Inside Din Tai Fung Vancouver: What to expect and what to order at Canada’s first location

It’s been a long wait, but the day is almost here. The grand opening of Din Tai Fung’s first Canadian location is scheduled for May 5 in Vancouver. However, eager foodies can sneak in early during its soft opening from April 24 to May 4 to try a limited menu.

For those not in the know, Din Tai Fung was founded in 1972 and now has more than 170 locations in 14 countries around the globe. It also boasts many Michelin nods.

Dished was able to get a peek at the space, and more importantly, to try some of its famous xiao long bao.

The space

Previously, Din Tai Fung told Dished that its Vancouver location is inspired by Chinese Zen gardens, with a similar colour palette and atmosphere as what is found at its Glendale and Bellevue locations. This aesthetic extends to the plant life, with a faux bonsai set in the main dining area and a planned rock garden for the entrance and host area.

The space itself is 16,412 sq. ft. and has a total of 311 seats. Most of these will be located in the dining room, which has 150 seats, followed by its large patio with 88 seats. There are also 27 bar seats and 46 seats in its showcase dining room.

Upon entering, guests will be greeted by the dumpling expo kitchen, one of Din Tai Fung’s claims to fame. This is where all of Din Tai Fung’s dumplings are made, featuring a window where guests can view the dumpling-making table and the chefs at work creating these delicious creations.

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The food

If you’ve been keeping up with the Din Tai Fung hype, you know that the cucumber salad and the string beans with garlic are quite often referred to as must-order items. After trying them, we can confirm that these are quite good.

The string beans are perfectly cooked and well-seasoned, making them a good choice for anyone who likes string beans. The cucumber salad was light and refreshing, with just a hint of spice — definitely something we would order again.

Ordering here is simple. You are given a sheet on which you mark what you want to order, and then you give it to your server.

If you’re looking for some fun sips, there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether you’re looking for something boozy (we enjoyed the cucumber gimlet, a refreshing cucumber and minty concoction, and the pear lychee martini) or maybe a bubble tea (you can add boba to any iced beverage for an extra charge), there’s plenty to enjoy.

When it comes to main courses, the xiao long bao is a must-order. One of the appeals of dining at Din Tai Fung is the staff’s extensive knowledge about both the history of the dish and the best way to enjoy it.

For instance, our server informed us that the best way to eat the xiao long bao was to put it on a spoon, poke a hole in it, and then drink some of the broth before dipping it in the tableside-made sauce of soy sauce and vinegar, and then digging in.

Other favourites of ours included the shrimp and kurobuta pork pot stickers (crispy pan-fried dumplings with a mildly sweet, house-made pot sticker sauce), pork chop fried rice, and shrimp fried noodles.

Even Din Tai Fung’s plant-based options were delicious. Most notably, the vegan spicy wontons were packed with flavour and a good level of heat, and the vegan noodles with sesame sauce were delightfully nutty with a hint of spice. Even as meat-eaters, we would definitely include an order of these on our next visit.

A hot topic on everyone’s mind is price. For those curious, our 10-piece order of xiao long bao set us back $19.50, while other items, such as the cucumber salad, came out to $9.50, and the vegan noodles with sesame sauce were $14. Most items on the menu were priced between $15 and $25.

But you can’t leave Din Tai Fung without grabbing dessert. Namely, the chocolate and mochi xiao long bao, which can be accompanied by an additional add-on of sea salt cream for dipping. Another pro tip: Be sure to poke a hole in the top of these dumplings before dipping them to get as much of that cream sauce as possible. You can thank us later.

Currently, dining at Din Tai Fung Vancouver is available by reservation only. Be sure to keep an eye out on its Instagram for updates on when walk-ins will be made available.

Din Tai Fung Vancouver

Address: 1132 Alberni St., Vancouver

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