Xiaolongbao are small steamed buns of pork and aspic that melts into soup; Din Tai Fung's versions are known for 18 folds and began in a Xinyi Road oil shop.

Xiaolongbao originated in the Shanghai region and evolved from the soup-filled buns of Kaifeng. Din Tai Fung was founded in 1958 by Yang Bing-Yi, who came from Shanxi, as a cooking-oil shop on Xinyi Road. When tinned cooking oil cut his sales in the early 1970s, a friend advised him to sell xiaolongbao from half the shop, and it became a restaurant. The New York Times recognized it as one of the world's top gourmet restaurants in January 1993. Michelin notes that the former flagship is takeaway only, with dine-in across the street.

Where to eat Xiaolongbao in Taipei

2 editor picks for Xiaolongbao in Taipei, ranked by editorial score. All Taipei signature dishes · Xiaolongbao across every city.

  • Din Tai Fung Xinyi

    Order Xiao long bao, plus sweet and sour pork, bitter melon pork rib soup and steamed taro buns.

    Din Tai Fung's Xinyi branch seats diners in a 330-seater, four-storey venue opened in 2020, across the street from its takeaway-only former flagship.

    DetailsReserveDirections

  • Hangzhou Xiao Long Tang Bao

    Order Xiao long bao, plus the spicy stinky tofu in a ground pork sauce.

    Hangzhou Xiao Long Tang Bao sells no-frills soupy dumplings filled with only fresh pork hind leg meat, with a wafer-thin skin, on Hangzhou South Road.

    DetailsDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 243 hrAdvanced

Ingredients

  • 150g pork skin, cleaned
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 150ml boiling water
  • 250g minced pork, 70 percent lean
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 10g grated ginger
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • Pinch of white pepper
  • 60ml Chinkiang black vinegar
  • 20g fresh ginger, fine julienned, to serve

Method

  1. Make the aspic: simmer pork skin in chicken stock for 90 minutes until completely soft. Strain, refrigerate until set firm, then chop fine.
  2. Mix flour and boiling water with chopsticks, knead 10 minutes until smooth. Rest 30 minutes wrapped in cling film.
  3. Combine pork mince, Shaoxing, soy, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, spring onion and white pepper. Fold in the chopped aspic.
  4. Roll the dough into a long sausage; cut into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin disc, thicker in the centre than the edge.
  5. Place 12g filling in each disc, pleat upward in a spiral pinching 18 to 20 folds at the top. Twist closed.
  6. Steam in a bamboo basket lined with parchment for 8 minutes over high heat.
  7. Serve immediately with shredded ginger in Chinkiang vinegar. Bite the side, suck the soup, then eat.

Editor tip. The aspic must be cold and chopped, not melted; it's what makes the soup. Steaming straight from the freezer also works (add 2 minutes).

Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Pork.