A high-profile globally-known restaurant beloved for its dumplings is set to open its first Canadian location, and it will be in the heart of Downtown Vancouver.
Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese restaurant chain with over 170 locations worldwide and 13 in the U.S., will be moving in at 1132 Alberni St.
"Our goal is to be the leader in authentic Chinese, upscale casual dining through consistency and excellence of food, service, and ambiance," reads a development application submitted by Din Tai Fung to the City of Vancouver.
Din Tai Fung is best known for its Xiao Long Bao (XLB), aka soup dumplings, which they have, according to its legions of fans, mastered to perfection.
The menu also features popular starters like its cucumber salad; assorted dumplings, wontons, and buns; noodle dishes, including wok-fried and with soup; milk tea; vegetable sides; and dessert dumplings.
The restaurant began as a mom-and-pop operation in Taiwan in 1958. "Throughout our journey onto the global culinary stage, we have insisted upon and continue to insist upon using natural ingredients, handmade dough, and top quality filling," describes Din Tai Fung on its Taiwanese website. "It is this insistence that has made our xiaolongbao world-renowned and allowed us to open branches far and wide, so that we can continue to satisfy taste buds around the world."
Din Tai Fung's Vancouver location: What we know
In Vancouver, Din Tai Fung is moving into the building on Alberni that houses the Carmana Hotel & Suites, as well as several other restaurant and retail operations (including the modern Pacific Northwest restaurant Archer, which recently landed on the Michelin Guide's recommended list).
As part of the development process, Din Tai Fung is applying to "install a covered outdoor seating area on the second storey," according to City of Vancouver documents. Public consultation on the application is open through Sept. 12, 2023.
A covered patio would be an exciting addition to the restaurant, which is all but guaranteed to be a major draw for locals and tourists alike (which is precisely what Din Tai Fung envisions, noting in its application they "hope to service local residents as well as travellers from out of town").
The restaurant's proposed hours will be Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Heading out of town is what Vancouverites currently must do in order to experience Din Tai Fung, with two locations in Seattle and one in Bellevue, just over the border in Washington.
The first Canadian Din Tai Fung location in Vancouver has not yet been added to the global dumpling giant's list of locations, and no further details about the venture have been shared publicly.
