Hao Kung Tao Chin Chi Yuan

Review

Hao Kung Tao Chin Chi Yuan stands at No. 28-1 Yongkang Street, about a seven-minute walk from Exit 5 of MRT Dongmen Station past the park. This Jiangsu-Zhejiang dim sum house built its name in the Yongkang area on good value, and the MICHELIN Guide lists it alongside Din Tai Fung and Hangzhou Xiaolongbao as a Bib Gourmand pick for soup dumplings in Taipei. Supertaste also counts it among shops listed for many years running, and it draws both office workers and tourists.

The headline dish is handmade xiaolongbao, eight for NT$160, which Supertaste notes is cheaper per piece than the famous chains. The skin is a little thicker than Din Tai Fung's, with fewer pleats, but not heavy, and the filling holds plenty of broth, so no dipping sauce is needed. Another favourite is the flaky scallion pastry, two for NT$60, crisp in layers with a green onion aroma. Cooks fold dumplings at the entrance beside towers of steamers, and with more than a dozen sweet and savoury items it is a place to order several plates to share.

Fans praise the fair prices and wide choice, saying the fried pork chop, noodles and cakes are all solid, and that a bowl of noodle soup with dumplings is comforting in winter. Critics feel the dumplings sometimes hold less soup than expected and the skin is on the thick side, and some mention that you must order everything at once, that it gets crowded at peak times, and that service is brisk rather than attentive.

Online listings show hours of about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed Wednesdays; check before you go. Noon is the busiest time, so arriving before 11 a.m. or in mid-afternoon makes seating easier. Many diners note that it is cash only, and there is extra seating upstairs. Parking around Yongkang Street is hard, so the MRT is the easiest way in.

Good for anyone wanting a Bib Gourmand dim sum meal on a budget, or a stop while exploring Yongkang Street. First-timers can order a basket of xiaolongbao and the scallion pastry, plus a noodle soup or pork chop rice; larger groups can add a few cakes for dessert. Expect to spend roughly NT$150 to NT$350 per person.