Din Tai Fun coming to SCP!

This was just a warning to people who think they can eat at DTF SCP @ odd hours.  No you can't.
 
SAT is never odd hours.

What's interesting is the covered garage parking near DTF is so packed now.

Pro tip: Go down, not up to find parking. We went all the way to the 4th (or 5th) floor and found nothing, went down one floor below the first and parking galore.
 
Just get there first thing in the morning (9:45) and treated like dim sum. 

People have to wait around for dim sum on the weekends anyways.

It's good but a little expensive.  Worth trying.
 
Went on Sunday, 15 minute wait just to find out it's a 2 hour wait.

Anyhow, we got to try their menu.  The smallest portion sizes I'd ever seen.  The food is good but between the wait and portion sizes, it's an expensive meal.
 
ZeroLot said:
Went on Sunday, 15 minute wait just to find out it's a 2 hour wait.

Anyhow, we got to try their menu.  The smallest portion sizes I'd ever seen.  The food is good but between the wait and portion sizes, it's an expensive meal.
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so is there a separate wait area/line to find out how long the wait time is?
 
Yeah, but you can just ask the people who just put down their number how long the wait is...so You don't have to spend 15 min to find out.
 
Yes wait in line and wait for your turn to find out how long you still have to wait for the text message that say to arrive and wait in line while your table is being set up. You must reply immediately by text or lose your turn. If you don't have a cell phone then just wait in line for the entire duration. DTF will not give out number because he knows Qwerty's scalper relatives will all be there.


[ quote author=qwerty link=topic=3778.msg244086#msg244086 date=1411592687]
ZeroLot said:
Went on Sunday, 15 minute wait just to find out it's a 2 hour wait.

Anyhow, we got to try their menu.  The smallest portion sizes I'd ever seen.  The food is good but between the wait and portion sizes, it's an expensive meal.
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so is there a separate wait area/line to find out how long the wait time is?
[/quote]
 
I just received latest news that Qwerty's relatives are all hired to work in the fishbowl. Don't let that shorty Mexican with the huge biceps fool you he may be short but his tool is long.
 
DTF only hire Mexicans to work in the fishbowl because he knows they can't run off to open a dumpling taqueria. There is always one Chinese guy there that safeguard that bowl of meat fillings. That Starbucks across from DTF should start a line of Boba Latte drinks.
 
qwerty you should seriously consider go down there give those worker of your la raza a good talk.  If they can master the art of making those dumplings, just think about the possibilities.  Let's open a qwerty's dumpling house, empanadillas de chinito coming up. 
 
lnc said:
qwerty you should seriously consider go down there give those worker of your la raza a good talk.  If they can master the art of making those dumplings, just think about the possibilities.  Let's open a qwerty's dumpling house, empanadillas de chinito coming up. 
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Why stop there. I should be the agent for the hispanic workforce in irvine.

Chinitos - you want your food cooked?  Your restaurant cleaned? Your grass cut?  It's time to pay up chinito.  You don't pay up you get shut down. You just gave me a great idea. I will be running irvine by 1/1/15.
 
qwerty said:
lnc said:
qwerty you should seriously consider go down there give those worker of your la raza a good talk.  If they can master the art of making those dumplings, just think about the possibilities.  Let's open a qwerty's dumpling house, empanadillas de chinito coming up. 
Click to expand...

Why stop there. I should be the agent for the hispanic workforce in irvine.

Chinitos - you want your food cooked?  Your restaurant cleaned? Your grass cut?  It's time to pay up chinito.  You don't pay up you get shut down. You just gave me a great idea. I will be running irvine by 1/1/15.
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Why don't you just run for Mayor of Irvine.  I'd vote for you!
 
TI is actually very well suited for Irvine political discussion.  I would love to see this site influence Irvine politics.
 
Finally had time to get some Din Tai:

0E9C4681-62A2-4F06-9FA4-1A4A1EEF9017_zps3wmwvaw1.jpg

Seaweed and Bean Curd $4.30 (Huh, my second favorite dish at DTF is still this simple dish)

7F3E3AD1-E315-488A-B848-15E8150F2BB7_zpsuatmoujq.jpg

Pork Xiao Long Bao, $9.50 (Still delicious, skin texture is perfect, juicy filling, clean porky taste)

DF915F4B-0299-43C6-85DE-4EE42077821B_zpsn2ql03wb.jpg

Truffle Pork XiaoLongBao, $22.50 (!)

A918CE90-EF6D-45F6-B5CD-BBEFD75ABFDA_zpsueq2wmbk.jpg

Chicken Fried Noodle, $9

We were planning to go Monday night to avoid waiting, but it didn't happen.  Today we arrived around noon, signed in, asked the lady how long the wait, and was told 1-2 hours.  Kid's hungry, so we went across the street to Bella Cuba to start grubbing.  Had a great meal there, came back, shopped a little and got our text to line up in 10 minutes.  It was exactly 2 hours since we first put our name down.  Still pretty full from Bella and taste buds are very garlicked out so not ideal for DTF.  Oh well, we hardly get time off together on a weekday, dumplings or bust!

Nice decor for a chinese place, the dumpling making showcase booth is a bit spartan, and since most people are walking around the mall waiting for their text, I think the booth is underutilized.  They should've had the booth in the front of the restaurant so people can see it.  Lots of non-chinese wait staff/manager, so that's new.  We'll see if they last before they truck in the cheaper mainland laborers. 

So on to the food.  The seaweed/beancurd appetizer is a great palate cleanser.  I can eat this 3 meals a day.  Oh, they have alcohol!  Got a Sculpin' on tap, not bad for $6.50.  Pork XLB is good as always.  Only got one tray since we were still pretty full from Bella.  The truffle XLB is ok, but not worth the $5/dumpling.  At least we tried it.  Also got pork chop soup noodle and a chicken fried noodle.  More for lunch tomorrow.  They still don't do takeout, which doesn't make any sense to me.  So your kitchens can't handle the food orders?  Hire more people?  Maybe?

I bet DTF is a godsend for SCP, lots of mainlanders here:  shop for 2 hours then dine at DTF, a win win!
 
irvinehomeowner said:
2 hour wait?

Should be WTF, not DTF!
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Did PS9 went on Veterans Day?  That might explains the long wait.

I want there last Wednesday.  Got there about 10:40 and only about 10 party ahead of me waiting in line. By the time they opens at 11:00, the line extented to the front of Sears but every one got in right away.  When I done around 12:00,  overheard  the hostess  telling the customer that the wait was 20min. 
 
My family and I went there last couple weekends for brunch. We arrived around 9:45 or 9:50 and had no problem to get a table upon their opening time (for weekend it's 10:00). And when we left around 11:20 We overheard the wait was about 20-30 minutes.
 
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