Major culinary milestone achieved last weekend: Aaron and my maiden voyage to DinTaiFung, a temple of soup dumplings and Taiwanese institution. The generous mother of a dear UC Irvine friend (what up, I-lien!) brought Aaron and me to the original Taipei location of DinTaiFung. The chain is so popular, there’s even a San Gabriel Valley branch.
As usual, a mob filled the sidewalk outside the four-story restaurant. Smiling, slender, smartly dressed ladies milled cheerfully among the crowd, handing out numbers, taking dumpling orders, announcing available tables. Our 45-minute wait out on the street flew by as we considered the merits of shrimp vs. crab. vs. pork vs. spicy and not-so-spicy. We left our lunch selections in our hostess’ capable hands.
Inside, the place was throbbing with activity. Chefs in all-white get ups complete with surgical masks delicately stretched, pinched and prodded dough on the ground floor behind glass. Eaters chatted loudly, slurping soup, chopsticks clattering. Servers glided silently by, artfully refilling teacups.
Our meal was epic. Bamboo basket after bamboo basket of xiaolongbao arrived, steaming. The dough was so delicate and tender, the first bite producing a hot splash of broth. Apparently the dumplings are assembled with cold, congealed broth tucked inside; when heated, the soup liquefies. There were pork. Then crab. Then shrimp. Then vegetable. Then fish. Plus hot and sour soup. And garlicky greens. Then delicious, warm, date-filled mooncake for dessert.
A special bonus to the meal, which we couldn’t stop oohing and aahing over, was the restroom of the future. There, technologically advanced Japanese toilets were monitored by sprightly attendants. Ladies wiped down each toilet seat between each flush. The stall was a toilet paper-free zone: strategically aimed water jets and warm blasts of air did all the work. For the especially modest, a 25-second recording of rushing water could play to cover up any more unseemly noises. I loved it! I would have lingered, if not for the line of women and girls waiting their turn. Apparently women pee slowly worldwide.
Since DinTaiFung, all meals have paled in comparison (although the tiny quail egg omelets were pretty interesting). We even tried a passable clam linguine this week. I guess we’ll just have to keep eating.
