Xiao long bao, noodles and dumplings @ Din Tai Fung [World Square], Sydney

Here we are, at the end of another year! Time certainly flies by quickly when you're having fun, and I hope your 2015 will be filled with fun and adventures too. Speaking of fun and foodie adventure, I popped my Din Tai Fung cherry a couple of months ago when we were in Sydney. Given Din Tai Fung's popularity over many years and its prolific chains worldwide, I'm surprised myself that it took me so long to give it a try. I suppose I was always deterred by the long queues to get in any of the Din Tai Fung restaurants - whether in Japan, Singapore or Hong Kong. We met with my father-in-law a final time before his flight back to Brisbane, and hubby wanted to introduce something good to him that he hadn't yet tried. I did a quick search and came up with Din Tai Fung at World Square, and everyone thought it was an agreeable choice. This was the first time I encountered a Din Tai Fung restaurant without a long queue, though I suppose it helped that we visited just before the peak lunch period on a weekday. We were given a pager and waited only a few minutes before it beeped to let us know our table was ready. There was a lot of people and not very much space in between, so I felt a little crowded in. The busy atmosphere was a little akin to the fast food environment but with more class and restaurant prices. Service was brisk and efficient, and the food was tasty! Din Tai Fung is popular for good reasons.

Din Tai Fung at World Square:

Fried Rice with Shrimps, for the boy. It was eggy, full of shrimps and yummy:

The must-have Xiao Long Bao (pork soup dumplings). I must admit, these were good - thin-skinned but didn't tear easily. And the black truffle ones were even better than the ordinary ones! Apparently these dumplings are made to order, which takes about three minutes:

Cha Jiang Noodles with Minced Pork was mildly spicy with a good ratio of toppings and noodles. :

Dan Dan Noodles - the spicy version. Consists of nothing but noodles, spicy sauce and a sprinkling of sesame seeds, this is the perfect dish for noodle enthusiasts:

Shrimp and Pork Shao Mai. I thought this was a novel way to present this ubiquitous dim sum item:

Pork Bun, which the father-in-law ordered:

Taro Gelato and Golden Taro Bread - a great choice for taro fans:

The Golden Lava Bun was a signature dessert, and hubby was curious. Turns out to be a bun with a salted egg yolk custard filling, which I enjoyed, but hubby is not a big fan of salted eggs. It was pretty rich so I could only handle one bun, and I was pretty sad to see one bun left behind in the steam basket uneaten:

Steamed Mini Black Sesame Bun. So good!

Good food at Din Tai Fung. Just remember that it is popular so plan to arrive outside of peak dining periods or be prepared to wait.

Din Tai Fung [World Square]
Shop 1104 Level 1
World Square Shopping Centre
644 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia
Tel. +61 2 9264 6010