Din Tai Fung / Piper's Pies

i had lunch with din tai fung raffles city with mum. we have never held din tai fung's noodles in high regard so we skipped the noodles and went straight for appetizers and soup.

the xiao long bao is definitely the blue-eyed boy of din tai fung menu. how do we know that? well, if you flip to the back of their paper chopstick holders, you won't be able to find the usual instructions for handling chopsticks. instead directions for eating the xiao long bao are found in simple step-by-step manual, which gives you the impression that eating xiao long bao is like an art form or long-standing ritual that must be uphold through the test of time and commercialization.

for the less informed, here are the instructions with my two cents worth:

pick it up gently. be careful not to pierce through the elicate skin prematurely. nibble a small hole preferably at the tip. sip the warm steamy broth within with the countenance of a cloistral nightingale sipping through a water hole. dab a dash of vinegar and chili oil onto the remains and finish it in a mouthful.



i like the braised warm tofu with minced pork and mushrooms. the just-nice-for-one serving size.. the slightly saltish sauce.. carefully-diced toppings and ever since jie told me about shaolin monks and their sole dependance on the tofu for protein, i am UTTERLY convinced of the tofu's health benefits.

disclaimer: eating tofu three time a day, seven days a week will not ensure the mastery of three hundred consecutive somersaults and ability to fly through air <--- kids, you have to get bitten by a spider for this to happen.



the crispy prawn pancake was a pleasant surprise too. every bite was a delight with strong crunch of prawns eluding through the paper-thin beancurd wrapping. double-boiled chicken soup tastes like.. double-boiled chicken soup. que homer simpson's 'doh'.



in 1993, din tai fung snared themselves a spot on the new york times list of "10 best international restaurants." i am sure back then din tai fung must have been worthy of such titlement, however, fame is a double edged sword. although a couple of dishes were good, the rest just qualifies as decent. mounting expectations resulted in a "come ci comme ca" experience. i wouldn't be surprised if fame has seeped through the tall hats of the chefs and given them the impression that it is alright to bank on the hype and name.

after din tai fung, feelings of unsatisfaction led us to peter's pies where we ravaged through a peter's special. i know i am biased towards pies.. but it wouldn't be wrong of me to award peter's special with two licked-thumbs up. practically stew enclosed in a pie, one will find saucy chunks of beef nesting in the buttery embrace of puff pastry.

how do i love thee?.. let me count the ways

my mum actually arranged this shot for me, how cute can she get? haha..