Great things often come from humble beginnings, and that is certainly true of Din Tai Fung - a huge Taiwanese restaurant empire that now spans the globe, and has developed a reputation for intricate, picture-perfect handmade dim sum. Din Tai Fung started with Mr Bing-Yi Yang, who in 1972, decided to start making xiao long bao (steamed pork dumplings) in order to supplement the income of his shop (called Din Tai Fung). The xiao long baos were so good, Din Tai Fung developed a huge reputation, and Mr Yang started making dim sum full time. Slowly but surely, Din Tai Fung went from a local dim sum shop to an international brand, and the xiao long baos and steamed chicken soup that made Din Tai Fung successful 50 years ago are still on the menu.
Din Tai Fung is a perfect fit for the 100+ restaurant offering at Mall of the Emirates, offering a well-rounded Taiwanese menu that has something for everyone. For most, the dim sum is the star attraction - the famous xiao long bao are available with a variety of fillings (crab and chicken, scallop, truffle and chicken and mutton) and there are steamed buns too, with fillings like chicken and vegetable, and juicy lamb. There's plenty more dim sum available besides, including classic siu mai, wontons and pot stickers.
On top of all that, the menu has lots of traditional Taiwanese and Chinese dishes, from Hong Kong style duck to prawn pancakes, fried rice dishes, Szechuan mouthwatering chicken, and a range of noodle dishes that includes wonton noodle soup, dan dan noodles, chow mein, majian noodles and house special chilli noodles.
Save some room for dessert - steamed buns with sweet bean paste fillings, homemade ice creams, and a huge variety of milk teas with tapioca pearls.