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Globally beloved Michelin-starred restaurant chain Din Tai Fung, known for its xiao long bao — steaming hot soup dumplings usually stuffed with pork — is finally opening a New York City outpost.
The restaurant, hailing from Taiwan, signed a 15-year lease for a 26,400-square-foot space at 1633 Broadway, between west 51st and 50th streets, according to a press release. New York City’s first Din Tai Fung will be located in a glass cube structure, in a space designed by David Rockwell, the architecture firm behind top New York City spots like Wayan, Union Square Cafe, and Daily Provisions. It’s set to open sometime in 2023. Eater has reached out to the restaurant for more information.
According to its website, Din Tai Fung first opened in Taipei as a cooking oil shop in 1958 by Chinese refugee Bing-Yi Yang and his wife, Lai Pen-Mei. The xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung, known for its exacting 18 delicate folds, were later introduced in 1972 when the shop relaunched as a full-service restaurant. The intense fanfare (and long lines) have fueled the chain’s growth to more than 170 locations around the world. Michelin stars followed (the first of several locations to receive the award was the brand’s original Hong Kong restaurant in 2010), and a 1993 article from the New York Times called the chain, at the time, the best restaurant in the world.
In the United States, Din Tai Fung has outposts in California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. The Midtown expansion of Din Tai Fung will be its first spot on the East Coast. Din Tai Fung’s absence in New York City reportedly inspired the opening of the chain 3 Times, which served a new-wave xiao long bao that used buckwheat for its dough.
Prior to the announcement of its New York City expansion, Din Tai Fung was already shipping bao buns nationwide via Goldbelly.
Over the years, New York City has become a home to several extremely popular restaurant chains hailing from Asia like Tim Ho Wan, Ippudo, and Ichiran. Like its predecessors, it would not be surprising if Din Tai Fung also commands long lines.
