Din Tai Fung makes East Coast debut in New York City

By Vincent Liao
Domestic Affairs
Din Tai Fung makes East Coast debut in New York City

The cube exterior of the Din Tai Fung restaurant in New York City. MICHELIN GUIDE/Jason Varney

July 26 (ZFJ) — After much anticipation—two years after its initial announcement—the renowned Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung celebrated the grand opening of its first East Coast location in New York City on July 18, 2024. Besides being the first location on the East Coast, it is also the world’s largest Din Tai Fung. Located at 1633 Broadway, the restaurant occupies a vast 25,000-square-foot space, capable of accommodating up to 450 diners and 500 employees. With the addition of this newly opened branch, there are now sixteen locations in the U.S., spanning across California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and now New York.

“Our company’s purpose is to share our food and culture. What better place to do it than New York?” said Albert Yang, the third-generation co-owner of Din Tai Fung, alongside his brother Aaron during the grand opening.

Although the Taiwan-based chain is famous for their xiao long bao—steamed soup dumplings that translate to “little basket bun”—they did not always sell them. Founded in 1958 by Mr. Yang Bing-yi and his wife, Din Tai Fung was originally a cooking oil retail store. It only transitioned to selling xiao long bao in 1972. Since then, the brand has garnered much global acclaim and expanded overseas, with more than 170 locations across 13 countries (Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States). In particular, the Hong Kong branch has been awarded a Michelin star five times to date.

Kurobata Pork Xiao Long Bao from Din Tai Fung. DIN TAI FUNG/Menu Kurobata Pork Xiao Long Bao from Din Tai Fung. DIN TAI FUNG/Menu

Today, the chain is loved by the community worldwide for its consistency and quality. Each and every xiao long bao is meticulously hand-folded by the chefs. According to the company, each xiao long bao will have exactly 18 folds and weigh between 20.8 and 21.2 grams, regardless of which branch you order from.

“The thinness of the soup dumplings is impeccable,” said David Zhang, a resident of Queens, to Eater NY.

The main dining room of Din Tai Fung’s restaurant in New York City. MICHELIN GUIDE/Jason Varney The main dining room of Din Tai Fung’s restaurant in New York City. MICHELIN GUIDE/Jason Varney

In addition to its classic offerings, the New York City location will also feature exclusive items tailored to the taste of American customers, such as the Black Sesame Espresso Martini. Reservations for the newly opened restaurant on Yelp are fully booked for the next month at press time.

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