DIN TAI FUNG, a true Taiwanese brand, was created by Yang Binyi and his wife, who got their entrepreneurial start in the oil business, before embarking on perfecting xiao long bao - commonly referred to as "soup dumplings" in English.

When Yang Jihua took over DIN TAI FUNG from his father, the restaurant refined the exact flavor, size and recipe for making their special brand of xiao long bao. DIN TAI FUNG maintains strict guidelines for its staff that produce their xiao long bao. In fact, new cooks receive a minimum two months training before they can roll a dough skin weighing exactly the required 5 grams along with being able to twist 18 wrinkles in a row.

Though the Xintiandi branch is not the first outlet in Shanghai, however, it has received a lot of attention from company directors, who sent an executive chef to direct the new staff, and make the rounds gathering feedback from diners during the soft opening.

As a sister to the established Hongqiao branch, Xintiandi's DIN TAI FUNG follows a standard dZcor, which gives the dining area an immaculate, elegant look. Its earthy tableware and accessories are quite suitable to diner's sensibilities, as are the lively wall murals featuring photographs of celebrities who once dined at DIN TAI FUNG. From Taiwan to Tokyo to Hong Kong and Shanghai, DIN TAI FUNG has made itself one of the most beloved restaurants among the celebrities and politicians alike.

DIN TAI FUNG has always worked hard to continually refine its selection of ingredients for producing its scrumptious veggie-meat dumplings, tasty chicken soup and various other mouth-watering steamed dumplings and noodles. DIN TAI FUNG's spoon-size xiao long bao have very thin skin and are deliciously soupy on the inside. They boast a superb flavor that's loved by people of all ages and will keep you poking with your chopsticks until every last one is gone.

The restaurant serves 10 heavenly xiao long bao in each steam box -- considered the perfect amount. Think you'd like more? Well, a Taiwanese television cooking show hostess, on the air for almost 40 years, revealed a secret: "A gourmet food won't be gourmet if it's offered too much or one continually eats beyond the limit. If you have a customer who leaves your restaurant on a half-full or half-empty stomach, that's the one you will see again."