Din Tai Fung Canary Wharf — Restaurant in London

After hearing that Din Tai Fung had opened near Canary Wharf, I had to check it out and see if it matched the experience from their Covent Garden branch.

Starters: We ordered the Wood Ear Mushroom with Vinegar, Chicken with Signature Spicy Sauce, Hot and Sour Soup, and String Beans with Garlic. • Wood Ear Mushroom with Vinegar: A perfect starter—crispy yet chewy, with a nice tang from the vinegar. It really wakes up your appetite. • Chicken with Signature Spicy Sauce: The texture reminded me of Shanghainese Drunken Chicken, but it was served cold with their signature spicy sauce. (Don’t worry—it’s not that spicy.) If you like the sauce, save it! It works well as a dip for other dishes. • Hot and Sour Soup (Taiwanese style): Notably, Taiwanese hot and sour soup differs from the mainland Chinese version. This one is less spicy, with a pepper-forward heat rather than chili-based spice. Comforting and flavourful. • String Beans with Garlic: These were a little overcooked for my taste—too soft. I prefer them with more crunch for that fresh bite.

Mains: We had the 10-piece Pork Xiao Long Bao and Chicken Cutlet with Egg Fried Rice. • Pork Xiao Long Bao: Still the best I’ve had in London. The dumplings were juicy, with a delicate wrapper and fresh, flavourful filling. The soup inside was just right. • Chicken Cutlet & Egg Fried Rice: Surprisingly good! The rice seemed to be a short-grain variety, cooked very evenly. The texture and flavour were spot-on, and the chicken cutlet was crispy and satisfying.

Overall, it was a Great experience. If you’ve tried the Covent Garden branch, you’ll likely enjoy this one just as much. The quality is consistent, and it’s a solid choice if you’re in the...

Cannot understand the good ratings - seems to be based on influencer hype. Went there for lunch during a weekday and I mirror basically all the other reviews when I say the food is utterly flavourless and bland. The dipping sauce in overpowered by rice wine vinegar which is the same problem with the cloud ear fungus dish (which asian restaurant can't create a basic dipping sauce or marinade it's actually embarrassingly bad). You can tell the ingredients are fresh but that doesn't relinquish you from the responsibility to be a chef and make a complete dish with them - we had to request chili oil and soy sauce and make our own.

In addition it is near impossible to order a dish that is seafood based only - almost everything has some additional meat in it like pork or beef. Prices are also outrageous and we got told we couldn't sit at the window because there's no food on the counter. The double tables are also positioned lengthways so you are extremely far away from your partner and much closer to the person sitting next to you. To add insult, at the end of a business lunch (in canary wharf of all places) our waiter left the receipt and walked off and took orders of two other tables first. I had to get up to pay after a 10 minute wait. Other waiters seem to be singing to each other and more occupied with themselves. One of the worst restaurant experiences...

I was looking forward to dining at Din Tai Fung again, having had a great experience in Hong Kong back in 2020. Unfortunately, this visit fell far short of expectations. The quality of ingredients felt subpar, and the size and presentation of the dishes did not match the enticing photos on the menu.

Two dishes stood out in particular: the stir-fried pea shoots with garlic and the oriental salad, both labeled as signature items. They were the primary reason I ordered them but ended up being disappointments. The pea shoots were mostly shoots with hardly any leaves, which throws off the flavours known for this dish (if it isn’t in season, maybe don’t push this dish). The salad was tiny and looked days old.

The chicken xiao long bao also underwhelmed; they were so tiny, the exterior of the dough was dry and a bit thick, and the execution was lacking the finesse I’ve come to expect.

Two dishes that I thought were ok: the vegetable dumplings - the dough was thin and delicate (although there could’ve been more filling), and the special dessert red bean chocolate xiao long bao.

Having enjoyed similar cuisine at various restaurants in Toronto over the years, I can confidently say they far surpassed this experience in both quality and execution. For a globally renowned restaurant chain, I expected...