Serves meat, vegan options available. Taiwanese restaurant group with franchise operations in multiple countries. Its signature specialty is dumplings. Menu labels the veg dishes with vegan choices including the oriental salad, vegetable fried rice, red bean xiao long bao and red bean bao. Vegetable stock can be requested for the vegetable wonton & spicy dried noodle, dan dan noodle, and vegetable wonton soup. Specify if you don't want egg or oyster sauce just to be sure.
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4301 La Jolla Village Dr Ste 2000, San Diego, California, USA, 92122
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 14 Nov 2018 by Guest
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Added by fsfsfsfs on 14 Nov 2018
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11 Reviews
First Review by Rob D
Rob D
Points +134
Taiwanese Restaurant Chain Gets it Right - Edit
Before you get your first bite of food at Din Tai Fung you'll probably notice a lot of things that are different from most restaurants. To begin with, there's the line to get in. It's usually long during lunch and dinner times so be prepared to wait...and wait some more. Not to worry, your patience will be rewarded.
Read moreOnce you finally get seated, it will be difficult not to notice the number of employees walking around the expansive dining area. Some will be carrying towering stacks of bamboo steamer baskets and others will just be observing and looking at their iPads. What I do know is that it works. Servers are impeccably trained and are helpful and efficient. Once you place your order food starts arriving at the table quickly.
For the most part, the food is very well prepared. At first glance it may seem like the number of vegan options is limited, but don't be fooled. The menu is extensive and the vegan offerings are plentiful and clearly labelled.
Seaweed & Beancurd in a Vinegar Dressing is a light refreshing salad that is a perfect start to a meal. The one vegan dumpling is the Vegetable & Mushroom dumpling and is excellent. The same filling is also used in the Vegetable & Mushroom Bun if you prefer something doughier. I found the thin skin of the dumpling works better with this filling.
Where the vegan options abound is in the Greens section of the menu. With seven different dishes to chose from. My favorites are the String Beans and the Kale, both sautéed with garlic. If you like a bitter green, then the mustard greens will fit the bill. The Bok Choy tends to be on the blander side.
What you won't find at Din Tai Fung are fake meats, and in many ways it's a refreshing change from most vegan options at Asian restaurants. There are no heavy, sweet, gelatinous sauces that are also typical of so many Asian restaurants. This is one chain that is worth going to and I hope they expand beyond the west coast.
EDIT 2021: Dinging them one star because the last couple of times the green beans were bland and one time the kale was brown and appeared to be way past its expiration date.
Updated from previous review on 2019-09-25
Pros: Excellent service, Tasty and reasonably healthy vegan options
Cons: Long wait times during lunch and dinner times
Guest
CuriousDeer
Points +119
Great food relatively numerous veg options - Edit
Really good quality, nice ambiance even when it’s really busy (make reservation when you can) …friendly staff and just overall good experience. Wish I lived closer!!
Read moreShould note the entrance prominently displays employees prepping the animal products. But their vegan options are delicious , even if they have similar /same ingredients (dumplings , bao buns and wontons)
Updated from previous review on 2024-08-20
Pros: Quality ingredients , Hand made , Enjoyable atmosphere
Guest
LorraineGadsden
Points +7130
Yeah, It’s Amazing - Edit
Din Tai Fung is just so good. There are so many options ranging from appetizers, soups, dumplings, wontons, noodles, drinks, desserts. The sesame seed bao is to die for, seriously. You can also get some other things not labeled vegan, vegan pretty easily if you remove an item. On their allergen list online it will tell you if it can be made vegan, or if it already is vegan.
Read moreUpdate: I dined in recently, and our waiter asked if we had any dietary or allergy concerns. I mentioned I was vegan, and he assured me he would keep that in mind. He carefully reviewed our order, made sure we knew certain items were non-vegan (I was dining with a non-veg person), and offered modifications.
When we commented on how grateful we were that he cared so much, he mentioned he had only been a waiter for one week! Din Tai Fung clearly trains their staff very well and does not exclude the vegan options, which made me very happy. I honestly love this place, I have always thought their food was delicious, but this experience made it even better.
Updated from previous review on 2022-06-30
Pros: Lots of vegan options , Easy to customize, Delicious
Guest
RisBurton
Points +1014
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise - Edit
The noodles surprised the heck out of me as to how good they are. We also got an order of the dumplings. My wife also ordered the dumplings to take home for her lunch at work.
Read moreI'm going back for the noodles 🍜 😋 🤪
Pros: Great tasting food , Has vegan options
Cons: In a mall
Guest
mohanaholloway
Points +1095
love always - Edit
i will always love din tai fung. plenty of vegan options, and it’s a great place to go with omni eaters.
Read morePros: Vegan options
Guest
NicoleParks
Points +2050
amazing food! - Edit
there is a vegan option for every type of menu item and they’re all delicious!! i tried the dumplings, bao buns, spicy wontons, green beans, bok choy, and sesame mochi. my favorites were the veggies and the wontons!! the sauce for the wontons was delicious and the veggies were crisp and garlicky. the sesame mochi was also surprisingly really good! tastes almost like peanut butter
Read moreGuest
EsraRice
Points +709
5 stars if I could - Edit
This is literally the best food I’ve ever had and it’s consistent every time. They have plenty of vegan items marked. My favorite s are vegan spicy wontons, garlic green beans and vegan rice cakes. Dumpling, noodles, buns, spicy cucumbers, soy noodle salad are all fantastic too.
Read moreGuest
PrinceVegan
Points +70
Many Vegan Options - Edit
Vegan options are clearly listed on the menu. Seaweed salad with bean curd and vegan spicy noodles were great. The vegan bun was good. Wish they had a vegan soup dumpling though. Many wok fried vegetables. Overall the place is worth the long wait time yo get in.
Read morePros: Clearly Labeled Vegan options, Excellent Food quality, Great service
Cons: Expensive a lot of little dishes add up, Long wait time to get in
Guest
Kirsses
Points +806
Great Service, Plenty of Veg Options - Edit
Food is good, especially the vegan wontons (keep the bowl they come in after you finish them so you can use the sauce with the dumplings!). I like that they have their vegan options clearly listed on the menu and the servers are very knowledgeable of dietary restrictions. Vegan taro buns are great for dessert! #Veganuary
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-02-10
Pros: listed vegan options
Guest
amcaliva
Points +20
Many options, I loved the food. - Edit
Servers very knowledgeable of vegan options. I’ll be back for sure
Read moreGuest
stacypatel
Points +157
MSG in everything - Edit
Yes there were a lot of vegan options but also a lot of possible cross contamination in the kitchen. There is also MSG in everything which is a known neurotoxin. We are ethical and also vegans for health, although we are foodies and enjoy food very much. Cannot eat at establishments that add MSG to everything.
Read moreGuest
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