鼎泰豐

Din Tai Fung could possibly be the most famous xiao long bao, soup dumplings, in the world. People swear by the original Taiwan outlet, and this popularity has led to shops across Asia and into America. Is this the gold standard?

Definitely awesome food, but I’d rather take a minor cut in the subtle seafood flavors and eat this sort of thing in a dirty Chinese dive. The upper floors of the Takashima department store definitely don’t come close to the desired atmosphere.

I also want the soup to be scalding. For safety reasons, and to cater to the hoards of wealthy old ladies in line, Din Tai Fung’s soup is served at a tepid temperature.

Even the table-side instructions opt for the break-them-open-first method of eating. The safe way. For my money, let it sit in the sauce until just barely cool enough, then down the thing whole. If you burn your tounge off, you didn’t wait long enough.

Regardless, you won’t have that problem here.