Instead of the typical dense softball, Dai Tin Fung’s Pork Bun ($2.80 per bun) had an airy steamed rice layer wrapped around a big, tender, meaty pork ball. Resembling fat tortellini, the Slippery Shrimp & Pork Wontons with Spicy Sauce ($10.50) were coated in a sweet and fiery pepper sauce. The creamy sauce had a delayed, but intense chile heat. Many minutes passed between dishes, although the slurp-worthy Noodles with Sesame Sauce ($8.50) were worth the wait. Once the mistake was corrected, we savored the spinach-infused wrappers stuffed with earthy mushroom, tofu and glass noodles. We received Vegetable & Pork Dumplings ($8.75) instead of Vegetarian Dumplings ($8.75). Cocktails arrived after many dishes - but we enjoyed our brilliant mango-hued Shanghai Flame ($13), a vodka, lychee and passion fruit combination with a mild cayenne kick. And those dumpling makers train for at least six months.ĭespite all that training, there were several service missteps. When steamed at 212 degrees, the pork mixture’s fat and meat juices liquefy into broth. Our server - who trained for three months for this job - answered our questions with an in-depth XLB-making explanation. A six-dumpling order was not enough - we should have ordered a second round. The thin skin was perfectly al dente and the juicy pork divine. There they were, six plump morsels, just as I remembered. There should have been a “ta-da” announcement when our Pork Xiao Long Bao ($8) steamer basket lid was lifted. This sleek, contemporary dumpling house - founded in Taiwan as a cooking oil shop in 1958 - has gray slate tile and wood accents and a large bar under a cherry blossom-embellished lantern, with seats up for grabs without reservations (although you’d best plan on waiting). They’re coming from San Francisco, the East Bay and points north. Was the hype justified, eight years later? Oh yes.Īnd it’s not just South Bay diners flocking to this dumpling palace. Now, sitting in the new restaurant, my expectations were high. Finally, those XLBs have come to me - and to Bay Area dumpling devotees. I’ve tried other versions since, but none are quite the same. While traveling in China in 2008, I made a pilgrimage to Shanghai’s Dai Tin Fung branch and promptly became hooked on these savory broth and pork dumplings. I have been waiting eight years for another bite of Din Tai Fung’s transcendent xiao long bao - XLB - soup dumplings.
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