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| Photo from Tim Ho Wan's Facebook page |
Tim Ho Wan - A name certainly familiar to most Hong Kongers and recently, Singaporeans. A Michelin starred restaurant in a neighbourhood in Hong Kong, it was started by Chef Mak Kwai Pui, who once worked in Lung King Heen, the 3 star Michelin restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. The outlet in Hong Kong has loads to boast about. However, their shop front is certainly not one of them. It looks simply normal from outside but when the doors open, you would be surprised by the amount of people queuing up for their serving of Dim Sum. Some even had to wait more than 3 hours just to get their dose of this Michelin goodness.
I, for once, joined in the queue for Tim Ho Wan in Singapore. Official opening hours were 10am - 10pm on a weekday so I thought I was pretty safe from a long queue if I arrive around 10.20am. However, I was wrong. On this hazy Friday morning, there were already at least 40 to 50 people in queue, 20 minutes after their opening. As I stepped into the queue, the supervisor approached us and enquired about the number of pax. We only had 2 so I assumed we would be able to go in a little faster. Soon, a clipboard with the menu attached was given to us so that we could order our food while in the queue.
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| The menu - Prices aren't exactly that cheap, but they are the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant |
The wait was almost unbearable seeing that you could look directly into the restaurant, without any glass panels to block your view, and smell the food that they are serving. Finally, after a wait of almost an hour, we were let into the restaurant to taste the Michelin goodness.
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| Nice table setup |
The much touted after Baked Bun with BBQ Pork came shortly after. Sometimes I do have to wonder how busy the chefs really are, churning out such goodness within minutes! Of course, they must be pre-prepared since so many people order these. Instead of having a fluffy skin like most buns, this has a custard, crispy crust on the outside and sweet, flavourful pork on the inside. Bite into the slightly sweet crust and you'll be welcomed into the world of the extra-sweet, but just nice BBQ pork. The bad news is, each person is only allowed 3 on each visit. This is how popular these buns are!
It would certainly be a sin not to taste at least 3 of their 4 heavenly kings on your visit here. Brought to us next was the Vermicelli Roll with Pig Liver. It might sound disgusting to some, but I assure you that this will definitely change your impression of pig liver. It was first brought to us without the soy sauce gravy and as it was put on our table, the waiter will pour the gravy on the vermicelli roll right in front of your eyes. The vermicelli roll was springy and texture was just right. On top of that, it was also firm such that it can hold the fillings properly but not too hard to chew on. The filling consisted of nicely done pig liver. To those who are afraid of bloody pig liver slices, this is your first step to the iron-rich goodness.
How can there be a visit to THW without another serving of their heavenly kings, the Steamed Egg Cake? I was having my qualms about this initially. How different can a generic looking egg cake be from a Michelin restaurant? I was proven wrong when it was served to us. Unlike most that we have outside, this was steaming hot and the aroma filled the air around me when it was served. As you break the cake, you'll notice the fluffiness of the inside and have the feeling of the cake saying, "eat me!". Once you start chewing on the cake, the taste of the perfectly blended caramel fills your entire mouth. You'll be wanting another mouthful after your first and soon, you'll find yourself ordering another serving.
Now with 3 of the 4 heavenly kings and one of the yet-to-be heavenly dish down (I did not order the pan fried carrot cake), it's time to see how they fare in terms of their "normal dishes". What came first was Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin. No, it has nothing to do with the meatballs you'll find at IKEA. Coincidentally, my friend who went with me was from Sweden, home of IKEA. Back to topic, the beef balls here are shaped like what we Chinese call "lion heads". It is basically a whole lump of minced meat made into a ball with some garnishes. You wouldn't want to drop these beef balls onto the floor, they might bounce and hit your face. Yes, it is THAT bouncy! Taste of beef is not that evident, you might mistake it for pork instead. However, still worth a try for those that are here for the first time.
You might be thinking, where is the Siew Mai? How can a Dim Sum restaurant, much less a Michelin starred one, be operating (or even getting that star) without Siew Mai as one of their dishes? Their Siew Mai is simply named Pork Dumpling with Shrimp. For those that do not read Chinese, you might be confused. The Chinese names are pretty perfect though, probably imported straight from Hong Kong. Back to the Siew Mai, it was perfectly steamed with the mandatory yellow skin. Nothing much about the skins, but the fillings are sure to make you go head over heels with it. It is a mixture of tangy minced pork and succulent shrimps. As you bite into it, the pork and shrimps plays a nice orchestra with your taste buds. You'll soon be finishing the 4 bite sized nibbles on your plate.
How about another dish with pork and shrimp? That's it, order the Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp. Same fillings, minus the yellow skin of the Siew Mai and replace it with the tasty beancurd skin. I would have liked this dish better if it was deep fried as putting it in gravy spoils the crispiness of the skin. There's the Beancurd Roll with Shrimp under the deep fried section, though. However, the fillings made up for it with the same tastiness as the Siew Mai.
Time to move on to another side of Dim Sum, the dumplings. I ordered the Garlic, Mushroom, Spinach Dumpling (what a cheesy name) upon seeing that they wrongly served one to me and took it away, since it looked pretty good. It certainly did not disappoint me. The wonderful melody of the spinach, garlic and mushrooms leaves a lingering savoury taste in your mouth, even long after you have swallowed it. Not to forget the slightly sticky skin which makes it easy to be bitten off and chewed on. You certainly do not have to worry about chewing on anything that your dentures cannot take!
Being a true blue Teochew myself, I certainly had to order one of their dishes on the menu, just because of the name and probably I wanted to see how Teochew the dish would be. Therefore, this was how the Dumpling Teochew Style ended up on my table. That was another cheesy name, however. Apparently, it was with the same skin as the previous dumpling I had and was filled with carrots, coriander and jimaca, or more commonly known as 沙葛 or "mang guang" here in Singapore. I'd probably say that this is one of the most disappointing dish. However, it could be probably due to the presence of coriander, which is one of the few stuffs that I do not take. The taste was pretty bland though, with just a slight taste of saltiness.
We've probably come up to the last dish of the day, Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce. Finally, no more cheesy names! I think all the Dim Sum restaurants in the world must come and learn from them how to make chicken feet perfectly. Not that I have not tasted nice ones outside, but this is the best that I have ever tasted in my life! The skin is perfectly wrinkled with the sauce penetrating just the right amount and making the skin taste perfect. The chilli was sprinkled on top and I guess probably used in the making of the bean sauce too. You get a special salty taste, one that you can find nowhere else. I was seriously yearning for a second serving!
What is a good meal without a good dessert? Their dessert choices are pretty limited, so I decided to go for the Yam Puree with Sago. It is simply yam paste with sago. A strong aroma of yam and coconut milk forms the basis of this wonderful dessert. As you dip your spoon inside, you are lifting a spoonful of aromatic, smooth and tasty yam paste. It is not as thick as the yam paste we are more accustomed to, this is more of the watery version. Once again, I was yearning for more. My only complaint was that the serving was too small!
This officially brings my journey to Tim Ho Wan to an end. If you ask me if my trip was worth it, I will definitely reply with a certain YES. However, do reach earlier if you want to avoid any queues. I would say the best time is to reach around 30 minutes before their opening, to secure a seat once they open.
Address
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road #01-29A, Singapore
Singapore 238839
Opening Hours
Mon - Fri: 10am - 10pm
Sat & Sun: 9am - 10pm
No reservations are allowed.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/timhowan
