Din Tai Fung at 313@Somerset

This post was an invited session by Din Tai Fung Singapore through Sixth Sense Communications & PR Consultancy for Food Bloggers.



After the hands-on session making the Xiao Long Bao, we were treated to a big lunch. A few of us did not expect a lunch and had planned to go for lunch elsewhere before we arrived.
Lunch was a sumptuous treat though! It was an 8 course lunch!





For the appetizers, we were served the 'Vegetarian Delight in Special Vinegar Dressing'. $2.80
This has always been many people's favourite. (and especially mine!)
It's the kind of dish that you can eat non stop because the taste is so enticing!





The next appetizer is a new addition to their menu. 'Fragrant Pork with Crushed Garlic'. $6.80
If you like 'white pork' or poached pork and you love garlic, this will definitely but a smile on your face and if your tummy can smile, it will too!

Thin layers of pork belly wrapped around a slices of crunchy cucumber. The tangy and a little tongue biting garlic based sauce goes so well with it. (I love garlic!)





The star of the day!
The Steamed Pork Dumpling / Xiao Long Bao ($10.80 for 10 pcs / $6.50 for 6 pcs).
After a hands-on session, you really appreciate the effort that goes into making these little treasures!





How do you eat XLB? For me, I bite off the 'head' first. (sadist streak in me?)

I always remember "Off with their heads" the phrase that the Queen of Hearts shouts in Alice in Wonderland, when I bite off the 'head' of the Xiao Long Bao.

You can suck off the delicious broth inside the XLB. ;-)





The next dish is something we usually order at DTF. The "Fried Rice with Shrimps and Eggs". $10

Hmm... I wonder why that serving here tasted better here than other branches. The 3 of us on the table wondered if it's because they got their best chefs to work in this new branch? Or we are special people and they 'specially' prepared it with extra 'love' for us. ;-)





This was the "Stir-Fried Nai Bai with Garlic". $12
For those who like very light tasting vegetables.





This was the "Steamed Chilli Crab and Pork Bun". $3.80 for 3 pieces.
It reminded me of the Chilli Crab Xiao Long Bao they had for a limited time last year which I had. This time they are putting it in a bun and not in the XLB.




If you are bored of Char Siu Bao, Dou Sar Bao, try the Chilli Crab and Pork Bao!
It is probably the easiest way to have Chilli Crabs! A fusion of fresh crab meat with pork.
You always ask for buns when you eat chilli crabs right? A superb combination!

This dainty little thing tasted quite exquisite!





For desserts, we were served 2 of different kinds of desserts. A steamed dessert and a cold dessert.

This was the "Fragrant Peanut Dumplings". $6.80

When it was served, we could smell the fragrance of coconut lingering in the air. How shall I describe it? It's like chopped peanut and sesame paste in a mochi that's coated with dessicated coconut and steamed. Absolutely alluring!





The next dessert is their adaptation of a local peranakan dessert.
"Sago served with Ice and Sweet Coconut Sauce". $3.50





Chewy sago drizzled with luscious coconut cream and gula melaka.
You can see they are generous with the coconut cream and palm sugar.
Instant gratification!




A big thanks to the folks at Sixth Sense Communications for organizing this event.

I was given two $10 vouchers that was given to the food bloggers as a token of appreciation.
I liked what I ate, and I would like 2 readers to try the food here too!

Here's what you can do to get the vouchers.
Name any 3 branches of Din Tai Fung in Singapore.
They have a few branches here in Singapore. All you need is name 3.

Momo will randomly pick 2 lucky diners on 20 May.
If you have gotten vouchers here before, let others have a chance. ;-)


Update: 
Momo has randomly picked two winners.
Congratulations Picture Perfect Memories & Indra, you got yourself a $10 DTF voucher each.
Can you drop me an email at keropokman@gmail.com so that I can 'snail mail' the vouchers to you?


Din Tai Fung - 313@Somerset
313 Orchard Road 
#B2-01
Singapore 238895

Tel: 6509 6696

Hours: Weekdays - 11AM  - 10PM  / Weekends and Public Holidays - 10AM - 10 PM

The Making of the Din Tai Fung Xiao Long Bao

This post was an invited session by Din Tai Fung Singapore through Sixth Sense Communications & PR Consultancy for Food Bloggers.


When I got an email a few weeks ago from Sixth Sense asking if I would like to attend a Din Tai Fung culinary workshop on the art of making their famous Steamed Pork Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao), I wondered if I should go.

Guess what? For the next few days, I was thinking of XLB all the time! Images of XLB appear all the time! It was torturous! I remembered that their branch in Hong Kong has recently been award 1 Michelin Star. So to stop torturing myself, I thought I should just go! I was glad I did!

The workshop was held at the new Din Tai Fung branch at 313@Somerset.

The demonstration was by their master chef. He hails from Taiwan and he's the No. 1 expert here.





If you are wondering what goes into dough for the XLB skin, it's just flour and water. But the flour they used are all flown in from Taiwan!





I noticed that the chef is extremely gentle with the dough! You can see he is exerting pressure on the dough, but when you look at him, he treats the dough so gently. I wonder if that's the secret into making delicious XLB! As they say, you can present the same ingredients to different people and yet they can't produce the same results.

It was actually enjoyable watching him knead the dough. The kneaded dough has to be given time to rest.





Just like in cooking shows, to save time, in a blink of the eye, a new piece of dough appears!
You can see how smooth and shiny the rested dough looks!





The Chef then portioned the dough into 3 pieces.




Each piece is then rolled into a long and thin rods.





He then further portions them into little 5 grams sizes.
He can pinch each piece and they all almost weight the same!





Each piece of 5 gram dough is then rolled using a rolling pin into 6.5 cm in diameter skin.





This was how the skin looks ready to be made into XLBs.
The skin in the middle was thicker than the sides. The sides were thinner so you can fold the 18 pleats.





Is this some kungfu move? Kind of. You need real kungfu to hold your fingers at this position all the time!
It's the finger position for holding and folding the XLB.





With the position, you hold skin and put in the filling and at the same time have support for the XLB.

You might ask why is the filling red bean paste? It is because the demo is for food bloggers. They know we can't handle the real stuff! (They are right!) To be able to handle the real thing, we need 2.5 years of hard training!





Watch the following short video I took on:
1. How the chef rolls the XLB skin.
2. How the chef fold the 18 pleats XLB.






If you missed it in the video, this is how it looks. How neat!




While the chef was doing the demonstration, the group of food blogger were busy snapping and videoing away!

I can't help not showing this.





This was the XLB with the real meat that has been steamed.





For XLBs that has been made properly, you can lift it up with your chopsticks without breaking the skin although the skin's so thin.





Oh, looking at this photo makes me want to have some now.
See how well the skin holds the meat and the soup inside the XLB.




After the chef showed us how to do it, it was our turn.
All I can say that it was NOT EASY! Even after 10 tries, my XLB still looked absolutely ugly.

Have you seen the chefs at the see-thru kitchen at work? They can do it so well because they have all gone though 2.5 years of training!


After our hands-on session, the folks at Din Tai Fung gave us a surprise by serving us lunch!
Check out the next post to see what we ate.

The Handburger, 313@Somerset

Momo and I went to The HandBurger to try out their Gourmet Burgers few days ago.

It was pretty interesting! The food was served in a huge 'ping-ping bat' lookalike wooden coaster.




Both of us had The Handburger Original. $7.80.
I loved those caramelized onions! The meat patty was definitely tastier and thicker than the ones by Golden Arches company.

The greens was so fresh and it does look as if it's freshly harvested eh?




When you order the burger, you have the option to 'top-up' with sides dishes and a drink.
Momo had the $4 top-up, which she chose the onion rings from a list of sides. She had hot green tea to go with it.

They taste a little spicy which was kinda nice.




I had the $6 top up which gave me the option of choosing Buffalo Winglets amongst 3 other choices.
I had it with ice green tea.

They were spicy according to Momo. I was not feeling very well that day, so my tastebuds were not 100% working. I thought it was just slightly spicy. ;-)



Other choices of burgers and sides are available at their website:http://www.thehandburger.com/

Another location to add to your own list of better burgers.


The Handburger
313@Somerset
313 Orchard Road
#B2-17/18/19
Singapore 238895

Hours: 11.30AM - 10.00PM daily.