A Little Taste of Taiwan

After a day at the Santa Anita Racetrack, we get dinner at Din Tai Fung, a world famous dumpling house. Be afraid of the line. It will be long. But, no matter how busy the place is, the food is consistent, consistent, consistent. Seriously, Mussolini would be impressed.

We always order the same items, starting out with the sauteed string beans with garlic.

I don't know if they are sauteed as much as deep fried in oil. Either way, along with being slathered in garlic, I can't imagine any kids pushing these away.

Next, onto the famous juicy pork dumplings.

AKA xiaolongbao, XLB, or soup dumplings. The dumplings are wrapped with pork and a congealed mixture that liquifies as the dumplings cook. So, they're not lying with the juicy description in the title. Here's a look at the inside of one.

The liquidy goodness spills into the spoon. I find the dumplings are best dipped in vinegar with a small piece of ginger. It truly is a perfect bite of food.

The meal ends with red bean buns.

The red bean mixture is quite sweet and I love the texture.

Always a great meal.