We are a complicated family.
Food-wise, that is.
Husband is a carnivore who is allergic to seafood.
Daughter is vegetarian.
I am a piscatarian.
Thank God for our omnivorous son.
So finding a restaurant that suits us all is not always the proverbial piece of cake.
With this in mind, my review of Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay may well seem to be of the “on the one hand…while on the other hand…” variety.
Everyone we spoke to recommended Din Tai Fung with great enthusiasm, and as a dining experience it was fabulous. Hardly surprising, given that the Causeway Bay branch of this famous chain gained a Michelin star a few years ago.
The original Din Tai Fung started in Taiwan, specialising in xiaolongbao (small steamed buns) and now runs to many restaurants all over the world.
Situated in a nondescript office block in busy Causeway Bay, you cannot make a reservation for this cafeteria-looking place, so you wait outside with crowds of diners. Watching what goes on in the glass-walled kitchen helps pass the time :
The menu (with photos of the food) is brought to you, as well as an order pad, and you write down the number and quantities of the dishes you want.
The staff who co-ordinate this waiting and ordering outside the restaurant all speak good English and explain the process and the menu to you. Our waitress was charming, and came back to tell us that many of the greens that we 2 veggies had ordered were cooked in a meat based stock, so should she order them without sauce for us. Yes, of course, we said, which was fine for our principles, but – the truth be told – made for pretty dull eating.
We didn’t have to wait too long, and once inside, the staff couldn’t have been nicer, and though the service is brisk and efficient, with the food coming out promptly, I never felt that we were being hurried along.
So, the food.
The meat-eaters loved their choice, though they both said with hindsight that they would not order the drunken chicken next time :
Drunken chicken, above, and the trademark xiaolongbao, below. The pork ones were voted the best.
We had vegetarian dumplings which were OK, but nothing to write home about, to be honest :
I found them a tad too large to eat comfortably, which meant the mushroom filling fell out…or perhaps I am just a messy eater and/or inept with chopsticks.
Now for the greens…nice, especially the preserved vegetables (below) which were delicious, but overall nothing but greens was a bit samey and unexciting as our meal. These greens are plainly meant to accompany, not serve as the main event, which is fair enough.
So ?
As I said at the outset, it was a case of “on the one hand, but…” in as much as the whole experience was great, and the meat eaters loved their food. But as a vegetarian, I would have to say, sorry, no.
