Last January 5th, the whole family and I went to Din Tai Fung for lunch. We went to their Somerset branch.  We had to wait for a couple of minutes to be seated, that's how packed the place is. But no worries, it was worth the wait.

The first ones that arrived were these dishes. We had Stir-fried Hong Kong Kailan with Special Sauce (S$11), Oriental Salad in Special Vinegar Dressing (S$3.50), Century Eggs with Diced Ginger (S$3.80), and Hot & Sour Soup (S$7.50). I liked everything in this set. The Kailan was saucy yet crunchy. The salad was a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy. The century egg was served cold and I recommend eating it with bits of ginger. It was also sweet. The soup was the bomb! That was probably the best hot and sour soup I've ever eaten. It was peppery spicy and tangy and it warms your tummy. Is it weird if I call this comfort food?

 The next set consists of two rice dishes, Fried Rice with Shrimps and Eggs (S$10.80) and Fried Rice with Pork Chop (S$9.90). We also ordered Crispy Golden Prawn Pancake (S$9.00). I didn't really eat rice since I was getting full from the other dishes we ordered but my mom and dad said the rice dishes were good. I tried the pork chops though. It wasn't as crispy or breaded as the usual pork chops but I'd say it was more like Bon Chon's pork chops except the sweetness or other Bon Chon flavors. But it was still good. I enjoyed the prawn pancakes the most. It was like our own okoy but this one's chewier and has the pancake consistency. It was very flavorful and you can really taste the prawns. Two thumbs up!

You can NOT leave Din Tai Fung without ordering their dumplings! I swear this is like a dumpling happy place. The dumplings we had are the first three photos in the set (top photos and bottom left one). These were Steamed Pork Dumplings (S$9.50 for 10 pcs), Steamed Shrimp & Pork Dumplings (S$10.30 for 10 pcs), and Steamed Shrimp & Pork Shao-mai (S$14.30 for 10 pcs). My most favorite is the shao-mai with the whole shrimp on top and warm broth inside. Looking at this photos is making me crave for dumpling! Drool.

For dessert, we ordered Steamed Yam Dumplings (S$8.30 for 10 pcs) (bottom right photo). Ahh, another yummy dessert! My love for yam and ube will never ever end. Like, ever. And that's coming from someone who didn't like ube for years. :P

Din Tai Fung's food were all so filling and worth the money. I also loved the place, it was homey and very family and baby friendly. The staff were also very accommodating. No wonder the place is always full. :)