THE SPOT: As I descended the exclusive-feeling NYC location of Din Tai Fung, I felt like I was entering a typical Midtown steakhouse but rather than businessmen, young tourists fitted with iphones clung to the lobby seats waiting on a table.
Din Tai Fung is not a local steakhouse, but a large chain of fancy dumpling restaurants that started in Taiwan, has blossomed into a viral sensation with over 150 locations, and is often touted as having the world’s best soup dumplings.
That’s a big claim and I think this restaurant is exciting for many, especially in parts of the world where soup dumplings are not nearly as common. When Din Tai Fung opened their one location in NYC in 2024 (in Midtown of all places), I think there was a level of skepticism mixed with a genuine excitement…