Dian Shui Lou (點水樓) - Voted Most Popular Xiaolongbao Restaurant in Taiwan

Din Tai Fung originated from Taiwan and although i failed in my attempt to check out its original store at Yongkang Street, i did manage to have xiaolongbao in Taiwan after all. 

Because of the above poster with its proud proclamation to all passersby that as far as popular vote was concerned, Dian Shui Lou had supposedly an upper hand over Din Tai Fung!

How not to try right?! 

The lack of a queue (probably because it was way past lunch) didn't deter us from stepping into the Chinese restaurant and ordering too much for just the two of us. 

Fried Rice with Shrimps

虾仁炒饭

Singapore's Din Tai Fung was famous for the same dish and we thought it would be appropriate to draw comparison between the two competitors. Verdict? Normal. 

Red Bean Paste Dumpling

豆沙小包

Once again, i could not resist ordering the dou sha xiaolongbao as i would usually order them in Singapore!  By the way, i am so glad to have gone for the small serving with only five dumplings!

Skin was thin but my main concern was with its low level of sweetness! From the way the paste twirled in my mouth, it was obvious each of them was handmade with varying textures felt during the eating process. 

Dumplings with Crab Roe & Meat

蟹黄小笼包

Honestly, i was expecting this to be a total letdown! 

Turned out they were the better ones; break one apart and be prepared to see pieces of REAL crab meat! The delicious crab flavour was noticeable right from the very first bite! 

Custard Bun

奶皇玉露包

Just had to ask for a serving to see if there would be any difference from our local style.

In my honest opinion, it was a great sense of injustice towards the buns; the generous custard filling was a perfect balance between sweetness and saltiness yet the dough had to be so thick and tough! 

Shanghai Xiaolongbao

上海小笼包

The most popular xiaolongbao was finally on the table!

One word; oily! In addition, the meat's seasoning didn't meet our expectations; lacking the yummy flavour i loved so much from Malaysia's Dragon-i and D'Shanghai. Maybe it is indeed Taiwan's number one but in my heart, it's not even in the top three. 

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Location

64, Huaining Street, Taipei, Taiwan

[Just further down from CityInn Taipei I]

Price

Fried Rice with Shrimps - NT$280

Red Bean Paste Dumplings (5s) - NT$95

Dumplings with Crab Roe & Meat (5s) - NT$250

Custard Bun (2s) - NT$90

Shanghai Xiaolongbao (10s) - NT$200

Opening Hours

Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm

Dinner: 5.30pm to 10.00pm

For an overview of my 9 Days, 8 Nights Taiwan Trip [Cingjing (清境) - Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) - Taichung (臺中) - Taipei (臺 北)], click HERE.