A new dining debate is happening at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

And this one isn't about steak.

It's about dumplings vs. pasta.

Din Tai Fung and Élephante Scottsdale sit just steps from each other in Fashion Square's luxury dining wing, but once you walk through their doors, the similarities pretty much end.

Din Tai Fung is the globally known Taiwanese restaurant built around soup dumplings, noodles, and watching the food being made.

Élephante is the stylish Southern California import built around coastal Italian food, cocktails, music, and one very good-looking dining room.

Both are destinations.

Both are expensive enough that you probably want to know what you're getting into.

And both are the kind of restaurants people are talking about before they even get to the table.

So this week's Fork In The Road asks a pretty simple question:

Where are you going tonight?

If you have never been to Din Tai Fung, the first thing you'll notice is that this isn't really a restaurant where you simply sit down and order dinner.

There is a little theater involved.

The Scottsdale location features a visible dumpling-making station where you can watch the chefs prepare one of the restaurant's most famous dishes. And that's part of what makes the experience fun.

The star, of course, is the Xiao Long Bao, the famous soup dumpling.

But don't stop there.

The menu is filled with dumplings, noodles, wontons, fried rice, vegetables, soups, and other Taiwanese and Chinese specialties.

The cucumber salad, spicy wontons, garlic green beans, and noodles have become popular orders, while the chocolate dumplings have developed their own following for dessert.

And that's really the Din Tai Fung experience.

You order several things.

They arrive at the table.

Everyone grabs a little of everything.

Then someone inevitably says:

"We should have ordered another one of those."

The Scottsdale location is also the brand's first Arizona restaurant, making this more than just another Fashion Square opening. It is the first chance for Valley diners to experience the brand without getting on a plane.

Then you walk into Élephante.

And the mood changes completely.

Where Din Tai Fung feels focused on the food and the craft behind it, Élephante feels like the entire evening is part of the experience.

The restaurant comes from Los Angeles and brings that Southern California coastal energy to Scottsdale, with a design that feels more like an escape than a restaurant inside a shopping mall.

Think stylish interiors, greenery, warm colors, cocktails, music, and a large indoor-outdoor setup.

It's lively.

It's fashionable.

And yes, it's the kind of restaurant where you'll probably take a picture before dinner.

The menu leans coastal Italian, with wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas, seafood, meat dishes, and shareable starters. The whipped eggplant with puccia is one of the restaurant's signatures and is frequently mentioned as a must-order.

And then there are the cocktails.

That's where Élephante really starts to set itself apart.

You can come for dinner.

But you can also come for drinks.

And if the night is going well, there's no reason it has to end after dessert.

This is probably the easiest category.

Want dumplings?

Go to Din Tai Fung.

Want pasta or pizza?

Go to Élephante.

But the difference goes a little deeper than that.

Din Tai Fung is the restaurant you choose when you're excited about a specific food.

You want the soup dumplings.

You want the spicy wontons.

You want to try the noodles.

You want to watch the chefs make everything.

Élephante is more about putting together an entire evening.

Start with the whipped eggplant and puccia.

Order a pizza or pasta.

Add a cocktail.

Maybe order another.

And let the night develop.

Neither approach is better.

They're just different.

This is where things get really interesting.

Din Tai Fung is polished, modern, and energetic.

The restaurant feels upscale without losing the fun of a dumpling house. The visible kitchen adds another layer to the experience, and the restaurant has the energy of a place people specifically came to try.

Élephante is moodier, louder, and more social.

The restaurant feels like it belongs in a much larger nightlife destination, not tucked inside a shopping mall.

The patio, music, cocktails, and design all push the experience toward "night out" rather than simply "dinner."

If Din Tai Fung is:

"Let's go eat."

Élephante is:

"Let's go out."

That may be the simplest way to explain the difference.

Both restaurants are operating at a high level, but they approach the experience differently.

At Din Tai Fung, the service keeps the food moving. There are lots of dishes, lots of sharing and plenty happening around the table.

At Élephante, the service is more connected to the overall night-out experience, with cocktails, pacing and the social atmosphere playing a bigger role.

And this is one category where your expectations should match the restaurant you're choosing.

If you're looking for a highly organized food experience, Din Tai Fung has the advantage.

If you're looking for a restaurant where you can settle in and make an evening of it, Élephante has the edge.

✔ You have been waiting forever to try the famous soup dumplings.

✔ You love dumplings, noodles and Taiwanese/Chinese food.

✔ You want to watch chefs make the dumplings.

✔ You like ordering lots of dishes and sharing everything.

✔ You're going with family or a group of friends.

✔ You want the food itself to be the main event.

✔ You're the kind of person who plans dinner around what you're going to eat.

✔ You want a stylish night out, not just dinner.

✔ Cocktails are an important part of your evening.

✔ You prefer Italian food, pasta and wood-fired pizza.

✔ You want a lively, social atmosphere.

✔ You're planning a date night, girls' night, or celebration.

✔ You want a restaurant that feels like a destination.

✔ You want the possibility of continuing the night after dinner.

This one is tough because these restaurants aren't really competing on the same playing field.

And that's exactly why this is such a good Fork In The Road.

Din Tai Fung wins if the food is why you're going out.

There is something special about sitting down, ordering a table full of dumplings, and watching the chefs make them right in front of you.

It's focused.

It's fun.

And there's a reason people have been talking about the Scottsdale opening for so long.

Élephante wins if the night is why you're going out.

It's the place we'd choose when we want cocktails, music, a beautiful room, good food, and the possibility that dinner turns into something more.

If we were taking the family out for dinner?

Din Tai Fung.

If we wanted to introduce someone to a restaurant they haven't experienced before?

Din Tai Fung.

If it were date night?

Élephante.

Girls' night?

Élephante.

Friends visiting Scottsdale and you want to show them what the Scottsdale dining scene looks like right now?

Élephante.

But here's where it gets really interesting.

They're close enough that you don't necessarily have to choose.

You could start at Din Tai Fung with dumplings and noodles, walk around Fashion Square, and finish the evening with cocktails at Élephante.

Or do it in reverse.

Start with drinks and dinner at Élephante and make Din Tai Fung your next stop another night.

Because ultimately, this Fork In The Road isn't really about which restaurant is better.

It's about what kind of night you want.

And right now, having both of them sitting inside the same luxury wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square is a pretty great problem for Scottsdale diners to have.

Your move.

Website: dintaifungusa.com
Address: 7014 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 608, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 256-8683
Cuisine: Taiwanese / Chinese
Hours: Mon–Thu & Sun: 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat: 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
Reservations: Available through Yelp

Website: elephanterestaurants.com
Address: 7014 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 601, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: (480) 576-8168
Cuisine: Coastal Italian
Hours: Mon–Fri: 12 p.m.–11 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.–midnight; Sunday: 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
Reservations: Available through OpenTable

Hours can change, especially for holidays and special events. Check with the restaurant before heading over.