Din Tai Fung - Seattle
Every visit to Din Tai Fung is an adventure. The food is great and it's realIy busy. It was founded in Taiwan and has spread across Asia and the west coast of the USA. Unfortunately, there's not one in Portland, so when I go to Seattle it is at the top of my brunch priorities. There are now three locations in Seattle, and this visit we went the one in Bellevue.
The menu is extensive, but they are well known for their excellent Xiao Long Bao, or steamed soup dumplings. And if you have to wait for a table, you can peer through the window into the kitchen and watch the dumpling assembly line. Arrive early, there always seems to be a line...
I'd say just about every table orders at least one bamboo steamer of soup dumplings, because if you sit near the kitchen, you can watch the huge stacks of steamers come out. And we of course ordered some. They are really tasty, to eat one, first carefully bite the corner and suck out the broth and then eat the rest of the dumpling. These are also just about the right size to stick the entire thing in your mouth in one bite, if you're ready for it and it's not too hot.
The dumplings are the highlight, but there are plenty of other great things on the menu like sauteed bok choy. There's something about simple sauteed asian greens, they are always lightly seasoned, yet really flavorful.
These thick noodles with pork are chewy and satisfying.
I can never have enough dumplings. We finished off the meal with pork bao.
