Tim Ho Wan - Hong Kong

My first attempt at snagging a table at THW a few years ago was quite a disaster. The worlds cheapest Michelin star restaurant in a nondescript store in Mong Kok  was near impossible to find and when i got there, it was 2.30 pm and the queue was 90 mins. Since I had a flight at 7 I grudgingly retreated promising like MacArthur that I shall return.

CUT TO last week.

After my misadventure in Mong Kok I was determined to get to THW and i found a way to hack the queue. I found out that there is a new and much more modern outlet of Tim Ho Wan in the IFC section of the HongKong station.It just so happened that the station was on my way back from a meeting to the hotel and I was looking for a late lunch in any case.

The floor has about eight restaurants and at 3.30 the post lunch rush had gone quiet except at our fine establishment however.  The place was full and about 8 people were waiting and the queue only got longer.

Got my ticket and quickly filled it up, gleefully waiting for my turn. 

this is pretty much all you need to make a go. the glass is filled up with hot water and like my Chinese brethren i too cleaned the utensils while waiting for the food to come. 

The Glutinous Rice Dumpling (26$) is quite a popular dish and comes steaming hot, unwrap and dig in quick with generous doses of soya and chilli sauce. Its quite a largish portion for a single diner.

The poached seasonal vegetables (20$)were a good way to cleanse the palate and wait for the next dish, not much here, could have gone for the rice or turnip cakes. 

i wish they had some good solid malt vinegar or something, that can really do unbelievable things for Dim Sum. 

The piece de resistance, the steamed dumplings (24$) were just awesome. piping hot, meant to be devoured immediately, so delicate that any wavering would have them fall apart. into the little bowl, pour the soya and go for it. Excellent stuff. 

The food is good but the dumplings are sublime, Dim Sum is a dark art and THW are the masters. They have a bunch of things for vegetarians too, so its certainly worth a go. The IFC centre is super accessible, comfortable and if you get their post lunch and before dinner the wait is 15-20 mins at most.

A sub HK$100 Michelin star meal is hard to find, so get your while you can. There is also an outlet in Singapore somewhere on Orchard and it too is highly rated.


Edit : the  Mong Kok outlet has closed due to high rents ive been told. they have another one at Sham Sui Po