Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant chain specializing in

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from Greater China, China, as well as from Overseas Chinese, Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine ...

, particularly famous for its

xiaolongbao ''Xiaolongbao'' (小籠包 , 'little basket bun') is a type of Chinese tangbao (), traditionally prepared in a ''xiaolong'', a small bamboo steaming basket. The xiaolongbao originates from the city of Changzhou in Jiangsu province, and is an ...

. Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Din Tai Fung also has branches in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.

History

Founder Yang Bing-yi, an immigrant from

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

, initially worked ten years at Heng Tai Fung, a

cooking oil Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing h ...

retailer in Taiwan. Yang later wanted to branch out on his own to support his family. With his

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka-speaking Chinese, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas, are a southern Han Chinese subgroup whose principal settlements and ancestral homes are dispersed widely across the provinces of southern China ...

wife, Lai Penmei, he founded a cooking oil retailer in 1958. They named it Din Tai Fung by combining the names of Yang's previous employer, "Heng Tai Fung", and their new supplier, "DinMei Oils". Around 1970, tinned cooking oil became prevalent, and business diminished drastically. Tang Yongchang, the immigrant owner of a

Shanghainese The Shanghainese language, also known as the Shanghai dialect, or Hu language, is a variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the central districts of the city of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan langua ...

restaurant and friend of Yang suggested that in order to survive, Yang should convert half the shop to making and selling

. The xiaolongbao were a common dish in Tang's native

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, but rare in Taiwan. The xiaolongbao eventually grew so popular that Din Tai Fung stopped selling oil altogether and became a full-fledged restaurant in 1972. The original restaurant is on

Xinyi Road Xinyi Road () is an arterial road in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting Zhongzheng District with Xinyi District in Taipei, Taiwan. Its western terminus is at the East Gate of Taipei's former city wall, at the intersection of Zhongshan Road, Ketagala ...

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

and the shop sign was a calligraphic work of the then

Control Yuan The Control Yuan is the supervisory and auditory branch of the government of the Republic of China, both during its time in mainland China and Taiwan. Designed as a hybrid of auditor and ombudsman by Taiwanese law, the Control Yuan holds th ...

president

Yu Youren Yu Youren (; April 11, 1879 – November 10, 1964) was a Chinese educator, scholar, calligrapher, and politician. Early life He was born on April 11, 1879, in the town of Hedaogang (), Sanyuan County (north of Xi'an), Shaanxi Province, Qing Chin ...

. In 1996, the first international location opened in Tokyo, and the first North American store opened in Arcadia, California, in 2000. The California location, rather than franchised, was operated by the founders' son Frank. Their first branch in Indonesia opened at the upmarket shopping mall

Plaza Senayan Plaza Senayan is a shopping mall located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is a few minutes by car from the Semanggi area; offering shops and services such as designer goods and gourmet food. In January 2017, Forbes recognized Plaza Senaya ...

in Jakarta on April 24, 2005. As of 2022, there were 13 branches spread across the

Greater Jakarta The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as ''Jabodetabekpunjur'' (an acronym of Jakarta– Bogor– Depok– Tangerang– Bekasi further extended to include Puncak region of Bogor Regency and portions of Cianjur Regenc ...

area, with three outlet formats (regular Din Tai Fung, Noodle Bar, and Chef's Table) and

halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...

or non-halal selections available. In 2008, the chain struggled due to the world financial situation. The Taiwanese government hosted a Din Tai Fung showcase in Paris in 2007 as a tool of cultural diplomacy. In 2000, the chain's first locations opened in mainland China. The first European branch was opened in London in December 2018. In January 2019, Din Tai Fung voluntarily closed their Westfield Sydney location after discovering rats, which nearby construction had displaced. The city council also required the restaurant to pass health inspections before re-opening.

COVID-19 pandemic and after

Due to the

impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the United States restaurant industry via government closures, resulting in layoffs of workers and loss of income for restaurants and owners and threatening the survival of independent restaurants as a category. Aft ...

, the first North American restaurant closed permanently on June 11, 2020. In March 2023, a Din Tai Fung Australia franchise was prosecuted by the

Federal Court of Australia The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law (with the exception of family law matters), along with some summary (less serious) and indictable (mo ...

for underpaying staff, pressuring employees to sign an

Australian workplace agreement An Australian workplace agreement (AWA) was a type of formalised individual agreement negotiated between an employer and employee in Australia that existed from 1996 to 2009. Employers could offer a "take it or leave it" AWA as a condition of empl ...

, and failing to pay approximately A$175,000 in owed wages. As of 2024, the chain has more than 170 locations and is operated by the grandsons of the founders who serve as co CEOs. In 2024, the chain opened its first New York location -- its largest at 25,000 square feet with a seating capacity of 450 in the location of the former

Mars 2112 Mars 2112 (pronounced "Mars twenty-one twelve") was one of many tourist-targeted restaurants in the Times Square district of New York City, based on future human spaceflight, space travel and accommodations. At , it was the largest such themed r ...

. In April 2024, Din Tai Fung was fined $4 million AUD for underpaying Australian workers and left Australia. Din Tai Fung also opened a location in the

Downtown Disney Downtown Disney (officially the Downtown Disney District) is a lifestyle center located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It opened on January 12, 2001; a component of the Disneyland Resort expansion project alon ...

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...

. Din Tai Fung's first

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

location opened in May 2025 in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, BC. A new location is planned to open in

Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...

in 2026.

Reputation

Din Tai Fung is known internationally for its paper-thin wrapped

with 18 folds. In November 2009, the Hong Kong and Macau 2010 edition of the

Michelin Guide The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few restaurants ...

awarded the restaurant's first Hong Kong branch at

Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui ( zh, c=尖沙咀), often abbreviated as TST, is an list of areas of Hong Kong, area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed ...

Silvercord Silvercord () is a shopping centre and office tower complex located at No. 30 Canton Road, at the junction with Haiphong Road, in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The complex, owned by Cheung Kong Holdings, was opened in 1984. Shopping centre Tenants ...

Branch, a

Michelin star The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic ...

. The Michelin Guide recommended the restaurant's second branch in Hong Kong at Causeway Bay, Yee Wo Branch, in December 2010, as well as Hong Kong's Silvercord Branch in 2013.

References

External links

* /www.dintaifung.com.tw/ Din Tai Fung official website(Global) {{Food chains in Singapore 1958 establishments in Taiwan Taiwanese restaurants Chinese restaurants Chinese cuisine Culture in Taipei Fast-food chains of Singapore Restaurants established in 1958 Chinese restaurants outside China Restaurant chains in Singapore Restaurant chains in China Restaurants in Indonesia Restaurants in Japan Restaurants in Los Angeles Restaurants in Orange County, California Restaurant chains in Taiwan Chinese restaurants in Washington (state)

History

COVID-19 pandemic and after

Reputation

See also

References

External links