Din Tai Fung

Overrated.
If you order 1 or 2 orders of dumplings then you might be able to distinguish the taste but we ordered more than 6 orders (all different ones) so I felt that it all tasted the same after my 2^nd dumpling.
The oriental salad was delicious and my favorite. The fried rice was incredibly tasty, too. The duck wrap I ordered was good but I would not order it again. I was not a fan of their BBQ pork buns (all dough and barely any meat filling).
Service was subpar.
We were ignored for a short while.
I’d pick the dim sum at the hawker centers instead.

We were there on the last Saturday of the year so it seemed like it was a bit of a mad rush at the centre. Thankfully there wasn’t the usual long queue at DTF as it was a late lunch. We pre-​ordered at the queue to cut wait time but there was still a wait at the table. Luckily the beers didn’t take too long!
My companions were vegetarians so we only opted for vegetarian dishes and were very pleased with our choices. The stir fried dou miao with garlic was outstanding as were the steamed red bean paste buns.
Service was so-​so. Staff weren’t rude but not that friendly either. One of our dumpling dishes was forgotten so we had to ask for it and there was a bit of a delay though it wasn’t too long.
It was a pleasant experience and the flavour of the food is consistent with DTF in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Sydney.

Din Tai Fung is a great place to take first-​time visitors to Singapore, especially when you’re on a moderate budget. They have great soup dumplings, portions are good, and it’s air-​conditioned (which is so key for foreigners). Whenever my husband and I are stuck in choosing options for hosting people, Din Tai Fung is always our go-​to choice.

I dream of Din Tai Fung when I’m in the states. This place is super consistent and gets it right every time. The pork chop and fried rice is a must and obviously if you leave without trying the variety of soup dumplings if not ALL the soup dumplings you must be from another planet. You seriously can’t go wrong here…

Before traveling to Singapore for work, I checked out some Unilocal reviews to see what the restaurants close to my hotel offered. I’m glad I read reviews of Din Tai Fung because I made the effort to find it and ended up going three times during a two week trip! My hotel (the Swissotel) was connected to the Raffles City mall, so that made it very convenient, but I still would have made the effort to go back.
There was usually a line but it cleared quickly and the hostesses provided order sheets and menus so you could decide on your meal before you sat down. One of my favorite parts of the experience was the «crib» they provide for ladies’ bags and that once you put your bag inside they cover it with a napkin as if the bags are being tucked in for a nap.
But my most favorite thing were the dumplings. These soup dumplings might be the most delightful thing I have ever eaten. The sensation of putting one in your mouth and the warm soup bursting out (yeah, yeah, *phrasing boom*) just brings a smile to your face. The texture of the dumplings is firm, but soft, and the soup has great flavor. I tried several varieties, with the traditional pork being my favorite. The shrimp and the chicken were also good, but I didn’t care for the crab very much. I also tried the shrimp fried rice and an eggplant side dish and both were great.
I’ve seriously been telling everyone about these dumplings since I went on this trip. If you’re in Singapore, Din Tai Fung is a must.

I finally got to try the Din Tai Fung’s famous steamed pork dumplings. There’s a location in the Raffles City shopping center.
The verdict: pretty tasty! How do they make these? How do they get the soup to stay inside? The meat and the dumpling itself was delicious, but I wouldn’t say it was mind blowing. Maybe I had high expectations because it was so hyped up.
I also tried the steamed chicken soup, because the menu said it was another thing they were famous for. I didn’t like this as much. I thought the broth was kind of bland and most of the chicken was white meat, so slightly dry.
They give you a pen and you have to mark down how many of each item you want. For the dumplings, you have the option of getting six pieces or ten pieces. And it comes out in one of those bamboo steamer baskets.
Overall, tasty dumplings, but nothing to go out of your way for!

This was our first stop for food on the first morning of our most recent visit to Singapore. DUMPLINGS! I love the consistency. Every restaurant churns out the same great food and hopefully decent service. This place gives you a basket for your purse and a napkin to cover it– that way no dumpling juice or soy splashes it! We shared the pork and tofu noodles, pork XLB, shrimp and pork XLB, duck skin cigars and red bean sticky rice. All solid choices and I enjoyed everything we ate!

Other than the Edge breakfast I enjoyed every morning, this was my favorite meal in Singapore. I am now absolutely addicted to dumpling and buns.
It is almost impossible to find soup dumplings in the US, so my friend was on the hunt for some. Enter Din Tai Fung. The soup dumplings were absolutely delicious, and I can’t complain about anything else we ate.
I loved watching them make all of the food while we waited. Their kitchen is glassed in, and you can see them moving all of the trays around in the steam. Definitely worth the wait.

If you like dim sum, don’t miss this one. Have tried this and a second location for this chain. Ordered a wide variety of their menu offerings and all were great. Don’t miss the soup filled dumplings, the noodle dishes… etc.

Breezed right in on a Friday afternoon around 3pm. Service was a bit slow but I was too excited for my dumplings to care. Dui Mui (greens) came out first and weren’t completely pipping hot. Remaining dumplings followed shortly. The truffle xiao long bao was a bit over the top, but I would probably order it again since we don’t have it in the States. Chili crab bun was interesting, but I’m here for the xiao long baos.

Came here during my 2 week visit to Singapore about 3 times :)
LOVED their seaweed/​vegetable salad app, the pork dumplings, spicy cucumber and the shrimp fried rice. There was typically a wait if you came at normal eating hours, and even off peak there were always plenty of tables filled up! I do like the numbering system and how they call out the tables, easier to hear than names being called and lets you not stand in a line like other places in the mall.
Service was typically quick, although items came out as they were ready and not necessarily in the order that you would expect them. This didn’t bother me as i was eating alone, but might be weird if you are in a group and ordering separately.
Although this is a chain, i felt that this location was a nice option for dinner for almost any occasion from date night to casual eating alone. I think you have to visit one location of this restaurant if you are visiting Singapore!

This place has amazing dumplings! I had the veggie dumplings and bun, and it was amazing. My boyfriend had pork dumplings, which he loved as well. They also serve complementary hot jasmine green tea with the food. The service is fast, the kitchen is very hygienic (they wear masks and serious hairnets), and I totally recommend it if you’re looking for a place for a quick bite!

They do not take American Express, so beware :) i come here for the dumplings only, which are really good! So flavorful, and juicy after you bite into them!!! :)
I once got the dan dan noodles, and did not like at all… Very little flavor, and feel a bit more fast food like.
One day I came here and the hostess was a little rude, and sat couples who came after me, and when it was my turn, she told me that there was a 30 min wait, even though there were two empty tables in the back. I was a party of one that day, but still…

I was back in Singapore visiting family and attending my brother’s wedding, and had to get a xiao long bao fix. HAD to. We were in the area because there was a little animé festival going on at Funan mall, and this was the closest thing that served xiao long bao.
We were seated promptly, and politely. It was rather cramped– you can tell they’re trying to maximize space, and when there’s only 2 people in your party… well. But really, we’re not big, so we didn’t mind rubbing elbows a little. Wound up chatting a bit to a couple of Frenchmen that were dining next to us, actually! (Frenchmen! You never get Frenchmen in Phoenix. I sometimes forget how urbane Singapore is.)
The food we ordered was pretty standard. I waffled about getting the truffle xiao long bao but decided against it, going instead for the regular order of that, plus the signature jiao zi. My girlfriend got the dan dan mien, I got the zha jiang mien. We also shared the pickled shredded vegetables.
Everything was pretty good– the skin on the bao thin, the broth hot. My zha jiang mien was delicious, and definitely better than what I could replicate at home. Mostly it was just a good fix of chinese food, and the coveted xiao long bao. I don’t get a chance to have food like this back in Phoenix.
3.5 stars out of 5 for sure. Didn’t round up as #1– it’s a chain restaurant and #2, really nothing out of this world. Good solid fare, in a nice, air conditioned environment. WIN for me.

4.5 stars for Din Tai Fung! The Xao long bao soup dumplings were super good. They had a chili crab «special» one that I really enjoyed. We also ordered a veggie dish that was just okay, and dan dan noodles which were pretty good. I recommend sticking to their dumplings.
Service was good. Atmosphere was good. All in all I would recommend trying Din Tai Fung… although not sure if it’s worth the potentially long lines.

On a personal note, this is the last restaurant review I will write from my recent time living in Singapore. I truly loved the island and took immense joy in exploring its varied culinary landscape. It is special place populated by such amazing people (locals and expats). From the depth of my heart, I hope I am able to return someday.
This is a review of dinner with two friends at Din Tai Fung in Raffles City Shopping Centre.
This Din Tai Fung is located in the basement level of Raffles CIty. It is pretty far into the level and can be a little difficult to locate. Also, unless you arrive early for dinner, you should expect a wait. I think we arrived around 6:30 or so. We had a 20 to 25 minute wait for our table. But, I think those arriving when we were being seated were probably having a little longer wait.
The ambiance is a notch above basic but still trends towards the functional. I would not place it at the level of fine dining. It lacks the attention to detail that a fine dining room displays.
The staff is very effective. I wouldn’t necessarily use the word friendly. Though they are certainly not rude. Everyone just seems too busy and focused on their tasks to take a moment for overt politeness. Also, the experience seems to be based on speed; get folks seated, get their order, get them their food ASAP, and get them on their way, rinse and repeat.
The food ranged from good to extremely good.
Crispy Prawn Pancake — This was my least favourite dish. There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with it but it lacked layers of flavours that would have brought it up a notch.
Chicken with wine sauce — This was such a enjoyable chicken dish. it is another example of a dish that allowed the basic ingredient to shine through. The wine sauce complimented the chicken without overwhelming it. Plus, the chicken was very tender.
Prawn Fried Rice — I love rice. But I tend to prefer steamed rices. However, if I keep running into fried rices as good as this, I may become a convert. It was light. The prawns were sweet. The eggs provided a rich earthy note. At some level, it was difficult to believe this was a fried dish.
Cold Pork — I enjoyed the flavours of this dish. The lightness of the pork. The freshness of the onions. The nice touch of the sesame seeds. All that being said, I would prefer this dish with the pork served hot.
Prawn Dumplings — I love prawn dumplings. These were very good. Fresh, hot, sweet, etc.
Xia Long Bao (soup dumplings) — This is the dish that brings a lot of folks to Din Tai Fung. They did not disappoint. Dipped into the vinegar and ginger and then popped into your mouth for a flavour explosion. Just make sure not to burn yourself.
I do not know the cost. My friends were kind enough to treat me to dinner.
Overall — Din Tai Fung is about the food and they delivered. For the overall experience, I would say this was more 3.5 star than 4. The food definitely warranted 4 stars. The service could be a little more personable and little less rushed. But, I guess if they didn’t hurry, we would all have to wait a little longer to get our delicious Xia Long Bao.

It speaks volume of a chain restaurant that I can return to again, and again, and again.
And look. The shizz here is foh real and is definitely good. So let’s not waste words on waxing lyrical.
I like this branch in general, service is almost always good, the lines move fast, and I’ve never had a bad experience here. Food appears promptly, and they’re a polished operation. (Which can’t be said of every Din Tai Fung I’ve tried in Singapore)
This is the Joshua list of what you MUST try at Din Tai Fung. Okay. Maybe not ‘must’ try. It’s MY list after all. But trust me, these are some of the best things on the menu.
Xiao Long Bao. The normal kind with pork.
Xiao Long Bao WITH BLACK TRUFFLE. Now I know they’re expensive at about $ 4 a pop, but HOT DIGGIDY DAMN they ARE GOOD. They’re worth that $ 4, trust you me.
The dumplings in chili oil and vinegar. These are so tasty it’s ridonkulous.
Eat them dumplings up, and keep a little of the oil and vinegar mix so you can dump it in the…
Double boiled chicken soup with noodles.
This is the one where the noodles and the soup come separate. The noodles are dry, in a bowl with spring onion and salt, and you’re supposed to pour in some soup. BUT WAIT. We have that awesome vinegar chili oil mix still left over. POUR THAT IN. Spoon in 2 – 3 spoons of soup. And SAVOUR.
Also definitely worth trying is the Shanghai drunken chicken. PACKED with flavour, this is my favourite cold starter item on the menu.
Also generally well liked is the prawn pancake, which is crisp, seafoody goodness.
OMG I need some XLB right now.

Hello soupy dumpling you are so amazing and I can’t believe I ate almost two orders on my own. Why i love you so much, the perfect bite size and not hint of greasiness in the broth or skin. The thin chewy skin, and the super tender meat were amazing.
The also like the chinese broccoli with garlic and sauce!

I’ve eaten at the DTF location in Arcadia, CA in the states plenty of times and I’m a big fan for only their trademark pork XLB’s and nothing else. Naturally, once I found out that there was a location minutes away from my hotel in Singapore, I just had to check it out for comparison purposes.
Prices are definitely higher, which is no shocking surprise. In the US, it’s around $ 7 – 8 for a 10 pc of the juicy pork dumplings. In Singapore, it’s closer to $ 11 – 12. The group of us weren’t that hungry, so we only ordered 20 total for 4 people. Not only do they tack on $ 1 per person for tea (without even asking), but they also automatically added a service charge. So it ended up being close to $ 30 US dollars.
Not a good value, by any means, and the XLB’s where just about the same compared to the Arcadia location. If there was a slight difference, the skin was slightly thicker and chewier in Singapore — which I didn’t mind at all. Worth a try, but not again if I’m ever in Singapore again.

Yes, I am a fan of this place.
I was a bit worried that it won’t be as good as the original place in Taiwan but they are quite good. When I worked near City Hall, I used to come here once a week and yes, that’s how satisfying it was.
Try their red-​bean dessert dumplings.