Din Tai Fung

It has been a while since I last posted any of my dining out experiences, simply because all the occasions in the last couple of weeks have felt “inappropriate” for picture snapping. However, tonight, we had dinner with my parents, here…

If you are not a Singaporean, you could possibly be thinking: dinner in a hospital, maybe?? But for Singaporeans, they would probably know this image as part of what is arguably one of the most popular eating places in Singapore at the moment…

This off-shoot of the famous Taiwan-based chain of dumpling restaurants has been open for at least a good 4-5 months now (I think), and yet the lines are still mind-bogglingly long. People are willing to wait, and wait, and wait some more… just to get a table – sometimes for up to 45 minutes or more! This evening, we arrived at around 8pm (just a little after the peak dinner period), and we weren’t shown to our table until almost quarter to nine! When we arrived, there were around 50+ queue numbers ahead of us, and as we were being seated, the latest queue number being given out was about 60 after us!

The front desk staff had very obviously gotten the queuing system down pat - a contrast to the frenzied “(almost) organized chaos” that had ensued when I was last there, shortly after they opened. There is now an electronic queue number display system. A welcome relief for the young ladies manning the front desk – no more shouting out the queue numbers until their voices were raw and hoarse. They can breathe easier now too - no more anxious customers elbowing to crowd in front of the front desk so that they could hear the numbers being called out.

Now, one can relax and sit or stand back, and watch the spectacle of the chefs at work. This must definitely be one of the main attractions of the restaurant, for both locals and tourists alike. A glass “box” right next to the entrance in which over 25 chefs stand, masked and gowned, busily churning out hundreds, if not thousands, of the small steamed meat dumplings that this restaurant is famous for.

Each dumpling is completely hand-made. Each ball of dough is rolled out to the same size and same thickness, the same amount of meat filling is placed in the center of the dough, and the dough is then wrapped around the filling and sealed with PRECISELY 18 folds, to form neat pleated bundles. Yes, apparently, these chefs are trained to put EXACTLY 18 pleats into each dumpling!

It’s quite an amazing sight to watch. So many chefs just standing there, side-by-side around wooden tables, their hands in unceasing movement as they rolled, filled and pleated. Their movements are deft, smooth… almost like a dance. It is almost like watching the well-oiled, smooth mechanisms of a collectors’ watch!

More chefs at work….

(yes, there are a lot of photos tonight… well, we did have 45 minutes of standing around, and so I had volunteer-photographers who went around with my camera snapping away!)

After the dumplings are made, they are steamed and ready to be served. Stacks and stacks of bamboo racks of these dumplings…

Notice the 2 computer screens on the left, which the chef is looking intently at? They are constantly flashing as new orders pile in and the requests for the dumplings grow continuously.

In another section, in the far end of the restaurant, more chefs in another glass “box”… again, in continuous, unceasing activity, as they churned out bowls and bowls of steaming hot soups and noodles…

And so we waited some more… as we watched other diners sitting inside the restaurant tucking into their dinners…

The décor is bright and spacious, with touches of Zen in the wooden furniture, wooden floors, and granite, glass and metal counter tops. Chinese calligraphy paintings hang from the yellow walls. However, the level of activity is probably too frenzied for it to be anywhere near being an oasis of peace and tranquility. Yet, in all its busyness, there isn’t a sense of hurriedness either.

Well, at least, for those of us still on the outside… there are the shallow pebbled ponds of tranquil water and stone sculptures to soothe our minds and enhance our patience!

Finally… we are let in. The service of this place is still incredibly efficient and polite. Everything moves and works with almost clockwork precision – a synchronized dance of food and service. As soon as we are seated, our teacups are filled with piping hot Chinese tea, and within minutes (literally) of our bottoms touching our seats, the food begins to arrive.

This is a dumpling restaurant, and so of course, we ate dumplings, dumplings, and more dumplings : )

Their signature dish: the xiao long bao (steamed meat dumplings with broth) (S$8.50 for 10 pieces) (US$5.00)…

Theirs is a pretty tasty version – almost on par with my all-time favorite in Singapore at Min Jiang Restaurant. The meat filling was lean, moist and juicy with a nice amount of tasty broth. I have to say, the quality is very consistent, with broth in all the dumplings (and therein lies the skill and expertise).

And of course, these xiao long bao dumplings must be eaten dipped in black vinegar and accompanied by raw ginger juliennes.

I also like the vegetable (chives I think) and pork steamed dumplings (S$8.50 for 10 pieces) in this restaurant…

We tried out their vegetable and pork wantan soup (S$6.00 for 8 pieces) (US$3.50) for the first time tonight. Tasty. Actually, these have the same fillings as the above dumplings, only with the thinner and smoother wantan skin and cooked in a tasty pork broth.

The only dumplings I did not really enjoy are the prawn and pork steamed dumplings (S$9.50 for 10 pieces) (US$5.60)…

I found the pork in the filling rather too fatty, and with an almost overwhelming “porky” taste and aftertaste that lingered in the mouth…

All the dumplings have to be eaten whilst hot, as their tops become slightly chewy as they cool.

We also finally managed to try their vegetable and pork steamed bun today. They were sold out the previous time I was here, and according to my brother, they were also sold out as well on each of the various occasions he has dined here in the past.

These are ok. The fillings are again the same as the vegetable and pork steamed dumplings and wantans. I’m just not a big fan of paus (steamed buns) with the denser, more chewy dough, like this one. I prefer all my paus with the soft, fluffy dough of the Cantonese-style paus.

I had very good memories of the beef soup noodles from my last visit, and really wanted to have it again. This time though, I ordered it without the pieces of beef (S$6.00 without beef, S$10.00 with beef), as on the previous occasion I had found the beef, whilst very, very tasty, rather chewy and tough.

The first time I had this noodle dish, I was bowled over by the intensely flavorful beef soup. It was thick and rich and oh-so-“beefy”. So shiok! Tonight, it is still good, albeit a tad watered down. But my craving is satiated anyway and I am happy.

We also tried the pork ribs noodle soup (S$8.00). Very tasty broth, and very tender, moist, juicy and flavorful ribs. Nice!

At the end of all that, we felt as stuffed as those dumplings! Haha…

The marketing psychology and positioning of this restaurant and its operational model absolutely fascinates me. I think these are what draw the crowds and the long lines. Couples, teenagers with friends, young families with children and elderly in tow, tourists… a comprehensive cross-section of society is drawn, like moths to a flame, to its large glass windows and their “display” of chefs, and is then seductively enticed into its interiors to experience its unique culinary adventure. The food is pretty good, but not outstanding. But who said memorable dining experiences are about the food alone?

Din Tai Fung
290 Orchard Road
#B1-03/06 Paragon
Singapore 238859

Copyright © 2003 Renee Kho. All rights reserved.
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