Of all the reasons we travel for, sampling local cuisine comes somewhere on top for many of us. One of the places that stands out from my food adventures is a legendary place – indeed, revered would be a more appropriate term – Tim Ho Wan.
This hole-in-the-joint place with unruly staff and rush-hour traffic-like crowds is legendary for one simple fact – it is the cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the world. I was amused when I read about Tim Ho Wan first. I was also curious to see how cheap food and Michelin stars could come together to form the ultimate gastronomic experience.
Armed with the address of the place, I went to the original Mong Kok outlet where there was little rush in the pre-evening hours of my arrival. I looked up to see where the Michelin sign was but the ungainly exterior did not offer any sign. After a short 10 minute wait, I was called in and made to sit with a Chinese family. They seemed to be enjoying themselves while I began wondering how the system works and what to order.
[pullquote]Pro Tip: If you arrive single, signs of you snagging a seat are higher than if you are in a group and want to sit together.[/pullquote]
The Chinese signboards and lack of a proper menu was a little disconcerting. The servers were all too busy to explain anything in detail and were only going to tables either to deliver food or take orders from a slip a paper that you had to mark to indicate what you wanted. It’s a bit rustic to be sure but it’s part of the charm at Tim Ho Wan. I tried to understand what I could order apart from dim sums to have the maximum experience of the best dish and looked to the Chinese family for help.
A young woman sitting opposite me nudged her mother who immediately took over from me after a cursory understanding of what was happening. She ordered pork buns and the mandatory dim sums. The pork buns were soft and full of texture and had a sweet aftertaste. They were also very filling. I took an immediately liking to it.
The dim sums arrived next – neat little pieces placed in a basket that the mother sitting opposite me approved with a slight nod. I offered the family some of the dim sum but they insisted I have it all while they ordered tea for me. Soft and made with great care, the dim sums were truly spectacular. I had them as they were, without the aid of any sauces, to experience the flavours. I left with almost a full stomach and damages that didn’t affect my backpacker budget by much.
I was glad to have made it to Tim Ho Wan because it taught me something very important. Being the cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the world does not mean that your food experience will be shabby. You don’t need a great establishment and expensive food to impress people, instead all that it takes to win people’s hearts is good food served perfectly. Tim Ho Wan was opened by Mak Pui Gor, a former dim sum master at a three-star Michelin restaurant in the local Four Seasons Hotel who left the place to serve dim sum with minimal fuss and maximum skill. It is, thus, also an important lesson for Hong Kong I believe. Amid all the consumerism sweeping through it, Hong Kong needs to protect its own character before everything becomes homogenous and bland.
Tim Ho Wan has now expanded to many places apart from its Mong Kok outlet but I hear that its quality is consistent across all its branches. Here are a few places to experience the magic of Tim Ho Wan –
Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central, Hong Kong, Phone: 2332 3078
Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists G/F & M/F, 9 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, Phone: 2788 1226
Tim Ho Wan, the Dim-Sum Specialists Shop 72, G/F, Olympian City 2, 18 Hoi Ting Road, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong, Phone: 2332 2896
Tim Ho Wan Shop B, C, & D, G/F, Seaview Building, 2 Wharf Road, North Point, Hong Kong, Phone: 2979 5608
Do you have your own Tim Ho Wan story? Do let me know in the comments below.
All pictures taken from Tim Ho Wan’s Facebook page.
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