Hong Kong’s dim sum restaurant, Tim Ho Wan is hailed as the world’s cheapest Michelin Starred restaurant. At S$13 per person (especially considering the amount of food we ordered), I believe this is very much true. We chanced upon this hole in the wall when hubby came across a report on this restaurant on a food magazine. After walking for miles (because we did not quite know which MTR station to alight from), we finally arrived at the restaurant, only to realise that a huge crowd of locals had already gathered in front of the restaurant, eagerly waiting to be served brunch.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait beyond 30 minutes as smaller groups seemed to get seated first. We couldn’t quite decide what to order and so practically almost ordered one of each type of dim sum on the menu. While we were waiting for our food, we noticed that not far away in the kitchen, staff were busying preparing freshly made dim sum. That’s one of the major selling points of Tim Ho Wan. Instead of serving pre-made, frozen and reheated dim sum, this restaurant prides itself for serving freshly made dim sum.

The carrot cake was delectable. It was soft yet crisp on the outside and importantly, it was not too oily or salty. The Har Gao (prawn dumplings) were fresh and succulent. One of the best I’ve tasted. And even though I am not a fan of chicken’s feet, I’d have to agree with my hubby that they prepared this dish exceptionally well.

I’ve always been a fan of Ham Shui Kok (Fried salty pork dumpling?) but find that most are too chewy, with the glutinous flour portion sticking to one’s teeth. The ones served here were not too chewy, with a very fragrant interior. I should have ordered more! The crystal dumplings were filled with meat and chives. Though this was not one of my favourite items, my mom really did like it. The lotus leaf wrapped glutinous rice was probably one of the more disappointing items we ordered. Even though the fragrance of the lotus leaf permeated the rice very well, the filling was not quite as tasty as I had hoped it would be.

To be honest, I can’t quite recall what dish the first picture in this series represents. I vaguely remember that it contained arrowroot and perhaps some meat? The rice flour roll was of just the right consistency. It was not too soft, and retained a little bit of resistance when you bite into it. Just the way I like it. And the steamed pork ribs? One word: Yums.

The century egg porridge was nothing spectacular. It tasted rather bland. Perhaps, this is how the locals like their porridge. The siew mai was as tasty as it’s brother, the har gao. I think the freshness of the ingredients the restaurant uses goes a long way in bringing out the flavour of their dim sum. The po luo bao was very very good. When you first take a bite, you encounter the crisp and flaky exterior, which quickly gives way to the moist and delicious centre. I could probably have eaten all three of them if I wasn’t so stuffed!

And to round things off, we ordered dessert. The mango pudding definitely did not disappoint. It was rich and creamy, with a generous portion of mango pieces within. The Osmanthus flower jelly was very interesting indeed. It was mildly sweet and had the strong fragrance of the Osmanthus flower.

And to conclude this rather long, picture heavy post, I would have to say that I strongly, highly recommend this place if you decide to pay Hong Kong a visit. Having said that however, I’d have to make a disclaimer that if you are expecting innovative, fusion dim sum, you will not find it here. But if you are like me, and prefers the traditional selection of dim sum, then Tim Ho Wan is definitely the place to visit.

Tim Ho Wan
9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po

After reading reviews about this restaurant from websites and the Miele Guide, we decided on a recent trip to Hong Kong that a visit to this place is a must. We were surely not disappointed. We arrived at the restaurant early, as we did not make a reservation, and were fortunate to get a seat as the restaurant filled up pretty quickly afterwards.

Dinner began with their house specialty, which is served to all their guests. Yung Kee’s century eggs are preserved by the restaurant’s chefs using a special recipe and hence tasted very different from the ones we are used to. The centre of the egg is still fluid, with the distinct flavour of century eggs, yet without the fishy smell. Absolutely delicious.

One of the house specials that night was their small braised abalone. We ordered one each and were delighted at the springy yet tender texture of the abalone. The braising sauce was very tasty and complemented the abalone perfectly.

And what’s a visit to Yung Kee if one does not try the famous roast goose? The skin of the roast goose was crisp with some of the mouthwatering fat oozing forth with every bite. The meat was tender and absolutely flavourful. Even though they provided a plum sauce for dipping, I preferred the meat just as it is. Perhaps it is not for the health conscious but who cares? The dieting can start after the trip.

To ease our guilt over the roasted goose, we decided to think healthy and order some vegetables. Though the presentation of the vegetables was nothing to shout about, we thoroughly enjoyed the crisp sweetness of the vegetables that still retained its crunch with every bite.

And now, drumroll please. We attempted something that could possibly be on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizzare Foods. That’s right – Sea cucumber intestines. In fact, this very interesting dish was not even found on the menu. One has to ask for it, and it’s seasonal. We asked for them to be done simply – fried and seasoned with salt and pepper, so that we could try its original taste. The texture was slightly crunchy, similar experience as if one was eating some fried tendons I suppose. Without the salt and the pepper, I supposed these would have tasted rather bland as the sea cucumber intestines did not seem to have much flavour on their own. It was tasty nonetheless.

We completed our dinner with their double boiled chicken soup, served with chicken feet and mushrooms. The soup was rich and totally gratifying. I only wish I could duplicate such flavour at home. I am almost certain there was some chinese ham in it.

And finally, a snapshot to seal our memories of Yung Kee – a row of mouthwatering chinese ham, prepared by the restaurant themselves. Unfortunately, the prices of these were as exquisite as the appearance of these hams. Coupled with the fact that they only sell them by the leg, we obviously did not purchase any.

Yung Kee Restaurant
32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
http://www.yungkee.com.hk