Thursday, March 24, 2011

Din Tai Fung - World Square, Sydney


It's another Friday lunch catch up with friends and I wanted to go to Din Tai Fung this time, as I had a craving for their wonton noodles with spicy sauce.  It did not take much convincing, as it's a favourite of haunt of ours, and we were really hungry that day.  Perfect as, we always order a lot when go to Ding Tai Fung.

The entrance

We were lucky that Friday lunch as we managed to avoid the lunch queue and got a table straight away.  However, there were a few unlucky people, who were going to have to wait.

Fellow early lunch diners

The menu arrived and there's a blurb at the front that tells of Din Tai Fung's humble beginnings in Taipei to now, continuing with the World Square franchise being it's 41st store to the precise perfection of how their famous xiao long bao are made.  Back to the food, as we were really hungry.  Hungry to the point that we didn't bother consulting the menu, and just ordered our standard favourites.

The menu

As per usual the food comes out in a jiffy.  Our vegetarian delight comes out first, this dish consists of seaweed, dried tofu and glass noodles with a light sesame dressing.  It was refreshing as always, and got our tastebuds going.

Din Tai Fung vegetarian delight, $3.80

I love the simplicity of drunken chicken.  The free range drunken chicken we ordered was lovely, as the balance of flavours between the chicken and Shaoxing marinade, was just right for me. 

Shanghainese style drunken chicken, $8.80

We never come here and not order the xiao long bao, there's more of us than usual this lunch, so we ordered eight pieces as opposed to six.  The skin was wonderfully delicate, and the warm broth that bursted out with each bite had a gingery warmth and a nice porky sweetness that rounded off the flavours beautifully. 

Xiao long bao, $10.80 for 8 pieces

My much anticipated prawn and pork wonton noodles with spicy sauce came out, and at first bite I was instantly satisfied. The silky wonton wrappers had the right amount of pork and prawns in each bite, but then you got a mouthful of the playful spicy sauce.  This sauce hits you with a sharp intense spiciness one moment, and then a hot sweetness the next. 

Prawn and pork wonton noodles with a spicy sauce, $12.80

We also ordered the vegetable and pork wonton noodle soup.  We've had this dish together before. There's a nice simplicity to it that really highlighted how lovely the vegetable and pork wontons were. 

Vegetable and pork wonton noodles, $11.80

I've loved vegetable and pork buns since I was a kid.  While everyone else preferred barbeque pork or chicken, vegetable and pork were always my bun of choice, so it's understandable that I always have to order the vegetable and pork bun here.  I am really addicted to this bun with it's fluffy white softness and the lovely mix of pork and vegetables inside.

My lone vegetable pork bun, $2.80
Insides of my pork bun

As we were leaving there was that terrible queue again and this one was just starting, as it's only a bit before 1pm on Friday.  

The queue as we are leaving

The great thing about Din Tai Fung is that, the food is always consistently good.  I am yet to have been here, where the dishes do not taste the same as the previous visit.  If you're up for something simple and comforting and you can make it here before the queues start, then you may take a liking to Din Tai Fung.


Happy lunching, Dumpling Girl.


Din Tai Fung
644 George Street
Sydney  NSW  2000
Ph: (02) 9264 6010
http://www.dintaifungaustralia.com.au/


Din Tai Fung on Urbanspoon

7 comments:

Helen (Grab Your Fork) said...

Aww your lone vegetable bun looks so lonely in the steamer. You did well to score a table so fast on a Friday lunch!

joey@forkingaroundsydney said...

I've never tried the spicy wanton noodles here; looks great! Making me hungry even though I'm still so full from dinner. :-)

Dumpling Girl said...

Hi Helen, hehee it was lonely until it got into my tummy. It was a very lucky Friday for sure.

Hello Joey, that must of been some dinner you had last night :) The spicy noodles is definitely one of my faves there.

Tina@foodboozeshoes said...

The wontons in spicy sauce are SO good - you've got me craving them now!

Dumpling Girl said...

Hi Tina, they are definitely my favourite dish there :)

thang @ noodlies said...

I still haven't been yet... every time I come there's a queue... the food looks yummo!

Dumpling Girl said...

Hello thang, the trick is try to get a table before lunch time on a weekday. Otherwise, you can bet there will be a queue, from experience :)