Ding Tai Fung

Wanted to update my critical 3-​star review to THE FULL 5 STARS! Ding Tai Fung in the last few years has been THE place I visit on bad moods, cravings, «a visit to Markham!!», chat with friends over afternoon tea, and even giant family dinners.
I just didn’t experience DTF fully! And now I did.
Xiao long baos are really really really good. It’s not consistent, recently it’s not so good. But many times out of many times, the skin is thin and almost clear! The meat just melts in your mouth and sooooooooo soft.
Spicy dumplings are good here! They’re smaller than Hong Kong’s version, but they are SPICY. And sweet. I find these more flavourful and have been my favourite dish from DTF Markham!
I also love the fried udon they do. After eating it, my breath smells like this all day long. It’s worth the unladylike embarrassment.
There are three desserts I like from here. I always order the super delicious red bean pancake, served boiling hot. Sometimes I crave the big bread puff with sugar on top. And lastly the fluffy soft bread with sweet milk for dipping, this one is super good but very filling.
I still stand by my 3-​star rating back in 2013. However since 2014 I am a happy, loyal customer.
What makes DTF 5 stars really is the staff!!! They are so nice to me. They don’t know me, but they take care of me each and every time I visit. Super sweet ladies!

This is my favourite restaurant hands down. i dated a Shanhainess guy in university. We went to china for 2 weeks and this tastes very much like what I recall having in china. I unfortunately now live about 1.5 hours away in hamilton. we still go occasionally but i miss it so. love the mini steam pork buns. pan fried Shanhai pork buns and the braised meatball in nappa. so many good dishes.

Not sure if I came here on an off night, but the xiao long bao were not even that great. I’ve had much better at many other restaurants. They actually came to my table a little dry… and not very juicy at all. The restaurant was super busy too, so it was definitely NOT worth the long wait for a table.

I really really like this place. I actually just really really like their pork dumplings. It’s so flipping good I’m gonna dream about them. They serve Shanghai northern styled food. They are known for their dumplings and they come in 6 for 6.50. If you want smaller bites you can even order the mini ones which is 12 for the same price. I’d get the normal batch of 6 though cause you can really taste the full flavour in the larger ones.
Everything we ordered was so good and I was not disappointed at all! Everything looked so appetizing on the menu but most of them are pretty carb heavy like any northern Chinese restaurants. One thing that threw me off was how expensive the vegetables were. I was dying for veggies but noticed one plate of any kind of veggie they offered (bean leaves, stocks etc) was $ 11+. The portions aren’t extremely big or anything.
We ordered spicy Shanghai dumplings and the sauces was really flavourful. Definitely recommend trying it. And they give you quite a bit of dumplings.
For soup we had a chicken soup (6.50) which was pretty good and clean, it was so appetizing with the dumplings. The soup was full of flavour and tasted just like my moms homemade chicken soup :)
last dish we had was the Egg white stirred with scallop and broccoli, kind of wish they had placed more broccoli but this dish was really really good. At first you’d think it lacks flavour but it was so smooth in texture and you could really taste the egg. I know a lot of places that make this dish and put extra dough/​carb whatever into the egg which makes it taste worse.
I am coming back.

Food: ⁴⁄₅
Service: 3.5÷5
Cleanliness: 3.5÷5
Price: $$
We arrived with no reservation just after 4pm, so the restaurant was relatively not busy but still full of customers. The open kitchen by the back of the restaurant definitely caught our attention, as many chefs were making dumpling after dumpling.
The Dim Sum here seems to be served all day (yay!). I found the prices okay — nothing too cheap nor too expensive. There were many items that I had never seen or tried before so I definitely studied the menu for a good 10 minutes trying to figure out what to order.
The ordering menu is all in Chinese, but the numbers correspond to their main menu, so it was relatively easy to order what we wanted. My main reason for coming to Din Tai Fung was to try their soup dumplings as I was very curious about them. But I couldn’t help myself and order some pan fried dumplings as well, as they’re my favourite. Hubby ordered a plate of sticky rice with shu mai as he loves sticky rice.
I found that most of the servers at the restaurant didn’t speak fluent English, so asking for things took awhile. It wasn’t anything difficult and ordering is really straight forward (just match the numbers!) so you won’t have any trouble ordering. Overall the service was minimal; that is, they didn’t check up on us too much, but we didn’t need much else because everything was already on the table all set up.
#12: Inside the dumpling was very tasty and I liked this Dim Sum the best. It was very light but still flavourful. For some reason I expected the soup dumplings to be a little bigger in size, so I was slightly surprised at the size of them. Overall, the dumplings were really well made; hubby and I understood why Din Tai Fung was so popular.
#13: It was very juicy– the pork filling definitely gave it a big savoury taste and the soup broth was very delicious. We would definitely reorder both of the dishes! But I would probably try their other soup dumplings too.
#31: This dish I almost forgot to take a picture of! I don’t have the full dish because again… we dove into it before I had a chance to take a picture of it. I managed to stop myself and take a photo of the last remaining piece before finishing it. Pan-​fried dumplings are my favourite type of dumpling, so I couldn’t resist ordering this. I was a little bummed that there were only 2 pockets for the price of $ 6.49, but to my surprise, the pockets were bigger than your usual dumpling, so each half piece of the pocket was big as any other ordinary dumpling. The combination of pork and chives are a big traditional classic, and the filling here was again, really delicious. Hubby and I really had nothing bad to say about any of our dishes because they were really good.
#21: These dumplings were huge! I had expected smaller pan-​fried dumplings because that’s the size I was used to for Dim Sum. Five of these were definitely enough for the two of us, and this dish was deemed hubby’s favourite of all the dishes we had ordered. The outside was so crispy yet the insides were still soft and full of soup broth. That’s what I found so cool? about this dish — I had never experienced a pan fried dumpling with soup broth inside until now… and oh they were so good!
#19: We ordered this on a whim last minute but I’m glad we tried it. At first, we were expecting sticky rice that we’re more used to — wrapped in lotus leaf and stuffed with pork. however, what we received was quite surprising! It was in a dumpling form, and looked more like siu mai mixed with sticky rice. After eating all of our other Dim Sum dishes, I have to admit that this dish was our least favourite. It wasn’t bad of any means nor not tasty; it was just something we weren’t used to and we had too many delicious dumplings to prefer the siu mai. We later ate the rest of this at home and we found it good warmed up again. Would we reorder it again? Probably not.
Overall, our early dinner at Ding Tai Fung was really great! I could finally understand all the hype about the Shanghai Dim Sum restaurant and I definitely insist that you try it also if you were thinking of going. It was our first time trying Shanghai Dim Sum, and we’re hooked. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite Dim Sum restaurant in Toronto because in my books, Lai Wah Heen still holds the crown; however, Ding Tai Fung is special because it specializes in Shanghai cuisine and soup dumplings, something that many Dim Sum restaurants don’t offer including Lai Wah Heen. The prices are more affordable than Lai Wah Heen though.

Okay the food, but just good for meat-​eat people.
And the services are so-​so. If you wanna good service, comfortable, and good clean restaurant, don’t go there

Went here for a late Sunday brunch and after having to wait 30 mins beyond my reservation time (so much for reservations), I was seated and promptly served. We ordered the spicy wontons, several dim sum including the soup filled xiao special. The pancake beef was lacking a bit in flavour and a little greasy.
We did receive the twisted sweet dim sum even though we never ordered them ($ 3.95). They were good though.
Final verdict – I would give myself time to wait upwards of 45 mins but would definitely come back and try new dishes!

I liked the fact that they had a open view into the dim sum room– to show that they are hand making these dumplings and buns and its coming to us fresh.
The ambiance of this place is very upscale for a Chinese restaurant. Very modern furniture. Excellent lighting and spacious.
The menu is a little tricky– as it comes in 2 parts. One is an english flip menu with numbers. They give you a giant piece of paper with all the items listed in mandarin. So it is easy to make mistake– as we did order the wrong item
The waitress however was nice about it and allowed us to cancel and they didn’t charge us for the it.
The food was very authentic and fairly priced. The ribs with the bok choy were really good.

I’ve been wanting to try the traditional Chinese «Xiao Long Bao» soup dumplings for the longest time now and a few people recommended that I go here. Overall their soup dumplings were amazing but keep in mind that I have nothing to compare them too since this was the first time I’ve ever had soup dumplings! Unfortunately, I would ONLY come here for the soup dumplings and nothing else, as their other food items that I tried were really disappointing.
Service and Environment:
It’s a pretty big and huge restaurant situated in the First Markham Place plaza. We came at around 3 pm on a Saturday afternoon and got a seat immediately. Service was quick and servers were really friendly.
Food:
Steamed Soup Dumplings with Pork Filling
It was a pretty memorable experience to bite into those perfectly wrapped dumplings and have the flavourful pork soup burst into my mouth. The soup dumplings were sooo sooo sooo good. We had to order another six because we just couldn’t get enough of them! You definitely need to try these soup dumplings here!
Shanghai Style Noodles with Shrimp
Unfortunately the dish was really bland and not that flavourful.
Chicken with Green Onion
Personally I think the chicken looked a bit discoloured and not fresh. It just didn’t look that appetizing to eat. The chicken was also bland and really oily.

Great place for fresh soup dumplings! A little small in size but the wrapping doesn’t break as you manipulate them. The chefs can be seen making them by hand. Pan fried dumplings are okay. We tried a new dish, the pork stew with pickled verge tables and it was great, coupled with plain white rice. Shanghai noodles with pork hardly have any pork in it. Service is good once we sat down. The line up and wait was discouraging and we almost left. Apparently they took reservations but most people just took a number. The seating process seemed inefficient. People piled up by the door while there were large tables only occupied by 2 – 3 people sitting. I asked about shared tables and was told not done. They should really have communal long tables and it would be better. I would make reservations next time.
The menu is in English but the order form is in Chinese only so you have to transfer the order by using item numbers. I would suggest restaurant to make an English version of the order form.
We would return again but I hope to have more options elsewhere.

The menu is pretty small compared to the usual Chinese restaurants that we’re used to, but we mainly came for the xiao long bao. We walked in and there was another party of two waiting for a table but the staff didn’t acknowledge us. They were having a conversation with a customer but were casually walking around the restaurant, which wasn’t overly busy by the way. When another couple walked in, the lady that was seating people asked if they had gotten a number to which they replied no. We were annoyed because we didn’t know there was a number system and they didn’t bother to ask us when we walked in. Luckily, after I went to tell them we were waiting on a table, they gave us a number before the couple that just walked in. The food doesn’t disappoint. We had 2 orders of the xiao long bao, stir fried green beans in black bean sauce, and spicy pork wontons.
The food is definitely something to come back for, but the customer service could really use some work!

LOVED their original soup dumplings, however, everything else was pretty mediocre.
This was my first time visiting Ding Tai Fung. With their reputation for having delicious food, I had really high expectations for this place. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed at what they brought out for us overall.
First things first: Their original soup dumplings are a must-​try. They are soooo good. I think they were $ 6.95 for 6. I had been wanting soup dumplings for weeks and these definitely satisfied that craving.
We also tried the slightly more expensive melon soup dumpling. That one was pretty bland and it really felt like they were missing something in that recipe. The two bowls of noodles we ordered, the ja jang mien and beef noodles, were both really bland and not enjoyable at all.
The only thing that really had any taste in it other than the soup dumplings was the beef-​spring onion pancake-​roll. I’m not sure if it was the blandness of everything else, but this dish was so salty it was hard to eat.
The total came up to $ 45 for 3 people.
Overall: ⁴⁄₅ for the original soup dumplings, ¹⁄₅ for the other things we ordered.
I would come back and just get a few orders of the soup dumplings, but I would probably skip the other dishes.

Like an old comfy sweater or a reliable pair of jeans, this place is a go-​to for a hearty yet light, refreshing yet comforting, meal in any season.
I’ve visited this place many times, and it’s one of the most reliable places for solid, delicious, freshly-​made dumplings. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, and the wait times can be lengthy if you visit during peak hours. But if you come visit during off-​peak times (i.e. I’ve visited on Saturdays for a late lunch or weekdays for a late dinner), the wait isn’t too long (if you even have to wait at all).
I’ve ordered many variations of their dumplings and side dishes, including their juicy pork dumplings, pork ribs, pot stickers, sticky rice and pork shao mai, and many orders of the soup dumplings that explode in your mouth the minute you bite into it. Every item I’ve had here has been very delicious and fresh, if not slightly pricey. But, I’m such a fan of the soup dumplings that, in this instance, the tastiness and quality of the food actually warrants the prices. Really great, quality food.
Note that it’s located in a huge plaza with ample parking. However, on weekends, the First Markham Place plaza gets extremely busy so, again, if you want a more enjoyable experience without the frustration of finding parking or waiting longer than 15 minutes for a table, consider coming at off-​peak meal hours.

Not sure if this restaurant is the same ding tai fung in Taiwan but if it is or not this place is delicious! A busy long wait but we got seated in a decent time after 30 minutes. A direct view of the chefs making those delicious XLBs! (Xiao long bao)
The service was on point and no shortages on refills. Their complimentary tea was very aromatic. Prices are very reasonable and affordable.
My favor dish was the spicy wonton which packed a punch in spicy-​ness. Every wonton had a very generous amount of stuffings. It was definitely work the money to get a dish of those bad boys.
I would love to come back again if I were to visit Canada sometime.

You hear this name, and MAN, you know you gotta go inside. DING TAI FUNG all the way! This is a chain of restaurants that specializes in Shanghai food. Three words: 小籠包(xiao long bao). Haha I find it kind of funny that it translates literally into small dragon bun. Another one of my favourites is the plastic-​wrapped sticky rice contained dried strands of salty pork floss and strips of fried dough. Not every shanghai place has this dish, but it’s definitely one of my favourites!
Yupp, there’s always a long lineup here, so make sure you come early or get reservations. On a glass window, you can see chefs make all of the bread and dumpling items. I’m really surprised that the design hasn’t changed or hasn’t changed much over the years. I guess it’s on the pricey side compared to other Shanghai places, but still delicious. However, if you have to compare this Ding Tai Fung to the Legendary one in Taiwan, I’d say man, this one can’t compare to the one over there.
Ding Tai Fung in Markham is GOOD, but for the price and food you get… I think there are some better places in Markham.

Since my last review 3 years ago, I discovered that this DTF is not real! It’s not a Din Tai Fung. It’s a DinG Tai Fung! Haha.
It’s still great though. The xiao long bao (XLB) are still a must get. They must filter the soup because they have the right amount of porky flavor! I’ve had XLB at other places since and they are so nooby — they have that dirty porky smell still.
The hot chili wontons are also great.
We went overboard and ordered 7 more dishes — not recommended for a group of 3 people. The most standout dish besides XLB was the egg white and white fish with a little tobiko. I had never had this dish before, but it was delicious. It comes out with a yolk on top and you mix it all together for a flavorful, smooth but lighter dish.
We also got the seafood casserole — the broth in this was great. We also ordered a few other family style dishes — they were good but not outstanding enough to write more about on this Unilocal review!

Yummmmmmm!
Why I love it: Soup dumplings (I can eat way too many of these), peanut butter noodles, pork belly and beef pancake wrap. AND they take reservations. Amazing for a busy asian place located in FMP.
Typical service that you’d expect from an asian place, but place and utensils are pretty clean and food comes out quick and hot and super cheap.
Definitely one of my go-to’s.

One of my favorite restaurants for XLB dumplings. Have been such a fan of Din Tai Fung when I lived in Shanghai and Singapore, so I was very excited when I discovered that DTF is also Ontario. This restaurant has the best XLB, and I also like their vegetarian dumplings and string beans. I wish they had some dishes that I ate in Asia, however I know that they have slightly different menu in each country. I am not a big fan of their fried pancakes and pies, just because they are way too oily. Not appetizing at all. But they have plenty of greens, that can be a healthier option, in case if you want something on a healthier side. And their steamed dumplings are so good!

I’ve been here plenty of times, so it’s about time I wrote a review. Please note that this is not the real ding tai fung, I’m certain the real ding tai fung is 100% better. But this will do for now.
I came here with my family earlier today around 11. We waited about 15 mins, and we also found out you can make reservations. So we ordered a whole bunch of dishes including crab xiao long bao (4 orders lol), mini pork xlb, hot soy milk with fried dough, beef roll wrapped in foil that taste like patty (still good though), cold dried tofu and a few others. Everything was really delicious, but my aunt and uncle both agreed the crab xlb didn’t taste quite the same and thought maybe din tai fung has switched to using imitation crab. I really don’t know, I just know it was quite delicious :)
Overall, great place but come early especially on weekends because it’ll be packed!

Came here on a Sunday afternoon at around 11:30am and the place was already packed. Only had to wait about 2 minutes before we were called in to be seated. Ordered a variety of dishes and all turned out very good.
I still think the noodles in peanut and spicy sauce, aka (dandan noodles), was better at 369 Shanghai because they had the perfect balance of peanut and spicy sauce. Everything thing else is on par. Service is fast even though they are really busy.
Price is comparable to other Shanghai dim sum places but I find the price for this type of food overly priced in general. Each dish may seem like a small price to pay by itself but once you start adding all these little dishes together the final price hits you like a ton of bricks at the end.
The food is delicious though so in the end its all worth it.