Din Tai Fung, Taipei…service was very Disney-good and the xiaolongbao was like a party in my mouth.

This is one of the most well-known exports of Taiwan… the famous dumpling empire which serves delicious steamed dumplings aka xiaolongbao (literally translated to “little dragon buns”). During the past 20 years the restaurant has become so famous and they have a lot of branches in many countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, USA and Australia. The one I went to in Taipei was the Taipei 101 store where I got to rub shoulders with dumpling pilgrims from at least 10 countries. What’s not to like?

Despite the immense number of customers, Din Tai Fung’s service is fast and very Disney-good, and its food lives up to its fame. The xiaolongbao was special in that it tasted hot and aromatically fresh with the `juices’ inside flowing out to the tongue as we took a bite. It’s best to gently pick up so the very delicate skin of the dumpling is not broken causing  the `juices’ to drain out. The taste? It’s like a party in my mouth. It’s unbelievable!

Queues are sometimes part and parcel of a good dining experience. Here, they tell you roughly how long the wait is. Clearly the patient crowd doesn’t begrudge the wait. Not enough to walk away, anyway. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…