Ask a random group of foodies to name their favorite burger or pizza, and each will likely offer a different answer. Ask about their favorite soup dumpling, and you’ll likely get one: the xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung.
Now you can enjoy the iconic dish, and the rest of the Taiwan-based restaurant’s celebrated menu, in an expansive new space at Irvine Spectrum Center.
An army of chefs crafts the intricate dumplings in a showcase kitchen visible to shoppers passing by. Just inside the entry is the golden dumpling mascot, Bao Bao. Beyond are elegant dining areas, dumpling-inspired, “pleated” ceilings and a spectacular pine tree centerpiece.
Still family-owned, Din Tai Fung’s astonishing trajectory takes it from cooking-oil retailer in 1958 to dumpling and noodle shop in 1972 to its first U.S. location – in 2000 in Southern California – to 165 locations worldwide today.
International acclaim…