Dumplings. How simple and effective and satisfying. Yet so easy to make badly - skin too soft, skin too hard, filling not tasty or too dry, sauce bad flavour. My first venture into Din Tai Fung was in Shanghai in 2010 (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/din-tai-fung-shanghai-01-2010) - strange that a Taiwan company would reputedly have the best Shanghai dumplings. On that occasion I sat with no other company but the dumplings surrounding me and enjoyed my lunch. I recall the only thing that didn't impress me that day was the flavour (and cost) of their special black truffle dumplings.
On this occasion the special fluoro sampler combination plate looked too unusual to avoid. Emerald (salad green), topaz (golden corn), pink diamond (seafood), ruby (bolognaise), citrine (cheese), onyx (bbq pork), sapphire (garlic pork).
- Cha Jiang Noodle with Minced Pork - tasty noodles with spicy pork and a little bit of spice;
- Crab Meat & Roe with Pork Dumpling (8) - the classic xiao long bao with an added unclassic addition of crab flavour to the filling/soup. Delicious;
- DTF Veg Delight - the healthy aspect of the meal. Adequate;
- Dumpling Gems (7) - the colourful collection ended up being more visual gimmick than flavour sensation. They are strange and adequate but overall not particularly good. I'll be the first to admit I ordered them just so I could take a photo. Would recommend you only consider ordering it for the same reason;
- Spicy Prawn and Pork Wontons - my favourite dish of the night with succulent wontons drowned in the most delicious flavoursome chilli liquid. Need to eat these again one day;
- Taro Dumpling (4)
- Truffle Dumpling (2) - reinforced my 2010 opinion that expensive dumplings with slight truffle flavour (I suppose they could jack it up with some truffle oil although I still wouldn't order it) does not make for a worthwhile combination.
The sweet drinks are also (unsurprising for a Taiwan brand) a specialty with fresh soy bean milk and an avocado chocolate swirl countering the heat and chilli.
Next time I would order standard dumplings, maximise chilli dishes and a filler of noodles (or rice). Stay away from the gimmick dishes (eg. fluoro colours and truffles).
