Din Tai Fung A4 Branch — Restaurant in Xinyi District

Pork Xiaolongbao (5 pcs: $140; 10 pcs: $280): This is absolutely the top specialty of Din Tai Fung and there’s a guide for your Xiaolongbao sauce that its recommended ratio is 1 (soy sauce) : 3 (vinegar). Dipping them into the sauce in that ratio really makes the Xiaolongbao taste even better than it should be.

Shrimp Fried Rice (With Egg, White Rice) ($300) & House Special Spicy Shrimp and Pork Wontons ($230): The main reason why I ordered these two was based on my friend’s recommendation and their great experience. Eating them separately was already delightful. On the contrary, eating them together was the best thing just like my friend told me. If you come to Taiwan but don’t try this wonderful combination, you’ll definitely regret it.

If you want to come here by the MRT, you get off at Taipei City Hall Station and go for the exit 3. Last but not least, Din Tai Fung is located on the B2F of the department store but the seats have usually been completely full after 11:40 a.m.

To top it off, I’ve been to a few branches of Din Tai Fung in Taipei and none of them have disappointed me at all. I appreciate how devoted, considerate and agile the waitresses are. Din Tai Fung is absolutely the face of Taiwanese culinary delights. The prices of the dishes are mid-range but the quality is high-class and impeccable. Overall, it’s a 9.5 out of 10!

FYI, the hot tea is complimentary, you scan the QR code on a corner of the table to order and the 10% service charge is included...

We were super lucky with a zero minute wait for an early dinner on a weekday! Pretty much you close your eyes and point at the menu and anything you get will taste good. We are not picky eaters but we do know what is good. I would say every dumpling has a consistent quality and if the skin breaks and the juice leaks it is usually due to "user error" (lack of chopstick skills or accidental puncturing) 😂.

Once you get seated and place your order the food gets served really quickly, which is ideal for eat and dash situations (most of our meals during trips fall into this category) so we were really happy. As alluded to earlier, all the dishes are great but our favorites are the pork dumplings, the fish dumplings and the deep fried shrimp cakes. I may not have gotten the names exactly right but I am sure the staff will know if you asked for them like that :).

The chicken soup was also one of my favorites. For small parties you have the option of ordering baskets of 5 pieces, and for bigger groups you can go with 10 dumplings per order. In this way you have the option to taste many different types even with small parties. It is always busy and tables almost fully occupied so don't expect a quiet dining experience. However, what it lacks in serenity is more than compensated by good deliciously hearty food that...

Note: there is a full English menu at this location.

Xiao long bao or soup dumplings is so legit here at this spot. It’s tempting to hit up the OG Din Tai Fung spot at Taipei 101 but the lines are especially long there. Instead, try to sneak ahead of the line here at this location. Try to come during the off-peak times or just before.

We got so lucky when we arrived at 11AM and was able to get a seat. Twenty minutes later and the line was starting to circling around the floor for the lunch crowd.

The service staff here are so professional and nice. They provided such wonderful service and even give you a tutorial on how to prepare the dipping sauce for the dumplings along with the proper way to eat it. You can also read the instructions in the menu but the in-person demonstration is so much better.

We ordered so so much for lunch and didn’t look back. More than several trays of xiao long bao with different types of fillings, a yummy fried rice, some spicy noodle stir fry, and some fluffy desserts.

All the dishes were so well prepared and met all of my expectations.

Needless to stay, I was so full that I could barely walk...