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 Xiaolongbao made to order at the restaurant behind glass pane | |
Native name | 鼎泰豐 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Chinese cuisine |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Founder | Yang Bing-yi |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Asia, UK, UAE, North America |
| Products | Xiaolongbao |
| Website | www |
| Din Tai Fung | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 鼎泰豐 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 鼎泰丰 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant chain specializing inChinese cuisine, particularly famous for itsxiaolongbao. Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Din Tai Fung also has branches in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.[1][2]
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FounderYang Bing-yi, an immigrant fromShanxi,[3][4] initially worked ten years at Heng Tai Fung, acooking oil retailer in Taiwan.[5] Yang later wanted to branch out on his own to support his family. With hisHakka wife, Lai Penmei, he founded a cooking oil retailer in 1958. They named it Din Tai Fung by combining the names of Yang's previous employer, "Heng Tai Fung", and their new supplier, "DinMei Oils".[6][3][4][7]
Around 1970, tinned cooking oil became prevalent, and business diminished drastically. Tang Yongchang, the immigrant owner of aShanghainese restaurant and friend of Yang suggested that in order to survive, Yang should convert half the shop to making and sellingxiaolongbao. The xiaolongbao were a common dish in Tang's nativeShanghai, but rare in Taiwan. The xiaolongbao eventually grew so popular that Din Tai Fung stopped selling oil altogether and became a full-fledged restaurant in 1972. The original restaurant is onXinyi Road inTaipei[6][3][7] and the shop sign was a calligraphic work of the thenControl Yuan presidentYu Youren.[8]
In 1996, the first international location opened in Tokyo,[3] and the first North American store opened inArcadia, California, in 2000. The California location, rather than franchised, was operated by the founders' son Frank.[9][10] Their first branch in Indonesia opened at the upmarket shopping mallPlaza Senayan in Jakarta on April 24, 2005.[11][non-primary source needed] As of 2022, there were 13 branches spread across theGreater Jakarta area, with three outlet formats (regular Din Tai Fung, Noodle Bar, and Chef's Table) andhalal or non-halal selections available.In 2008, the chain struggled due to the world financial situation.[12]
The Taiwanese government hosted a Din Tai Fung showcase in Paris in 2007 as a tool of cultural diplomacy.[9] In 2000, the chain's first locations opened in mainland China.[9]
The first European branch was opened in London in December 2018.[13] In January 2019, Din Tai Fung voluntarily closed their Westfield Sydney location after discovering rats, which nearby construction had displaced.[14] The city council also required the restaurant to pass health inspections before re-opening.[15]
Due to theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States, the first North American restaurant closed permanently on June 11, 2020.[16]
In March 2023, a Din Tai Fung Australia franchise was prosecuted by theFederal Court of Australia for underpaying staff, pressuring employees to sign anAustralian workplace agreement, and failing to pay approximately A$175,000 in owed wages.[17][18]
As of 2024, the chain has more than 170 locations, and its North American operations is operated by the grandsons of the founders who serve as co CEOs.[19][20] In 2024, the chain opened its first New York location—its largest at 25,000 square feet, with a seating capacity of 450—in the location of the formerMars 2112.[21][22] In April 2024, Din Tai Fung was fined $4 million AUD for underpaying Australian workers and left Australia.[23]
Din Tai Fung also opened a location in theDowntown Disney ofDisneyland inAnaheim.[24]
Din Tai Fung's firstCanadian location opened in May 2025 inVancouver, BC.[25][26]
A new location is planned to open inScottsdale, Arizona, in 2026.[27]
| Country | Number of locations | Planned locations | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 1 (Vancouver) | [28] | |
| China | 23 (Guangzhou 2, Hangzhou 1, Hong Kong 4, Macau 2, Nanjing 1, Ningbo 1, Shanghai 8, Shenzhen 2, Suzhou 1, Wuxi 1) | [29] | |
| Indonesia | 14 | [30] | |
| Japan | 28 | [31] | |
| Malaysia | 15 | [32] | |
| Philippines | 8 | [33] | |
| Singapore | 26 | [34] | |
| South Korea | 6 (Busan 1, Seoul 4, Suwon 1) | [35] | |
| Taiwan | 12 (Hsinchu 1, Kaohsiung 1, New Taipei City 1, Taichung 1, Taipei 8) | [36] | |
| Thailand | 5 (Bangkok 4, Phuket 1) | [34] | |
| United Arab Emirates | 7 (Abu Dhabi 1, Dubai 6) | [37] | |
| United Kingdom | 4 (London 4) | [38] | |
| United States | 17 (California 9, Nevada 1, New York 1, Oregon 2, Washington 4) | Brea,Irvine,Scottsdale | [28] |
| Total worldwide | 165 | 4 |
Din Tai Fung is known internationally for its paper-thin wrappedxiaolongbao with 18 folds. In November 2009, the Hong Kong and Macau 2010 edition of theMichelin Guide awarded the restaurant's first Hong Kong branch atTsim Sha Tsui,Silvercord Branch, aMichelin star.[39] The Michelin Guide recommended the restaurant's second branch in Hong Kong at Causeway Bay, Yee Wo Branch, in December 2010, as well as Hong Kong's Silvercord Branch in 2013.[40]
Australian Federal Court Justice Anna Katzmann stated in 2024 concerning long-standing labour code violations: “It involved a calculated scheme to rob employees of their hard-earned wages and deceive the authorities, by which I mean at least the [Fair Work] Ombudsman, the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Taxation Office.”[41]
In June 2025 Seattle's Din Tai Fung restaurants agreed to pay $567,361 USD in restitution to 1,245 current and former employees over allegations of wage theft and for not providing proper rest and meal breaks to its staff.[42]
