I mean DTF as in ‘Din Tai
Fung’
It may have feel like eons
ago when Taipei 101 stood as the tallest skyscraper in the world when it
first opened in 2004. Ten taller buildings later—led by Dubai’s Burj
Khalifa—Taiwan’s tower of
power, remains as an enigma of an architectural wonder lording over the
skyline of Taipei. Standing 1,667 feet with 101 floors, Taipei 101 held the
title of the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010.
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| Notice the architecture resembling a stack of Chinese food take-out boxes |
Higher than several
mountains I’ve hiked on daytrips before, I wouldn’t pass up a chance to climb
into Taipei 101’s observation deck and check out the view of Taipei city from a
towering perspective. All it took for us to reach the observation deck at the
89th floor was 37 seconds—thanks to the building's high-speed elevator that can
soar up to 1,010 meters per minute.
The Observation Deck @89th and @91st Floor
The observation deck at
the 89th floor features an indoor observatory covered with a floor-to-ceiling
UV protected glass window offering a 360-degree view. We spent almost an hour
here just walking around looking for the best spot to see the city. There are
binoculars available at a small amount of NT penny for you to use and get a closer look
of the city below.
The fee for the
observatory cost NT$600 for foreigners and allows access from the 88th through
the 91st floor via the high-speed elevator. Afterward, we went up two levels to
the outdoor observatory located at the 91st floor. The view here isn't as clear
as what one could see from the 89th floor because of the waist-high concrete
wall.
According to the latest
update from Taipei 101’s website: “The
91st-floor observatory used to be the highest floor that open to the public
until June 14, 2019 when it was announced by the building's management team
that the 101st floor (at 460m above sea level) will be opened to the general
public, with a quota of 36 people per day and is subject to prior booking”
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| Eva Air's Emily, the Poor Traveler's Astrid, When in Manila's Nicole and SpotPH's Erika |
It may have come almost a
decade late but still, the feeling of finally stepping foot inside the former
world’s tallest building satisfied every bit of my fascination about Taipei
101. While I would always prefer the view from atop a mountain to any man-made
structures, there is an added layer of satisfaction of seeing an expansive view
of the city from a building bursting with engineering and architectural
marvels.
After our time at the observation deck, we cut short our exploration of Taipei 101 except for a short stroll at the mall located on
the ground floor—as we all agreed that we’re all craving for some DTF action.
Eating Soup Dumplings 101 @ Din Tai Fung
When one mentions the
Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung, a foodie mind always comes up with savory images
of the legendary Xiao Long Bao—the paper-thin
wrapped steamed soup dumplings. Although the original
location is located in Xinyi Road, the branch in Taipei 101 is one of Din Tai
Fung's most popular branches worldwide.
Upon being led to our seats, one of the
chefs invited us to watch the other cooks prepare their famous dumplings by
hand behind a glass window separating their busy kitchen. Afterward, he told us
a brief history of Din Tai Fung.
Din Tai Fung was founded
by Yang Bingyi in 1958 originally as an oil reseller naming their company Din
Tai Fung. Business went smoothly until in the early 1970's when canned cooking
oil became popular, thereby putting a financial toll on their business.
Searching for ways to
either re-invent their existing business or start a new one, Yang and his wife
decided on converting their oil store to a small stall selling steamed buns.
Din Tai Fung became a restaurant in 1972 before opening other branches in
Taiwan and other countries.
Following our brief
chit-chat with the chef, came our most awaited part: the Xiao Long Bao feast.
We were served with dumplings with different fillings—including the ones with burning
hot soup and my favorite; the chocolate Xiao Long Bao.
“Kneading, rolling, filling, folding, steaming…” the chefs at Din
Tai Fung has mastered the art of making Xiao Long Bao with such finesse. The
daily long lines of diners that greet every branch of Din Tai Fung—especially this
one at Taipei 101—represent the culinary journey that this food institution has
undergone from being a mere cooking oil retail store to a Michelin starred
restaurant with branches all over the world (Metro Manila, Philippines
included).
Remember before you start, here are
the 4 steps on how to eat Xiao Long Bao as written on the menu:
- . Put soy sauce and vinegar into the bowl with sliced ginger (one part soy sauce to three parts vinegar would be best)
- Take the soup dumpling and dip it into the sauce.
- Then put the dumpling into your spoon, and poke a hole in the wrapper of the dumpling to release the juices.
- And finally eat.
