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4301 La Jolla Village Dr Ste 2000, San Diego, California, USA, 92122
Serves meat, vegan options available. Taiwanese restaurant group with franchise operations in multiple countries. Its signature specialty is dumplings. Menu labels the veg dishes with vegan choices including the oriental salad, vegetable fried rice, red bean xiao long bao and red bean bao. Vegetable stock can be requested for the vegetable wonton & spicy dried noodle, dan dan noodle, and vegetable wonton soup. Specify if you don't want egg or oyster sauce just to be sure.
Categories: Ovo, Chinese, Take-out, Taiwanese, Non-veg
4 Reviews
First Review by Rob D
Rob D
Points +126
Taiwanese Restaurant Chain Gets it Right - Edit
Before you get your first bite of food at Din Tai Fung you'll probably notice a lot of things that are different from most restaurants. To begin with, there's the line to get in. It's usually long during lunch and dinner times so be prepared to wait...and wait some more. Not to worry, your patience will be rewarded.
Read moreOnce you finally get seated, it will be difficult not to notice the number of employees walking around the expansive dining area. Some will be carrying towering stacks of bamboo steamer baskets and others will just be observing and looking at their iPads. What I do know is that it works. Servers are impeccably trained and are helpful and efficient. Once you place your order food starts arriving at the table quickly.
For the most part, the food is very well prepared. At first glance it may seem like the number of vegan options is limited, but don't be fooled. The menu is extensive and the vegan offerings are plentiful and clearly labelled.
Seaweed & Beancurd in a Vinegar Dressing is a light refreshing salad that is a perfect start to a meal. The one vegan dumpling is the Vegetable & Mushroom dumpling and is excellent. The same filling is also used in the Vegetable & Mushroom Bun if you prefer something doughier. I found the thin skin of the dumpling works better with this filling.
Where the vegan options abound is in the Greens section of the menu. With seven different dishes to chose from. My favorites are the String Beans and the Kale, both sautéed with garlic. If you like a bitter green, then the mustard greens will fit the bill. The Bok Choy tends to be on the blander side.
What you won't find at Din Tai Fung are fake meats, and in many ways it's a refreshing change from most vegan options at Asian restaurants. There are no heavy, sweet, gelatinous sauces that are also typical of so many Asian restaurants. This is one chain that is worth going to and I hope they expand beyond the west coast.
EDIT 2021: Dinging them one star because the last couple of times the green beans were bland and one time the kale was brown and appeared to be way past its expiration date.
Updated from previous review on 2019-09-25
Pros: Excellent service, Tasty and reasonably healthy vegan options
Cons: Long wait times during lunch and dinner times
Guest
LorraineGadsden
Points +679
Yeah, It’s Amazing - Edit
Din Tai Fung is just so good. There are so many options ranging from appetizers, soups, dumplings, wontons, noodles, drinks, desserts. The sesame seed bao is to die for, seriously. You can also get some other things not labeled vegan, vegan pretty easily if you remove an item. On their allergen list online it will tell you if it can be made vegan, or if it already is vegan. I highly recommend this place.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Easy to customize, Delicious
Guest
amcaliva
Points +20
Many options, I loved the food. - Edit
Servers very knowledgeable of vegan options. I’ll be back for sure
Read moreGuest
stacypatel
Points +157
MSG in everything - Edit
Yes there were a lot of vegan options but also a lot of possible cross contamination in the kitchen. There is also MSG in everything which is a known neurotoxin. We are ethical and also vegans for health, although we are foodies and enjoy food very much. Cannot eat at establishments that add MSG to everything.
Read moreGuest
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