food

Din Tai Fung vs Dough Zone

There’s a Din Tai Fung and a Dough Zone in my neighborhood, both within a very short walk of each other. I’ve eaten at both and have wondered to myself, “who makes the better soup dumplings?”

Is it Din Tai Fung, the more expensive, 5-time Michelin star winning restaurant? Or would it be Dough Zone, the fast-growing, more affordable alternative that is considered by some to be the best in Seattle? I decided to do a back-to-back comparison, two dinners in one night.

In addition to the soup dumplings, I was also curious to try a few other items: pork buns, wontons in chili sauce, and the dan dan noodles. On a scale of 0-5, here’s how Leah and I ranked them.

Soup Dumplings

🏆 Din Tai Fung (Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao)

Raja: 4.5 - “Tiny, adorable sized. Clean taste. Impossibly thin dough. Impressive.”

Leah: 4.0 - “Nice spice, more soup than Dough Zone.”

Dough Zone (Berkshire-Duroc Pork Xiao Long Bao)

Raja: 3.75 - “Thin and delicate dough. Melts right in my mouth, great mouth feel for the soup”

Leah: 3.0 - “A little too salty. Don’t like the meat taste. Dough is good. Not much soup.”

Pork buns

Din Tai Fung (Kurobuta Pork Buns, steamed)

Raja: 1.5 - “Heavy dough. The only item I didn’t finish”

Leah: 2.0 - “Chewy dough but I don’t care for the taste of this dough and meat.”

🏆 Dough Zone (Q-BAO Pan Fried Pork Buns)

Raja: 4.0 - “Excellent crispy bottom. Delightfully thin as well. Kinda mushy, more texture over flavor, but I’d get it again.”

Leah: 2.0 - “Top part dough is great, bottom was too crispy. Don’t like the meat.”

Wontons in chili sauce

🏆 Din Tai Fung (Vegetable & Kurobuta Pork Spicy Wontons)

Raja: 4.0 - “Vegetable flavor and texture dominates. More scallions on top of these. More depth in flavor, the sweet and spicy is better balanced here.”

Leah: 4.0 - “Great texture. Not a strong meat taste which is good. Sauce is good.”

Dough Zone (Pork Wontons with Chili Sauce)

Raja: 3.5 - “Supremely thin. Slippery and slides down my mouth. Barely there, small portion, very sweet.”

Leah: 3.5 - “Great texture. Don’t like the meat taste. Sauce is good, sweet.”

Dan Dan noodles

Din Tai Fung (Noodles with Sesame Sauce)

Raja: 2.0 - “Boring. Simple.”

Leah: 2.0 - “Meh sauce. Straight noodle texture.”

🏆 Dough Zone (Dan Dan Noodles)

Raja: 4.5 - “I could eat two orders of it. Perfect spice. Tingly, slippery and chewy. Wavy texture.”

Leah: 4.5 - “Great spice level, could eat it all. Tingly from Sichuan peppercorns, wavy shape.”

Notes

  • Leah doesn’t really like meat, as you can probably tell. Keep that in mind as you read her notes.

  • We went to Din Tai Fung first, put our names down for a 90min wait and ate first at Dough Zone. I would’ve suspected that we’d be too full to enjoy Din Tai Fung, but that’ wasn’t true.

  • It wasn’t fair of me to compare the pan fried Q-bao from Dough Zone to the steamed buns at Din Tai Fung, but I really don’t like steamed buns.

  • I was hoping I’d like the food at Dough Zone more, since it’s almost half the price of Din Tai Fung and it’s far easier to get a table. I’ll still eat at Dough Zone, but now I feel like I’ve got the freedom to explore the items on their menu that aren’t the headliners.

Best things I've eaten around Seattle (first half of 2024)

This year, I decided to keep a shortlist of all the restaurants that I’ve eaten at as a way to quickly remember which of them were memorable meals. I keep notes for each restaurant in a private Google Maps list, and these notes have been helpful when I revisit or when a friend asks me for guidance. Several friends have asked for the actual shortlist of where I’ve eaten so far in 2024.

In my shortlist, I gave them 1-4 stars.

4 stars - This blew my mind. I feel so lucky to have experienced this. Everything about this was impressive and exceptional. I’ll be thinking about this for months.

3 stars - This was very good. I can’t wait to tell my friends about this. There were a few things that weren’t perfect, but I’m still looking forward to coming back.

2 stars - I’d look forward to stopping by if I’m passing through the area.

1 star - I liked it, but I’m not in a rush to come back.

These are not restaurant reviews. They’re just my private notes. I tried to put very little effort into this because I’m having a lot of fun outdoors this summer and typing out words feels like a chore at the moment. I did try to clean up and polish these notes so they at least add some value to you.

4 stars

Joule - A very inventive and creative menu. Sitting by the beautiful fire pit outside is the move, so it’s great for the winter. Scallion pancake was interesting because of the smoked roe, but not good enough to get again. Short rib steak was perfect, but get it only if there's another meat-eater. Butternut squash salad with charred cabbage was our highlight. The squash part tasted boring. The famous spicy rice cake with crisped chorizo was excellent. Instead of getting the cake here, go to Paper Cake a few blocks north for more options from the same owner.

Paju - Came with a group of four. Have at least four people, ideally five. Yellowtail was delicate, beautiful, bathed in a delicious broth. Octopus truly tasted like sausage and had an amazing roe sauce. Mushroom dish was cheesy and incredibly meaty in texture, excellent. Paju fried rice was very seaweed forward, enjoyed it. Sujebi was the crisp bolognese sauce with thick noodles, so damn good. Bulgogi was pretty decent. Crispy pancake was surprisingly good. Chocolate mousse was good and I’d get it again. The Bingsu dish Imay skip next time. Need to come back to try Bugak.

Communion - The hype is real. High expectations exceeded. Everything was exceptional (fried chicken, sweet potato hoecakes, mac & cheese, Berbere chicken, the brownie). Jovial atmosphere and gets better with more people, a lot more. Extremely loud, comically and uncomfortably loud. They even got our order wrong because of how loud it is (but tasted great anyway). Outdoor seating possible but you’d miss out on the gorgeous interior.

3 stars

Deep Sea Sugar and Salt -The most impressive cakes I’ve ever tasted. All the flavors are well-thought through. Order ahead for pickup. One slice can feed two. Tried the London Fog and that’s become a favorite. Cardamom rose was good but not one I’d do again. They have cupcakes too.

Paper Cake - Open late til 9pm, so it’s a perfect after-dinner spot. Had the Good Fortune (lunar new year special) slice and the Ube Mocha. Ube Mocha was a hands down favorite.

Spark Pizza - Parking is shared with Chase Bank next door. There’s always a wait, so arrive at an odd hour. Had the burrata starter (incredible) and the Fun-Gal mushroom pizza (best mushroom pizza ever). Tiramisu was pretty meh so I would skip that. Came again in the winter for the outdoor patio w/ heat lamps and brought together a group.

Stevie’s Famous Burien - Normie slice is very good, wow. But that special-of-the day white slice they had was incredible. There's bottles of chili oil that was really nice to have for the crusts. Salad is really good and the large size is massive. The vanilla custard and pistachio ice creams were superb and a must get.

Spooner Berry Farms - This isn’t a restaurant, but I passed by one of their many farm stands when strawberries were in season. They were the most delicious fruit I’ve ever tasted in my life. All the berries were picked that morning and they sell out fast.

Spinnaker - Also not a restaurant, but worth calling out. Kenji says this shop makes the best chocolate in the world. I don’t disagree. I live nearby and love the self-serve sampling of everything they’ve got.

Good Luck Bread - Another non-restaurant. Every Saturday afternoon, you can pick up the best frozen pizza you’ve ever tasted. The pro move is to grab a pizza or two, drive over to Deep Sea Sugar for desert and have an easy and spectacular dinner at home.

2 stars

E-Jae Pak Mor - Had the Guay Tiew Gaeng with chicken. Enjoyed the fish balls more than I expected. May try with beef or tofu later. The Pak Mor Yuan was messy to eat but the mint dipping sauce was great. Would only get this again if sharing. Try next time: khao mun gai, the tender beef stew.

D’La Santa - Mexican steakhouse, much better vibe than a traditional steakhouse. Beautiful interior with the decorated tree. Would love to come back with friends to get the sampler parrillada.

Nirmal’s - Parking is a pain. Very friendly owner and interesting/creative menu. Won’t get the samosas again but Leah liked them. Saoji Chicken Rassa was delightful: fall-off-bone chicken, super fragrant. I enjoyed but wouldn't get again so I can try something new. Chicken Dum Biryani was phenomenal, one of the best I've ever had.

Flora Bakehouse - A perfect neighborhood bakery, but worth traveling for. Phenomenal pastries. Many savory options too. Really nice rooftop deck. There are a lot of little kids so it seems to be family friendly.

Kamonegi - Awkward seating but cute. Coffee salmon tartare was excellent, get this again. Very unique flavor. Kabocha wings were phenomenal. Uni Shiso Bomb was not worth it, not interesting. Everyone mentions it though. Maitake tempura was earthy and interesting, but not worth it. Black trumpet dipping soba was very rich and sweet, yummy. Vegetable curry soba was a bit bitter and we didn't like it very much.

Dumpling the Noodle - The chili veggie hand-pulled noodles were superb, even as takeout. The beef noodles were not worth it (dry beef, didn't add anything). Pork and onion buns were solid as well, I'd get them again. The bulgogi dumplings were alright, no need to get them again.

Ascend Prime - Superb views. Great for happy hour before a movie at Cinemark. Fries are excellent. Burger is great. The move for pre-theater is one burger and an extra side order of fries. Don't get alcoholic bev (Leah found it too fake-tasting). Consider a n/a if it looks good. Do not get the karaage (waste of money).

Volunteer Park Pantry - Came here on weekday for egg and cheese sandwich which was good, but far overpriced. Had the carrot cake which was large and had lots of warm spices. Good for sharing. Later also tried the Matilda chocolate cake. Top notch vibe here.

Layers Green Lake - Came for lunch on a weekday and found it super busy. Lots of baby strollers. Potato wedges are not worth getting. Notorious PIG sandwich had a fun name but mushy, messy, and too crisp. Not enjoyable to eat. Malted macadamia cookie was divine, extremely good. Leah got the chickpea patty sandwich and enjoyed it.

Thai Tom - Eat in person, takeout isn’t the move. Cash only. I should make it a goal to try all of their entrees. Pad Thai was excellent. Pad See Ew was okay. Drunken Noodles were incredible. Swimming Rama was awesome as leftovers. I prefer spice level 4 here.

The Fairhaven - Stopped by after North Cascades. Parking lot in the center of the block is tricky to find. Jerk Chicken sandwich was absolutely spectacular. The bread was curry flavored and everything about it was excellent. Had a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie that was just fine. Very cute place. Friendly staff.

My Friend Derek’s - Mushroom and jalapeno toppings were comically placed, but the guy was so friendly I let that slide. Would absolutely get it again. Small size feeds two. Took it to Fremont Brewing, which everyone seems to be doing.

Azuki - Very drab Japanese place but very high quality food. Had the signature beef udon which was fantastic and came in an enormous bowl. Started with the salmon donburi which was excellent. Would happily get both again, but want to try the curry beef udon. They have a lot of items that are to-go only which is baffling.

Saint Bread - Nice covered patio by the marina. Former motorboat repair shop. Great for breakfast meetings. Skip orange miso cake, cardamom knot, and beef kare. Get cardamom croissant and school bun. On second visit I tried the burger which wasn't as interesting as I hoped it'd be (too much sweet mayo?). Got the Canele which I liked, pineapple school bun which was fantastic, and the chocolate chip cookie which was excellent. Gochudoodle cookie is slightly spicy but very nicely savory and sweet with crunchy seeds.

Los Cuervos - Stopped on the way to Camp Muir skiing. Very good food, adorable abuela cooking. Got the carne asada quesadilla. Leah got the birria and al pastor taco. Four different fresh (properly refrigerated) salsas. Leah also got flan which was decent.

Theary Cambodian - Came after Camp Muir. Had combo plate, beef pastry, beef skewer, pork skewer. All great. Favorite was pork skewer and beef pastry. Loved the combo plate sticky rice. Came with meatballs and stuffed chicken which was very cool.

Driftwood - Very great vibe inside. Pull-apart rolls are excellent. Got a half order of these as soon as we sat down. Salmon belly was good, wouldn't get again. D'anjou pear was very impressive. White asparagus we loved. Tuscan kale we found too dry. Black cod was stellar. Pork chop was very hearty and perfectly crispy. Chocolate olive oil cake was pretty basic, would skip.

FOB Sushi Bar - Quite cheap for the quality at $15/lb. Long line. Limited seating. Get the items near the end of the line rather than filling up at the front.

White Salmon Baking Co - Really good stuff. My happy place. Get a view of Mt Hood with your pastry.

Orchard House Donuts - Only available on Saturday at the Methow Valley Farmer’s Market. The best donuts I’ve ever had I think.

Rise and Shine Bakery - Crispy pork belly banh mi was good but not likely to be a favorite. Tofu five spice was absolutely excellent and I crave it often. Would be even better if they made it spicier. Beef vermicelli was really good, loved it. Super friendly service, clean and spacious interior, and plenty of easy parking in a non-sketchy part of Aurora.

Ba Bar - The convenience is hard to beat. The broth is very good and complex. Had the Pho Tai Lan and enjoyed it.

Spinasse - Did the asparagus (skip, because it was too much unless there’s a table of four). The artichoke w/ mascarpone was one we thought about for weeks. We did three pasta half-dishes. Butter and sage was phenomenal. Had a melt in your mouth feel. Pork and beef ragu was incredible as well. Adored it. Cavatelli w/ morel and rosemary was nice to try morels, I liked it. Had three desserts. Espresso semifreddo as pretty great. Crostata rhubarb pistachio tart I’d pass. Panna cotta was interesting, but wouldn't do it again.

Eltana Bagels - Everything bagel with spicy garlic/lox/capers. Loved it. Super fast and they gave me a free bagel with it. Very crusty and chewy.

Carlson Block - Mixed mushroom pizza no sauce was incredible. Summer peach ice cream is excellent, as was the triple berry. They sell out fast apparently.

Temple Pastries - Croissants are very good. Skip shallot/gruyere. Rye pan au chocolat is very good, deep and savory flavors. Sugared cruffin was delightful. Chocolate chip cookie with nibs was good. Skip the macarons. Fig/oat cookie just tasted like a healthy cookie. Parking can be difficult, lines very long. Very nice and well lit interior.

Standard Brewing - Came for lunch and sat on the patio. Got all three tacos (smoked carrot, fried catfish, chicken). All were excellent but I went for seconds of the fish and chicken. Very impressive food for a brewery.

Chengdu Taste - Kenji says it’s the best Sichuan in America. Wontons in chili oil, get this, incredible. Sweet and spicy. Twice cooked pork was good, but skip. Mung bean jelly noodles we loved but get if shared with four people. Toothpick cumin lamb, I really enjoyed this but also one to share with a group. Blistered string beans get this as well, great vegetable to have with a lot of flavor. Mapo tofu can be skipped. There's no meat or tingly flavor.

1 star

Butcher and Baker Provisions - Great for after mountain biking at Port Gamble.

Tian Fu Bellevue - Impressed by the service. Mouthwatering Chicken was a bad idea (cold and had bones in it). Tasted good enough but wouldn't get it again. Black fungus salad had a fine texture but wouldn't get it again. Mung bean noodles were thick, square cut noodles that Leah really liked. I did too but preferred the version at Chengdu taste as they were thinner. Dan Dan Noodles wasn’t great here. Sichuan Chili Wontons wer plump and good, but Chengdu taste was better. Mapo tofu was very good, much better than Chengdu Taste. Cumin lamb had a ton of cilantro and not enough meat or cumin.

Carnitas Michoacan - Right off the light rail, which makes it almost an essential stop when commuting back from SeaTac airport. Excellent salsa bar, don’t miss it. Get the asada, Al pastor, and carnitas tacos. Haven’t tried chorizo. Rice and beans were okay. Skip the quesadilla. Skip tres leches (too dry).

Bangkok 99 truck - Had pad see ew, asking for it to be loaded up with veggies on top of the tofu. Tasted pretty good. Spicy level 4 is not too bad. Tempted to get level 5. Would go again if in the area. Maybe try chicken next time.

Dahlia Bakery - Coconut pie is pretty good, but not iconic enough to warrant being a must-try for a tourist. Impressively overhyped, but I’d get it again. Very pricey, fortunately they have a mini size.

La Tarasca - Stopped in on the way back from skiing Helens. Very good spot. I had the carnitas plate which was good but I don't like carnitas enough to get it again. Also had the flan, which was good. Worth getting again if I'm in the mood for dessert. The owner here takes her menu very seriously and has a lot of pride, rightfully so.

Harvest Vine - Location is very transporting, like you’re eating in Basque country. Would’ve been better to sit at the bar instead of downstairs, but it’s still good. The beet salad was great, fun to eat, and presented beautifully. Other dishes were not worth the price at all (octopus and potatoes, prawns w/ saffron rice). Cauliflower was quite good, well charred with a nice green sauce. Be sure to ask for bread to up sauce. Flan was best I've ever had. Incredibly thick. Ice cream trio was also great: honey pear, chocolate, strawberry rhubarb. generous portion. Would get again Overall seemed the main dishes were not worth the price given size. Maybe just come here for dessert after dinner elsewhere.

Ambakity - Great for after mountain biking at St Ed’s. All tacos come dressed up very nicely. Fish taco was excellent, a clear favorite. I could have several of these. Carne Asada was very good. Carnitas were good Rice and beans can be skipped. A very simple and decent outdoor seating area with umbrellas. Red (smoky) and green salsas are both excellent but favorite is green despite being less spicy.

Riv Cafe, The Dalles - Old stone church converted to a cafe. Very good food. Nice outdoor seating.

La Roca, Chelan - Stopped by on the way to Winthrop, and very glad we did. Had the barbacoa plate which was extremely filling. Homemade corn tortillas are superb.

Delancey - Absolutely get the wood-fired asparagus. The sauce was incredible. Got the white pizza with fancy mushrooms (special topping). There was too much brown butter so next time won't get a special topping. Did a big group dinner where we tried all the pizzas. Chocolate chip cookie is excellent. Super friendly servers and great vibe. Tip of 20% already included.

Cloud Cafe - Very friendly service. Village Bowl was very meaty, and I loved it. Tofu Mango salad was very nice to balance it out. Satay pho was good but wouldn't get it again. Would happily come back.

Aahar an Indian Eatery - Reddit recommended for South Indian food. Ordered takeout and sat outside, better than inside. Leah was the only white person there. Great for after Raging River mountain biking. Spicy chicken biryani was pretty good, would get it again but I'd like to try other things. Don’t get the chettinad veg curry. Too greasy. Skip the naan, tasted like supermarket naan.

Rasoi Indian Restaurant and Bakery - Started with the Samosa chaat, which was pretty good but had a lot more yogurt than I would’ve wanted. Don’t think I will get it again, but I want to try the other chaat. The signature chicken changrezi curry was good, but there was not a lot of meat on the bone chicken so I don’t think I’d get it again, but I loved the sauce. Pretty affordable for the quality you get. The naan is very cracker like, horrible. There’s a weekend buffet with 30 items that I’d be interested in trying after a big climb session.

Indigo Cow - Made with milk from Hokkaido. Unbelievably creamy and tasty without relying on being sweet. Don’t get the add-ons.

Worth mentioning

For these places, I didn’t have a strong positive opinion, but I liked them enough that I’d come back to them usually because of convenience.

Rione XIII - Really enjoyed coming here for happy hour. Every Sunday there’s a family-style feast for nearly everything on the menu. Used to be $45 and now it’s $50. Guaranteed to have leftovers. Has a perfect neighborhood Italian restaurant vibe.

Cafe Lago - $10 pizza on Mondays was the best deal in the city. Now is $12, which is still impressive. Reserve in advance. Non-alcoholic drinks are good. Gnocchi was good, not great. Pizza is very filling. Had the salsiccia and romana pizzas, both meaty and good. Had the beets as a starter. I should really come here to try the pasta though.

How to Cook a Wolf - Beautiful interior decked out in wood. Cute neighborhood. Impressive cocktail list. Polenta fritters were very good, sweet, almost like a dessert. Potato Gnocchi w/ duck we liked even though I don’t like duck. Lumache (bolognese) I liked this a lot. Very flavorful, rich. Great pasta texture. Pistachio gelato was excellent and had chunks of pistachio. I wish they changed up the menu more often.

Sea Wolf - The best baguette in the city.

Taste of Thai by Wipa - great stop for dinner along I5 after mountain biking at Galbraith. Pa-Nang Curry w/ beef was deeply flavorful. Got it with garlic rice for extra which was a bad idea, stick with normal jasmine rice. Khow Soi also a favorite. Yellow curry puff had a great filling, but would've wanted more filing and less pastry. Fresh Steamed Rolls were not what I imagined. More saucy than I expected. Wont get again.Sen Mhi Pad Nahm Prik Pao was ordered spicy but didnt find it spicy at all and thethin noodles aren't as interesting.

Dough Zone - Convenient and cheap, especially with Costco gift card. Dan Dan noodles are a must get. Great Mala noodles, especially as a pairing with Dan Dan noodles. Q bao was very good. Pork wonton in chili was good, but overly sweet. Cucumber was fun to eat, nice and refreshing. Hot and Sour glass noodles were okay, wouldn't get again. Chicken/Veg wontons in chili were sweet and decent. Vegetable potstickers were pretty bad. Gift card doesn't allow tip, so bring cash for that.

Mojito - Super friendly and funny owner. Has a very cool back story worth reading on Seattle Times. Chicken empanada I’d get again, maybe. Beef Vaca frita I enjoyed. Would try the steak with the citrus sauce for something less dry. Was great with the congri (cuban rice/beans). I asked for maduros to be swapped for yucca fries. The tres leches he gave it to me for free when I asked for it to go. The food reminds me of the Dominican places I grew up around.

Sunny Hill - Great service. The square pizza is pretty crunchy and I liked the round pies more despite the square being more wha tthey’re known for. The vegetables are excellent, we tried them all. Great as takeout if you’re doing a picnic in Golden Gardens.

Chicken Supply - Supremely overrated, but I’d come back. Chicken stick (spicy) felt like the breading was not super crispy, which makes sense given the starch mix they use. Spice level was great. Would try thighs or drumsticks next time. Monggo beans I enjoyed and would get it again. Cold Pancit I did not enjoy at all. Coconut collard greens was decent, bitter and savory. Wouldn't get it again. Butter mochi was pretty decent but might rather have gelato or ice cream.

Yodelin - Make reservation for sitting outside. Fish broth is okay, not my thing. Didn’t find udon noodles to be great. The potato banh mi excellent and the best thing they have I’d say. Sub the chips for something else.

Supreme Dumplings - Good variety of soup dumplings. Szechuan ones were not too impressive. Skip the chicken. Tan Tan noodles were wack. Mushroom fried rice was good. Stir fried greens in garlic was excellent. Pork soup dumplings were great. Pan fried buns had too much dough. Spicy pork wontons were more sweet than spicy, but decent.

Wildberry - The only restaurant worth stopping at on the drive to Paradise. Owner is a legend and humbly holds the speed record for Everest summit. There’s a small museum of sorts inside. Chicken thali plate and samosas are the move. You can skip the momos and the marionberry pie.

Jerk Shack - The jerk fries were worth stopping for.

Hinoki - Wood fired truck by Saint Bread that’s trying very hard. The tucked away patio is a cool spot.