Din Tai Fung, a franchise from Taiwan is one of my favourite places for xiao long bao. I enjoy the taste and quality of Din Tai Fung xiao long bao as well as appreciate their consistency at DTF outlets around world. DTF also have noodle and rice dishes which I like.
So, I am glad that Din Tai Fung opened it's first outlet at Johor Bahru City Square mall on 14 Nov 2016 (just next to the JB CIQ).
There's a queue at the newly opened restaurant, but it was very tactfully and efficiently managed. The queue cleared quickly and we were soon seated.
Inside, the space is compact and bright. Decor is simple and elegant. Tables are quite close together but still comfortable. Service is polite, earnest and attentive.
Din Tai Fung makes all their xiao long bao fresh in the open kitchen. (All good XLB shops do.)
Basic minced pork xiao long bao, 6 pieces for RM12.45+
The tender ball of savoury sweet minced pork was suspended in warm broth wrapped in thin pastry skin. Eaten with a bit of lightly zesty vinegar and gently spicy slivers of ginger, Din Tai Fung's xiao long bao can be addictive. It's easy to lose count of the number of this dainty savoury sweet steamed bundles that one is eating.
Shrimp & Pork Wanton Noodle with Soup (price RM19.25).
The tea coloured watery broth was lightly savoury with bone and vegetable sweetness. 清清 cheng cheng as we say in Hokkien.
The wheat noodles were done a little too soft for me.
We enjoyed Din Tai Fung's shrimp and minced pork wantons which were juicy and flavoursome.
Braised Beef Noodles (price RM23.11).
The broth has an interesting layered savouriness with hints of tanginess and spiciness. There is also an underlying beefiness. The flavoursome broth is not overly greasy and very drinkable.
The wheat noodles were done a little too limp for me.
The noodles came with several big chunks of these braised beef with tendon and a bit of fat at the edge. They were tender, juicy and beefy. I love it. Yummy 😋
Traditional Cha Jiang Noodle (price RM17.45).
Many layers of mild savouriness from of the mash of tofu, mince pork, beans, bean paste, preserved gourd etc. The noodles were done just right with a slight bounciness to the bite. An enjoyable rendition of the homely classic.
Service at Din Tai Fung (JB) is very good even though they do not charge service tax 👏
We came back to JB City Square Ding Tai Fung after nearly 2 years. Nothing much, if anything, changed in terms of decor and layout. The restaurant was still well kept and very clean. The friendly service was impeccable (as ever).
Come to Din Tai Fung must of course have at least one basket of their famous xiao long bao (price RM21.30+). We had two baskets 😄
In my experience, every visit to a Din Tai Fung outlet anywhere in the world, further strengthens my confidence in the brand's quality and consistency.
The thin skin was tenderly stretchy holding a soft ball of minced pork and savoury sweet soup in the sac. Just be careful of scathing hot soup when you bite into the xiao long bao 😋
Wantons in beefy soup (price RM27.00+). The wonton skin and the minced meat inside were limp and soft after sitting in the beefy broth. The savoury beefy flavour from the broth infused the wanton skin and filling.
Fried crispy wanton with minced vegetables and pork filling (price RM12.80+).
More assorted wantons (price RM23.40+). Didn't realised that we ordered so many meat dumplings 😂
Ordered Minced Pork Dry Noodles (RM18.40+) again as we enjoyed it during the last visit. Noodles topped with stewed minced pork, soy beans, diced tofu and fermented bean sauce. The savoury sauce and minced pork were OK as expected but the noodles were limp as they were done too soft today.
String Beans (price RM25.20+). Crunchy juicy savoury sweet fried string beans complemented by slight savouriness from bits of fried pork and dried shrimps.
Shrimp Fried Rice (price RM20.50+). I like the well balanced savoury sweet flavours but the rice was done too soft and too moist today.
👉 I will be back for more of JB City Square Din Tai Fung's xiao long bao - they have five different types 😀 I like the braised beef noodle soup (though the noodles can be done stiffer). Would also like to try their other famous dishes like Shrimp Fried Rice, Shaoshing Wine Marinated Chicken, etc
Restaurant name: Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐
Address: Level 2, Johor Bahru City Square, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, JB
GPS: 1°27'43.2"N 103°45'51.9"E | 1.462015, 103.764422
Tel: 07 2070 069
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
Date visited: 2 Dec 2016, 25 Oct 2018
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