Ding Tai Fung
3235 Hwy 7, Unit 18b (First Markham Place)
Markham, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Chinese
Date visited: April 2010
A few months ago, t.o.night had a small blurb about this place and their to-die-for xiao long baos (direct translation: little dragon buns), which are steamed balls of meat inside a flour wrapper. Kind of like dumplings, but round. I convinced the bf to give it a try (well, not much convincing to do, because a) what I say, goes, and b) he loves dumplings/meat inside a flour wrapper). So we get to First Markham Place and I'm scanning the units for this place. We pull into a spot (near the Jacob outlet!) and begin our dumpling quest.
Food: 4.75/5
The first thing we tried to find on the menu were these precious buns. As expected, it was under the Dim Sum section. We decided to get one order of xiao long bao, pork meat with chives dumplings, and shredded beef on Chinese broccoli and a bowl of rice (yea I know, not all dim sum but oh well). The dim sum came out rather quickly - steaming hot in a bamboo container. One look at the bf at his first bite and he was already reaching for his second one lol. They were very delicious. The pork and chives dumpling were very .. chive-y. I thought there was too much chives and not enough meat, but the dumplings themselves were quite large. The wrapper had a nice texture. Our shredded beef on Chinese broccoli arrived shortly, and mmm it was very tasty. The beef was well marinated and not chewy at all, while the veggies were perfectly cooked (a bit oily, but that will be forgiven). There was actually a lot of veggie/meat than expected.
Service: 4.5/5
We came in around 2pm and were seated quickly. Unlike western restaurants, you can beckon any staff member to come to your table for service, and staff there always had an eye out for a hand going up to wave them over. They were quick, efficient and friendly for the most part, whether it be taking your order sheet, bringing our order, getting a requested item or getting your bill/change. Maybe they could smile more? Maybe that's just me.
Atmosphere: 5/5
The first thing you notice when you walk in is how pristine clean it looks, and the decor/layout of the restaurant. A large yet simple painting/frame on one wall was a nice look, the openness of the windows to let the light in, and the simple design/layout of the tables and chairs were a nice touch. A simple yet important thing I look for is how comfortable the booths/tables/chairs are - and they were. Enough space behind you to get in/out/put your jacket on, and the chairs weren't rickety. Washrooms were small yet clean, and the hand dryer was nice! Very impressed with the atmosphere in this restaurant.
Price/Value: 4/5
My first look at the menu and I was taken aback that 6 xiao long baos and our dumplings were $6 a piece. Our other usual dumpling place gives 12 for $5. Well, we did come here for the baos/dumplings, so we're gonna get it and complain later. The baos/dumpings were very good but I felt it was a bit overpriced. The beef/veggie was a bit pricey at $11.50 (I was expecting $8-9) but I have to admit it was extremely tasty. Rice ... well, it's rice so I'll let that fly at $1.50.
Overall dining experience: 4.5/5
Despite the higher price tag, I was very impressed with Ding Tai Fung. The food was superb and the service and atmosphere was very good. I can expect to see a very long wait at busy weekend lunch hours (11am-1pm) for dim sum/brunch but I guess this is why we have late lunches lol. I think we'd come back to this place again when we're in the area.
