Chefs, take a bao: Europe’s largest dumpling house Din Tai Fung to open in London

Europe’s largest Asian dumpling restaurant is to open in Covent Garden next month in a major acceleration of London’s “bao wave”.

Taiwan chain Din Tai Fung is turning the former Henry’s cafe bar in Henrietta Street into a huge 250-seat “no reservations” flagship over two floors.

The brand — famed for its signature xiao long bao steamed pork dumplings — already has 151 restaurants across the Far East, Australia and America but none yet in Europe.

The launch on December 5 will be followed by a second outlet next year, on the second floor of the Centre Point tower. They tap into a fast-growing taste for Asian dumplings and buns, with a number of other launches in recent years including Soho’s BAO and Flesh and Buns in Seven Dials.

Bai Xue-feng, UK director of Din Tai Fung, said the menu would not be a “compromised version for the local market”, adding: “We believe that London being a foodie capital of the world wouldn’t accept any less than that.”

About 100 staff will be hired to work in Covent Garden. Each xiao long bao is made with pork filling wrapped in a delicate dough skin that has to be pleated with exactly 18 folds, twisted at the top and steamed. In the kitchen, each dumpling passes through six stations manned by a different team of “dian xin” — dim sum chefs who are trained for up to six months.

Other fillings expected to appear on the menu include crab roe and pork, and pork and truffle. The Covent Garden venue will serve Taiwan-inspired cocktails and pearl milk tea topped with chewy, sweet tapioca balls.

Din Tai Fung was founded by Yang Bingyi and wife Lai Penmei in 1958 as a cooking oil business, but was reborn as a dumpling and noodle restaurant in 1972. It has branches in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand and the US. In 2010 the Hong Kong branch won a Michelin star.

Henry Chu, chief executive of Singapore-based BreadTalk Group, which is partnering with Din Tai Fung to bring it to London, said: “We want to appeal to local Londoners who could come every other day.”

5 Henrietta St, WC2E 8PT, dintaifung-uk.com