Highly Anticipated Soup Dumpling Specialist Din Tai Fung Plans an October Debut on the Strip

The wait for Kurobuta pork xiao long bao finally comes to an end this fall when the highly respected Taiwanese dumpling specialist Din Tai Fung arrives at Aria. The masters of soup dumplings, which require 18 folds to carefully hold the soup within, open their 13th American restaurant, replacing Aria Cafe, once known as the largest 24-hour café on the Strip, on October 19.

Din Tai Fung takes over 5,580 square feet with a view through the massive tilted windows looking out onto Nancy Rubins’ Big Edge canoe sculpture and Vdara. Aria allocated an estimated $2.2 million in construction costs alone to renovate the dining room and an open kitchen that gives diners a glimpse of the handiwork involved in preparing xiao long bao, steamed pork soup dumplings, precisely made with 18 lucky folds, 16 grams of meat, and 5 grams of dough.

The company originally opened in 1958 and grew to more than 170 locations across 13 countries. In Los Angeles, diners grew accustomed to waiting 90 minutes for a table, a delay that will be alleviated by the size of the Las Vegas restaurant, along with mandatory reservations.

In Las Vegas, diners can expect a menu featuring shao mai, pot stickers, noodle soups, fried Shanghai-style crispy fried pork chops, wontons with shrimp and pork, pork buns, and xiao long bao desserts. Din Tai Fung originally planned to open in April, but with the coronavirus pandemic, postponed until fall. The restaurant plans to be open from 4 to 11 p.m. nightly. For highly recommended reservations, visit here.

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