The popular Chinese restaurant, Din Tai Fung just opened a location in the busy streets of Broadway. But should you break your back trying to get a reservation, or just find another restaurant to enjoy before you go see a musical?
Din Tai Fung on 1633 Broadway will welcome you in with a cozy yet traditional ambiance, the smell of their famous xiao long baos, and high quality service. It’s perfect for any time of the year, and perfect to go with anyone you like. Keep in mind they have a limited amount of seats per party. After being taken to your seat, you’ll be offered a sheet of paper containing the menu where you’ll circle the items you want. Also, don’t worry if you can’t use chopsticks because they have forks and knives as well.
When my friend and I went, we ordered their spicy cucumber salad, their iconic chicken Xiao Long Baos, the chicken and mushroom buns, shrimp wontons, and some shrimp fried noodles. I also ordered an iced green tea and ended off with their delectable chocolate dumplings. It depends on your preferences, but for the two of us this was a good amount of food. The portions are relatively small compared to other Chinese restaurants, and the fair prices reflect the quality. The food also came pretty fast considering how busy it was.
The food itself was amazing, if you like authentic, juicy, and flavorful food you’ll love Din Tai Fung. The cucumber salad was crunchy and cold with spicy pepper oil. The famous Xiao Long Baos were soupy and flavorful. When you bite into them, soup comes spilling out filling your spoon with a pool of flavor. They definitely lived up to their popularity. The shrimp fried noodles and shrimp wontons were gone in seconds, with a slight sesame aroma and tender pink shrimps. Each bite was as good as the last. Their green tea is sourced from Taiwan, with a complicated jasmine fragrance. Although we enjoyed most of their dishes, we both agreed that the chicken and mushroom buns were our least favorite, but better than the ones at your average takeout spot. Before you leave, make sure to try their warm and rich chocolate Xiao Long Baos served with foamy salted sauce. It explodes in your mouth, the warm and rich but not too sweet chocolate perfectly complimenting the slightly chewy dumpling skin. It’s a dessert that no one else could replicate.
Overall, Din Tai Fung is high quality and lives up to their popularity. Each item off of their diverse menu is carefully crafted to taste like perfection. So, if you like authentic Chinese food that’s not too greasy and salty, or an authentic Chinese restaurant that has high quality food and service, you might want to get that reservation. End your dynamic NYC visit with a delectable dinner at Din Tai Fung. Once you go, you’ll want to go back!
