Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung, which has more than 180 locations worldwide — including a Hong Kong location that was awarded a Michelin star in 2009 — has opened its first outpost in Las Vegas, inside the ARIA Resort & Casino.
A lively show kitchen serves as the venue's signature design feature, spotlighting the craftsmanship of Din Tai Fung's dedicated Xiao Long Bao culinary team and what goes into the intricate creation of 10,000 dumplings each day.
Din Tai Fung’s dining room features a soaring 40-foot glass wall which floods the space with natural light and offers a view of Nancy Rubin’s “Big Edge” art installation. The dining space is punctuated with cliffs made from hundreds of stacked stones and paintings from Parker Ito that originally debuted at Art Basel. The works intertwine Ito's Japanese heritage with his experiences in Las Vegas, while depicting his unconventional studio practice utilizing photography, painting and printmaking techniques.
Image courtesy of Din Tai Fung
The legacy of Din Tai Fung dates back to Taiwan 1972 when Mr. Bing-Yi Yang pivoted his simple cooking oil shop to focus on his increasingly popular soup dumplings. Revered for its attention to detail, Din Tai Fung caught the attention of Japanese tourists, launching a worldwide dumpling empire that now stretches across 13 countries. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the concept's expansion to the United States.
"It is an exciting moment to see my grandfather's humble dream now in lights on the iconic Las Vegas Strip," says Aaron Yang, Vice President of Din Tai Fung Restaurant Group. "For nearly five decades, we've meticulously honed our culinary techniques to ensure every Din Tai Fung guest experiences the same Xiao Long Bao perfection my grandfather introduced in 1972, regardless of where they are in the world. As we open our doors in Las Vegas, I know he is as proud as we are to welcome the millions of people who visit this city each year to experience Din Tai Fung at ARIA."