People often ask me what I miss most from living in Taiwan. Aside from the gorgeous views and bustling 24/7 lifestyle, you probably already know the answer…I miss the food. Especially places like Din Tai Fung. DTF was our Monday night ritual in Taipei for several years. Now that I am not in Asia as often, I miss having regular access to quality Asian cuisine. So, when I heard the news that a Din Tai Fung was opening a branch in Torrance, California, I was thrilled! My parents still live in that area, so whenever I am transiting between my home bases in Holland and Belize, I fly through LAX so I can spend some time with them.

Needless to say, we visit Din Tai Fung at least once every few months when I am back in town. The quality at the Torrance location is better than some of the other ones I’ve tried elsewhere outside of Taiwan. There is a full bar and a variety of interesting alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options. They even have Taiwan beer available, but it’s not cheap — $8 US a bottle!

Here’s some of the regular menu items we get, most of which are my favorites from the original locations in Taipei.

Cucumber Salad

Not a salad in the traditional sense, the Cucumber Salad ($4.50) is a plate of small pickled cucumbers marinated in chili oil and usually a garlic slice on top. This is a must-eat dish for me as long as they aren’t out of it. The chili oil is not that hot, so no worries if you aren’t into very spicy dishes.

Sweet and Sour Ribs

The appetizer of sweet and sour ribs is my Mom’s favorite, and she doesn’t normally eat ribs at all. They are messy as heck, but I can see why she loves them. This was not a menu item available in Taiwan when I lived there, so I have to assume it’s unique to Torrance or maybe the US locations as a whole. Definitely worth ordering, but they sometimes run out after the lunch rush and don’t make more until dinner time.

Hot and Sour Soup

I’ve never tried the soups at Din Tai Fung in Taiwan, but my Dad loves Hot and Sour Soup, so we order this every visit as well. Unless you have a big group, order the small Hot and Sour Soup ($5.50) as we still get four small bowls out of it. This soup packs a good amount of heat, but it’s not too spicy — my Dad said this is one of his favorite hot and sour soups he’s ever had.

Shrimp and Pork Spicy Wontons

One of my absolute favorite dishes is the Shrimp and Pork Spicy Wontons ($9.50). We’ve been known to order two of these at times! This dish packs some heat, but it’s oh so worth it. Delicate shrimp and pork wontons swimming in a soup of spicy chili sauce with green onions. They are also messy if you slip up with your chopsticks. It’s best to put one on your spoon and then pick it up with your chopsticks, otherwise you might be wearing chili oil. I’ve seen plenty of people struggle with these!

Chicken Dumplings

My Mom is not a huge fan of pork, and the Din Tai Fung in Torrance doesn’t have chicken XiaoLongBao like Taiwan and Singapore do (or did at least,) so we get an order of chicken dumplings for her. These are quite good, and I look forward to eating them each trip as well.

Shrimp and Pork Shao Mai

These are similar to the soup dumplings as they have a bit of broth inside, but the dough is thicker and more chewy. The Shrimp and Pork Shao Mai ($7.50) only come 5 to an order, so they aren’t necessarily cheap, but still worth trying in my opinion. Other branches out of the US usually have these in orders of 10, so I am surprised to see Torrance only having 5 to an order. The basic pork and sticky rice Shao Mai are good too, but I really prefer the shrimp and pork combination. You eat these much like you eat the xiaolongbao, so be careful with the piping hot broth inside. Don’t let them sit too long or they aren’t nearly as good.

Din Tai Fung’s Xiaolongbao

The star of the show at Din Tai Fung, and what they are most known for, is the iconic XiaoLongBao. While “bao” means bun, these are often called Shanghai Soup Dumplings. They are filled with a delicious hot broth in addition to pork (or pork and crab). The delicate pleats are literally an art, and workers study for months perfecting the art of the Din Tai Fung XiaoLongBao look.

In Taiwan, the pork and crab XiaoLongBao are a little too strong (they use crab roe), but the ones at the Torrance branch are more mild. However, I still prefer the most classic Pork XiaoLongBao ($10). You get an order of 10, and thankfully my Dad loves these as much as I do, so we sometimes get two orders of these.

I’m a bit surprised they don’t have the card that shows you how to properly eat a XiaoLongBao like they do on the tables in Taiwan. The magic of eating XiaoLongBao comes from the right mixture of soy sauce and black vinegar with bits of ginger. Dip your dumpling in this mix, pierce the dumpling skin in your spoon, and then enjoy. Some people sip the broth then add more vinegar and ginger on top of the dumpling and eat. Others poke the dumpling skin and let the broth settle in the spoon and eat as one bite.

Like the Shao Mai, these need to be eaten quickly before the broth cools down. Be careful as they will burn your mouth, so puncturing the dumpling is one way to help avoid burning yourself.

The Torrance location has the black truffle version, but I have not eaten them here. We used to order them in Taiwan when they first debuted. They were not cheap — about $30 for a full order, but oh so tasty. Then it seemed like they went from using truffle slices to more of a truffle paste and we didn’t like them as much. Hong Kong has the best black truffle XiaoLongBao in my opinion. In the US, the pork and black truffle ones run $22.50 for an order of 5, so that is why I haven’t tried them yet, since we could get two orders of the pork for the same price and have 20 XiaoLongBao rather than 5.

Other Dishes to Try at Din Tai Fung in Torrance

There are other dishes I recommend trying, although I don’t necessarily get them here on my normal visits. These are some of my favorite dishes from Taiwan, but items my parents aren’t really interested in, or can’t eat (they have some dietary restrictions due to health problems).

• Noodles with Spicy Sauce (this is the same sauce as the wontons – love!)
• Noodles with Sesame Sauce
• Pork Chop Fried Rice
• Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
• String Beans with Garlic
• Potstickers (if they are available still)
• Red Bean and Taro buns (dessert)

Beverages at Din Tai Fung

I’m a purist and always order Jasmine tea and a Taiwan beer, since it makes me feel like I’m back in Taiwan. My Dad loves their honey lemonade and Mom always orders the peach green iced tea.

I recently tried their Taipei 101 ($13) cocktail, which was good, but definitely on the strong side. It was made with Sailor Jerry’s Rum, Malibu Rum, Coke, and a sea salt cream top. I was surprised to see it served in a short fat glass – would’ve expected something tall and skinny to symbolize Taipei 101 itself! Definitely a tasty cocktail though.

There is also a selection of various slushies/smoothies, milk tea, and you can even add boba. They also have a sea-salt-cream-topped green or black tea, which I have to assume is somewhat like my favorite sea-salt coffee from Taiwan.

Din Tai Fung Merchandise

While there is a small amount of merchandise sold here, there’s far less than what I am used to in the Asian branches. I have so many souvenirs, including luggage tags, special teas, Christmas figurines, and more. What’s most noticeably absent is the food products. I love their Chili Oil, and they don’t sell it at the Torrance location. I need to get back to Taiwan soon as the jar I got the last time I visited is nearly empty!

Tips for Din Tai Fung in Torrance

I’ve seen photos and heard stories that the lines can get pretty long at the Torrance Din Tai Fung during peak lunch and dinner times. I’m used to an hour plus wait at any given location in Taiwan any time of the day, so it doesn’t bother me, but my parents aren’t fans of long wait times. We typically beat the rush by going around 4pm on a weekday, and we can always walk right in. By the time we leave, there is definitely a line building up for the dinner rush.

Also, don’t order everything at one time. Place an appetizer and small order to start, unless you’re in a big group. All the food arrives quick, and you’ll find yourself overwhelmed trying to finish everything while it’s hot and fresh. We usually start with the cucumbers, soup, ribs, and an order of dumplings. From there, we order shao mai, wontons, and maybe another round of xiaolongbao.

And, rather than order one of the fancy frozen drink concoctions with the food, we have been getting them for dessert and taking them to go. That way we don’t waste precious stomach space needed for dumplings either!

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I am obsessed with Asian dumplings.

I dream about them when I sleep. I drool on my keyboard thinking about them.

I have a friend here in Belize who swears she could eat tacos everyday; I think I could easily eat dumplings every day.

Fried, boiled, steamed…no matter how you cook ’em, I’ll eat ’em.

When I first moved to Taiwan, I became instantly enamored with xiao long bao from the famed Din Tai Fung. Those little pockets of perfection quickly became my comfort food for nearly four years — I’d eat them pretty much every Monday without fail. My unconditional love for xiao long bao is so deep that they were the basis for our site’s prior header image and, well, you can’t miss the cartoon cutie who is the inspiration behind our new Our Tasty Travels logo.

Now that I am living on a small island in Belize most of the year and a tiny village in the Netherlands the remainder of the time I’m not on the road, my access to good Asian dumplings has dwindled, becoming nearly non-existent at times.

Like any good dumpling addict, I have helped drag others down by cooking them on a fairly regular basis here in Belize. I mean, friends shouldn’t let friends eat dumplings alone right?

As an ode to my current culinary obsession, here’s a look at some of my favorite types of dumplings and some of my recommended spots on where to get them!

Pot Stickers — Dumpling Inn, San Diego, California

I’ve had pot stickers in a number of spots, but I have to say the ones at the Dumpling Inn in San Diego, California, have been among the most memorable. We ventured there under the premise of their xiao long bao being some of the best in California and yeah, they didn’t rank among my top picks, but the pot stickers were killer.

Crispy Pork Buns — Kao Chi, Taipei, Taiwan

Yes, they are more buns than dumplings, but since they often creep into my dumpling dreams, I’d be remiss in not including them. Kao Chi’s crispy pork buns are often considered the biggest rival to Din Tai Fung, but there is definitely enough room in my heart to love both places. Kao Chi’s buns have the more dense and fluffy dough typically found in other pork buns, but with a combination of steaming and pan frying, these are addicting.

Pork Xiao Long Bao — Din Tai Fung, Taipei

The original pork xiao long bao from Din Tai Fung in Taipei is pretty much unsurpassed. Aside from looking absolutely perfect, they taste as good as they look. The skins are so delicate in comparison to other xiao long bao I’ve had in various Chinatowns. Even the Din Tai Fung locations outside of Taipei are noticeably different. And yes, there are some other really good xiao long bao available in Taipei, but I’d rather spend the extra time and a few dollars more to get the dumplings I really like.

Truffle Xiao Long Bao — Din Tai Fung, Hong Kong

I hate to say it but the truffle xiao long bao are better now in Hong Kong than the Taipei locations. When these were first introduced, it was about $30 US for an order of eight, and they were filled with chopped black truffle. Now, they a bit cheaper, available in smaller quantities, and with that, less noticeable truffle flavor as I think they use truffle paste. When I was in Hong Kong for New Year’s Eve, we stopped by the Wan Chai Din Tai Fung and wow…the truffle xiao long bao there are more truffle than pork as you can see in this photo below!

Spicy Pork Wontons in Chili Oil – Din Tai Fung, Taipei

Yes, another Din Tai Fung specialty. Their spicy pork wontons in chili oil with green onions are far better than any others I’ve had to date. Having made these at home several times, I am continually impressed at the quality of Din Tai Fung’s wontons. They don’t break and the the chili oil is the perfect mix of flavor and some potent heat.

La Zi Ji (1,000 Chilis) Dumplings – Rojo Beach Bar, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Good Asian food is quite hard to come by in Belize, especially in the Cayes. What you find here as “Chinese” is not even what I am typically used with American Chinese. Here they refer to Chinese more as fast food versus authentic Asian cuisine. However, if you head a few miles north on Ambergris Caye, Rojo Beach Bar is my Asian food safe haven. Aside from amazing noodles and pork bao, they have some delicious spicy Asian dumplings that keep me satiated in between trips home and my own attempts at dumplings in the kitchen.

The list of my favorite dumpling types is probably never ending. Here are some general recommendations on Asian dumplings to try on your travels:

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Hong Kong

One of the most common dumplings you will find in Cantonese dim sum is the Ha Gao, Har Gow, or Chinese Shrimp Dumpling. These are easily identifiable by their translucent sticky wrappers. Done wrong, they can be gooey, rip apart and be far too chewy. But done right, they can be downright delectable.

Chiu Chow (Teochew) Dumplings, Hong Kong

Another interesting dumpling often seen at Hong Kong dim sum joints is the Chiu Chow, Teochew, or fun guo. Like the steamed shrimp dumpling, it’s a translucent skin, but the filling differs greatly and they are much crunchier than a steamed shrimp dumpling.

Japanese Gyoza, Japan

Japanese Gyoza are fundamentally the same as Chinese potstickers. Steamed and pan-fried, the notable differences are typically thinner skins and more pronounced garlic flavor in gyoza. Sauces can vary and since the Chinese potsticker, or jiaozi, can vary by region, you may pick out other differences.

Indian Samosas

Can’t leave out India’s contribution to the Asian dumpling scene. I haven’t been to India so I can’t actually compare, but the samosas I’ve had in other countries like Egypt, the Netherlands, and even Taiwan were surprisingly good. I’m guessing anywhere with a good Indian population is going to have some awesome offerings. Now, culinary travelers who have been to India may debate me on this one obviously!

What are some of your favorite Asian dumplings? Any recommendations on xiao long bao places I need to try?

My obsession with xiaolongbao (soup style dumplings) continues, and this week I had the opportunity to try some utterly divine ones at the Shangri-La Hotel in Taipei. Their signature Shanghai Pavilion, is said to serve some of the best Shanghainese cuisine in the city. I have to admit I was pretty impressed — enough to eat there two days in a row. These xiaolongbao were the very traditional pork with crab roe. The crab roe was so subtle and did not overpower the pork flavor like so many do.  And since I’m craving xiaolongbao yet again, I think I know what I’m ordering for dinner tonight!

Disclaimer: Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei hosted my stay, however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

We’re contemplating spending New Year’s Eve at the Shangri-La this year and wanted to check out the view from the rooftop pool for the Taipei 101 fireworks so this provided the perfect excuse to make reservations finally!

Last time we were there, we were in the overflow rooms for dim sum and this time we secured a window side table in the new renovated main dining area.  There were a few things on the menu we were quite interested in based on reviews and recommendations.  The evening got off to a bit of a bad start when we were told that at 7:45pm, they were already out of the signature baked half-chicken with rock salt (requires 45 minutes prep time).  Apparently the last 1/2 chicken was sold 10 minutes prior while we were trying to get a hold of a wine list.  Our mistake – we should have just ordered it while trying to figure out drinks.  A note about the wine list — we were slightly disappointed with the wine selections as there was a definite emphasis on Italian wines only.  The French and US selections left much to be desired (or to adequately match the dishes we were ordering), unless you wanted to delve into the big boys that had five and six figure price tags.  We ordered the 2002 Newton The Puzzle for NT $4800 a bottle.  It is a blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

We started with the suckling pig appetizer that had quite a hefty price tag  of NT $980 (over $32 US).  The appetizer sat a few good minutes on the table while we waited for someone to bring the wine we had ordered earlier.

I had been craving suckling pig after our recent weekend in Hong Kong so I had high hopes this would satiate my craving.  Yeah, big disappointment.  The portion was quite small and not that good.  If this was my first time trying suckling pig, I would probably never eat it again.  After having an incredible one from the two Michelin-starred Ming Court in Hong Kong the week before, I was completely let down.  As Brett pointed out, the skin was more brittle versus crispy.  The pork had a much more greasy and thick fat layer than other versions we have enjoyed.

Next to arrive was the Crispy Crab Claws with Almond Flakes NT $380 each.  These were absolutely delicious.  The texture of the crab and the slight sweetness of the almonds were nice.  This was a more reasonable option at around $10 per claw.

Since we could not get the crispy chicken with rock salt, we ordered the other recommended chicken — Crispy Chicken with Salt and Pepper and Lemon NT $680 for 1/2 chicken.  Now, this was excellent.  The chicken had a beautiful crispy skin and was more like what I expected the suckling pig to be like.  They served the chicken with a dish of salt, pepper, and garlic and another with lemon juice.  Loved the combination of the spices and the lemon on the chicken.  I was not sure we would finish this dish as it was a big portion, but we pretty much devoured it.

I thought we were on the way back up and I was happy once again…until the next course arrived.  Brett decided on the Wagyu beef sauteed with leeks and barbecue sauce for NT $2,880.  Yes, that is $95 US for one entree.  (Oh, how I wish we had gone with the US Beef Tenderloin with Black Truffles for less than half the price!)  The picture in the menu showed this elegant dish featuring asparagus spears topped with the beef and crispy leeks.  What arrived looked like they dropped the plate in the kitchen and just threw it back together.  While the price is not necessarily for the plating, you think they would at least take some care in plating a dish that is $100!  Unfortunately, it was not just the plating that was bad — the meat was overcooked.  The first few bites I took were completely overdone and tough.  The crunchy leeks completely overpowered the entire dish and left me unable to taste anything.  I took off most of the leeks and it was much better and I could get some flavor from the meat again.

Our last dish was eggplant and peppers stuffed with ground pork and tossed in supreme sauce.  These were not bad, but Brett did not like them.  He has an aversion to the “ground” pork often used in dishes here — it is more like minced pork made into glutinous starch balls.  These were ok, nothing real memorable.

One of their signature dishes we did not get that I wanted to try was the scrambled egg with bird’s nest and caviar ($50 US).  Since Brett does not eat eggs, it would have been an incredible waste for us to order such a big dish for just me.  Given our disappointment with several other entrees, I am glad we didn’t order it.

We finished and were the last people in the entire dining room at 8:50pm! A bit surprised – they were open until 9:30pm, but the dining room was empty.  We sat for a bit and waited to see if anyone would come over to ask us about dessert or tell us last order.  Around 9pm, our server (who I believe to be the manager) came over and asked if we wanted dessert before the kitchen closed.  His recommendation was the sweet almond cream so we tried one to split.  Although I am not a huge fan of hot soup desserts, the almond cream was good, but definitely a portion to share.

The grand total for dinner?  Over $400 US including the wine! For that price, we could’ve gone to Joel Robuchon’s restaurant here in Taipei or to visit our favorite restaurant, Abu’s Authentic Cuisine two times!  As compared to the Cantonese Michelin star restaurants we ate at in Hong Kong recently (ironically, the Shangri-la’s Shang Palace was awarded two Michelin stars in Hong Kong), this was quite a disappointment.   We will still visit for dim sum as it’s some of the best in Taipei, but will continue the hunt for high-end Cantonese here.  Anyone have any recommendations or suggestions for the best Cantonese and suckling pig in Taipei?

Drunken chicken is a common item in Chinese cuisine.  It originated in the Zhejiang province of eastern China.  The chicken is marinated in and then cooked in Shaoxing wine.  Another version involves steaming the meat and then marinating overnight in the refrigerator.  The chicken is served cold as an appetizer and has a liquor flavored gelatin that results from the mixture of alcohol and the cooking juices.

This is quite a unique dish and if you are not a fan of chicken with the skin on, you may not like it.  I can take it or leave it – the gelatinous texture with the fatty skin is a little much for me.

On our latest search for good dim sum, we decided to finally try the Shang Palace at the Shangri-La Hotel, which is located in the Far Eastern Plaza in downtown Taipei.  We definitely had high hopes since the location in Hong Kong is a Michelin Two-star restaurant.

The Shang Palace in Taipei is quite elegant and has a number of private rooms that open up to accommodate busy weekend diners.  The dim sum menu was filled a number of tantalizing options — many of which we have never seen elsewhere.  For NT 899 (around $30 US), opt for the all-you-can-eat dim sum, which allows you to order a number of excellent dishes off the menu, some of which are very pricey on their own.

If you like to try various Chinese teas, they had a decent menu (although nothing compared to what we just had at Langham Place in Hong Kong a few weeks before).   The menu featured  a number of classic teas like Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, Ooolong, andPu-erh.  We tried the Bi-luo-chun from Jiangsu, China.  It is known for its delicate appearance, fruity taste, floral aroma but we were not that impressed.  It was too mild — I much prefer stronger flavor teas like Pu-erh and Ti-kuan-yin.   Most of the teas on the menu are from mainland China, but both the Oolong teas are local to Taiwan.  All the teas are NT $80 (about $2.50 US) per person with meal service.

We started with a traditionally expensive delicacy – bird’s nest soup. Shang Palace serves Braised Bird’s Nest and Winter Squash Soup which was excellent.  Although we did not really get any winter squash taste, the soup was quite flavorful.

If you have never heard of bird’s nest – it is quite the delicacy in fine Chinese cuisine.  Soups or desserts made with real bird’s nest can easily run upwards of $50 US on a menu.

What is a bird’s nest you might ask? Exactly what it sounds like – it is the saliva nest of certain types of swifts.   When dissolved in water, it takes on a gelatinous texture that is perfect in soup.  Bird’s nest can be insanely expensive with entire shops in places like Hong Kong devoted to selling the various types available.

After the Bird’s Nest soup, we tried the deep fried black vinegar pork.  The pork had pineapples along with red, yellow, and green peppers included.  The sauce was thick and sticky, almost like honey.  The pork was tender and the crispy coating was not overwhelming.  The black vinegar taste was a nice compliment to the pork and peppers and cut the tartness of the pineapple.

Next were a couple more traditional dim sum items – shrimp dumplings and pork dumplings.  The shrimp dumplings were amongst the best I have tried in Asia – the filling was a mix of shrimp and water chestnut and the dumpling skin was not rubbery like many places serve.

The pork dumplings are more like Cantonese shu mai and not the Shanghai style dumplings.  We tried the pork with crab roe and they were excellent – not overly seafood forward like many of the shu mai with crab roe tend to be.

We went on to traditional bbq pork buns, with the sweet char siu pork filling.  The buns were light and fluffy and not overly dense.  The bbq pork was not as sweet and chunky as I prefer and am used to, but the flavor was excellent.

The next item we ordered was one of my favorites.  Spring rolls with shrimp and goose liver paste.  The spring rolls were cut in half prior to serving and more flat than some dim sum restaurants serve.  This is quite a help with chopstick navigation since spring rolls can tend to be greasy and difficult to grasp.  These culinary gems were not the least bit greasy and the strong shrimp and goose liver flavors mixed surprisingly well together.  The shrimp flavor was mild and the goose liver paste melts in your mouth.

Moving to another unique menu item — jellyfish.  This is a common menu item in many fine Chinese restaurants and like bird’s nest, jellyfish is an expensive delicacy.  Shang Palace serves a jellyfish on their regular menu that is $50 so this was a perfect opportunity to try a smaller portion.

Shang Palace’s jellyfish is served with shrimp roe in a sesame sauce.  I expected the jellyfish to be rubbery and rather disgusting, but it was not.  The texture is slightly rubbery, yes, but the flavor was very mild and it was easy to chew.  The flavor was clean and it reminded me of eating a fresh seaweed salad from a Japanese restaurant.

Next to arrive was the order of baked bbq pork pies.  These flaky delights are not always that common in dim sum restaurants unfortunately.  These were among the best I have tried.  The crust was flaky and had a slightly sweet taste — perhaps it had been brushed with a bit of honey.

And we still had several more plates coming!  Just to clarify – we asked them to make everything in small portions or just orders of two where possible, allowing us to order more dishes.  I am invariably guilty of my “eyes are always bigger than the stomach” scenario.

Next was a BBQ pork with honey sauce.  This was among my favorite dishes.  The pork was very tender, moist and small crispy bits of skin where excellent.  The honey sauce had a citrus tang and worked beautifully with the pork.

One of our last dishes was the roasted goose.  This was probably my least favorite.  The goose was greasy and pretty fatty.  Duck and goose are not my favorite choices in meat anyways (except Peking Duck, of course) so I did not have high hopes I would love this dish.  For those that love game meats and stronger flavors, this would be a great choice.

Our last “main” dim sum dish was deep fried mashed taro with seafood.  One thing I have learned living in Taiwan, I typically do not always love the seafood here.  I thought this dish was ok, but definitely had a strong seafood taste that overpowered the mashed taro.  I’ve had this combo elsewhere and the seafood flavor was not so overpowering.  This would definitely not be on my list to order again, but I saw almost every table around us order them.

At this point, it is safe to say I was pretty full and it was nearly time for the dim sum lunch to be over.  We tried to order one each of the desserts to split, but due to a miscommunication, we ended with 3 desserts each.  One thing I will not complain about in Taiwan is too much dessert.  Chinese desserts are excellent as they are not overly sweet like many “western” desserts tend to be.  And in some cases, they are often somewhat healthy (although that was not really the case here).

The desserts included coconut red bean jelly cake, coconut milk with sago, and deep-fried milk jelly.  These are very interesting desserts and quite a departure from what I have tried before.  The coconut red bean jelly cake is obviously a favorite as numerous plates of these circled the dining room (some tables even ordered multiple rounds).  The deep-fried milk jelly was interesting although I think having it served in a soupy syrup is preferable (especially after ordering too many fried items during the meal itself).  The coconut milk with sago was more like a coconut cream — it was very thick and coated the spoon.  I could not stop wondering how many calories were in that dessert alone!

Overall Shang Palace rates as one of my favorite dim sum places in Taipei.  If you can believe it, there are still a number of menu items we did not try.  We plan to go back and try the other menu items soon.  Although $60 + for two people at a dim sum lunch is on the high side, the food quality and choice of menu items is completely worth it.

Reservations are recommended for Shang Palace and there is a dress code (smart business) for dinnertime, but lunch was less formal.  Be sure to allow yourself enough time to enjoy the items you want to try.  The last order is at 2:30 pm so I would suggest giving yourself at least two hours if possible.  If you cannot allow that much time, rest assured if you place a large order at one time, they do an excellent job at staggering entrees so you are not stuck with five things getting cold at once.

Shang Palace at the Shangri-La Hotel
Far Eastern Plaza

No. 201 Section 2, DunHua South Road
Taipei City
02-2378-8888

Lunch: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Dinner: 6pm – 9:30 pm
Dress Code: Smart Casual
English menu
Credit cards accepted
http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/taipei/fareasternplaza/dining/restaurant/shangpalace

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Delicious Shanghai fried pork buns for Kao-chi restaurant here in Taipei.  This Shanghai specialty is a pork stuffed bun that is crispy on the bottom and topped with sesame seeds.  One order includes 10 buns and when served, they are still sizzling in the dish.  Definitely a must try when visiting Taiwan!