Disney diehards often have one foot firmly in the past, lamenting what used to be rather than what is. That’s true in many regards, but one way it is not is on the food front. (Okay, except for the Yule Log at Plaza Inn and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich at Hungry Bear and the entire opening menu at Flo’s V8 Cafe and and and…)
For the most part, dining at Disneyland keeps moving forward. That was true last year, when the parks saw the opening of the tremendous Tiana’s Palace Restaurant and superlative San Fransokyo Square. Both of those restaurant reimaginings, coupled with menu refreshes elsewhere, elevated the culinary scene last year.
The story of 2024 so far as been dining outside Disneyland getting better. Pixar Place Hotel and the Villas at Disneyland Hotel both debuted new restaurants with standouts. (Some of those technically arrived late last year, but we didn’t get to them until 2024, so I’m counting ’em!) More significantly, the overhaul of Downtown Disney is finally starting to bear fruit, with several brand-new or reimagined restaurants that not only are among the best in all of Disneyland Resort, but can hold their own against real world highlights in Southern California…
Today we’re talking about Din Tai Fung (DTF), a chain famous for its wide range of Taiwanese food, including noodles, wontons, dumplings and buns, and their specialty, Xiao Long Bao. Founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 1958, Din Tai Fung was named one of the top ten gourmet restaurants in the world by the New York Times in 1993.
In 1996, the first international location opened in Tokyo; the first North American store opened in Arcadia, California in 2000. Din Tai Fung has exploded in popularity since, opening over 170 locations throughout the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Europe, and Thailand.
With a menu boasting far more than just Xiao Long Bao, the brand has won many awards—including the coveted Michelin star at its Hong Kong branch on five separate occasions—and has become an internationally beloved brand, offering a taste of Taiwan to the world. Din Tai Fung now has over a half-dozen locations in Southern California, with even more on the way.
That taste now arrives at Disneyland in a brand new location built from the ground up, along with sky-high hype. So, does Din Tai Fung live up to that and the reputation of the restaurant’s other branches in Southern California? Let’s take a look…
Downtown Disney’s Din Tai Fung is located in the area previously occupied by the AMC Theater and Earl of Sandwich (first location…not the second, third, or fourth). However, unlike the game of musical chairs played with other tenants in Downtown Disney, that complex was demolished and this is a brand-new building. As is probably obvious.
Despite the hundreds of locations, this is actually Din Tai Fung’s first stand-alone restaurant in the United States. The others are all in upscale malls and that sort of thing. Designed by the acclaimed Rockwell Group, the elevated design concept of the Anaheim Din Tai Fung serves to pay homage to the brand’s cultural origins.
The building itself is a contemporary take on a traditional Chinese pavilion rooftop. It’s stunning on its own, albeit a little at odds with the new mid-century modern unifying style of this side of Downtown Disney. Then again, it’s all a bit of a hodgepodge, with a mix of Arts & Crafts from the original incarnation of the district (and Grand Californian) plus contemporary styles.
Inside Din Tai Fung, there’s a suspended, beaded installation over the circular central bar greets guests upon entering the restaurant, with traditional Chinese pendants softly illuminating the space. Two main dining rooms flank either side of the central bar area, with breaks up the space.
Beyond that, there are open and airy, floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the entire 7,500 sq. ft. restaurant. It’s rather large and loud, with a cavernous design that doesn’t really subdivide the space much. That’s pretty typical of Downtown Disney or “mall restaurants” throughout Southern California, though, and hardly unique to DTF.
Let’s dig into the food, with what follows essentially being less of a review and more our ideal order at Din Tai Fung.
We’ve been going to the other SoCal DTF locations for years, and it’s probably the ‘real world’ restaurant we’ve eaten second-most (after In-N-Out Burger) with our friend Guy. But it had been about a year since Sarah and I last did Din Tai Fung (our ‘home’ store is in South Coast Plaza, which I absolutely hate), so it’s not like the two of us are regulars or anything.
You have to start with Din Tai Fung’s signature Xiao Long Bao. This is what put DTF on the map, and you cannot dine here without ordering these dumplings. It’s the law.
Each of Xiao Long Bao is carefully weighed and folded by hand to achieve DTF’s signature Golden Ratio of 18 folds and stuffed with top-quality Kurobuta pork marinated in a blend of carefully-selected seasonings. Paired with the piquant aromas of fresh ginger and green onion, every bite is the perfect bite.
Don’t overthink this, just order the pork version of the Xiao Long Bao. I’m personally not sure they quite live up to the hype, but they are undeniably excellent.
The taste, texture, and whole experience of eating these little dumplings is fantastic and worth having yourself. So if you’re on the fence for whatever reason, just place an order. I’d probably start with one order for every two people in your party–you can always add more.
Next up is the Chicken & Mushroom Steamed Buns, which come two to an order.
Disneyland has been doing more bao at food booths for festivals and the like, but none are on par with this from a quality perspective (even if I did love the flavor of that cheeseburger bun for Food & Wine).
The versions at Din Tai Fung are perfectly pillowy and packed with filling, with is likewise fantastic. Simple, but tasty and sure to be a win with those who might be on the less adventurous side (I usually prefer the pork everything at DTF, but the chicken and mushroom here are top tier.)
The Noodles with Diced Beef & Szechuan Peppers is another DTF must-order menu item. They’re made with Din Tai Fung’s house-made thin egg noodles topped with a spicy and herbaceous mixture of diced beef shank, tomato, beancurd, whole edamame, sliced cucumber, fresh cilantro, and Szechuan peppers.
These have a bit of a kick, so they’re probably not the ideal option for unadventurous eaters. They’re nevertheless delicious–there’s a lot going on here, and it’s like a symphony of flavors.
More approachable is the Noodles with Minced Kurobuta Pork. They’re also made with Din Tai Fung’s house-made thin egg noodles topped with a savory mixture of minced Kurobuta pork sauteed with diced tomatoes, beancurd, chopped green onion, whole edamame, and sliced cucumber.
Basically, this is the option for those who want a milder dish. All of the noodles are equally excellent, and we highly recommend ordering something from this section of the menu. It’s not super shareable (hence two orders), but they’re fantastic–and filling. That last part is important because costs can add up quickly at DTF!
Speaking of filler items, there’s the Fried Rice. The fried rice options are chicken, shrimp, shredded kurobuta pork, fried pork chop, or vegetable & mushroom. I would personally pick the pork chop (it’s a literal topping versus everything else minced inside), but this was Sarah’s pick.
Per Din Tai Fung, this is their healthy twist on traditional fried rice that incorporates Taiwanese cabbage, shimeji mushroom, wood ear mushroom, and corn. Stir-frying over high heat brings out the fresh flavors and textures. The fried rice is worth ordering, especially to split amongst a larger party.
Saving the best for last (of the entrees) is the Shrimp & Kurobuta Pork Spicy Wontons. Filled with freshly-peeled shrimp and premium Kurobuta pork, and served with DTF’s signature house spicy sauce and topped with garlic and green onion, these handmade wontons are the sleeper hit of the menu.
The wontons are the favorite item at Din Tai Fung of all three of us; the wontons are better than the famed Xiao Long Bao. In fairness, it probably helps that the wontons don’t have nearly the hype around them, so expectations are more manageable. Still, I’ve had a lot of wontons in Southern California and Asia, and these are among the absolute best.
These wontons are so satisfying–packed with flavorful filling (I love the shrimp and pork), just the right amount of spice, silky and light–but hearty and a nice bit of texture from the house spicy sauce. You absolutely need to order a round of these (don’t mess with the wonton soup–get one of the varieties with pork).
As the grand finale, order the Chocolate & Mochi Xiao Long Bao for dessert. “A taste of happiness in every bite” according to Din Tai Fung…and Sarah. These bad boys feature decadent, premium chocolate truffle enveloped in a thin layer of mochi—wrapped with painstaking attention into DTF’s signature 18 folds. A burst of chocolate lava in every bite.
There’s a reason we are repeat visitors to Din Tai Fung, and if I’m being honest, it’s the Chocolate & Mochi Xiao Long Bao. Sarah craved these throughout her pregnancy, and was more excited for these than anything else. I don’t love them quite that much–for me, the highlight at DTF is the wontons–but I do love them.
Combining the texture and tastiness of DTF’s signature Xiao Long Bao with a chocolate lava ‘cake’ is just a huge win. You might be inclined to share them since they aren’t cheap, but resist that temptation.
One thing I do want to address before concluding the review is cost. It should probably go without saying, but restaurants on-site at Disneyland charge premium pricing. This is doubly true of extremely popular real world locations that have storied history and will be destination dining for tourists and visitors. I’ve often joked that my dream is an on-site In-N-Out Burger, but that the dream would die once I saw the menu prices.
With that said, we were taken aback by just how expensive Din Tai Fung is at Disneyland. There’s about a 20% surcharge over the other Southern California stores, which are significantly more expensive than their counterparts in Asia. You might think that this shouldn’t be surprising, because of the location–rent is probably really high at Disneyland. But it’s not like the other DTFs are in run-down strip malls–they’re all in ritzy retail where rent is also really high!
Anyway, just a word of warning, as we got a mild case of sticker shock when perusing the Din Tai Fung Anaheim menu. It’s still worth doing, but it was more expensive than we expected it to be. Perhaps they’ll offer an Annual Pass discount eventually…or maybe not, as I’m guessing that, like the other locations, it’ll be perpetually packed. Just remember: there’s a reason for that!
Ultimately, it’s safe to say that Din Tai Fung is one of the best restaurants at Disneyland Resort. It will easily make our List of the 24 Best Restaurants at Disneyland Resort, and arguably could make a similar list of Orange County (but probably not Los Angeles) restaurants. It doesn’t barely make the cut, either–DTF is near the top of the DLR dining list.
None of this should really come as a surprise, as Din Tai Fung is a known quantity that’s been a highlight of the Southern California culinary scene for the last two decades. The real question is whether Din Tai Fung is the #1 restaurant at Disneyland Resort?
I wouldn’t take issue with anyone awarding it the top spot, but for me, it is not. Outside the parks, I’d still rather dine at Napa Rose or, honestly, even GCH Craftsman Bar & Grill. Within the parks, I’d prefer to do Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lamplight Lounge. This is not to say that any of these spots are objectively better than Din Tai Fung, but for me, that’s not necessarily what it’s about. Those are Disney restaurants with an accompanying experience that I can only get at Disney.
As great as it might be, Din Tai Fung is a real world restaurant with another location that’s closer to us than its Anaheim branch. This also opens it up to competition from cheaper or (debatably) better dim sum restaurants around Los Angeles and Orange County–areas that have no shortage of such spots. To be sure, DTF at DLR can still hold its own against those, but it’s not the clear-cut favorite.
Of course, this is my perspective as a local and only applies to other Californians or those traveling to Disneyland and willing to venture off-site. If you’re an out-of-state tourist (the presumptive demographic of this blog!) who wants to stay in the Disney bubble, Din Tai Fung should be incredibly high on your list of places to visit.
Sure, it’s expensive…but so is literally every restaurant at Disneyland. That’s the on-site premium pricing in action. It’s also consistently excellent, and unlike anything else at Disneyland Resort. We would highly recommend dining at Din Tai Fung, as regardless of all else, it is easily the #1 restaurant in Downtown Disney and is a great dinner option on your non-parks day or date night.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
Have you dined at Din Tai Fung? How do you think it compares to other restaurants at Disneyland Resort? Top 10? Top 5? Number 1? Will DTF be entering your dining rotation at Downtown Disney? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of the food quality, ambitiousness, value for money, etc? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
