By Alexandria Grace C. Magno
DIN TAI FUNG PHILIPPINES, the local franchise of the world-renowned Taiwanese restaurant brand, is marking its 10th yr by expanding beyond Metro Manila, with recent stores opening in Cebu and Pampanga because it responds to growing demand outside the capital region.
“So, for the primary 10 years, we actually stayed inside Metro Manila. We were very mall-centric, and we went to the neighborhoods where we understood our market, which was largely inside Metro Manila,” The Moment Group Co-Founder for Creative Development Abba Napa said in an interview with BusinessWorld.
“We were nervous about whether we can be appreciated and accepted within the Visayas — but we were genuinely surprised and comfortable because now we see that Filipinos from throughout seem to understand dining at Din Tai Fung,” she added.
Din Tai Fung is a global franchise under The Moment Group, the food and beverage company behind homegrown restaurant brands comparable to Manam, Ooma, 8Cuts, Mo’ Cookies, Moment Catering, and Hayop in Singapore. The primary Din Tai Fung branch within the Philippines opened at SM Megamall in 2015.
In July 2025, the corporate opened its ninth store in Cebu, its first within the Visayas. The tenth branch, marking the brand’s 10th anniversary, will open in Clark, Pampanga.
“We’re hoping to open possibly three to 4 more shops by next yr as well. We opened Cebu Din Tai Fung a few months ago in July. We’re hoping to open our second one next yr,” said Eliza Antonino, co-founder and managing partner of The Moment Group.
She said that while the corporate has no fixed expansion targets, it continues to follow market demand.
“Nothing specific. We open where the market is. We don’t wish to goal and say, ‘Oh, we want to open there,’ it’s really about responding to demand,” she said.
“We’re also very mall-centric, so we all know we want the foot traffic from the department stores. We attempt to support our business partners as well after they open in several parts of the country.”
Din Tai Fung Philippines has built a loyal customer base by maintaining its Taiwanese authenticity moderately than adapting recipes to local tastes.
“We continuously promote it as a Taiwanese brand. We don’t say that it’s Filipino-inspired in any respect,” Ms. Antonino said.
“We don’t even develop any sort of dishes which can be Filipino-inspired. All the pieces is absolutely true to the Taiwanese culture and brand. Including our own dishes that were made by us originally remains to be Taiwanese, just like the crispy beef strips and the chocolate xiaolongbao.”
The Chocolate Lava Xiaolongbao — a dessert dumpling with molten chocolate in a mochi-like wrapper often paired with rock salt and cheese — has since turn out to be popular globally, alongside other Philippine-origin creations comparable to Crispy Beef Strips and Salted Egg Yolk Prawns.
Before acquiring the franchise, Din Tai Fung Taiwan required The Moment Group team to undergo six months of hands-on training in Taipei.
“We learned how Din Tai Fung operated. We learned the front of house, back of house, front of kitchen. We even learned — I even learned personally — tips on how to make a xiaolongbao,” Ms. Antonino said.
Although language differences initially posed challenges, Ms. Antonino noted that the franchise has consistently met Din Tai Fung’s global standards for quality and repair.
“I believe maintaining consistency with what exists within the country where it originated is essential — ensuring you’re attuned to what the brand is, the food is, and the service, so that you don’t feel like, ‘Oh, it’s more delicious there,’” she said.
“It’s the balance between two things — contextualizing the brand for the countries where it could possibly achieve success, and never disrespecting the brand’s DNA, all the time attempting to live as much as the repute of what the brand’s quality is in its home country,” Ms. Napa added.