2-8 Kwong Wah Street
Mongkok, Hong Kong
When Vanessa and I decided to start Gourmet Belly, it wasn’t just about eating at the hottest new establishments nor was it about spending ludicrous amounts of money on fine dining…it was about sharing with you our best finds in terms of value and taste, and this was definitely one to be shared…
So after 4 hours of over eating at Zuma’s Sunday Brunch (read previous blog) we ended up in Mongkok in search of bargains at the Ladies Markets which was in the same viscinities of this famous hole in the wall Dim Sum restaurant.
Recently awarded 1 Michelin Star, Tim Ho Wan – meaning ” Add Good Luck” is the brain child of Mak Pui Gor, ex chef of the The Four Season’s Michelin restaurant – Lun King Heen until he decided to go it alone.
And good luck seemed to be on our side indeed…
Since receiving its Michelin Star and dubbed the cheapest Michelin Starred restaurant in the world – this 20 seater restaurant is often identified by the crowds waiting outside for anywhere up to 3 hours just to get a taste of the much sought after Dim Sum.
So when we arrived to see a queue-less shop front -YIPEEEE!!
“Sorry we are closed” said the man on the other side of the door as we pushed the door with excitement…
“Errr…What?! But we’ve come all the way from Australia” I found myself saying in my best Chinglish…
“Sorry – there’s nothing we can do for you…try and come back tomorrow” he replied.
“But…but…we fly back home tomorrow” I pleaded desperately like a Saduko. Shameless really…I don’t think I have ever begged for my food before…or have I?
“Sorry – next time!”…And with that, we hung about taking photos of the shop front, reading all the articles on the wall, and disappointed we weren’t able to feed our Gourmet Bellies with these Michelin Starred savoury parcels…GUTTED!!!
Then as if the food gods were looking out for us…or the fully packed restaurant all feeling sorry for us – the door opened again and out came the man telling us, “OK – you can come in, but you have to order quickly as we are closed”.
As if of celebrity status, everyone was giggling and had matching smiles to ours as we entered the restaurant. Turns out the man told the Manageress that we were his relations and it would have been a shame not to let us eat there given we’d come all the way from Australia…!! HAHA
Despite our Gourmet Bellies literally bursting at the seams from our lunch, we found ourselves quickly ordering 7 dishes off the menu in an attempt to detract the attention on us, which thankfully included their signature pork buns – talk about pressure!!
One by one, the piping hot bamboo boxes came out with some dim sum goodness. Mmmmmm
Char Siu Bao’s
Siew Mai’s
Har Gau’s
The signature pork buns with crispy top and siew may’s really stood out for me. Delicious!!!
And with a bill of $101 (that’s about £9), this was definitely the cheapest Michelin meal I’ve ever had. No there wasn’t any silver service, this was more a no nonsense sort of place, but the food and banter with the man and manageress made up for it, making it an extra special dining experience to end our trip. This is one stop not to be missed when in Hong Kong.
Did You Know?
- Tim Ho Wan churn out about 800 of their signature Char Siu Bao (Pork Bun) bad boys a day?
- To meet demand, Tim Ho Wan has recently opened up another branch on 9-11 Fuk Wing St, Sham Shui Po, Mongkok.This branch might not have received the Michelin star accolade, but if it’s serving the same dishes minus the queues, I think it’s guaranteed to be a success.
Gourmet Belly 