A visit to Hong Kong entails a list of places to visit--Tim Ho Wan, a Michelin starred dim sum restaurant chain also widely known as the cheapest Michelin starred dim sum, was on that list. We found one outlet conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station, nestled beneath the large IFC Mall in Central, Hong Kong, and checked it out during a weekday lunch.
The caveat of the weekday lunch, however, is that the office workers nearby head down towards IFC Mall for many delicious eateries. Tim Ho Wan, as a result, was packed, with long queues for sitting inside the restaurant. Unwilling to wait, we decided to order to-go, and enjoy the food at our hotel room instead. After filling out a menu sheet, paying for the items, and waiting for only a short period of time, we were on our way to enjoying some dim sum.
We first began with Steamed Egg Cake (香滑馬拉糕, 15 HKD). Sweetened with brown sugar, the light, pillowy cake had plenty of egg fragrance and depth from the molasses involved in the brown sugar.
Next, came the Pan Fried Green Pepper filled with Mixed Fish and Pork (煎釀虎皮尖椒, 16 HKD). These were extremely flavorful, with the savory, seared mixed fish and pork filling and slender, snappy, and occasionally spicy green pepper.
Next, came the Pan Fried Green Pepper filled with Mixed Fish and Pork (煎釀虎皮尖椒, 16 HKD). These were extremely flavorful, with the savory, seared mixed fish and pork filling and slender, snappy, and occasionally spicy green pepper.
One of Tim Ho Wan's signature items is their Vermicelli Roll stuffed with Pork Liver (黃沙豬潤腸, 21 HKD), and given that I hadn't had a rice noodle roll with pork liver, I was really looking forward to this. It was a very enjoyable dish, with the vermicelli noodle layers thin, smooth, and pliable. Meanwhile, the bouncy, just cooked, soft pork liver was accented with ginger and cilantro. Tied in with some sweet soy sauce, this was a tasty treat.
Arguably Tim Ho Wan's most signature item, however, is the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (酥皮焗叉燒包, 20 HKD). It's no regular barbeque pork bun--first, there's the crispy cookie layer outside the bun, which lightly crackles and provides additional sweetness. The bread layer, moreover, is thin, to maximize the amount of filling inside.
Inside, the filling is premium; instead of shredded barbequed pork or tons of filler, cubes of tender BBQ pork swim in a sweet and savory BBQ sauce. Sweet, savory, tender, crispy--these buns were extremely memorable.
It's no surprise why Tim Ho Wan attracts crowds--it's quality ingredients and execution at a reasonable price tag. Looking forward to future visits!
Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists 添好運點心專門店 (Openrice links)
Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central, Hong Kong
中環香港站12A鋪(IFC地庫一層)
Tel: 2332 3078
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