When in Seattle, we have our usual dining spots. But this time, I wanted to try something different, so we decided to give Din Tai Fun a try.
If we’re in Seattle Mrs. Island Miler and I always hit up the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, Goldfinch Tavern, and Rachel’s Ginger Beer. But, this time, I wanted to try something different. We still got to all those places, but we were in the Emerald City for a week, so it was the perfect opportunity to try something new. And with friends recommending the place to me, combined with our love of dim sum, Din Tai Fung topped the list. By the way, we liked it so much, we decided to eat here twice!
Location
The Din Tai Fung location we ended up at is the one in the Pacific Place shopping center. Its central location makes it convenient. However, Pacific Place has rather high parking rates. And validation? Hah! Forget about it. The restaurant itself is located on the top level of the mall.
Service
Service throughout both our visits was good. The staff was friendly and mostly attentive. Because of the popularity of the place, though, wait times can be rather long. So don’t decide to come here last minute for dinner if you’re starving. Once seated, though, things move at a fairly brisk pace. And if you’re not familiar with dim sum dining in China, do know that you place your order here by marking up an order sheet. Menus are also provided, so you have descriptions and pictures of the items, though.
The Food
Din Tai Fung has a large selection of items including dim sum, noodles, soups, vegetables, and more. Choosing can be daunting, and it’s best if you go with a group so you can try more stuff. And everything we ordered was done perfectly; no overcooked noodles or limp vegetables here.
Seasonings were all done just right too. My only complaint is that all the spicy dishes featured the same sauce, so things can get a bit repetitive, though it’s still good.
And, look. I’ve heard some negative things about Din Tai Fung too, but I think a bit of perspective is important. For an upscale-ish dim sum place, Din Tai Fun’s prices are very reasonable. And while I think many of their items are great, it isn’t the best I’ve had, and I don’t expect it to me. For me, my excellent rating for the place is based on value. It’s really good stuff for what you’re paying. After all, we paid around $130 for five of us including tax and tip.
We did end up paying around the same for three of us on our second visit, but that’s because we splurged a bit more and went for things like the Black Truffle Xia Long Bao. And yes, they’re worth it. There are real truffle slices in there with a nice, nuanced flavor. No intense, pungent punch of truffle oil. Oh, and you’re given a completely separate set of chopsticks and dishes to eat these with so you don’t ruin the delicate flavors with sauces or oils from other dishes.
As for desserts, Din Tai Fung has a number of them. The shave ice is good, though there are too many beans for my liking. Most interesting for me, though, is the chocolate, Xia Long Bao.
Din Tai Fung, Final Thoughts
Like I said earlier, my love of Din Tai Fung is thanks to its value proposition in addition to my love of their food. So, if you like dim sum, Din Tai Fung is a solid and more affordable option in what is an expensive city. And for us, anyway, it’s someplace that’s being added to our list for a return visit next time we’re in town again. But since they have a number of locations around the world, its a place we’re likely to visit wherever they are if we need someplace to eat.
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Din Tai Fung
There’s also a 2nd DTF over in Bellevue for those who don’t wanna drive to the west side.
I’m still amazed how there are *2* DTFs in Seattle metro and still 0 in places like NYC.
That’s IS interesting, Henry! Especially since both cities appear to have a large Chinese population, though judging how busy the Pacific Place location is, two locations are definitely warranted. I have family down in Newport Beach, CA and they said the location near them is always super crowded too, so they never go.
Din Tai Fung is really good. I know people like to complain about the wait, the prices, that there are better places in the world (no shit)… Like you say, the food is all prepared very nicely, the service is fine, and THEY HAVE A FULL BAR!!! I don’t love how fast the food comes out, so we tend to order in little batches. Also, if you didn’t get a chance to try the pork chop (not something I typically order), it’s gooooooood.
lol, very true, Garrett! That’s why I felt I had to make that statement at the beginning. Totally forgot to mention the full bar, but I guess that never really crossed my mind because Yauatcha in Waikiki does too. And, yup, it gets a bit overwhelming when everything comes out at once… especially since cold dim sum isn’t so great. I’ll have to try the pork chop next time too. It looks good, but we just never got around to it. Thanks!
I frequently visit Seattle and have been interested in trying dim sum, will check this place out next time I’m down there as we usually end up strolling through Pacific Place.
Totally recommend it, Thomas. Though if you want to try similar foods without making a dining commitment like this, you could also head down to Mee Sum Pastry at Pike Place Market. I’ll have a post on that place coming soon.
There’s also a DTF at U village, and Southcsnter, making four in Seattle… of course they opened after I moved away.
That’s a lot… I had no idea! I’m really hoping they come to Hawaii someday…