Din Tai Fung London is open

The prayers of European dumpling fans have been answered: the restaurant chain Din Tai Fung has made its way over from the East. Unfortunately, not to the Netherlands just yet, but a lot closer than Asia. Din Tai Fung London is now open!

For anyone who has never heard of this chain, let me bring you up to speed. The first location opened in the 1970s in the Taiwanese capital Taipei. There was just one dish on the menu: xiao long bao. These dumplings are filled with pork and broth. The chances of burning your mouth are high, because as soon as you bite a hole in one, the soup spills out and you have to slurp it up quickly. But good lord, these things are delicious.

More than dumplings

Today, the restaurant has locations throughout Asia and even in America and Canada. There is also a whole lot more than xiao long bao on the menu. Besides other types of dumplings (the ones in chili oil and black vinegar are also a favorite), you can also enjoy amazing noodles, fried rice, crispy pork cutlets and fantastic vegetable dishes.

Last supper

It’s mass production, but everything, absolutely everything, is so incredibly delicious here. When I spent five days in Kuala Lumpur, I ate at Din Tai Fung four times. And when I flew back after a year of traveling in Asia, I also flew via Malaysia with a long layover around mealtime, so I could be sure I would eat my last meal on the continent here. I might even want this to be my last supper ever.

Long story short: you have to go here, and it has now been made a lot easier for you. No more expensive tickets to far-flung corners of the world. For next to nothing, you can now fly to London for the meal of your life. I’m now going to the Skyscanner website as we speak. And, um, when is Amsterdam’s turn?

Din Tai Fung
5-6 Henrietta Street
Covent Garden
London