Din Tai Fung — Restaurant in Jakarta

As a NO PORK location, quality and standards typically fall down to the ground, and then some especially granted you had the unfortunate instance of having to dine at this establishment during the weekend rush for dinner. Dingy experience, with a side of salty conversation and busy atmosphere at a restaurant that typically serves demureness.

Having said the lack of cuisine options from a full fletch full-blown, Din Tai Fung chef’s table, expectations? Still somewhat high. The reality? Is unfortunate.

Not only was Service completely misguided and deeply irritable! The wait staff didn’t even seem to care that their tables orders were missing its appetizers, re-ordered were kept late or didn’t even show up at all whatsoever. With the food coming in at lukewarm at fast and sometimes a little off tasting.

The environment was so busy that you could barely hear your own voice, speaking at a decent volume. Totally unfit for group dinners if you actually want to chat about with one another, the absolute nastiest wait staff ever, of whom had quite a despicable tone while conversing with customer simply procuring about whether or not their dessert had been prepared as they waited on above 45+ minutes for absolutely bloody nothing to show up.

It is without a doubt, my worst experience at this particular DTF establishment in which I wish that none of you have to ever endure the weekend staff, atmosphere, kitchen, staff, and many more.

The point is this establishment does not deserve the name that it currently bears, given its location at a strategic and busy mall with a lot of global exposure and...

I remember the first time (2003) I went to the original Din Tai Fung in Taiwan. We had to wait for quite some tome to secure a seat and enjoy the juicy xiao long bao. Fast forward 5 years to 2008 and I am enjoying xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung Seoul and following a decade later (2018) I’m here at Din Tai Fung Jakarta.

One might argue that Din Tai Fung’s xiao long bai is overrated. Well, I don’t think I have ever visited this place without ordering xiao long bao. Our family members truly enjoy the juicy, warm and savory experience of the xiao long bao.

In Indonesia, pork is absent in the making of the xiao long bao – which is an essential ingredient. The juice of the dumpling is made of chicken and crab meat. It can not fully replicate the authentic pork xiao long bao experience; however, I am more than sure that this is the best alternative. At some Din Tai Fung spots in Indonesia, xiao long bao can have slight unpleasant meat/fish taste to it – but not here. At Pondok Indah Mall branch, I would rate xiao long bao on the upper scale. The other menus served here were broadly indifferent to me.

Service was pretty prompt despite the dinner crowd. Of one note, I think this was the only Chinese restaurant that actually played...

Had dinner here last night. First I chose a round table of 8 pax. But the air conditioner above us was leaking and the water dropped to our heads and body so I asked the waitress to take a look at their AC. The waitress told her manager who then came to us and moved us to the VIP Room. Nice service, as I brought my parents who are old and on wheelchair. The food was great, love the egg fried rice, asparagus soup, sweet and sour dori fish, black pepper beef, prawns mayonaise, broccoli, wonton and Xiao long bao of course. The minus... they just run out of hot orange and...