Is the Din Tai Fung San Jose Worth the Wait?

a group of dumplings on a tray

Xiaolongbao, also known as soup dumplings, are one of my favorite foods, and Din Tai Fung is famous for theirs. A well known chain, declared by the NY Times in 1993 to be one of the top 10 gourmet restaurants in the world, Din Tai Fung started in Taipei and has expanded to Asia and a handful of locations in the US.

a round wooden basket with food on it
Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) at Din Tai Fung San Jose

Those tasty little buns are like the inverse of chicken dumpling soup — instead of dumplings in the soup, the soup is sealed in the dumpling. 🙂 When I find myself in the same city as a Din Tai Fung I can’t resist a stop.

When it came to one of their newest openings in San Jose, I was forced to resist. The Din Tai Fung San Jose location (technically Santa Clara) in the Westfield Valley Fair mall was the only store to require reservations, and they were typically booked more than 2 weeks out, too far for my last minute trips.

a group of people standing in a line in front of a building

That changed as of March 1, so after a little bit of research I showed up at 10:07 on a Sunday morning, minutes after they opened. There was already a line, but as a party of two we were seated immediately.

a group of people in white uniforms preparing food

a group of people sitting at tables in a restaurant

a group of people sitting at tables in a restaurant

And the food was excellent — well up to the usual Din Tai Fung standards.

a plate of dumplings
The crab Xiaolongbao
a bun on a basket
Steamed pork bun
a bowl of food with a spoon
Amazing wantons with gorgeously thin wrappers
a plate of cucumbers on a black surface
Chili cucumbers
a plate of food with a spoon
Love the unusual texture of these chicken rice cakes!

Is it better than everywhere else? Better than Yank Sing? I don’t know if they’re the best, but Din Tai Fung’s options are pretty darn good and worth a trip if you don’t have to wait more than an hour. Few restaurants are worth a 2-5 hour wait, which is probably why they have some of the harshest reviews on Yelp of any Din Tai Fung location.

Tip: Arrive first thing when they open — 10AM on the weekends — or go late in the evening to avoid long waits,

The two things I wasn’t crazy about?

  1. The price. I’m spoiled by the Southeast Asia prices and these California dumplings aren’t cheap with most dishes starting at $10. Two hungry people can easily go through 5+ entrees.
  2. No iconic dumpling statue! First location I’ve visited without one.
a woman standing next to a statue
At the Din Tai Fung in Bangkok

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6 Comments

  1. Din Tai Fung is overrated. This location also charges more in that you only get 6 XLBs per order. The locations on SoCal gives you 10 XLBs for the same price.

    1. No lines because there are places other than DTF that are better and cheaper in Asia. Locals do not go to DTF in Asia.

  2. I love their food. But not worth the hassle or the price in the US. I enjoyed them every day for lunch in Singapore.

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