I just realised that there is indeed Heaven on earth! And that is at Din Tai Fung, in Taipei!
As we made our way back from the National Palace Museum to downtown Taipei, we realised that we were absolutely famished. We slept quite late after delays at Taoyuan Airport and got up early to head to the Xiahai Chenghuang Temple and in the rush, we missed our breakfast.
We needed a good, warm meal to satisfy our hunger!
All food guides to Taipei referred us to Din Tai Fung for their amazing pork xiaolongbaos! And so this was it. We had to visit Taipei 101 anyways, so we decided to pop into the Din Tai Fung branch at Taipei 101 itself.
We got dropped off at the West Nanjing Road, from where got on to Taipei MRT's Red Line at Zhongshan Station for a 20 minute ride to Taipei 101! The subway system over here is quite efficient and uncluttered. It is indeed quite easy to figure out your way, which made us feel quite at home!
The Din Tai Fung outlet at Taipei 101 is located on the ground floor. And when we got here, it was teeming with crazed hungry people like us waiting for a bite of the heavenly xiaolongbaos! We were told our wait time was nearly 40 minutes. It was a bit too long, but think of it even Lord Buddha had to undergo penance before he attained Nirvana! We are lesser mortals, and in that context, a 40 minute wait time is kosher indeed!
Our queue number was 1082. We were handed the menu and were advised to select our meal!
Scanning through the menu!
There is so much on offer...
...all of it looks great, but...
...I have just one little tummy!
Still waiting...
Ahhh, our queue number is 1082 and they have reached 1075. Nirvana is in sight!
Din Tai Fung has a presence in Taiwan, China, South Korea (I didn't know that!), Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Philippines, the United States and the United Arab Emirates...
Din Tai Fung has quite an interesting history. The founder, Yang Bingyi, was born in Shanxi, on the Mainland, but moved to Taiwan in 1948. After working for 10 years at a cooking oil retailer, Heng Tai Fung, he had to venture on his own when the store closed. Alongwith his wife, Lai Penmei, he founded Din Tai Fung, as a cooking oil retailer, in 1958.
But Din Tai Fung's destiny lay elsewhere. In the 1980s, tinned cooking oil became more popular and business prospects diminished drastically. Yang and his wife diversified their business to making and selling steamed buns (xiaolongbao) on Xinyi Road in Taipei. Their xiaolongbaos became so popular that they fully got into the restaurant business in the 1980s.
And the rest is history!
Din Tai Fung was named one of the top ten restaurants in the world by the New York Times in 1993.[6][7] In 2009, their branch at Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, was awarded one Michelin star followed by another for their Causeway Bay branch, again in Hong Kong!
Din Tai Fung was named one of the top ten restaurants in the world by the New York Times in 1993.[6][7] In 2009, their branch at Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, was awarded one Michelin star followed by another for their Causeway Bay branch, again in Hong Kong!
A peek inside...
Still waiting...
And with severe hunger pangs, we waited a while...
As they say it's darkest just before dawn...
Voila, there we go!
Surgeons at work? Nuclear scientists at work?
No they are making xiaolongbaos!
Xiaolongbaos are a type of steamed buns (baozi) from the Jiangnan region of China and are traditionally prepared in xiaolong, small bamboo steaming baskets, which give the buns their name. Xiaolongbao are traditionally filled with pork but other fillings are available at Din Tai Fung.
Meticulous and precise defines the making of xiaolongbaos!
Our order...
There is a precise way to enjoy xiaolongbaos, as we were guided by our Brazilian hostess, Beatriz, who is interning here...
Pour one part soya sauce and three parts vinegar over julienned fresh ginger and mix well...
And let it it settle...
Now come the xiaolongbaos. The steaming process releases the and melts the juicy fats of the pork, which accumulates in the casing of the dumpling.
The xiaolongbaos are gently lifted with care to ensure that you don't break the casing. Dip it in the soy-vinegar and ginger mixture and let the dumpling soak them in. Then place the dumpling on to a spoon, place a few juliennes of ginger on top and break the casing with the chopstick, to release the juices into the spoon and gulp it up! I have only word to describe it all - heavenly!
The xiaolongbaos come with unlimited servings of jasmine tea...
Our side orders of stir fried water spinach, crispy pork chop and egg-flower soup with tomato and tofu!
Everyone's having a great time!
Especially the tourists...
Indeed this was one of the best meals we had on our travels and must say, this was a great culinary introduction to Taiwan! I am even more convinced that I Don't Want Nirvana! I Want Great Food, Always!
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