Basket Case

Went to Din Tai Fung with mel and a couple of friends yesterday, and Din Tai Fung is famous for it's steamed delights. As you enter the restaurant, the sight of towering steaming baskets greets you. It's almost like you're watching a food sauna from behind a glass window. They cleverly let you see what's going on in the kitchen, and personally, I could stand there for days just watching them make everything.

For their famous Xiao Long Bao (trans: little dragon bun) they weight out every aspect of it - from the dough to the meat, ensuring a perfect result everytime.

Another group of chefs carefully wrap it, producing a minimum of 18 folds on each dainty dumpling.

After peeling it carefully off the steaming cloth, each delicate mound is dipped lightly in vinegar and popped into one's mouth. Upon biting into it, savoury soup bursts forth from the paper thin skin and reveals a luscious heart of meat filling. Every bite is just perfect.

We also had Xian Rou Bao (trans: fresh meat bun) and it was alright. Nothing as ethereal or divine as the Xiao Long Bao, but still tasty nonetheless.

I also ordered the Dan Dan Mian (erm, Dan Dan noodles?) which had hand made noodles and a thick peanut-y sauce. The crunchy crushed peanuts and the smooth creamy sauce provided a mix of textures that I was really happy with.

Om nom nom indeed.