Din Tai Fung

So Vancouver finally gets their own Din Tai Fung...  Why is this so special?  Well, it all started with an oil shop in Taiwan that then transitioned into a small restaurant that had some really great Xiao Long Bao.  It became a bigger restaurant (that still stands today) and expanded globally.  Located right next to the Camana Hotel on Alberni, Din Tai Fung seems ready to take on the tourist crowd and also locals (who will brave Downtown traffic and find the few precious and expensive parking spots).  There is underground parking available as well.  We waited until the initial crowds had dissipated to check it out.

We've been to Din Tai Fung many times in the past, so we have a baseline for what to expect.  To start, we had the Cucumber Salad as well as the Seaweed & Bean Curd Salad.  Both were pretty small in size, but delicious.  Exhibiting a fresh crunch, the baby cucumbers were perfectly salted and accented by both sesame oil and chili oil.  As for the seaweed & bean curd salad, it was also well-seasoned with mild spice and a good balance between savoury and sweet.  Nice textures here.

We got one order each of their famous Kurobuta Pork XLBs and the Crab & Kurobuta Pork XLBs.  Both featured the classic thin dumpling skin with exactly 18 pleats.  This optimal method keeps all the soup inside while looking aesthetically-pleasing.  I am happy to report these were just as good as I remembered.  The skin was delicate with some elasticity.  The pork filling was moist and tender with a considerable amount of sweet and savoury soup that was not greasy.  Personally, I enjoyed the regular pork XLBs more than the crab.  It was just a bit too briny for my liking.

For our one veggie dish, we selected the stir-fried Spinach with Garlic.  Presented in the shape of the wok ladle, there was actually quite a bit of wilted spinach on the plate.  It was definitely soft, but not mushy.  Plenty of seasoning meant it tasted great.  Featuring the same spinach, the Stir Fried Rice Cakes with Chicken was also well-executed.  Possibly there could've been more searing on the rice cakes, but the dish did have wok hei.  It was nicely seasoned where it was a bit salty with some sweet elements.  The rice cakes were chewy, but not hard and the chicken was tender.

We moved onto a pair of noodle dishes next with the Braised Beef Noodle Soup and the Noodles with Minced Kurobuta Pork.  The beef noodle soup was legit with a meaty broth that had depth and was well-seasoned.  The large pieces of beef were almost melt-in-my-mouth tender with some tendon within.  It was also flavourful from the braise.  Noodles were al dente with a nice rebound.  As for the mixed noodles, the mince pork "sauce" was lacking moisture to combine with the chewy noodles.  With that being said, the pork itself was not dry and was full-flavoured being on the saltier side.

We went back to the dumpling well with the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Shao Mai and the Sticky Rice with Pork & Mushroom Shao Mai.  Yes, they looked like sea anemones and unlike the XLBs, the dumpling skin was much thicker and chewier.  With the same pork filling, the first shao mai had elements of the XLBs.  With carbs on carbs, the second shao mai was rather doughy and not really something I'd order again.  They did taste good though with some umaminess and mild saltiness.  I've had these before, but somehow I forgot I didn't like them! 

To get our fill of dumplings, we also got the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Potstickers as well as the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Spicy Wontons.  We really enjoyed both of these with the potstickers having a crispy skirt.  Subsequently, the bottom was crispy as well and the rest of the dumpling skin was medium thick and appealingly chewy.  Filling was juicy and tender.  As for the wontons, it had the same filling, so that was a good start.  They were quite large in size and held onto the chili oil sauce well.  It didn't eat as spicy as it looked, rather taking on some sweetness and smokiness.

We got our dumpling fix but couldn't resist and had the Chocolate & Mochi XLBs with a side of Sea Salt Cream.  Oh these were fantastic with a rich and sweet velvety chocolate centre.  The sea salt cream was the key to this as it added a balancing saltiness.  I would have these again in this combination.  Overall, the meal at Din Tai Fung was as expected.  It was satisfying and the XLBs were on point.  Service was fantastic being attentive and personable.  Prices are of course on the higher side and portions size are not very big.  Good for a visit once in awhile or to bring your out-of-town guests who don't have a Din Tai Fung.

The Good:
- Excellent XLBs as usual
- Other dishes are above average
- Service is fantastic

The Bad:
- Pricey for the portion size
- Parking in the area is expensive