Tim Ho Wan

Hong Kong, China

Tim Ho Wan is the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world. Just to save the suspense at the end our total bill was under $25. It offers traditional dim sum, fresh and authentic in a tiny establishment fitting about twenty patrons. There is one single glass door always surrounded by a crowd awaiting the next party to leave and anticipating the hostess to grab the next guests. We picked up our number an hour before and strolled around the neighborhood. When we came back, we still had to wait another 30 minutes before finally our number was called. The good thing is, when they give you a number, they also give you a paper menu in which you check off the items you want and MUST fill out before being seated. This wets the appetite and undoubtedly improves the efficiency of the service. 

Make no mistake, the place is cramped for everyone there. But obviously its worth it if you're coming to a dim sum place for dinner with twenty-five people eagerly waiting outside. On to the food!

Cheong Fun

Tofu Skin Roll

    

The cheong fun, rice noodle wrapped in shrimp and tofu skin roll came out piping hot extremely fresh and was a nice start. 

Bolo Char Siu Bau

That's right Char Siu!

    

The three petite Bolo Char Siu Bau were the highlight of the meal. Too hot to pick up, each bite was an amazing delight, balancing the sweetness of the bau with the saltiness of the char siu. These were so good, I ordered another batch to go and ate them all before reaching the subway.

Har Gau

Lo Bak Go

  

The Har Gau is one of those items that can really make or break a dim sum joint. It's about the wrapper and Tim Ho Wan's was very satisfying while the shrimp itself was standard. The Lo Bak Go was the best I've ever tasted, truly consisting of crisp daikon flavors not filler like most.

Fung Zao

Pai Gwat

Fung Zao and Pai Gwat, two of my favorite dim sum items were gratifying as usual. I guess the real key to all of Tim Ho Wan's success is their execution of the classic flavors and bringing everything out made to order.

Siu Mai

Fung Zao and Pai Gwat over rice

 Unfortunately, the Siu Mai was a disappointment, not because it was bad, but just because it was normal Siu Mai without anything particularly special about it.

Mong Guo Bo Din

Ma Lai Gou

We ended with Mango Pudding, a refreshing light pallet cleanser to end our meal. Or so we thought. The Ma Lai Gou had been tempting Chu-Toro throughout the meal so we decided to order a piece to go. Thank goodness we did, it was hands down the best Ma Lai Gou I've ever had and it capped off a very fun meal. Was it Michelin star worthy? Well it's hard to say with Asian cuisine because it is simple tradition classic food, but it was a top five meal on our China trip and somewhere I would recommend to anyone.

Rating 7.5/10

July 16, 2010