Din Tai Fung

Great food is great food.
Din Tai Fung simply has great, affordable, and tasty food. Some people may not love that it’s part of a super popular restaurant chain. But this is one chain that consistently turns out delicious dishes. I ate here after a long hiatus and was pleasantly surprised and happy with my experience.
The food
The food here delivers. Of course it’s all about the soup dumplings — xiao long bao — and the regular ones are light, filled with a hint of pork broth, and perfectly seasoned. But that’s not the only star of the show. The noodles have a light, chewy taste and are paired with great toppings like dan dan sauce, pork or mushrooms, or wonton. Speaking of wonton, the wonton with black vinegar are among the best in town. They are delicate, tangy, and mildly spicy. Another solid dish is the pork chop with fried rice. The rice is fluffy and full of bits of egg while the pork chop is crispy and juicy. It’s pretty much a perfect little dish which is why I know one friend who gets it almost every week! We even got a free dish of fried duck spring rolls because we were among the restaurant’s last diners of the day. Any restaurant that wants to keep feeding me is a keeper!
I’m glad I stopped in again and am reminded to return whenever I crave affordable, tasty xiao long bao and perfect pork chops! This location is also a hidden gem because it doesn’t get as crowded as the Raffles City branch and is right by Singapore Art Museum and Bras Basah MRT station. So you can pop in and get your dumpling fix with minimal wait. #winning

Some good and some bad. The chilli crab bun did not seem spicy enough. It was quite mild (and I am not a hardcore spicy food person at all). I like the red bean with chocolate and thought that was quite unique. The xiao long bao was OK. Some other din tai fung seems better. Taro bun was nice too. Beef noodle was OK. Again, typically, it is a little spicy but this was not at all. Very kid friendly place which is why I gave it a bump in stars. They provided kids plate, cups and utensils which added to the experience.

Din Tai Fung puts out consistently high quality food for a chain restaurant concept. I am not really in love with the floor plan at the Bras Basah location especially the outdoor waiting line. That said, the food is still amazing and the restaurant is always bustling except at opening.
They serve a lot of the dishes with dark soy and black vinegar. You may try something else if this is not for you as it is on the table setting as well as prepared in the dishes.
We really enjoy the cucumber and duck pastry for appetizers. Soup dumplings are all around crazy good.
A final plus is the hygiene aspect. The dining room is always clean as is the open kitchen. The chefs all wear hair nets and masks.
Din Tai Fung has become a regular in our restaurant rotation.