Last week while we were visiting our daughter and son-in-law in Portland, they suggested we have dinner at Din Tai Fung, open less than six months in Washington Square, a suburban mall in Southwest Portland less than three miles from their house. Josh had eaten at two of the Taiwan-based restaurant outlets in the Seattle area (of four there), and they had both dined at the nearby restaurant shortly after it had opened during the holidays. I had heard and read about this highly rated franchise praised for its dim sum, so I quickly agreed.

Din Tai Fung originated as a cooking oil retail store in 1958 in Taipei, Taiwan. By 1972 it had morphed into a full-fledged restaurant specializing in soup dumplings and noodles. Proudly featuring natural ingredients, handmade dough and top-quality fillings, international outlets range from Asia and Australia to the U.K. and the U.A.E. U.S. outlets so far are limited to the West Coast, with several locations throughout the Los Angeles area and one each in San Diego and Santa Clara, the four previously mentioned around Seattle, and the sole outpost in Oregon. In 2010 the Hong Kong branch won a single Michelin star, so clearly the food served meets a high standard.

We were warned that the restaurant doesn’t take reservations and wait times can stretch more than an hour, but we were fortunate in arriving around 6:30 p.m. on a Wednesday evening when the Portland Trailblazers were playing in the playoffs. With absolutely no wait, we breezed right in, zipping right past the large window fronting the mall corridor through which one can observe several white-aproned, gloved workers briskly pleating delicate folds in circles of dough, transforming them into beautifully shaped dumplings.

Din Tai Fung seems to be part of the trend in the transformation of shopping malls from strictly retail to services, dining and entertainment. You would never guess from the dark walls and spare, elegant interior that the space had once been a GAP store. In addition to plenty of tables and booths, there is a large private dining space for groups, set apart from the rest of the dining space with frosted-glass “shoji screens.” Wait staff is courteous, well-informed and very patient in explaining to newcomers the rather extensive menu options. Said menu contains separate sections picturing the different categories offered: soups and appetizers, soup dumplings, steamed dumplings, noodle soups, fried rice, greens, buns, noodles and wontons, fried noodles and rice cakes, and desserts (you can understand why you might need a little hand-holding on your first visit).

We ordered some of this and some of that and shared everything. This is definitely the kind of dining experience best enjoyed by a group of people so you get to try a variety of dishes. We found the sweet and sour soup to have a wonderful depth of flavor, the braised beef noodles (rich and tender beef in a savory broth) so good but difficult to divvy up to share. The dumplings and buns were served in bamboo steamer baskets with enough pieces for each of us try more than one, each one a work of art and tender and tasty to boot. Our server whipped up a dipping sauce for us with ingredients provided on each table and suggested ways to tweak it a bit according to our personal preferences and the dishes we tried.

I’d gladly visit Din Tai Fung again and again, trying new dishes each time and probably revisiting a few favorites. Even if I had a considerable wait for a table, I’d be willing to bear it for such a delicious meal.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor