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Showing posts with label xiao long bao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label xiao long bao. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2021
DIN TAI FUNG IN LAS VEGAS: Taiwanese Dishes in SIN CITY

One of my favorite places to visit would be Taiwan. I've been to the place probably more than 5 times already and it never gets old. One of the most popular restaurant from Taipei would be Din Tai Fung. What started in the Da'an District, this restaurant has been a global force with a number of franchises all over the world.
Since this is Las Vegas, they try to showcase everything here. More so they brought this restaurant over to the ARIA Hotel. They opened to the public in 2020 and never looked back. Once you enter, you are greeted by the dumpling making kitchen. You could see and take photos of chefs making the soupy dumplings or xiao long bao.
Since this is Las Vegas, the place is hyped up. With decors and high ceiling, they make sure that everything is worth your visit. As with any famous restaurant, a reservation is a must. Because of covid, it would be best to make one a week or so before especially for weekends.

Just like any other DIN TAI FUNG restaurants, they give you a piece of paper where you check and write down your orders. Granted that it seems quite incredible to charge for extra ginger, I just went with the flow.

Since this wasn't my first time eating in a DIN TAI FUNG, I figured I let my friends do the ordering. They went with the go to choices of course. From the original xiao long bao, to the crab roe flavored version, and even some other dishes.


In all honesty, visiting DIN TAI FUNG would be perfect for an early snack before dinner but never for a full meal. The prices seems to be a little on the high side compared to other DIN TAI FUNG places I've been too. The dishes were just okay. To be honest, I still preferred other xiao long bao places because of the quality and quantity.
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All in all, it was an okay visit. Nice to remember and experience Taiwanese dishes. Although, I don't think I'll go back anytime soon. Honestly, it was just okay. The service was great but the food was so-so. I don't know but it seems Chinatown would have been a better choice.

DIN TAI FUNG
ARIA Resort & Casino, 
3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, 
Las Vegas, NV 89158



Disclaimer: paid for the meal. wrote this based on my experience.
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Wednesday, November 8, 2017
TAIWAN'S DIAN SHUI LOU: Better Than Din Tai Fung?

The first time I visited Taipei, I went with my mom, brother, and my brother's friends and their families. We had no itinerary and had no clue what to do. Thankfully, we stayed at TAIPEI M HOTEL (here's my experience with Taipei M Hotel) . The concierge was knowledgeable about a lot of inside stuff. He was even able to suggest a few restaurants where locals would dine. One of them was DIAN SHUI LOU. According to him, this was better than DIN TAI FUNG. As a foodie, I had to check it out.
 Just a couple of days back, my group and I visited DTF at the Taipei 101 Tower. I wasn't impressed specially when the wait time was over an hour. For that kind of food, I would eat it again but would not wait that long (story for a different time). At Dian Shui Lou, there was no queue. The place was pretty big. When we entered, we saw that restaurant filled with guests. Good thing,  there was a second floor. There, we could watch the kitchen create all the dimsum and dumplings one could imagine.
 The second floor hosts a number of private function rooms for big and small groups. Comparing this to DTF in terms of ambiance would be like talking about ice cream and fruits. Totally different things. While DTF seemed like a fast well oiled machine, this place exudes relaxation and lets you take your time. While the original DTF restaurant won a michellin star, Dian Shui Lou was awarded 5 stars (a different awarding body) and was voted more popular in terms of xiao long bao in Taipei.
 
Even if DTF is more popular with the foreign visitors, Dian Shui Lou draws in the locals more. Luckily, the restaurant had an English menu. Definitely a helpful tidbit for foreigners.
 Let's get straight to the point, the XIAO LONG BAO. This is the restaurant's bread and butter.
 Honestly, I prefer this version over DTF's. I don't know if I was just being picky but when we visited Dian Shui Lou, everything was great. The wrapper wasn't too thin nor thick. The soup wasn't too heavy and the meat was just right. For our lunch, we actually had a couple. The original and the truffle. Both were flavorful and pretty good.
Since we couldn't decide on what to order, we just went with a set menu. Thinking back, we should have just went ala carte as we could have had more dishes to try out. I apologize in advance as I am not familiar with the Chinese names of the dishes.

 To start things off, we had a sesame crusted pancake like dish. Aside from the XLB, we also had dumplings that had a bunch of green leafy vegetables in them. If you know me, I stayed away from it just because.
 There were more vegetable dishes as well. One of them was the cold okra and mushroom with sweet and sour dressing. While another was the bamboo shoots.  They were a bit too healthy for me so I skipped them as well.
 For soup, we had the salty pork with beans and bamboo shoot. It seemed alright. Not bad.
 I was glad that not all the dishes were "too healthy". They had a braised chicken cooked with high-grade Shaoxing wine. With the alcohol evaporated, the wine flavor was absorbed by the tender meat of the chicken. This was pretty good.
 Plus visiting Taipei should also lead you to try out their crabs. The crabs were fried with crispy garlic making it a joy to eat.
 As a Filipino, I was pretty happy that there was rice. Although in Chinese culture rice is served at the end of the meal, they served it along with the main dishes. Thankfully, the fried rice wasn't as oily as other restaurants tend to serve them.
For dessert, we had something quite familiar. Deep fried black glutinous rice cake wasn't as sweet as you would think. It was sticky and had a crunchy exterior yet gooey insides. Quite similar to tikoy.
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In all honesty, I enjoyed the food at DIAN SHUI LOU. The XLB was pretty much better compared to DTF. Although some of the dishes that we ordered weren't really what I would have had, I guess it was the better meal for me. Granted that yes it was pricey, the service was pretty good and we didn't have to wait to get our seats.



DIAN SHUI LOU
There are actually 3 branches of this restaurant in Taipei. 
Better to go to the one near Ximending. 
It's between Taipei Main Station and NTU Hospital Station
11am-2:30pm, 5:30-10pm

Disclaimer: Visited this restaurant on my own. Paid for our meal. Opinions stated here are based on my visit.
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Monday, August 11, 2014
CRYSTAL JADE's QUALITY DINNER DIMSUM BUFFET!!!


One sniff and you know its good. Drooling over Chinese Food for the past few day have definitely taken a toll on me. Thankfully, CRYSTAL JADE came up with a weekday dimsum dinner buffet. 
Priced at just 488++ Php, this quality filled dinner buffet starts up at 6pm all the way to 9:30pm from Monday-Friday.

The last time I went to this place was a few years back. I lined up and tried their famous Xiao Long Bao! I was fantasizing about it during traffic and then I saw myself already there. When I arrived, I saw a bunch of friends already waiting for the scrumptious meal.

I loved the color... they matched my phone and my polo!

Because it was pretty much hot, I had a try at their GREEN MANGO MILK SHAKE WITH SAGO (125Php)
Although not part of the buffet (they got unlimited iced tea or hot tea partnered with the buffet) , this drink is a must try. Has a hint of milk, the green mangoes didn't over power the drink. Yummy!
 To start things off, we had a try at the COLD CUCUMBER with MINCED GARLIC in SESAME OIL.
 Light and cool. Something healthy!
 We also got a bowl of CONGEE with SALTED PORK and PRESERVED EGG.
 Something warm to soothe the tummy.
 One of my favorites, the NOODLES with SPRING ONION OIL is simple and straight forward.
 Really yummy! I loved how the noodles are made fresh and has a light note to it.
The "BEIJING" Pork Dumpling is simple and unassuming.
 A crowd favorite, the PORK DUMPLING with HOT CHILI SAUCE.
 Not really that hot, the chili flavor compliments the soft dumpling.
 A healthier option would be the Minced Pork Dumpling with String Bean.
 The string bean added a crunch to this dish.
 Lovely buns! The PAN-FRIED SHANGHAI PORK BUN. Delicious!
 The crunchy bottom is a lovely contrast to the soft top. The meat inside is lovely!
 EEEEKKKKK!!!!! The STEAMED VEGETABLE DUMPLING is not for me.
Although pretty healthy, the taste is for someone more familiar with the dish. The flavor was earthy and pretty much and definitely not for me.
 "SIEW MAI" or STEAMED PORK and DUMPLING with CRAB ROE.
 You would get that feel that it was freshly made as it has a soft interior and it's not dry. Lovely!

 The next two dishes would definitely be my dad's favorite. 

The CHICKEN FEET  with BLACK BEANS SAUCE is for the people that love the skin and has a feel for the feet. I stayed away from this. LOL!
 SPARE RIBS with BLACK BEAN SAUCE has a mild feel. This will go well with rice. Yeah! Definitely!
 The PAN-FRIED CARROT CAKE with DRIED SHRIMP and PRESERVED MEAT is something I miss whenever I go out to Chinese restaurants. Although I like the stuff, I got to say it was pretty oily and I'm trying to have myself in check.. DAMN DIET! This was served with hoisin sauce which gives it a sweet feel.
 I love the  DEEP-FRIED SPRING ROLL. Crunchy outside and the stuffing is pretty much awesome!
 Of course, you got to get the most awesomest dish of all. The XIAO LONG BAO!!!!
 Partnered with a little black vinegar with ginger, this classic dumpling is perfectly cooked. The skin is soft and not too thick. The soup is yummy and the meat is flavorful. Eat it anyway you want. Dip it, and put the entire thing in your mouth! Take note though, the soup inside would burst and it would be pretty hot! Or, you could do it the subtle way. Place it on a spoon, with some sauce. Bite off the top to let it cool. Then put it all in! DELICIOUS!!!

Rest assured, you get your money's worth. The food is made fresh so you won't get that feeling that you got ripped off. Although it may take a while, the quality won't suffer and I guess that is what we are all after. Casual dining for the Chinese Food Lover!

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CRYSTAL JADE SHANGHAI DELIGHT
V-Mall Greenhills Shopping Center,
Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila.
Contact them at (02) 5705233
Breakfast from 7am-1030am 
Closes at 10pm



Disclaimer: was invited to this restaurant. Thank you for letting me try out this dinner buffet. Wrote this based on my own experience.
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Saturday, July 27, 2013
Paradise Dynasty: Legend of Xiao Long Bao

You know you have a friend when she tells you that she is bitin even after spending an entire day with you and wants to see you the next day! Geeez! That is what I got in C! Super duper duper super girlalooo!
She actually asked me to take this photo a number of times! LOL!
 So, after my lunch with my college buddies at Ginza Bairin (click here), the ever on the go C meets up in me in Ion Orchard for another meal! OMG right? Of course, she didn't know where to go so I pushed her up all the way to Ion's 4th floor for some awesome Chinese food!
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