Din Tai Fung Restaurant, The Gardens

1.

DTF baskets

The thing about creating expectations is that the possibility of falling is greater. Before Din Tai Fung (DTF) came to our shores (Singapore always gets to taste everything first), everytime we ate xiao long bao (XLB), someone would comment that the XLB at DTF was better.  Then the girls would throw themselves to the ground, ranting like wretched women, bawling their eyes out and screaming for DTF.  Being the lesser travelled of the lot, I’d nod my head sagely even though I didn’t know WTF they were talking about.

Like any good student, I made the journey to Singapore last year to acquaint myself with the cause of their hysteria. As I sat alone at DTF in Paragon, pretending like I understood Mandarin, I calmed my mind and allowed my body to be a vessel onto which the knowledge would be bestowed upon me. I bit into the XLB, closed my eyes for a moment to enable the other senses to take over, and waited. But like a Tom and Jerry cartoon where Jerry once again succeeds in getting away with a prank and the sound of a deflated balloon plays, similarly, my expectations were shattered. But believing that they deserved a second chance, I went there the next day with Bossman in tow, and again, it was a similar experience. None of the mind-blowing orgasm which I was expecting. I made a mental note to get new friends when I went back to KL.

So understandably, when DTF opened its first outlet in The Gardens, I wasn’t ecstatic.

2.

The opposite happens when you don’t create expectations.  When I first visited DTF at The Gardens (DTFTG), I was there merely to fill my stomach and get it over and done with.  No closing of eyes, no allowing of the twelve senses to take control of my quivering body, no witch’s rant.

Funnily enough, no obscenities spewed forth from my mouth.  I attributed it to beginner’s luck.  After my 15th visit to DTFTG,  I had no choice but to acknowledge that *horrors!* I liked the food at DTFTG. 

3.

On with the food…

steamed chicken soup
Steamed chicken soup

So what do I really like in Din Tai Fung (DTF)?  The steamed chicken soup is good to warm the body up and to just about fill the stomach when I know I’m having a heavy meal later in the day.  It is a clear soup, and derives its nutrition from the chicken meat which is steamed for two hours together with ginger and shallots.

xiao long bao
Xiao long bao

One of the best sellers in DTF is the xiao long bao.  The meat is deliciously savoury and the soup encased within the 18 folds (approximately that – yes, we counted!) is not salty and blends in wonderfully with the rest of the ingredients.  I figure preparing XLB is a science.  After all, the skin has to be of the perfect thickness to hold all the ingredients within, yet not too thick that it feels like you’re eating flour.  Each XLB is weighed, more or less 21 grams, to ensure that the steaming is perfect and consistent all around.  The XLB is best eaten with vinegared julienned ginger.  Incidentally, the Taiwanese do not drown the entire saucer of ginger in pure vinegar.  The ratio they employ is one part soy sauce to two parts of vinegar.

vegetable and pork dumpling
Vegetable and pork dumpling

The vegetable and pork dumpling, shaped like a crescent, is also filled with mushroom, tofu and vermicelli.  But it’s a green type of dumpling, and if you don’t like your vegetables, don’t try this.  Let’s just say that I prefer my XLB to this.

braised beef la mian
Braised beef la mian

I have no complaints about the la mian at DTF, but I have to say that it is merely a foil for the braised beef soup which is outstanding. The soup is boiled for 8 hours, thus ensuring that the soup is flavourful and the meat (australian beef) is tender. Unlike their competitors, this bowl of noodles is brimming with beef and brisket pieces.

shanghainese smoked fish
Shanghainese smoked fish

The shanghainese smoked fish (dory) tastes just like satay fish.  It has a dry surface and is a bit chewy with sweet sauce and sesame poured over it.  I love it, but at RM18.80 for this dish, I think I shall stick to my satay fish and indulge only when my pocket is heavier.

prawns with salted egg yolk
Prawns with salted egg yolk

When I first tasted this dish, I was hooked. (Now I know why my cholestrol level keeps going up.) The prawns are extremely crunchy and paired with the eggy sauce with crispy bits, it is a match made in heaven. It is probably one of the most expensive dishes on the menu, priced at RM24.80. Nevertheless, it is still worth the money spent.

collage
Clockwise from top left: Sesame dumplings in red bean soup, Fragrant basil chicken, Golden Yam paste roll, Green beans with minced pork

Green beans with minced pork comes in a generous portion. The ratio between the two is almost 1:1!  The Fragrant Basil Chicken (top right) is exquisite – tender pieces of chicken in a sweet sauce with top notes of cinnamon and basil.   For dessert, the yam paste roll (bottom right) is crispy and coasted with sesame at the ends and filled with a sweet paste, but I find that the filling is scant and there are hollow bits – not my favourite.  I prefer the sesame dumplings in red bean soup.  The glutinous dumplings are filled with creamy sesame paste.

red bean dumpling
Red bean dumpling

Red bean has never been my ingredient of choice, but I have to say that this is such an amazing dessert, simply because the red bean paste is so creamy and fragrant. Upon inquiring, I was told that the red bean paste comes from Hong Kong. Interesting that you can’t find the same quality paste in Malaysia.  If you’re a food blogger, don’t spend so much time photographing the dumplings.  The skin hardens up pretty fast, so it is advisable to eat it the moment it is put on your table. (The sacrifices I make for the sake of research.)

4.

In conclusion…..

I keep returning to DTFTG for lunch.  Over and over again.  Not for a lack of choices, but because service is quick and efficient and the food’s good.  Of course one can’t expect to enjoy all the dishes there.  There are some which I may not want to try again (like the vegetable and pork dumpling, for instance), but there are still my usual favourites.  I don’t have all the pictures, though, but if you like spicy soup, you have to try the hot and sour soup (a small bowl is enough for one).  Another favourite is the Shanghainese Drunken Chicken (which is, surprisingly, classified as an appetiser), a cold chicken dish in a wine sauce – very mild, but allows the flavour of the chicken to dominate.  The Pork Chop Fried Rice is also good, and definitely better than the Egg Fried Rice which I find too plain and lacking in flavour.

Dumplings are priced from RM9.80 for 6 pieces, noodles from RM8 for a plain la mian, fried rice from RM9, and desserts from RM6.  Be prepared to pay about RM50 for two.

DTF has a policy of reviewing and revising its menu every 6 months.

Din Tai Fung Restaurant
Lot LG-207, Lower Ground Floor
The Gardens, Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-22832292

46 thoughts on “Din Tai Fung Restaurant, The Gardens

  1. good.. good… it’s all.. goooood.. 🙂 gr8 shots as usual.. u make we wanna set fire to my point and shoot>:O hehe.. btw, we ordered the same things u did – and it was all…. goooooood….

  2. oh that was exactly what I experienced. After disappointing outings at restaurants serving XLB, I dropped by DTF the other day, and pleasantly surprised by the juicy pork meat,enveloped within the thin layer of skin, folds and all.

    definitely earned its stripes, I’d say. but of course, I did not try THAT many dishes like you. =P

  3. like you, i tried the DTF at singapore, and was sorely disappointed, especially with all the hype around it before it arrived on singapore’s shores. then i was in sydney recently and went to the DTF there which was newly opened. worse experience than the one in singapore. tea that was sour, and uninteresting menu (its different from the one you had) but now reading your post, and looking at the photos, i’ll be looking forward to my next trip to m’sia to try out the DTF there.

  4. Did not get to try DTF in msia. Have tried the one at Tampines Mall. So gaya liddat, the wait staff and cooks – all with their fancy headphones ala Mission Impossible. Damn irritating when you answer them only to realise that they were talking to their mouthpiece instead..

    I liked the sweet yam XLB there. Best thing out of the entire meal. Do they have it here?

    BTW sayang. Something happened when I left for hols, and now I kenot view your photos anymore. Would you be so kind as to upload this and the previous photos to our usual site? Dunno why I’m asking you to do this when all it does is make me kick myself in the butt for not indulging more when I was back. Mental self-flagellation this… 😀

  5. i have to say that THIS series of photographs, regardless of whether the actual taste WAS orgasmic, REALLY IS food porn!!!! GORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGEOUS! There, you’ve used up your quota of sincere compliments from me for the rest of the year.

  6. I didnt think their XLB was top notch but certainly done quite well. It is still a good place to hang out with friends though.

    What got my attention was the beef la mien and the red bean dumplings. ESPECIALLY the red bean dumpings-they looked ready to burst into your mouth as you take the first bite! The prawn coated with salted yolk sounds too good to be true..alas, their menu will prob change by the time I get a chance to try it.

  7. Wow – what a post. I will be in KL a the end of the next month and DTFTG will be the first stop for the Prawns with salted egg yolk and Fragrant basil chicken. I’ve just had breakfast, yet my mouth positively salivated at the description of the prawns.

    Can I add to fatboybakes’ comment – and say that this deserves a title that we give to our friends whenever they cook a sensational meal – it becomes Gastroporn – and all those on whom the honour is bestowed become Gastropornographers.

    Congratulations LL – you are now officially a gastropornographer!

  8. Argus-cannot-slim-down-help!: If I knew the secret, I’d tell you. hehe. So, you changing your mind about japanese already, dear?

    cumi&ciki: You are so farny ler. Looks like we have the same taste in food hor. Coooool.

    J2Kfm: I guess at the end of the day, everyone deserves a chance or two to prove themselves.

    ruth: I do believe they have different menus in all the various DTFs while keeping the primary favourites similar. I’d love to find out what you think of the Malaysian DTF in comparison with the others.

    kat: Yes, they have the sweet yam XLB here too. Next year we go la, k. As for your predicament….let’s hope the photobucket account is still alive, eh? hehe. Anything for you lar….after all, you got my pic on your FB profile…awwwwwww. 😛

    Henry Yeo: Yeah, I suppose it does..

    fatboybakes: I shall ignore the sarcasm (sorry…sarkasm) and take the compliment as a positive one. Need to practice meditative yoga to accept it though….breath LL, breath…..

    daphne: Yeah, my absolute favourite of all the items is the red bean dumpling. It does burst in the mouth. Mmmmmmmm.

    Steveky: Hehe…thanks! You’re sooooo sweeeeeeet. Really. I’m touched. How long you gonna be in KL? I know you’ll have a great makan experience here.

  9. dunno also la..my friends all rave about the dtf @ shanghai, how they eating nothing but xlb (1 person eats 2 baskets of 16)..but here well its xlb la..

    the beef noodles ar..is heavenly..

    eh wat is dis abt eating alone? haha can pick me up on the way for wkday lunches (so long as it is not 1pm before you decide to call me)..

  10. lotsofcravings: Harlow, my eating alone was in Singapore ler. But yeah, I’ll call you for lunch one day. Dei, you drive and meet me there lar. It’s outta my way to pick u up ler. Cis bedebah.

    mimid3vils: I guess it all boils down to personal taste, doesn’t it? It’s definitely worth a try, though.

    Barbie: Awwwww. Ne mind. Bangsar got a lot of nice eateries too. *snigger*

    fatboybakes: Wah 2 comments in one day. I am so honored. Anyway, Nipples doesn’t read properly wan la. The youth of today, Itellyew! I ate alone in Singapore…obviously, since I was alone there! Then again, what’s so wrong about eating alone?

  11. Yes, Reunion is a good option, no? Only if you’re able to get in without reservations lor. I’m surprised how popular it has become. I was once asked to come back 40 mins later. How to wait? Ended up eating at some other shitty place. And Barbie, dontcha grow jewels? 😛

  12. i tried both the sg’s and gardens. must say the beef la mian’s good. but when it comes to xlb, crystal jade does it for me lar. both in kl and sg as well. somehow, the refined taste is rather unexplainable lor.

    well, you wont eat alone in singapore no more
    (+65) ******** 😀

  13. Somehow the xlb here don’t give me as much satisfaction compared to the other places in KL. I recently found out why the food differs so much from the Taiwan and Beijing outlets which gets raves all the time- seems they use black pig for the xlb there. For me, the chicken soup is a must here, seems there is an even better version with beef that they have not introduced here.

  14. nice looking Chinese food. No doubt , to be consistent in quality across many outlets and places is a challenge. Then again , he sometimes cannot come as expected too .

    but try we must all the time , thats the way forward

  15. i had the same reaction when i first tried DTF in S’pore.. could not understand what the fuss was about..hehehe.. sadly, bcoz of that, i never did have the urge to try the Msia branch..after reading this, i might after all. 🙂

  16. your post is making great expectations out of an eventual visit to DTF, sum more its in the Gardens… walao…. i am surely to be disappointed with their XLB… hahaha…

    ok will go and try it out , and try not to expect too much.. hahaha… breath …. breath….

    lol @ food porn – FBB

  17. Wow~ All your pics set me drooling la, luckily i just had a heavy dinner, still able to tahan.
    Been eating lots fr friends-meet-up-farewell-dinner *stomach bloated* Gosh…I don’t want to expand!!! Grr….
    But i still want to eat good food… -_-|||

  18. Hi! Ya, i agree with FBB that the photos were just absolutely gorgeous…you should be a professional photographer! oh, incidentally i had my second visit to DTF yesterday. The food was pretty good – i had XLB again and also the beaf la mien.. however, we didn’t find the service that great – in fact, my friend who can’t speak Chinese could not communicate with the waitress as she kept speaking Chinese to her (not even willing to communicate in simple English)- on top of that they were not very fast in service.. but over all quite satisfactory!

  19. Hmmm what I like about DTF is the appetizer! The one made with combi of seaweed, tau kuah, tang hoon, tau geh, when they serve you, the smell of sesame oil fills your nostrils.

    Forget about XLB. Try the dumplings in red vinegar. Maybe with the dumplings in red vinegar you can close your eyes, let your tongue receptors in your mouth get activated.
    It will activate almost all of your 5 taste sensors (Salty, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Umami. ) and short circuit your brains!

    Wait, bitter, I forgot if I tasted that. Hmm. gotta go back and try again.

    p/s. There’s one thing that Singapore wont get to taste it first. Krispy Kreme. LOL…

  20. ah… the xiao long bao…

    did u use straw to suck up the soup inside before u eat it?
    cos i saw it in discovery, they have things like this XD

    ur blog ah… make people hungry only… 🙁
    see? now i have to go find something to chew on… > o <

  21. Finally, I found a good review about DTF! It’s one of my favourite places to have good dining. I first had it in Singapore and then had it a few times in the one at The Gardens. I specially like the Shanghainese drunken chicken. Another dish is Tofu with Pork Floss, Century Egg & Salted Egg York.

    Tomorrow I am going try out Dragon-i at Pavilion KL for the first time. Heard different comments about these two restaurants. After tomorrow I will be able to tell which one worth going to.

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