Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant chain. Outside Taiwan, Din Tai Fung also has branches in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.[1]

Din Tai Fung
Xiaolongbao made to order at the restaurant behind glass pane
Traditional Chinese鼎泰豐
Simplified Chinese鼎泰丰

History
Truffle-infused Xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung, Taipei
A Din Tai Fung restaurant in Beijing

Founder Yang Bingyi, an immigrant from Shanxi,[2] initially worked ten years at Heng Tai Fung (恆泰豐), a cooking oil retailer in Taiwan. He then wanted to branch out on his own to support his family. With his Hakka wife, Lai Penmei, he founded a cooking oil retailer in 1958. They named it Din Tai Fung by combining the names of Yang's previous employer, "Heng Tai Fung", and their new supplier, "DinMei Oils".[3][4]

Around 1970, tinned cooking oil became prevalent, and business diminished drastically. Heng Tai Fung's owner suggested that to survive, Yang and Lai convert half the shop to making and selling steamed buns (xiaolongbao). The buns grew so popular that the store stopped selling oil altogether and became a full-fledged restaurant in 1972. The original restaurant is on Xinyi Road in Taipei.[5][4]

In 1996, the first international location opened in Tokyo,[4] and the first North American store opened in Arcadia, California in 2000.[6] Their first branch in Indonesia opened at the upmarket shopping mall Plaza Senayan Arcadia in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 24, 2005[7] - as of 2022 having as many as 13 branches spread across the Greater Jakarta area with three outlet formats (regular Din Tai Fung, Noodle Bar, and Chef's Table) and halal or non-halal selections available. The first European branch was opened in London in December 2018.[8] Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States, the first North American restaurant closed permanently on June 11, 2020.[9]

Reputation

Din Tai Fung is known internationally for its paper-thin wrapped xiaolongbao with 18 folds. The New York Times named it one of the top ten restaurants in the world in 1993.[10][11][12] In November 2009, the Hong Kong and Macau 2010 edition of the Michelin Guide awarded the restaurant's first Hong Kong branch at Tsim Sha Tsui, Silvercord Branch (新港店), a Michelin star.[13] The Michelin Guide recommended the restaurant's second branch in Hong Kong at Causeway Bay, Yee Wo Branch (怡和店), in December 2010, as well as Hong Kong's Silvercord Branch in 2013.[14]

In January 2019, Din Tai Fung voluntarily closed their Westfield Sydney location after discovering rats, which nearby construction had displaced.[15] The city council also required the restaurant pass health inspections before re-opening.[16]

See also

References
  1. "About us::Our chronology(P1)". Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  2. "關於鼎泰豐・About Din Tai Fung・鼎泰豐について・딘타이펑 소개│鼎泰豐 Din Tai Fung". 關於鼎泰豐・About Din Tai Fung・鼎泰豐について・딘타이펑 소개│鼎泰豐 Din Tai Fung. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  3. "Din Tai Fung Dumpling House :: North America – About Us". Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  4. "Steaming to Shanghai". Free China Journal. 1 December 1997. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  5. "About us::Our history". Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  6. "Chronology – Din Tai Fung USA". dintaifungusa.com (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  7. "About Us – Din Tai Fung Indonesia". dintaifung.co.id. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. "World-Famous Taiwan Dumpling Chain Din Tai Fung Announces London Opening Date". Eater London. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  9. Cheng, Ching-Tse (11 June 2020). "Taiwan's Din Tai Fung closing first US location due to financial pressures". Taiwan News. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  10. "Photo". i1159.photobucket.com. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  11. Hom, Ken (17 January 1993). "Top-Notch Tables; Teipei, Taiwan". The New York Times.
  12. "Taiwanese Restaurant - Din Tai Fung". www.dintaifungusa.com.
  13. "Taipei major shopping zone sets sights on Cambodia". Focus Taiwan News Channel. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  14. "Affordable Dining in Hong Kong – Din Tai Fung". shescookin. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  15. Zhou, Naaman (31 January 2019). "Vermin invasion: Sydney construction boom sends rats into restaurants". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  16. "Footage of large rat at Din Tai Fung in Westfield Sydney". news.com.au. 31 January 2019.
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