Din Tai Fung: Is It Worth The Hype?
I first came acquainted with Din Tai Fung when I momentarily stayed in Singapore. It’s reminiscent to its fellow reasonably-priced Michelin starred-Asian favorite, Tim Ho Wan; where it churns out straightforward dishes that’s hard not to love. It’s no wonder that when the Moment Group decided to bring Din Tai Fung to our shores, its opening was met with a warm reception of crazed and eager diners.
PORK XIAO LONG BAO (5 pcs – P160/ 10 pcs – P315)
Let’s get straight to business. Did Din Tai Fung Philippines deliver?
Sadly, when we’re talking about its prime jewels, the Xiao Long Baos, Din Tai Fung sadly wasn't able to. We tried three different variants, the classic Pork Xiao Long Bao, the Crab Roe and Pork Xiao Long Bao (5 pcs – P 285/10 pcs – P565), and the Truffle and Pork Xiao Long Bao (P135/pc). In all of them, the pork filling was adequate, the wrapper was flimsy, and the soup simply lacked in linamnam. Its soup is nowhere as tasty as the ones served by Modern Shanghai.
SHRIMP AND PORK WONTONS WITH HOUSE SPECIAL SAUCE (P175)
The tasty Shrimp and Pork Wontons came in generous sizes failed to be given justice as they were paired with a special sauce that lacks character. It lacked the perfect balance of sweetness, sourness, and spiciness of the sauce that comes with Mien San’s wontons.
PORK CHOP FRIED RICE (P270)
The Pork Chop Fried Rice came with huge slices of beautiful golden brown pork chop which disappointingly lacked in taste and crunch. It may have been visually appealing, but it was sadly mediocre in flavor. You’d get more bang for your buck, and satisfaction in Mien San’s pork chop rice meal sets or Shi Lin’s take on the dish.
BRAISED BEEF NOODLE SOUP (P295)
The Braised Beef Noodle Soup flaunted huge chunks of tender beef cubes; however, its beef broth, which for me is more important, was simply too bland.
COLD CHICKEN WITH SCALLIONS (P200)
The first win for this meal would have to be the Cold Chicken with Scallions appetizer we had. It serves delicately uniformly-sliced chicken in sesame oil which brought out a subtle sweetness to the meat. The chicken slices came smeared with a delectable scallion-ginger spread that is not as salty as the one served in Lugang Café’s take on this dish.
GOLDEN LAVA BUN (P85)
The other win for this meal would have to be its Golden Lava Bun. This heavenly treat doesn’t get enough attention in this Buchi and Mango Sago dominated country, so I’m happy that I can have my Lava Bun fix (that’s done perfectly) right in the comforts of the city.
I was really disappointed in a lot of the dishes served by Din Tai Fung, especially its take on the Xiao Long Bao’s. I’d definitely love to come back for its Golden Lava Bun; but it’s not worth it if I still had to queue up for it.
Droolworthy Dishes: Golden Lava Bun, Cold Chicken with Scallions
Din Tai Fung
GF SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong
Date of Visit: January 16, 2016 with Lily Chua and Jem Chua
