Din Tai Fung, Philippines, has been around the corner since 2015. But this was the only time we tried it here, and we found that the food quality is equivalent to its other branches in different parts of the world.
I have tried Din Tai Fung in Taiwan because that is where it originated. That was a few years ago, and I remember that Din Tai Fung has not reached the Philippines yet. We lined up in the Taipei 101 mall branch to try the famous xiaolongbao (read as “shiao long pao”).
When we tried it out, we ordered the original version and tasted what people were raving about. The xiaolongbao tasted great, but we think the brand was what you were paying for while eating each piece of the dim sum.
Fast forward to today, we went to BGC to try out the Philippines version of Din Tai Fung. We knew that the restaurant is jam-packed all the time, so we decided to have dinner early. At around 5 in the evening, we placed our reservation.
Service: 4 stars
The server called us in after 3 minutes of waiting outside the resto. We found that some people were dining in at that time. They had us sit, and we checked out the Din Tai Fung menu. While waiting, the servers provided the cutleries and a bag holder.
I placed my toddler’s backpack in the bag holder because it was near another customer’s table. Then, hubby told me he heard the news about someone losing their belongings while dining in at Din Tai Fung.
While the restaurant’s motive for providing bag holders is great, I think it is not suitable here in the Philippines. Anyway, if you plan to use it, just make sure to watch your belongings all the time.
Child-friendliness: 5 stars
I was fascinated with the plate set for kids. Din Tai Fung provides a special stainless steel bowl, cup, and spoon for kids. And the plate and cup even have a brand name embossed, indicating that the restaurant had them specially made for children. How cool is that?
We ordered Pork Xiaolongbao, Hot Prawn Salad with Mango and Pineapple, Sweet and Sour Pork, Crispy Shrimp and Pork Wanton, Fried Chicken Chop, and Fried Noodles with Beef.
While waiting for our orders to arrive, I checked out the sauces available on the table. The rice vinegar and brewed soy sauce were for the resto’s specialty. The server even provided instructions on how to mix the sauce to enjoy xiaolongbao best.
Food: 5 stars
The xiaolongbao and wanton came after waiting for 20 minutes. Our toddler got excited over the Crispy Shrimp and Pork Wanton, so I had him try it out after slicing and letting it cool. He loved the crunchy wanton wrapper and ate some of the juicy pork and shrimp filling.
I, on the other hand, tried it out along with the sweet chili sauce included. The soft filling is just right to start any meal. And the sweet chili sauce will surely rev up your appetite! You can always order another plate (worth 185 PHP) if 6 pieces are not enough, as it is not too pricey.
The next we tried out was the Pork Xiaolongbao, which we let sit first because the soup might burn you when you eat it first. The skin was not too thick, so it would not overpower the whole xiaolongbao.
I placed a piece on a Chinese spoon and broke the skin to release the soup. You can taste the pork flavor in the soup with a bit of saltiness and creamy broth.
Then, I dipped the xiaolongbao into the mixture of rice vinegar and brewed soy sauce (ratio of 3:1). After topping a few strips of ginger on top, I ate the dim sum in whole. The verdict? I think we might return some other time for a quick xiaolongbao fix (but definitely not during the peak hours!).
Service: 4 stars
Of course, a Chinese meal would not be complete without my ever-reliable chili sauce! So I asked the server to give me as they did not provide it on the table. However, it only arrived after asking for the nth time. Thankfully, a server gave me one before we finished eating.
Not for long, the chicken cutlet and hot prawn salad arrived. And again, my toddler was so delighted upon seeing the Fried Chicken Chop. He wanted to have a piece immediately. So I gave him a slice and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
My son tried a piece, and he instantly forgot about the wanton! Even I felt that the chicken chop was cooked very well. The chicken inside was very tender and not dry. It was marinated and fried nicely that you can enjoy it on its own.
Hot prawn salad is a common menu in many Chinese restaurants, so when we saw it on Din Tai Fung’s menu, we decided to see if their’s has any special taste. Admittedly, the Hot Prawn Salad with Mango and Pineapple described their version correctly.
There were mango and pineapple pieces included in the hot prawn salad. However, just a heads up, what we ordered was the solo size, so if you want to eat more prawn salad, better to order one for sharing to satisfy your cravings.
Price: 4 stars
Next up is the Sweet and Sour Pork which is also one of our toddler’s favorites. However, since he was so immersed in his chicken chops, he did not even notice that the sweet and sour pork was there.
I tried a piece and instantly fell in love! Each pork piece had a crunchy outer coating drenched in a sweet and tangy sauce. What I love the most in sweet and sour dishes is when the chef also includes a lot of veggies and fruits.
I enjoyed every bit of the bell peppers, onions, and pineapples in the sweet and sour pork dish. It is one of their dishes, along with the chicken chop, I can recommend.
Finally, the last dish the waiter served was Fried Noodles with Beef. If you are familiar with yakisoba’s taste, then you have almost tasted what we ordered. Stir-fried with a bit of soy sauce, the fried noodles is what you need to make you full after enjoying all your proteins.
I added a bit of the (not spicy) chili sauce to my fried noodles and it was a blast! I knew I had to eat more especially after adding the appetizing chili sauce. If you are not a fan of chili sauce, you will still love the yakisoba-like fried noodles with beef.
Conclusion
We were always curious about why people were always queueing at Din Tai Fung, and now we found the reason. Din Tai Fung serves quality food at a price you can afford. So if you want great Chinese food, check out Din Tai Fung.
You can find Din Tai Fung in SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, BGC, Power Plant Mall, and Greenbelt 3. So if ever you go to these malls and get hungry, head on to the half-century-old Taiwanese restaurant for a quick lunch or dinner!
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