Din Tai Fung

Taiwan has given the world semiconductors, Giant bicycles, cross-Strait tensions and Din Tai Fung. Having begun in Taipei in the 1950s, this now-global concern is represented in three Sydney locations. Although it's lost a smidgen of its original novelty and magic since opening more than four years ago, the dumplings at the original World Square branch are still delectable, juicy mini-purses of joy. They're prepared (in signature DTF style) by a legion of surgical mask-wearing chefs in a big glass-walled kitchen. The dumplings and buns include variations on prawn, pork and vegetarian fillings, but the Shanghai xiao long bao (pork dumplings) are a highlight, with their shot of hot liquid goodness. Should you tire of the house speciality (as if), there's a choice of competently prepared soups, salads, noodles and Taiwanese rice dishes. Desserts feature cold mango-based sweets and ice-cream, but dumpling diehards may prefer hot options such as dainty, sweetly glutinous steamed red bean dumplings. Also at The Star & Westfield Sydney