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2011-01-17
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Tim Ho Wan presents very cheap, very well-made dim sum in a dingy environment with poor service, but people continue to flock here. Perhaps the Michelin-star success has gone to their heads or maybe my expectations were too high, but I definitely wouldn't wait for more than 30 min to eat here. If you don't mind the wait, give this place a try. Otherwise, for tourists, there are more accessible dim sum places.My story: I'm not a big believer of "if there are lots of people waiting, it HAS to be g
My story: I'm not a big believer of "if there are lots of people waiting, it HAS to be good" but I was in the area around 3pm on Saturday and noticed there wasn't much of a crowd. Having heard about this cheap Michelin 1-star restaurant, I asked for a number, was given an order form and told to come back in about 20 min.
The menu is quite simple with only about 30 choices, none costing more than 20 HKD, so two people can stuff themselves for about 100. You place your order before you sit down, to maximize usage of the table time. The wait for a 2-top Saturday mid-afternoon ended up being around 30 min.
Once you get inside, you understand why there is such a crowd. The restaurant only seats about 24, so going with a party larger than 4 guarantees you a long wait, the same goes for trying to get a table during lunch or dinner. Our seats were squeezed right next to the cashier and there was only about 2 cm between the tables, so you have to slide the table out for the people sitting inside to get in and out.
There's only one choice for tea, unlike most dim sum places. However, they were very efficient and the dim sum began arriving shortly after sitting down and I started to see some glimmers of a 1-star restaurant. Everything was delicately made with very generous fillings to 5-star hotel standards (not surprising considering the chef came from the Four Seasons). However, the ordering system is very broken. We received 3 of 5 dishes very quickly but after finishing them, didn't see any sign of the other 2. It wasn't until we flagged down the only waitress that she shouted into the back and the last 2 items appeared instantly. The table next to us, which also had been waiting a while, also tried our strategy and finally got their last orders as well.
In terms of the food, everything on the menu is (or at least looks) excellent, although the pork liver cheung fun isn't for the uninitiated. However, I recommend avoiding the rice bowls, which were uninspiring.
If you want to say, "been there, done that" or if you're on a tight budget, give Tim Ho Wan a try. Otherwise, places like Maxim Palace and Crystal Jade will give you similar, if not better dim sum in a much nicer environment.
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