The Steamed Chocolate Lava Bun returns to every Din Tai Fung in Singapore from 1 November to 31 December 2026, priced from S$3.80++. Mascot Bao Zai is also dropping by six restaurants on eight occasions in December, with dining prizes up for grabs. Here’s how to get the bun, the plush ornament and a Bao Zai photo before the season ends.
Five Christmases of Molten Chocolate
Din Tai Fung says this is the bun’s fifth festive season. That’s long enough for it to become a calendar marker for fans who wait all year for one dessert. This version swaps the custard of the classic Steamed Custard Bun (liu sha bao, 流沙包, the steamed bun with a runny custard centre that dim sum regulars know well) for chocolate.
According to Din Tai Fung, the cocoa dough uses specially selected flour imported from Taiwan. The filling is described as a warm, velvety centre of 80% premium molten chocolate. The brand pitches that molten centre as the main visual. It’s easy to see who that’s aimed at: anyone whose camera eats first.
Prices start at S$3.80++ for one or S$11.00++ for three, and they vary across restaurants. The “++” means service charge and GST (Goods and Services Tax) are added on top. The pack does more for you than the price alone suggests, which the next section explains. Holders of cards from OCBC (Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation) get 10% off either option.
📅 1 Nov to 31 Dec 2026, while servings last · 📍 All Din Tai Fung restaurants in Singapore · 💰 From S$3.80++ (1 pc) or S$11.00++ (3 pcs); prices vary across restaurants · 💳 10% off for OCBC cardmembers
The S$100 Plush Ornament Maths
The Bao Zai & Shao Mai Plush Ornament Set (鼎泰豐包仔与烧卖圣诞挂饰套) is back from 16 November 2026, while stocks last. Din Tai Fung describes it as a limited-edition keepsake that works as a tree ornament or a bag charm. The bag charm option is the one with life beyond December, since a tree ornament goes back in the box once January arrives.
You can buy a set for S$28.80++. It’s also complimentary with a minimum spend of S$100++, inclusive of a set of three Steamed Chocolate Lava Buns, in Din Tai Fung’s words. So if your group is already planning a proper Din Tai Fung dinner, ordering the bun pack for dessert gets you part of the way to S$100. That’s the move when you’re eating together rather than solo. Why pay S$28.80++ for the plush when dessert can help cover it?
One catch to keep in mind: the bun is at every restaurant, but the ornament is only at 15 selected restaurants. Don’t assume your usual branch carries it.
📅 From 16 Nov 2026, while stocks last · 📍 15 selected Din Tai Fung restaurants · 💰 S$28.80++, or free with a S$100++ minimum spend inclusive of a 3-piece lava bun set
Where Bao Zai Turns Up
Bao Zai, Din Tai Fung’s bun-shaped mascot, is doing eight scheduled appearances. Lunch slots run from 12pm to 1pm and dinner slots from 6pm to 7pm. Diners who meet Bao Zai can try their luck at winning complimentary Din Tai Fung dish vouchers or S$50 dining credits. Here’s the schedule by date:
- Saturday, 5 December: Marina Bay Sands (lunch), NEX (dinner)
- Saturday, 12 December: Paragon (lunch), ION Orchard (dinner)
- Saturday, 19 December: Resorts World Sentosa (lunch), One Holland Village (dinner)
- Tuesday, 22 December: ION Orchard (lunch)
- Wednesday, 23 December: Paragon (lunch)
If you can only make one date, make it 12 December. Paragon and ION Orchard both sit on Orchard Road, so you can catch Bao Zai at lunch, do some Christmas shopping in the afternoon and catch him again at dinner. That’s two chances at a prize without changing neighbourhoods.
The pre-Christmas weekday lunches at ION Orchard and Paragon suit the Orchard office crowd, who can fit a Bao Zai sighting into a lunch break. North-easterners get NEX in Serangoon on 5 December, a heartland option that skips the city crowds.
The 19 December lunch at Resorts World Sentosa pairs well with a day out on the island.
📅 5 to 23 Dec 2026 · ⏰ Lunch 12pm to 1pm, dinner 6pm to 7pm · 📍 Six Din Tai Fung restaurants · 🎁 Dish vouchers or S$50 dining credits
12 Days on Instagram
You don’t have to leave home for the last part of the campaign. From 1 to 25 December, Din Tai Fung Singapore’s Instagram account, @dintaifungsg, is running 12 days of giveaways. The prizes total over S$3,000 and include Din Tai Fung dishes, merchandise and dining credits. It’s the low-effort entry on this list, and a good fit for anyone who loves the bun but can’t make any of the eight Bao Zai slots.
📅 1 to 25 Dec 2026 · 📱 @dintaifungsg on Instagram · 🎁 Over S$3,000 in prizes
How to Plan Your December
Get your first bun in November, while the season is new and nothing is competing for your weekends. Then put 12 December in your calendar for the Orchard Road double. That one Saturday gives you the best shot at a prize, and it makes a good shopping day too!
Once Christmas is over, this bun disappears for another year, and five seasons in, plenty of fans already plan around it. Follow @dintaifungsg on Instagram for the giveaway posts from 1 December. For the rest of your festive plans, our Christmas in Singapore 2026 guide lists every light-up and event with a confirmed date, and our Christmas Foods 2024 round-up has more festive eating ideas. Happy hunting, and may Bao Zai bring you that S$50 credit!
Photos and Visuals courtesy of Din Tai Fung.
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