Originally founded in Taipei, Taiwan as a cooking oil retail business in 1958, Din Tai Fung eventually became a steamed dumpling and noodle restaurant in 1972. Today, the highly-lauded chain of eateries has branches in Japan, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and Thailand. In 1993, the New York Times rated Din Tai Fung as one of the top ten gourmet restaurants in the world and in 2010, the Hong Kong branch was awarded its first Michelin star. The San Diego location opened in October 2018 near The Pointe in Westfield UTC mall and spans a whopping 10,000 square feet. Starting in 2021, Din Tai Fung has operated a micro version inside San Diego Padres Petco Park.
Din Tai Fung abruptly closed for business on Saturday afternoon, with reports claiming it was due to a small kitchen fire. Others are stating there was an HVAC issue that caused the air conditioning to stop working. Either way, the restaurant will be closed for at least the next couple days with no word on exactly when it will reopen.
Din Tai Fung is located at 4301 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 2000, within San Diego's Westfield UTC mall. For more information, visit dintaifungusa.com.
