You must head to Markham if you're looking for an authentic xiaolongbao experience (this shouldn't be much of a surprise). And Ding Tai Fung delivers. Named #1 Best Dumplings by blogTO, I had to check them out. With no affiliation to Taiwan's famous Din Tai Fung chain, this place is doing xiaolongbao all their own. What are they? Shanghai soup dumplings! Steamed in a bamboo basket (called a xiaolong) these little pockets of soupy deliciousness are incredible when done well.

We visited on a Saturday evening and were met with a busy restaurant and an even busier parking lot. The first thing that you notice upon entering the restaurant is the glorious aroma in the air. Next, my eyes landed on the huge glass window into the kitchen where half a dozen cooks were busy filling and pinching dumplings among towers of bamboo baskets. The feeling of the space is exactly what you would expect; a comfortable, decently nice room with minimal decor. We were seated right away at a big, round family-style table complete with a lazy susan in the middle (so useful!). Each table is adorned with a pot of hot jasmine green tea, a welcoming way to sip while you peruse the menu. The staff was friendly and graciously answered any of our perplexed questions. 

I ordered an Iced Tea with Milk ($3.49) to drink. Served strong and bitter, a small pitcher of sweet liquid simple syrup was included so that I could sweeten the iced tea to taste. Once my drink was a little bit sweeter I really enjoyed this bold and punchy cold tea.

The menu is long and extensive with many different pages and sections. My advice is to begin with the bao (buns) and to expand from there. We were provided with a piece of paper and a pen to mark down our order by checking off our selections. Then we simply handed this sheet of paper to the server and waited for everything to arrive!

Our main item of interest, of course, was the Steamed Soup Dumplings with Crab Meat & Pork Filling ($10.25). These were the xiaolongbao that we were anxiously awaiting to taste. Our server removed the bamboo lid and with a flourish of steam six skillfully handcrafted dumplings came into view. Pinched to perfection, we excitedly dove in. Consuming a xiaolongbao properly involves a few intricacies that are helpful to be aware of. First, lift the dumpling by the top of the pinch with your chopsticks and place it into your spoon. Next, poke a hole into the bottom of the dumping with your chopstick to release the hot broth. Allow the broth to fill your spoon and slurp away! Next, enjoy the rest of the dumpling with ginger and sauce. It's truly a beautiful dining experience.

These xiaolongbao were the best that I've ever had! Each one was bursting full of delicious buttery broth. The savoury filling of crab and pork was beautifully seasoned, seafoody and very flavourful. Each bite was like a comforting warm hug and I loved everything about them. Incredible.

For something non-bao we ordered the Braised Bean Curd with Chinese Mushroom ($12.99). This was nice for something different. The texture of the bean curd (tofu) was very pleasant and deeply saucy. The meaty mushrooms were a perfect compliment in the glaze-like sauce.

Not finished with the steamed dumplings, we made sure to also try the Steamed Shrimp & Pork Siu Mai ($8.99). A slightly different style of bao from a different region, these ones are decidedly more ornamental. Equally soupy on the inside and bursting with flavour, I enjoyed the plump and sweet shrimp that was positioned atop each dumpling. The pork filling was very good. You can't go wrong with any/all dumplings at Ding Tai Fung.

We also couldn't miss a more fluffy style of bao and ordered the Shanghai-Style Pan-Fried Pork Buns ($8.75). My husband's favourite, these buns are larger, softer, and like warm pillows. Sprinkled with sesame seeds, these orbs are so easy to bite into and offer a very satisfying texture. The savoury pork nestled within is like a delicious little treasure.

We couldn't leave without trying one of their interesting-sounding desserts and decided to go as far away from the "familiar" as we could. Sesame-Filled Sweet Dumplings in Soup with Fermented Rice & Egg Drop ($8.25). Our server dished our dessert soup into our bowls and I marveled at the fact that I had not seen anything like this before. This dessert was so unique and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to try it! The sweet broth was warm and almost syrupy, but not so sweet that it became too much. The egg within the soup was exactly like hot egg drop soup, which was so interesting to see in dessert form. The dumplings themselves were deliciously beautiful pockets that contained an amazing black sesame paste. I loved the bit of bite to them. I cannot stress enough how different this dessert was (the closest thing that it reminded me of is Indian gulab jamun) and how wonderfully every unexpected component came together.

I loved the authentic and delicious experience that I had at Ding Tai Fung! The xiaolongbao were the best that I've ever had, even better than any that I tried in Vancouver. I certainly want to return to try more types of their bao and I've also heard that the Shanghai Wonton with Spicy Sauce is very good. A must-do to satisfy your dumpling needs!

This is our go-to "fancy" Shanghai restaurant. Almost everything's decent, but my favourite is their xiao long bao. I do find their "handmade" noodles (beef noodle soup) to be a bit disappointing. This place is a bit pricier than a lot of smaller, hole-in-the-wall Shanghai restaurants that are on par when it comes to food, but I like the location and the atmosphere of Ding Tai Fung.