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September 16, 2026

Lunch at Din Tai Fung Alabang: Xiaolongbao and More

Now that I’ve finally shared our first Din Tai Fung experience in Taipei, it’s time to share our recent lunch at Din Tai Fung Alabang Town Center.

I knew that Din Tai Fung had several branches in the Philippines, but I had no idea that they already had a branch here in the South. I only found out when I stumbled upon the FEATR YouTube video featuring “The World’s Most Famous Dumplings” with Erwan Heussaff.

That's when I searched for their branches and found out they opened their Alabang Town Center branch on October 15, 2024. Matagal na rin pala! It just so happened that we don’t usually go to Alabang Town Center. I can’t even remember our last visit there, so I was really surprised to see Din Tai Fung. California Pizza Kitchen pa kasi yun during my last visit!

Anyway, if you’ve been reading my blog, you probably know that we usually eat at Ippon Yari after grocery shopping. But this time, since I was craving xiaolongbao, I told my husband na sa Din Tai Fung naman kami.

I also wanted to try some of their other dishes since our last Din Tai Fung experience in Taipei was more focused on dumplings.

Ordering at Din Tai Fung

Upon arrival, the staff asked, “First time niyo po dito?” We said yes. She then asked if we had already tried Din Tai Fung at another branch, and we said yes. She ushered us to our table and gave us the order form.

Since it was my first time ordering from their menu, it took me a while to browse through the pages and decide what to get. In the end, I ordered:

10 pcs. Xiaolongbao — PHP 385
Pork Chop Fried Rice — PHP 395
Sweet and Sour Pork — PHP 335
3 pcs. Chocolate Lava Xiaolongbao — PHP 185

My husband has also tried Din Tai Fung branches in Singapore and the Philippines, so I let him order for himself. He added:

Salted Fish Rice — PHP 255
Golden Prawn Cake — PHP 285 + Service Charge

By the way, one thing I noticed when we sat down was the glasses of water already on the table. I got confused at first and thought, bakit may tubig na dito? May uminom na ba?

I then checked the other tables and noticed that the empty tables also already had glasses of water. I’m not particularly fond of this setup because I don’t know how long the glasses of water have been sitting on the table.

In Taipei, they serve complimentary hot tea, while here in the Philippines, they provide complimentary service water instead.

Our Food

Our first order arrived after around 10 minutes.

And finally, the xiaolongbao! Namiss ko talaga yung xiaolongbao ng Taipei. Feeling ko nga kaya kong ubusin agad yung 10 pieces. Hehehe!

But of course, I need space for my rice meal. After trying the other dishes, I realized that the food was good, but they weren’t dishes that I would specifically go out of my way to have again, especially since this branch is quite far from us.

But if we’re talking about xiaolongbao, that’s a different story. I would definitely come back for their xiaolongbao because I really like it. Both the regular Pork Xiaolongbao and the Chocolate Lava Xiaolongbao were enjoyable.

So far, our experience with the service was also good. The staff was attentive, and our orders arrived pretty quickly.

Final Thoughts

Overall, our Din Tai Fung Alabang experience was good, especially because I finally got to satisfy my xiaolongbao craving without having to fly back to Taipei.

For me, the xiaolongbao remains the highlight of the meal, particularly the pork and chocolate lava versions. And now that I know there’s a Din Tai Fung branch in Alabang, at least I have another option whenever that xiaolongbao craving hits.

September 15, 2026

My First Din Tai Fung Experience at Taipei 101

We recently had lunch at Din Tai Fung Alabang Town Center, and while we were enjoying our meal, I realized that I still haven’t shared my first-ever Din Tai Fung experience!

Since we had already tried the branch in Alabang Town Center, I thought it was time to reminisce about our first Din Tai Fung food trip in Taipei, Taiwan, before sharing our more recent Alabang Town Center experience.

I know Din Tai Fung already has several branches in the Philippines, but since we live outside Metro Manila, I hadn’t had the chance to try it before. So, when we planned our Taipei trip, I made sure to include Din Tai Fung in our itinerary.

And, of course, I chose one of the most iconic locations I could think of, Taipei 101!

Din Tai Fung Taipei 101

For our visit, I purchased Din Tai Fung Lunch Set A through Klook for PHP 1,948 per person, and I chose the Taipei 101 branch.

Our lunch set included:

· One serving of appetizer
· Four Pork Xiaolongbaos
· One Steamed Vegetable and Ground Pork Dumpling
· One Steamed Shrimp and Pork Dumpling
· One Steamed Fish Dumpling
· One Steamed Shrimp and Pork Shao Mai
· One Red Bean Xiaolongbao
· One serving of Stir-Fried Vegetables
· One serving of Shredded Pork Fried Rice with Egg
· One serving of Hot and Sour Soup
· Service fee

Total: PHP7,792

Our Waiting Time

Before our trip, I read that queues at Din Tai Fung can often exceed one to two hours, especially during peak lunch and dinner times. Standard dine-in reservations are generally not accepted, with customers typically getting a queue number on a first-come, first-served basis.

We arrived at the Taipei 101 branch before 12 noon, so we were there relatively early for lunch. Since I had already purchased a voucher through Klook, we followed the process for voucher holders and waited for our turn.

Thankfully, we only waited for around 25 minutes before our number was called. That was definitely a relief, especially after hearing about the long queues!

We were a group of four, and the lunch set was served as shared dishes. The voucher also had a note explaining that the appetizer, fried rice, vegetables, and soup were shared dishes, with portion sizes determined by the number of sets purchased.

The Fried Rice Surprise

I was aware of the note in the voucher, so I knew beforehand that these dishes would be served for sharing. However, when the fried rice arrived, I was honestly shocked by the portion.

We were a group of four, but the serving looked like it would be enough for only one or two people. I understood that the fried rice was a shared dish, but after seeing the actual portion and having four people share it, I really felt that it wasn't a reasonable amount for our group.

We continued with our meal and enjoyed the other dishes. Since we were busy exploring Taipei during our trip, I didn't have the time to contact Klook immediately. It was only after our trip, when I finally had time to look back at the experience, that I contacted Klook to share my concern about the fried rice portion.

Fortunately, Klook responded and provided me with a small compensation for the fried rice. I appreciated that they listened to my concern and offered a resolution.

It was a little disappointing, especially since this was my first Din Tai Fung experience, but I'm glad that Klook addressed the issue.

Our First Din Tai Fung Food Trip

Despite that little hiccup with the fried rice, we really enjoyed our first Din Tai Fung experience!

We enjoyed trying each of the different dumplings included in the set. It was exciting to finally taste the dishes we had heard so much about, especially the famous Xiaolongbao.

The dumplings were definitely the highlight for us. We tried different varieties, and it was interesting to taste the differences between each one.

By the end of our meal, the only thing we had left was the Hot and Sour Soup. I’m not really fond of this type of soup, so I didn’t have any. I think only my husband tried it. Everything else, though, was pretty much enjoyed by the four of us!

I honestly don't know if the lunch set was expensive compared to simply ordering from the regular menu, so I can't really say if it was the better value. But during that time, we weren't really focused on getting the best deal. We were simply there to enjoy our first Din Tai Fung experience in Taipei, and that's exactly what we did.

Another nice touch was the complimentary hot tea served with our meal.

Overall, we enjoyed our first Din Tai Fung food trip in Taipei. It was definitely one of the food experiences I wanted to have during our Taiwan trip, and choosing the Taipei 101 branch made it even more memorable.

Din Tai Fung
B1, No. 45, Shifu Road, Xinyi District,
Taipei City (Exit 4 of MRT Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station)
Hours: 10:45 AM – 8:30 PM daily

September 03, 2026

A Birthday Buffet at Brasserie on 3 Conrad Manila

A month before my birthday, I was already searching for restaurants where we could celebrate. I made a list of restaurants I wanted to try, but we eventually chose Brasserie on 3 at Conrad Manila because, among my choices, ito lang yung may promo at that time.

Brasserie on 3 was on my list last year, but they required a minimum number of diners, so we couldn't try it. This year, they no longer required a minimum number of people, although the discount was no longer 50%. They were offering 30% off their lunch and dinner buffet instead.

My husband tried calling to make a reservation, but no one was answering, so he filled out the reservation form on their website instead. We didn't receive a confirmation, though, so he eventually messaged them on Facebook to verify our reservation.

Brasserie on 3 Buffet Rates

Here are the regular buffet rates at the time of our visit:

· Lunch, Monday to Saturday: PHP 3,200
· Lunch, Sunday: PHP 3,400
· Dinner, Monday to Sunday: PHP 3,600

30% Off Rates

With the 30% discount, the rates were:

· Lunch, Monday to Saturday: PHP 2,240
· Lunch, Sunday: PHP 2,380
· Dinner, Monday to Sunday: PHP 2,520

Our Birthday Lunch at Brasserie on 3

Fast forward to my birthday celebration, I was a little bit excited because it had been a long time since my last buffet experience, sa Disney Adventure Cruise pa!

It was also our first time visiting Conrad Manila. Since we live outside Metro Manila, we decided to leave early. Surprisingly, there was no traffic, so we arrived about 45 minutes before the restaurant opened.

Buffet lunch is from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Before 12:00 PM, they had already started welcoming guests, although the buffet spread was still closed.

While waiting, I explored the buffet area and, honestly, I was a little surprised because I was expecting more. Since the regular rate is already PHP 3,000+, I was expecting a bigger selection with more food stations. So, at first glance, I felt a little underwhelmed.

Buffet Food Selection

One thing I immediately noticed was that there was no tempura station and no lechon. Of course, I understand that every buffet restaurant has its own selection and specialties, but these are two dishes that I always look forward to whenever I eat at a buffet. So I was a little disappointed not to see them.

Thankfully, they had steak, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo. Waah!

They also had a seafood station. However, the grilled seafood was served at room temperature. It actually reminded me of the seafood setup at The Pantry at Dusit Thani. My husband enjoyed the seafood station, but personally, I prefer buffet restaurants where you can have your seafood cooked according to your preference, like at The Café, Cucina, Seasonal Tastes, and Marriott Café.

I simply prefer my food served warm, especially grilled seafood.

There was also a Teppanyaki station, although the choices were quite limited. I ordered the beef teppanyaki, but when it arrived, mas marami pa yung vegetables kaysa beef. Hehehe!

What I Enjoyed Most

Among all the food I tried, the steak and the dessert station were my favorites. I enjoyed all the desserts I tried, and they also had halo-halo, which was a nice addition.

So while I found the overall food selection a little underwhelming for the price, I was happy that I found dishes that I genuinely enjoyed.

The Restaurant Ambiance

It was a weekend, but the restaurant wasn't crowded during our visit. Because of this, the dining area felt spacious and maaliwalas.

I actually enjoyed that part of the experience. It didn't feel chaotic or overly busy, which made our birthday lunch more relaxing.

Birthday Celebration

At around 1:13 PM, one of the staff informed my husband that the singers would be coming to our table soon.

Since we had already finished most of our meal, we decided to have the complimentary tea and coffee while waiting.

After about 25 minutes of waiting, I told my husband that I didn't want to wait for the birthday song anymore. I was already ready to ask for the bill because I didn't want to spend more of my birthday just waiting.

Good thing the staff gave me my complimentary birthday cake, so at least may picture ako with the cake. Hehehe! We decided to take the cake home.

But here's the funny part: just as we were about to leave our table, the singers finally came to our side of the restaurant!

It was already 1:50 PM, which means we had waited approximately 37 minutes since the staff told us at 1:13 PM that the singers were coming.

By then, we were already getting ready to leave, so unfortunately, I wasn't able to enjoy the birthday song at our table.

My Thoughts on the Birthday Song

I actually think the birthday singing could be organized differently.

I understand that it is nice to have a personalized birthday song for every celebrant, but because the singers go from table to table and some guests also request additional songs, it can take quite a while.

Personally, I think it would be more efficient if they did the birthday song per group or per section, and then served the complimentary cakes at the same time.

This is something I experienced at The Café, where the birthday song is done per group. For me, that system feels more organized and avoids having guests wait too long.

Final Thoughts

Anyway, it was my birthday celebration, so ayaw ko rin magpakastress.

Despite the things that I felt could have been better, I still enjoyed our lunch. I was happy that I got to celebrate my birthday at a new restaurant with my family.

Still, I'm glad we finally got to try Brasserie on 3 after having it on my list for quite some time.