Disneyland announced today that a new restaurant is coming to Downtown Disney soon: Din Tai Fung. If you live on the West Coast, you might already know about this award-winning restaurant’s reputation for mind-blowing dumplings and lines way out the front door. 

Concept Art ©Disney

We’re taking a look at the restaurant’s history, accolades, and menu here! Find out what you can expect when Din Tai Fung opens in the Downtown Disney District and why it might become one of the most popular restaurants in all of Disneyland.

Din Tai Fung originally opened in Taipei, Taiwan. According to the restaurant’s website, Mr. Bing-Yi Yang immigrated to Taiwan and opened a shop selling cooking oil. He named the shop Din Tai Fung. He and his wife sold dumplings in their shop as well, called Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork soup dumplings). These dumplings became so popular that Mr. Yang “phased out his oil business” and Din Tai Fung became a full-blown restaurant.

©Din Tai Fung

Now, the restaurant has expanded immensely, with locations in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Europe, and Thailand.

©Din Tai Fung

Many of the restaurants have won awards for outstanding food, and the Hong Kong and London locations have received Michelin Stars. A Michelin Star is a coveted culinary award, which takes into account “the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed in their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both over time and across the entire menu,” according to the Michelin Star website.

©Din Tai Fung

Other accolades that this restaurant can claim include being named the world’s “second-best chain restaurant” by CNN and one of the world’s top 10 gourmet restaurants by the New York Times.

©Din Tai Fung

Of course, the menu has now expanded to offer much more than Xiao Long Bao. Now, you can find various soups, many different flavors of dumplings and buns…

©Din Tai Fung

…wontons, noodles, fried rice, and more.

©Din Tai Fung

There are even dessert dumplings, filled with chocolate, red bean paste, or sweet taro.

©Din Tai Fung

But if you’re looking to try the dumpling that started it all, critics still rave about the Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao, which is “hand-folded and stuffed with top-quality, carefully seasoned pork.”

©Din Tai Fung

The menu has us convinced that this is going to be a must-try spot when it opens in Downtown Disney. But the tasty food doesn’t come without a price — and no, we’re not talking about money here. Some of Din Tai Fung’s existing locations operate with a no-reservations policy. And that has meant that lines to get in stretch for HOURS.

©Din Tai Fung

According to several reviews on Trip Advisor, people reported waiting anywhere from 1 to 4 hours in order to get a table in Din Tai Fung. Could we see a similar situation in Disneyland? Right now, we don’t think so (although Disneyland has not yet announced whether advanced dining reservations will be accepted with Din Tai Fung opens). Some Din Tai Fung locations do accept reservations, and we’re expecting the Disneyland location to do so as well due to expected high demand. If reservations are available, you’ll want to be sure to grab those ASAP. 

©Disney

We can’t wait to try out everything on the menu when this restaurant opens in Disneyland! Keep following DFB for more of the latest Disney food news.

Click here to learn more about the changes coming to Downtown Disney.

Have you been to another Din Tai Fung location before? Tell us about your experience in the comments!