On my recent Hong Kong visit my lovely friend took me to Din Tai Fung in Causeway Bay. Their speciality is soup dumplings…too delicious for words.
The founders, Yung Bingy and his wife, began making steamed dumplings to supplement the income from their cooking oil business in Taiwan. Soon the buns became so popular that they gave up selling cooking oil and began their first restaurant in the 1980s.
The New York Times selected the first restaurant in Taipei as one of the top 10 restaurants in the world in 1993. The first Hong Kong Branch was awarded a Michelin Star in 2009 and the Causeway Bay Branch was awarded in 2010.
Din Tai Fung is beneath the fabulous circular walkway in Causeway Bay. These above ground walkways should be in every city. All over Hong Kong you can go from one building to the next without having to cross roads, it is a great way to move around the city.
Causeway Bay is an exciting area of Hong Kong, positively bustling with activity. I believe it is some of the most expensive retail space in the world because of the huge number of people it attracts. I can think of quite a few shopping areas that would love to see this many people walking past their doors.
It is not possible to make a booking at Din Tai Fung, you just have to take your chances. There was quite a crowd when we arrived, but my friend is an expert and he knew just what to do. He was given a menu and we busied ourselves deciding what we would like to eat. Once we had done that and spent a bit of time watching the open kitchen where our dishes would be prepared we were ushered into the busy restaurant.
It wasn’t long before our green beans with pork, dumplings, jelly fish, salt and pepper pork chop ….were served by the super efficient waiters.
Din Tai Fung is a great experience…now I will have to try some of the restaurants in other parts of the world…in the name of research of course.
Thank you to all those who took the time to vote for Bella Bagni di Lucca in the Italy Magazine Blog Awards. Bella Bagni di Lucca won the Best Single Travel Post.
Mouth-watering pictures 😀 Keep doing your research & sharing 😉
By: Shmruthi on February 9, 2014
at 4:20 am
I will do my best to track down good places to eat.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 9:36 am
They look delicious,thank you for sharing.
By: ranu802 on February 9, 2014
at 4:42 am
The food was delicious…I will be back.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 9:37 am
Sure looks sensational food. Were the green beans with ground pork as good as the Bamboo Basket?
By: Dianne Cant on February 9, 2014
at 6:16 am
Almost.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 9:38 am
Yummy! I love Chinese food. Although I must confess that the best Chinese food I have ever had was always in San Francisco, although not in Chinatown. You have to go to the Sunset area, where many Chinese people live. You enter one of their restaurants and you think that you are in China…
By: Mulino Dominillo on February 9, 2014
at 8:03 am
I have been to San Francisco, but did not try the Chinese food. Clearly I have to return.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 9:39 am
Reblogged this on Elena Falletti.
By: Elena Falletti on February 9, 2014
at 8:06 am
I am so jealous! I would love to eat here 🙂
By: Natalie on February 9, 2014
at 11:32 am
Looks too delicious
By: Liz Litzow on February 9, 2014
at 11:43 am
It was very good, but you should try the Bamboo Basket in Grey St, they do great dumplings too.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 10:19 pm
Gosh, that looks good. Had Dim Sum for the first time last spring when we went to New York to get married.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
By: Kathryn McCullough on February 9, 2014
at 2:39 pm
I love dim sum and it was very good Din Tai Fung. New York does great food, so I’m sure yours was good too.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 10:21 pm
Those dumplings are works of art. And the green beans are just to big, fat and succulent looking for words. I miss this sort of food. Not a lot of good Asian in Milan…at least not that I’ve discovered. Do you know of any?
By: The Daily Cure on February 9, 2014
at 6:15 pm
In Australia we have wonderful food from all parts of Asia, but I have not found any in Milan, or anywhere in Italy. There is quite a good Indian restaurant in Pisa, but it seems Italians want to eat only Italian food, so food from other countries is not sought after.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 10:23 pm
The food looks fab as does Hong Kong. Food “research” can be so enjoyable.
By: Just Add Attitude on February 9, 2014
at 9:06 pm
Hong Kong has some of the best food I have eaten anywhere, and the most variety.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 9, 2014
at 10:24 pm
Oh wow! I LOVE dim sum and every time I go to London I go to Chinatown with an expert friend. But this looks outa this world. Hope to get to HK one day !
By: Catherine on February 10, 2014
at 8:29 am
That looks such fun ! I now want dim sum for breakfast 🙂
By: Joanna on February 10, 2014
at 8:40 am
I had no idea that that was how they started! We love DTF for its consistency and their perfect XLB! 😀
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on February 10, 2014
at 11:12 am
Dim Sum are my favourite as well as good steamed pork buns.
By: Jan on February 10, 2014
at 11:17 am
I have made steamed pork buns and they were delicious…must do it again.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 11, 2014
at 8:48 pm
I live in Hong Kong and it was great to see you blog about it, and see the familiar places and dishes! 🙂
If you’re still here or ever come here again, I recommend the famous egg tarts, and also the “gai dan zai” (waffles) sold in street stalls all around the city – they’re my favourites 😀
It is getting way too crowded here though… it never used to be as bad before, and I’m enjoying living here less and less >:(
By: Ms Mond on February 10, 2014
at 11:39 am
I love the egg tarts! Hong Kong is crowded, but it seems to work very well. As I said, those above ground walkways are a wonderful way to get around the city. They keep you off the streets, keep you dry when it is raining and keep the hot sun off as well. There are lots of green spaces in Hong Kong and there is just so much to see and do…I love it.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 11, 2014
at 8:48 pm
I just had to comment again to let you know that all those photos made me super hungry D:
*runs off to the kitchen*
By: Ms Mond on February 10, 2014
at 11:40 am
🙁 I’ve been to HK and didn’t go there. Maybe next time. Nice post, btw!
By: Alessandro Paiva on February 10, 2014
at 3:55 pm
I’m sure you will love it…I did.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 11, 2014
at 8:49 pm
I can see why you like to have a stop over in HK. The food looks fab.
By: Jim & Kerry on February 11, 2014
at 3:44 am
There is so much to choose from. I am torn between trying new things and returning to old favorites.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 11, 2014
at 8:50 pm
Oh my – you’ve made me hungry now!
By: Suzanne Courtney on February 13, 2014
at 8:18 am
Them tall buildings look overwhelming, but what awe it must feel looking up. Give enough aesthetic designs to walkway bridges, I bet then people wouldn’t have any problem minding going up to cross it.
By: rommel on February 13, 2014
at 9:27 am
I so love Hong Kong and reading your post took me right back to eating at the other Din Tai Fung many years ago with my brother, a real treat!
By: Where's Wiwi? on February 21, 2014
at 11:00 pm
I will have to try the other one on my next visit.
By: Debra Kolkka on February 23, 2014
at 1:01 am
All variants of dumplings are one of my favorite dishes in every country, but not everyone can prepare them correctly.
A very tasty post.
By: Victor Tribunsky on February 23, 2014
at 9:00 am