Returning from vacation Monday, the reader question waiting in my inbox the most was this: When will Din Tai Fung open?

Well, it looks like the wait is almost over. The superlative soup dumpling chain, which earlier this year announced plans to debut its first Oregon location “around the holiday season,” will nail its deadline, opening reservations for customers this Friday, Dec. 14.

As first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, the Taiwan-based chain, once named among the world’s 10 best restaurants by The New York Times, has taken over the former Gap location at the Washington Square Mall. Here are three things you need to know about the new restaurant:

Dumplings and more

Yes, paper-thin soup dumplings filled with scalding pork broth are what put the original Din Tai Fung on the map. But the restaurant, which started as a cooking oil retailer on Xinyi Road in Taipei, is equally skilled at turning out Taiwanese classics from fried pork chops to sauteed string beans to beef noodle soup.

“We’re definitely known for soup dumplings, but the rest of the menu is what sets us apart,” franchise owner David Wasielewski said in May. “It’s a good representation of Taiwanese cuisine. You’ll have people come through our restaurant once or twice a week because for them, it’s comfort food. And you don’t get sick of comfort food.”

Wait, reservations?

When we talked to Wasielewski this spring, he said the Washington Square location would closely mirror his four Seattle-area restaurants. Expect more than 200 seats, a full bar and a “dumpling display room” where customers can watch dumplings being made.

But it appears one Din Tai Fung hallmark won’t join the restaurant in Portland (at least for now): long lines. Following in the footsteps of its sister restaurant in Santa Clara, the restaurant has decided to take reservations at the Washington Square location through Yelp. But you’ll want to act fast. As Eater PDX editor Brooke Jackson-Glidden noted Monday, bookings for this weekend are filling up fast.

I made my reservation for Saturday because every evening reservation at Din Tai Fung was booked up on Friday. I think Saturday is about to disappear, too https://t.co/qA3NfXOC6O — Brooke Jackson-Glidden (@jacksonglidden) December 10, 2018

If reservations aren’t your thing, don’t fear. The restaurant expects to be open from lunch clear through dinner, daily. If you can make it before or after the lunch rush, you should be able to stroll right in, especially if you’re comfortable sitting at the bar. And take note: The Santa Clara location ended up ditching reservations less than a year after opening.

What does the future hold?

More locations, to be sure. Wasielewski, who spent plenty of time in Beaverton and Hillsboro during his time as a marketing manager for Intel, opened a new Din Tai Fung location in the Seattle area roughly once every couple of years. Most suburban malls are in play. But if I had to guess, I’d say their next location ends up at downtown’s Pioneer Place, which could use a destination restaurant after an underwhelming recent food court remodel. Take a look at our Portland-area mall ranking and make your own pick.

What would a downtown location mean for homegrown soup dumpling spots such as XLB or Duck House, or for the recently reopened Taiwanese restaurant Wei Wei? Only time will tell.

Din Tai Fung: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday; 9724 S.W. Washington Square, Tigard; 503-768-9888; dintaifungusa.com