To catch up with our friends K & D we decided to join them for “breakfast.” (It’s Ramadan time again.) Since we’ve been dying to try Din Tai Fung for a while we suggested the resto and made reservations. Been hearing such great things about it (“Best Xiao Long Bao EVER” to quote my friend) and reading about it in Pattie’s blog sealed the deal! After finding out that their HK branch was awarded 1 Michelin star (2010) we were full of expectations. Did Din Tai Fung measure up?
The dish we came here for: Xiao long bao. We ordered kepiting & ayam or steamed crab meat & chicken dumping (Rp 95,000 for 10 pcs).
Our friends were there by 5:45 pm and had already ordered some appetizers in anticipation of 6 pm when they can break their fast.
Dried dates. Traditionally for our Bruneian friends, the first thing they eat for breaking fast (or Iftar) are dates.
Lumpia kulit tahu isi udang or crispy prawn roll in tofu skin with sweet chili sauce (Rp32,000 for 6 pcs) Very yummy, will order this again.
They had instructions on how to mix the sauce and eat the Xiao Long Bao (soup-filled dumplings). Their staff was nice enough to mix the sauce for all of us.
The Xia Long Baos are pictured above. The verdict? The flavor was very good but the soup was not hot enough. Could it be an oversight because of too many customers at that hour? We don’t know, but my husband and I plan to come back to give it a second chance. But we both agreed that in this instance we’ve had better Xiao Long Bao at Crystal Jade (Jakarta) and Bosses Restaurant (Singapore).
Shao mai udang and ayam or steamed shrimp and chicken shao mai (Rp 90,000 for 10 pcs). Same verdict as above.
For our main course we had the following:
Nasi goreng udang or fried rice with shrimp (Rp 70,000 good for 2 persons). Excellent fried rice - tasty, perfectly cooked shrimp and not too oily. Will order this again.
Ayam goreng cabe or crispy fried chicken with chilli (Rp 78,000). Good but a little bit too salty. This would have been better if it were made with squid.
Udang goreng telur asin or sautéed prawn with salted egg yolk (Rp 112,000). Not a big fan of salted egg or red egg (only when I'm eating it with sliced tomatoes and onions) but this was pretty good! Would order this again.
Tahu dengan 3 jamur or home-made tofu with 3 types of mushrooms (Rp 60,000). Surprisingly this for me was The Best Dish (TBD) of the night. I just couldn't get enough of it! So yummy! For repeat order!
Asparagus dengan daging & telur kepiting or sautéed asparagus with crab meat & roe (Rp 108,000) Excellent way to eat asparagus. Though my hubby and I usually don't eat crab roe - the flavors in this dish were a perfect combination! Will order this again.
We were all so full after that massive meal, we decided to share dessert. Mango Pudding with a shot of condensed milk to pour over. We enjoyed it so much we forgot to take note of the price!
Almost everything we ordered was a house specialty (had that little icon beside the name) and we were happy and satisfied after the meal. The service was fast and efficient with pleasant English-speaking staff. We are definitely coming back and giving those dumplings another chance! I also hope to one day visit the HK branch and try some of the pork dishes (especially the pork dumplings). =P
Din Tai Fung
- Plaza Senayan Arcadia, Ground Floor X 101-103 , Jl. New Delhi # 9 Senayan, Jakarta Selatan
- Tel. (62-21) 5790 1278 / 88
DTF has the best XLB. EVER. But the best is the Din Tai Fung in Shanghai when it’s shanghai crab season. The roe is what is used to stuff the xiao long bao!
Aaaaaaaah so hungry now….
Tit for tat! I get hungry looking at the food pics you post on FB! =P