Din Tai Fung Fuxing Branch — Restaurant in Da'an District

I want to finally speak out—not because today’s visit was the worst, but because it’s the culmination of many visits marked by substandard quality.

For me, the decline really began with the closure of indoor dining at the original location. It’s been years since the pandemic, and yet it’s still takeout only? Why? I don’t know—but I miss the old space. What’s so special about returning to a favorite restaurant? Isn’t it the patina, the nostalgia, the memories, the warm hospitality—and, of course, the food that keeps you coming back?

Yet time and again at other locations , there have been disappointments. How is it possible that your hot and sour soup is neither hot nor sour? It’s literally in the name! That delicate balance between vinegar and white pepper—that’s the essence of the dish. And yet, somehow, it’s completely missing.

It’s beyond embarrassing.

I also ordered the pork chop fried rice—a classic, a comfort dish I used to love. But on so many visits, the fried rice has been incredibly bland. Only today did I finally ask the waiter for some salt and white pepper to re-season it myself. They responded politely, but what I received from the kitchen was the cheapest kind of table salt. It’s not even funny—it’s just sad.

Maybe you’ll argue that everyone’s taste is different, and that the dish is already seasoned to standard. But let me offer you an analogy.

If I cooked you a steak—over an open flame so the fat hits the embers and creates that rich, smoky flavor—if I rested the meat properly and sliced it with care, and then told you, “Add your own salt and pepper because everyone’s taste is different,” how would that make you feel? If the meat tasted bland and under-seasoned, would that still feel like a signature dish?

Here’s a simple piece of advice: invest in good quality sea salt. Because when you season food with cheap salt, it will taste cheap. And if your chefs and kitchen don’t understand that, I’m sorry—but what does that say about the Michelin guide and the standards of excellence?

You can have all the systems and SOPs in the world, but where is the soul?

I just hope you can take this criticism in the spirit it’s intended—and make some thoughtful...

Food: 3/5 Service: 5/5 Environment: 5/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Review: A lot of locals and tourists hype for this restaurant. We came here before lunch time, at 11.25am. There was already a lot of people, but we got our queue and the estimated wait time was 10 - 15 minutes. The staff gave us a place to put our luggage bags since we just checked out of our hotel 2 MRT stations away, and went to explore the mall around. Good thing we arrived early, because when we arrived back 10 minutes later, the wait time had become 30 - 45 minutes.

We were seated at 11.35am, and placed our orders via the QR code provided. The staff were really friendly, and guided us to our table. They even provided an area for us to put our bags in a small bin! Each person was given hot tea for free, bowls, ginger and soy sauce and vinegar as well. The food here isn't cheap. We got their famous pork Xiaolongbao, ordered 12 for NT$336. Also tried their shredded pork fried rice for NT$250.

The xiaolongbao was kinda decent. They had a card showing the instructions on how to eat it. You're suppose to poke the bottom with a chopstick, letting the broth flow out and eat it with one bite. I didn't really like it that much, but it wasn't too bad. The fried rice was kinda a disappointment though. While it looked tasty, the taste just wasn't there. There wasn't enough flavouring, and too much spring onion. Could have used more soy sauce, so not a huge fan of it. The area was noisy too since all the tables were filled with people.

So, to me, it's not really worth the hype. It's basically Chinese food but more expensive. I'd have to say street food actually tastes better than this, but I'm not complaining about their really good service and...

This is one of the Din Tai Fung restaurant branches in Taipei and is located in the basement of the SOGO department store, easily reachable from the metro station without going out on the street. As usual, service and food is fantastic. We ate here in the evening. As you approach, you leave your name and they give you the menu and the order book which you can pre-complete. The waiting time is advertised on the electronic display on the top (when we were there it was 25 minutes) and they will re confirm. The attendants are also very professional alike airline stewardess. There are chairs for waiting. Once your turn, they will call you on the loudspeaker. I also had the impression that the call is "localised", in our case it was not in Chinese but in English. The attendants / waitresses will bring you to your table and if you have coats/jackets that you keep on the chair, they will put a "cover" on top to protect (incredible service). The Xiaolongbao is the specialty here, from Wikipedia "...Steamed xiaolongbao made with partially raised flour are more commonly seen in the south. This means that their skin is tender, smoother, and somewhat translucent, rather than being white and fluffy. As is traditional for buns of various sizes in the Jiangnan region, xiaolongbao is pinched at the top prior to steaming..." ... try the pork one. Specialties and favorites are highlighted in the menu. Xiaolongbao are carried in bamboo "chests". They are truly excellent. Service is top, tea and water are refilled. Quality vs price ratio is excellent. Branches outside Taiwan are in Hong Kong, Japan, US West Coast, and other...