5 /5 Jay Sullivan: I stopped in for lunch with friends - it was a really relaxed experience, the food and conversation flowed - and it was a delicious meal.
If you’re in Covent Garden area and want something reliably excellent that feels fresh, fast, flavourful and reasonably priced - this is absolutely the spot.
We ordered a spread that covered all the classics: Beef Xiao Long Bao, Pork Buns, Crispy Prawn Pancake, Prawn & Egg Fried Rice, String Beans with garlic, and the Signature Pork Chop, plus a few drinks including a few of the house beers and the lemongrass iced teas.
Everything hit the mark. The flavours were clean and balanced, never heavy, and served piping hot. The dishes came out quickly but never felt rushed, which is exactly what you want at lunchtime.
The standout for me was how consistently good everything was. There were no weak plates, just solid, simple food done really well.
We were originally just going to head in and hit some dumplings, but changed our mind as we perused the menu, and glad we did. It was a satisfying lunch, you can go light and skip out of there, or fill up and roll out. I guess I sort of went with the latter option, even trying one of the Custard Lava Buns, which was a good time.
The service was warm and efficient, and despite being busy, our server kept everything moving smoothly for us.
This is a place you can head and enjoy a catch-up with friends, visitors, or colleagues.
Din Tai Fung is an easy recommendation. I’d absolutely go again, and next time I’m confident that I can order all the things I didn’t get this time.