sweet spicy sauce and the egg fried rice. We've had the same dishes many times before (along with others) and it's beginning to feel like comfort food! Service friendly and efficient - and snappy! read more

鼎泰豐 - Egg fried rice. How do they do it so consistently well?! - Taiwanese Near Me - Sha Tin, HK

Recently, I've been eating out at Din Tai Fung a lot more often because they opened up a new branch in New Town Plaza, which is not too far from where I live. I never get sick of food at Din Tai Fung even though I pretty much order exactly the same things every time I go, and I stand by my opinion that they make the best xiao long (pork dumplings) baos in HK! The ones at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao are too 'meaty' for my liking, while I feel the ones at Din Tai Fung have just the right balance. Each order of their signature pork dumplings comes with either six or ten pieces, and honestly I could finish a whole order of ten! Besides the signature pork dumplings, the steamed angled loofah and shrimp dumplings are not bad as well. I wouldn't recommend the steamed crab roe and pork dumplings though - they're pricier than the signature pork dumplings and are about half as good. The crab roe kind of overpowers the pork and changes the taste of the soup. I ordered it once out of curiosity, regretted it, and never ordered it since. Another must-try at Din Tai Fung is the deep fried pork chop with soup noodles. The pork is tender and juicy, and is just the right amount of crispy. The soup noodles is very clear and isn't overwhelmingly salty, which complements the comparatively stronger-flavored pork chop well. It's important to know that Din Tai Fung does NOT accept reservations - you have to go there, take a number and wait until it is called. This means that if you go at around 12 - 1pm, or 7 - 9pm, be prepared to wait for at least twenty minutes! I usually go for late lunches or dinners at Din Tai Fung to avoid having to wait and I suggest that you do too! read more

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Always have to love din tai fung. They don't pretend to be anything they are not, but what they are is a specific kind of awesome dim sum! The sautéed veggies, fries rice, and soup are all great! The dim sum is off the chain, especially the soup filled dim sum! read more

Best dumplings in the world! Do you like Dim Sum? Search no more. Just go to this place and try the crab and pork dumplings. Just tasty juicy awesomeness! The fried rice is excellent too and they offer many other things that taste great, like the pork chops and the veggies. I've been going to their multiple branches across south east Asia and the U.S. for years, and I've never been disappointed. However, you can expect to wait a long time to get a table because it's normally packed. Culinary excellence from Taiwan. read more

You definitely need to try their soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) here! read more

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Din Tai Fung was never something I was keen on- for me it felt a bit snobbish and not quite genuine to the real thing. Shanghainese restaurants, to me, were always slightly grotty and not quite the fine places you find today. This reluctance to try it meant that I was in the dark over the new wave of Shanghai cuisine offerings. This is further entrenched when you are Shanghainese yourself and you feel that you could have the same stuff at home anyways. I came here for lunch some time back and it was not by choice either- as with everything in Shatin, all the other places were full and I just saw Din Tai Fung right at the end of the alleyway (its tucked into a corner). Not wanting to waste time I decided that I should give it a go and I'm glad that I did. A surprising thing for me was that this place is actually quite a "common" place; not the upscale restaurant I was expecting. The fact that I was handed a piece of paper which you simply tick to order your food was telling me this is not some super posh location. Sticking to the safe stuff, I had the "dam dam noodle" and pork dumplings that everyone has talked about here. I'm happy to report that they were actually quite nice and though the place was quite small, I was happy to be seated down for lunch so quickly. I would still say that I prefer Crystal Jade at this point but this is an alternative that is certainly comparable in every aspect. read more

I was highly disappointed in this place. People who have ranked this particular Din Tai Fung above 3 stars cannot have been to the restaurants in Taiwan. I have been to the 'real' Din Tai Fung in Taiwan many times and every visit is a unique one since every bowl and plate is made to perfection, but they don't seem to strive for the same goal here. My dumplings were dry, the noodles did not quit live up the same standards. read more

This Din Tai Fung pales next to the one in Taipei. Overall, the food was good, but not great. The "soup" inside the steamed pork dumplings was a bit on the bland side. The vegetarian dumplings were just OK, but felt like they were missing something. The noodle soup dishes were much better. The braised beef noodle soup had nice al dente noodles in a satisfying beef broth. The shrimp and pork wonton soup was even better. I think the wontons were actually worthy of the Din Tai Fung name. For dessert, we had some red-bean steamed buns. The bread was a bit too al dente and probably could've used another 5 minutes in the steamer. If this were any other restaurant, we would've given it a 3.5 to 4 stars. Given the fame of the franchise, this particular place didn't meet expectations and accordingly, we give them a 3. read more

Flashback to July 17... I could not go to the Din Tai Fung in Seattle because the place was packed giving me a big frown on my face. A tear could have came out of my eye but I had to go to Centurylink Field for the Manchester United game :( Today... I knew that I had to go to Din Tai Fung for real because if I did not, then not only my bucket list would be partially incomplete, but at the same time... it would be depressing not to try out truffle mushrooms for the 1st time in my life. I was even willing to pay for the entire meal for my family I was that desperate So we basically got in and ordered 2 regular XLB's, 1 Black Truffle XLB, 1 Shanghaiese style Siu Mai XLB, 2 orders of chicken noodle soup 1 order of beef noodle soup and 1 pork and shredded cabbage noodle soup. Here comes the verdict Xiao Long Bao - Soup was light and flavourful with oil. It was light and refreshing. The bun skin was very thin but could still hold lots of meat and a good amount of soup which would make a nice light dinner for those who do not like the deep flavour with lots of chilis and oils. Black Truffle Xiao Long Bao - This was the highlight the whole family wanted to see. The black truffles added an earthiness that balanced the lightness of the soup which I actually was pleased with. Tasting the mushrooms though, I am gonna keep it a secret of how it tastes like because I don't want to ruin the surprise :3 Shanghai style Shrimp XLB - An unique way of addressing the traditional Shanghaiese Siu Mai with the Xiao Long Bao. The shape of it looks like an hourglass which made it easier for us to eat since we could eat the top part before the bottom was next. Double Boiled Chicken Noodle Soup - Chicken meat was somewhat tough but the soup had enough flavour to compromise it. As the saying goes, the longer the chicken stays, the more flavour goes into the soup. Noodles were Oil noodles and had a sprinkle of green onions on the side. The chicken soup was on the side in case the noodles were to get soggy. Beef Noodle Soup - Same philosophy like the chicken noodle soup but it was still very good. Lots of oil which adds flavour to the noodle soup Pork and Shredded Cabbage Soup - Shoutout to the chef with the knife skills. The thinly sliced meat and cabbage was so finely sliced that I needed a microscope to see them exist. Verdict - This is a wonderful experience for my family coming all the way to Hong Kong to enjoy such an experience. The customer service was exceptional and I like the fact that there was someone to carry the dishes for the servers to give to the customers as a safety procedure so that way the server does not have a risky chance of burning their hands during their work hours. It is going to be one of the few times I would probably go to Din Tai Fung because while the closest one is in Seattle, I won't get a chance to get to eat it when it is not so busy. :) read more

Best food in all of Hong Kong!!!! I highly recommend the vegan options. Staff really accommodate customers on their needs.

I expected a lot more from the soup dumplings. I've had better. However, the spicy wontons were pretty good. Overall, the place wasn't amazing but was okay. read more

The dinnertime waits are long so being able to watch the dumplings being made through the glass is a plus. The service is fine and the food is good - typical din tai fung. read more

We loved this place when we were here in March, and it's just as good now we're back in October. We arrived before 7 pm on a week night -- no waiting for a table. (When we left at 7:30, there were crowds of people waiting.) We had the steamed pork dumplings -- fantastic. Don't forget to look at the instructions in the card on the table. Also spinach with garlic -- amazing. Then noodles with sesame and peanut sauce, which wasn't quite as good as we remembered, and 3 little buns with black sesame filling -- wonderful. We had green tea but no alcohol, which keeps the price down. The price was $37 for both of us -- very reasonable. read more

I love Ding Tai Fung. Its one of those restaurants that are always consistent in quality and service. It is definitely on the expensive end consider there are many other alternatives for shanghainese food in Hong Kong. Food is decent but serving size is pretty small and expensive. I probably wouldn't give them a Michelin Star but its definitely comforting since the food quality and taste are pretty consistent every Ding Tai Fung chain you go to. read more

The most amazing Taiwanese you will ever eat. The service is pretty good and the food is always tasting fresh and clean. It never makes you feel greasy and there is always so much flavor in all of their dishes. The steamed pork dumplings are their specialities but they have other great dishes as well. It is always clean and well prepared. Enjoy! read more

I find it incredibly rude that they impose a 1.5 hour limit and ask customers to leave 15 minutes before the time is up. Dumplings are good. Noodles are too soft. read more

The xiao long bao were sooo good! The dough was just right and juicy inside. We also had their dessert, a dumpling with taro root inside. Oh it was so amazing! The wrap was so thin and the rest was taro! It was not too sweet and the texture perfect. I would eat there everyday except for the cost! They also allow for only 1 hour and 15 minutes so I felt a little bit rushed. read more