Hungry diners in Arcadia, California, will have to find somewhere new for distinctly-Taiwanese rich soup dumplings and spicy chilli noodles.
Din Tai Fung, the popular Taiwanese restaurant with more than 150 branches around the world, has announced the closure of its original eatery in the US.
The restaurant in Arcadia, which is in the Los Angeles County, shut shop on Thursday, June 11, after 20 years in business.
"As a result of the current economic climate, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our first US location," a statement on Din Tai Fung's US Instagram page said.
"We first opened this location to introduce Taiwanese cuisine, culture, and our signature xiao long bao to our guests here in the United States.
"This year marks the 20th anniversary of this location, making this decision all the more heartbreaking."
Fans flocked to the restaurant on its last day, to snap up the famous signature dishes before doors closed for the very last time.
"It's the original. I'm really emotional today," one diner told Focus Taiwan. "In terms of having that honest Taiwanese taste and cuisine, there's no better place. So I've been so grateful for it over the years."
The restaurant also has branches in Washington, Nevada and Oregon along the country's West Coast, as well as in Dubai.
The first Din Tai Fung in the UAE opened in Mall of Emirates in 2015, with branches now in The Dubai Mall, Nakheel Mall on the Palm Jumeirah and in Deira's Al Ghurair Centre.
Before the pandemic hit, the branch at Mall of the Emirates often had wait times of an hour, it was that popular. The brand recently appeared on delivery platform Deliveroo in Dubai.
Din Tai Fung was founded in Taipei in 1958 and opened its first international branch, in Tokyo, in 1996. Its most famous dish is its xiao long bao, steamed dumplings filled with meat, as well as a small amount of hot broth.
The chain is also known for its noodle and soup dishes, with all noodles and dumplings made fresh to order.
The Arcadia restaurant:
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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