Dinner at Din Tai Fung in Bellevue

Ah, the hype behind Din Tai Fung is crazy.  The wait times are crazy and the prices are high.  But one would never know because the prices are located on another sheet from the menu.  I'm sorry but twelve bucks is too much for a medium plate of fried rice with chicken.  Yes, the cocktails were tasty and unique, the food came out fast and the dumplings were good.  But...its an overpriced dumpling and noodle house in Bellevue.  People are known to wait for two hours for a table.  Save your money and head to Chinatown and get the same food for way less.  Or better yet, save your money for a plane ticket to Taiwan and eat it there. 

My drink was a Pineapple Cake cocktail with Belvedere Vodka that tasted like Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  It was sweet and went down easily, even if a little on the small side.  My husband enjoyed his Braised Beef Noodle Soup and found the beef to be super tender and flavorful.  We all shared the spendy fried rice and then we shared the chicken steamed dumplings and the shrimp and pork steamed dumplings.  The dumplings were juicy and the chicken ones were nice because of the touch of ginger.  I expected the shrimp and pork ones to be more flavorful.  The steamed dumplings were $10.25 for ten.  The prices added up quickly and I got a sticker shock when the bill was presented.  If only the prices were more visible I wouldn't have been so surprised by the bill at the end of the meal.