It would be sacrilegious to miss Dim Sum when in Hong Kong, so when I heard there was a Michelin-starred option for under £5 a head I was on the next train to Olympic Station for my fix.
Run by the ex-dim sum chef of the Four Seasons, Tim Ho Wan has four outfits around Hong Kong which are inconspicuously located in shopping malls and train stations. We came for lunch to avoid the long dinnertime queues. When you get in, simply tick whatever looks tasty on a paper menu and then wait for your treasures to arrive.
The food started with the baked BBQ pork bun. This was pretty much heaven in every bite (pardon the piety!) - rich pork and red bean filling, with a sweet but savoury pastry. I think this was actually deep-fried rather than baked, not that I'm complaining!
After that, it was pretty much a dim sum free-for-all. Highlights were the steamed dumpling chiuchow style with big chunks of daikon, steamed beef balls with bean curd skin, steamed ginger + beef dumplings and pan-fried lotus, water chestnut + pork. May have over-ordered, yum!
My one gripe is that the eggplant (aubergine) stuffed with pork was a bit bitter for my liking. I'm a complete eggplant fanatic, so this one slightly missed the mark. Andrew disagrees as he loved it. Decide for yourself!
Overall, an amazing lunch. Come for the food. You definitely won't find a Michelin meal cheaper than this.
One of four locations:
Tim Ho Wan
Shop 72 G/F, Olympian City 2
18 Hoi Ting Road
Tai Kok Tsui
Hong Kong