There are many Asian strip plazas sprinkled in and around Toronto, but none are quite as iconic as First Markham Place. A hub for many in the Asian community, this plaza goes way beyond its beloved indoor food court and retail stores.
According to Din Tai Fung owner David Wasielewski, a Taiwanese immigrant, Toronto's Ding Tai Fung is not a part of the Taiwanese chain, although the restaurant's name has the same Chinese characters. The only difference is the English translation - the “fake” one is spelled Ding, the chain leaves off the “g.”
Which is the original Din Tai Fung? Taipei The original restaurant is on Xinyi Road in Taipei and the shop sign was a calligraphic work of the then Control Yuan president Yu Youren. In 1996, the first international location opened in Tokyo, and the first North American store opened in Arcadia, California, in 2000.
