Din Tai Fung, a world-renowned Chinese chain known for soup dumplings and noodles, is getting ready to finally enter Arizona for the first time with a location in Scottsdale.
The company is set to open in the Scottsdale Fashion Square, according to a recent earnings call from Macerich, the real estate company that owns the shopping center. Residents of Arizona should be extremely excited about this news, considering the restaurant’s original location in Taiwan has received a Michelin star multiple times and is currently listed under the Bib Gourmand designation, given to restaurants that offer excellent quality food at affordable prices.
It’s been an incredibly successful year for the company, founded in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1958, specifically last month. To start July, Din Tai Fun opened a new standalone restaurant in Downtown Disney. In celebration of the new restaurant, Din Tai Fung released its first-ever merchandise line earlier this summer, only available at the chain’s Downtown Disney location. Then, in mid-July, Din Tai Fung opened the world’s largest location in Manhattan, clocking in at 25,000 square-foot space on Broadway. This was the company’s first location on the East Coast and the 16th U.S. location. There are now 181 total global locations in 13 countries.
The fast-growing company has plenty of tasty options, but the restaurant is known for its Xiao Long Bao, otherwise known as soup dumplings. These broth-filled dumplings from the Jiangnan region of China are steamed in a bamboo basket. The menu item has a bit of history, as founder Yang Bing-yi originally opened Din Tai Fung to sell cooking oil, with half of the shop dedicated to making and selling Xiao Long Bao. Eventually the steamed pork soup dumplings became so popular that it turned into its own business.
“DTF’s Xiao Long Bao became so popular that Mr. Yang phased out his oil business and turned DTF into the full-fledged restaurant that it is today,” according to the company’s website. “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—and has become an internationally beloved brand, offering a taste of Taiwan to the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Europe, and Thailand.”
Note: The previous article stated the location would open in 2025. A representative from the company tells What Now Phoenix that while the company will be coming to Scottsdale, it’s unclear exactly when the restaurant will be making its debut.