Xiao Long Bao in Singapore: Soup Dumplings at Din Tai Fung 🥟

One of my favourite orders in Singapore is xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung: small steamed dumplings with hot broth inside. The restaurant chain began in Taiwan; these dumplings became part of my Singapore routine.

If you know Georgian khinkali, the idea will be familiar. Imagine a smaller soup dumpling with a delicate wrapper and no thick tail of dough to hold.

The dumplings arrive in their steaming basket. The thin skin holds both the filling and the soup, so the first bite deserves some attention. The broth is part of the pleasure, rather than something to lose on the way to your mouth.

I eat them with vinegar and strips of ginger. I had apparently needed to move to Singapore to start eating dumplings with vinegar. The remaining cultural adjustment is accepting that my dumplings do not come with vodka.

There are different fillings, and the Singapore menu is the useful place to check the current selection.