One of the places I like to go to for yummy and cheap dim sum is the hole-in-the-wall Tim Ho Wan at Mong Kok. The non-descript location and decor (or lack thereof) belies the fact that this is a one Michelin starred restaurant. Apparently, its owner and chef Pui Gor used to be a dim sum chef at the three-starred Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hotel.
Tim Ho Wan, however, is not for everybody. It takes one thing to eat here - patience. A whole lot of it. So that you can stand in a queue as long as this:
Waits are known to span two to three hours, because the shop is really tiny. It can only seat about 30 customers at any one time.
Naturally, the restaurant has come up with a system to manage the crowds.
According to the signage, 130 queue tickets are distributed daily at 10am and ticket-holders must return to the restaurant before 3pm. Another 60 queue tickets will be given out at 4pm, and diners must return before 9.30pm. Guests will only be admitted when all in the party have arrived.
Not to be outdone, I've developed a "strategy" myself to help maximise time. I try to reach between 9.15am and 9.30am on a weekday, so it's a bearable 45-minute wait before they give out the tickets at 10am. So far, I usually end up being the second or third batch of customers, and will be told to return in about 45 minutes (they don't want you standing around and obstructing neighbouring shops). During this time, I will explore the Mong Kok area, such as the nearby street market at Yin Chong Street which is full of local flavour.
Before you join the queue at Tim Ho Wan, remember to pick up the order sheet from the entrance and start ticking the items you want. Once you enter the restaurant, the efficient (and more often than not, curt) wait staff will collect your order sheet rightaway. Here's a tip: Don't expect too much of the service here, and try to remember it's the food you are coming for.
A must-try is the baked bun with BBQ pork (酥皮焗叉烧包), a refreshingly different take from the normal steamed variety. I don't know 101 ways to describe "delicious", but suffice to say, I'm not normally a char siew bao person and I really like this one.
I also love the steamed fresh shrimp dumplings, otherwise known as har gao (晶莹鲜虾饺) - all eaten up before a photo could be taken! Other personal favourites include the porridge with century egg and pork (皮蛋瘦肉粥):
Pan fried turnip cake (煎腊味萝卜糕):
And the glutinous rice dumpling wrapped with lotus leaf (古法糯米鸡):
So, is the food really worth all that trouble and long wait? Well, if you have a tight schedule, a large travelling party or kids in tow, I'd say please don't bother. There are other great dim sum places around - after all, it's the Land of Dim Sum we're talking about here!
As for me, I take it all in as part of my Hong Kong experience. And I guess it helps that I usually stay in a hotel in the area anyway.
For now, the great quality of the food and the low, low prices just keep me going back.
Update:
The original Tim Ho Wan shop in Mong Kok has moved out as at end January 2013. They now have various branches at Sham Shui Po, IFC Mall, North Point and Olympian City. The Sham Shui Po and North Point branches are currently the only ones awarded the Michelin star.
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Tim Ho Wan - The Dim Sum Specialists (添好運點心專門店)
http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=45662
Add: G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po
深水埗福榮街9-11號地下
Tel: 2788 1226
Open: Mon-Sun, 8am-10pm
3 comments:
Hi Sher, David here again. Does Tim Ho Wan do takeaways? If yes, do takeaways join the same line? And do they charge extra for the disposables?
Yes, takeaway is available. You don't have to join the long, long queue. Just fill up the order form and let the staff at the entrance know that you are taking away. The waiting time is definitely a much shorter one.
Missed out replying your other query. I'm not sure if they charge for disposables since I've always dined in. But even if they do, it would be a nominal sum. :)
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