Located in Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, Din Tai Fung always has a line stretching out the door and a reservation book filled up months in advance. The restaurant, which has gone viral on TikTok, always has a buzzing atmosphere. Its refreshing drinks, flavorful dishes, and mouth-watering desserts make it easy to tell why it’s so popular.
Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic ($15): 8/10
Din Tai Fung somehow transforms a simple, underrated green vegetable into a delightful culinary experience with its sautéed broccoli with garlic. Each piece of broccoli is steamed to perfection, resulting in a crunchy stem and soft leaves. The freshly sliced garlic on top adds a unique touch to the dish, complementing the natural broccoli flavor. While the dish is expensive, it’s a price to pay for the delectable greens.
Cucumber Salad ($9): 9/10
The cucumber salad is one of Din Tai Fung’s most iconic dishes. It easily lives up to its hype. It is a refreshing appetizer and palate cleanser. Its freshness is a welcome contrast to Din Tai Fung’s many other rich dishes, thanks primarily to the crisp Persian cucumbers. The blend of sesame and chili oil brings a hint of spice, and the dish is complemented by a mild Fresno chili pepper and a slice of fresh garlic.
Honey Lemonade with Boba ($8.50): 6/10
Din Tai Fung provides a wide variety of beverages, from creamy matcha to tangy tea. The honey lemonade is eye-catching among a wealth of options, but is underwhelming. It tastes like store-bought lemonade, and there is no promised honey flavor. For a restaurant proud of its handcrafted food, the lemonade is a disappointment. However, adding the house-made honey boba elevates the flavor profile and adds a unique touch to the otherwise basic lemonade. Each piece of boba brings a delicate, chewy bite, and when combined with the satisfyingly crunchy pebble ice, the drink becomes a solid choice.
Glass Noodles with Sesame Sauce ($12.50): 7/10
Social media platforms have not only skyrocketed Din Tai Fung’s popularity but also paved the way for Din Tai Fung “food hacks. One of these is to order sesame noodles, but substitute the regular noodles with glass noodles. This addition lightens the otherwise heavy dish and adds a pleasant textural experience, though the noodles can be somewhat hard to serve and slightly chewy. The noodles are topped with a nutty sesame sauce, complemented by a handful of crushed peanuts. However, beware of the unexpected spice attack from the signature chili oil. Despite its unique flavor profile, the dish cooled surprisingly quickly and unfortunately lost its appeal after a couple of minutes.
Shrimp Fried Rice ($18.50): 9/10
Fried rice may seem like a plain, flavorless dish, but Din Tai Fung takes it to the next level. The rice is buttery and well-spiced, each grain the ideal balance of al dente and tender. A generous amount of scrambled egg adds softness, and the chopped green onion brings a freshness to the dish. However, the highlight of the dish is the plump shrimp, impressively juicy despite their small size. To elevate the Din Tai Fung fried rice experience, it’s recommended to get a side of spicy wonton sauce.
Chicken Spicy Wontons ($16): 10/10
The chicken spicy wontons sum up Din Tai Fung’s attention to quality in a single bite. There’s succulent chicken, a delicate wrapper, and the spotlight on their signature, mouth-watering spicy sauce. The sauce brings in flavors of soy, chili, black vinegar, and an abundance of aromatic spices. The sauce is served generously, and the chopped green onion imparts a sense of brightness that, when combined with the slice of fresh radish, results in a clean and elegant dish.
Chicken Xio Long Bao ($17): 5/10
Despite being one of Din Tai Fung’s most popular and traditional dishes, the chicken xiao long bao lacks the restaurant’s usually luscious flavors. The letdown lies in its lack of depth, as each soup dumpling consists of simple broiled chicken and a flavorless, doughy skin. The only thing to make up for the lack of richness is dipping the dumplings into the DIY sauce on the table. However, even with the sauce, these dumplings fail to keep up with Din Tai Fung’s other exquisite options and are much too similar to something available in the frozen aisle of the grocery store.
Chocolate & Mochi Xio Long Bao with Sea Salt Cream ($15): 10/10
To close out a meal, it’s an absolute necessity to finish with one of Din Tai Fung’s famous chocolate desserts. The chocolate and mochi xiao long bao, when combined with a side of sea salt cream, becomes an immaculate dessert. After biting into the chewy mochi outside, a burst of warm and rich chocolate pours out. The decadent chocolate is impeccably paired with the hand-whipped sea salt foam, creating a light and creamy caramel fluff. This dessert has an unmatched first bite, with an explosion of sweetness and a hint of salt.
