One of the traditions of Chinese New Year in Singapore is to toss Yu Sheng (捞魚生) for a better year ahead. A friend recently asked me if any restaurant serves unexpectedly good yusheng and Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 came to my mind. Famous for their Xiao Long Bao aka Chinese steamed bun, one might not have thought of Din Tai Fung for Yusheng. But I was pleasantly surprised by the Prosperity Smoked Salmon Yu Sheng (发财鱼生) that I had the other day.
To cater for individual’s preferences, there were several choices of ‘Top-ups’ available for customisation of the Yu Sheng order. Some of the Top-up options include Fried Salmon Skin ($4.80 per serving), and Pine Nuts ($2.80 per serving) and Smoked Unagi (freshwater eel; $9.80 per serving). But what I really like about Din Tai Fung’s Prosperity Smoked Salmon Yu Sheng (发财鱼生) was the sweet and tangy plum sauce that was concocted in house that gave the yusheng a refreshing, light and not overwhelming sweet finish to the unique ingredients chosen. While the crispy yam strips added a crunchy bite, fresh pomelo pulps provided another layer of flavour. Overall, this yusheng was both satisfying, well balanced and great as a starter for the feasting ahead!
When in Din Tai Fung, one should not give the appetisers a miss! Besides Oriental Salad in Special Vinegar Dressing which was one of the live live must try, some of the signatures were Bittergourd marinated with black bean sauce, Spicy Pickled Cucumber and Black Fungus with Ginger Strips & Vinegar Dressing.
Made with mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, parsley and fungus, Deep Fried Handmade Tofu with Water Chestnuts & Mushrooms was one item that I would eat again and again. The soft interior that was encased by a thin crispy golden shell was so moist and juicy with different layers of texture in a bite. so yummy!
Crispy Golden Prawn Pancake was flavourful and packed with small chunks of prawns. It tasted like bean curd prawn, a flatter version. Lol
Made with a minimum of 18 exquisite folds, one cannot miss the Steamed Dumplings in Din Tai Feng. Steamed Truffle & Pork Dumplings was one of the more atas version with irresistible aroma of the truffle and bites of black truffles in the juicy meat fillings.
One of the most surprising find in Din Tai Fung got to be the Steamed Custard Bun, priced at $2 each. The flowy salted egg yolk custard was rich, smooth and complemented by the soft bun exterior. What I really like about Din Tai Fung’s rendition was the salted egg yolk custard was a balanced play of sweet and savory!
No trip to Din Tai Fung in Paragon would be complete without Steamed Layered Red Date Cake. Unlike any nian gao, an auspicious glutinous rice cake to be consumed during Chinese New Year, Din Tai Fung’s version was made with red date. Hence, it was more aromatic yet not overwhelmingly sweet. I totally adore this version which was best consumed while piping hot.
Yam paste wrapped in Crispy Spring Roll appeased the teochew in me with a fondness for yam. The sweet yam paste with the crispy thin Chinese wrap was so good that I thought I can eat it as a snack! I adore the different textural bite as well as the aroma of the yam!
Din Tai Fung Paragon
290 Orchard Road #B1-03 Singapore 238859
Tel: +65 6836 8336
Email: dintaifung@breadtalk.com
Operating Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am to 10pm
Weekends & Public Holidays: 10am to 10pm
Last order at 9:30pm
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