We finally got to Din Tai Fung in Vancouver. We were excited that it had arrived, as we had been to DTF (an unfortunate abbreviation that I will not use again) in Seattle and were very impressed. As I refuse to cross the border for anything optional during the next 3 1/2 years, it is good to have them here.
Located on Alberni Street near Thurlow, we a reservation but arriving when they first opened at 10:30 am on Sunday, it was not necessary. It is a large place but I have no doubt that they get very busy and so reservations would usually be a good idea. We were able to order 5 dishes that we did not try on our previous visit and I think there is enough left to try for a third visit!
The Soy Noodle Salad was a great place to start. Although they are known for their in house made wheat noodles, these noodles are actually cut from soy sheets. In addition there are julienned carrots and celery and a refreshing vinegary dressing. Excellent!
More noodles but this time the wheat kind and made with JUST Egg. This was Vegan Noodles with Sesame Sauce and it was amazing! The noodles being fresh are an exquisite experience compared the the dried ones we eat at home. A sesame sauce, peanuts, chili oil and green onions complete the picture.
A couple of Vegan Buns provided a small bit of contrast. The filling of tofu, glass noodles, greens, mushrooms and jicama was tasty enough and the steamed buns themselves were pillowy and pleasant. 
Next the cross between the buns and the noodles and this is what people come for, Vegan Dumplings. The greenish hue is spinach water by the way. The filling is the same as the buns and the noodle wrapper was delicate and the same as the noodles. You can watch these being hand crafted in the kitchen if you like. 
The triangle inside the circle made me think of recovery, unity and service which is an inside joke for anyone who is a friend of Bill. We had the Sesame & Mochi Xiao Long Boa for dessert and these were pleasant but not overly sweet or heavy. It's not everywhere that we can get a vegan dessert. I read somewhere that the XLB are made with the golden ratio of 18 folds but the ones we counted didn't quite add up to that. We did not send them back! 
Although some of the dishes seem simple and almost plain, you can spice them up as you like with the excellent chili oil, soy sauce and vinegar at your table.
This is a beautiful space and the service is very attentive. Although it is not a vegan restaurant, they have made it accessible for all kinds of people. We are always impressed with that. This is a place you could bring people from out of town but remember that there may be a Din Tai Fung near where they live also.
We'll be back anyway.
