Michelin Magic - Tim Ho Wan

Signature dish - Baked bun with BBQ pork $12 for 3!

Ever since hearing that this hole-in-the-wall joint was awarded a Michelin star for their excellent dim sum, I wondered if the food really matched up to the hype.  C'mon, so the owner, Mak Pui Gor, was a chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, does that mean it translates to excellent food and cheap prices in a rush?  What about the rumoured 3-hour waits?

Treasure Hunt aka How to get there
Finding this restaurant was an adventure in itself. If you take the MTR, get off at Yau Ma Tei station and take the A2 exit. As you come out of the exit, Nathan Road is behind you, turn right on Nathan (towards Mong Kok) and then turn right on Dundas Street (about two blocks).  Walk past the Ladies Market on your left hand side and keep going until you reach Kwong Wah Street (on left).

You can't miss it for the crowds

Surroundings
Located in a non-descript area of town full of motorcycles, we arrived to find a crowd at 10:30 in the morning.  Even at this early hour, we had to wait 45 minutes for a table. Ladies, wear flats, not heels and bring your small shoulder bags as it's a tight squeeze inside.  As soon as you arrive, take a ticket from the hostess at the front and they will call out numbers.  The restaurant itself seats only 30 people.  When they called our number, I couldn't go in with my friends since half of our table was still occupied!  I had to wait outside until they had paid and left.  Tip: while you wait outside, ask for their bi-lingual paper menu so you can pre-order your food.

Just put the number of servings in the box provided, hand over to waitress when you are seated.

Tip 2: The bathrooms have no soap so bring wet wipes.

This is truly a place for locals, our neighbors ranged from super-nice to super-grumpy.  One woman barked at the waitresses because they poured her some pu'er tea.  She had brought her own ginseng tea (in a thermos) and didn't want the inferior restaurant house tea.  Be prepared for a real local experience!

* Cramped but happy!

Food
Must try: Baked bun with BBQ Pork, get 2, 3, or 4 servings. You won't regret it. These melt in your mouth buns are definitely the star of the show and everything else pales in comparison. I reckon the Michelin star was awarded for this dish alone.

Oozing deliciousness

You may ask what sets this chef apart from the thousands of others in the city?  It's the glorious sauces. They taste as if they have gone through a reduction process, so concentrate was the flavour and so rich were they that it was definitely a Michelin experience on my palate.

Glue Rice (Sticky Rice) Dumpling wrapped in lotus leaf - $20

The same can be said for the sauce in their Glue Rice Dumpling.  However I was chided by the waitress for trying to eat this one first.  As the first dish to arrive at the table after a 45 minute wait, I was ravenous.  But our server said not to unwrap this as it should be eaten last in the meal. Yes, of course.

Steamed Mushroom stuffed with Fish and Black Bean Sauce - $14

An unusual dish we tried was the Steamed Mushroom stuffed with Fish and Black Bean Sauce, the mushroom was tender and meaty, the fish-paste was good except but you must be someone who likes the taste of cilantro.

Other recommendations include:
Deep fried Dumpling filled with Meat, Steamed Dumpling in Chiu Chow Style, Rice roll stuffed with Shrimp, Pan-fried Turnip Cake (wonderful Chinese sausage flavor), Steamed Egg Cake (sweet), .

Rice Roll Stuffed with Shrimp - $17

Steamed Dumpling in Chiu Chow Style (with peanuts) - $10

Pan-fried Turnip Cake with chinese sausage (tastes like chorizo) - $10

Steamed Egg Cake - $10

Deep Fried Dumpling filled with meat (pork) - $12

The desserts consists of hot soups. I opted for the Double Boiled Pear Soup with Snow Fungus ($10).  The snow fungus is a type of mushroom and valued for their crispness.  Like all chinese soups, this particular brew promises clear and hydrated skin, beneficial especially for the winter season.

* Better than a facial?  The small white pieces are chinese almonds

My friend opted for the Sweet Chestnut and Pumpkin Cream, she said it was the perfect finish to her meal.

Pumpkin cream - $10

Payment
Contrary to other small establishments, the staff wants you to pay at the table, not at the front desk.  This entire meal came to around $50 per person, great stuff!

Address:
Tim Ho Wan
2-20 Kwong Wah Street
Mongkok
Hours: 10 am - 10 pm
Tel: 2332-2896
(No reservations)

Second location:  Seats 150, over 10,000 square feet, no waiting (according to staff), but I have not yet tried this one out
G/F 9-11 Fuk Wing Street
Sham Shui Po
Hours: 8 am - 10 pm
Tel: 2788-1226
(This branch DOES take reservations)


Have been dreaming of the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork ever since, see you in line!


* Photos by Wendy A and Leslie R.

Cute-as-can-be dim sum at Times Square - Superstar Seafood Restaurant

Deep Fried Meat Dumpling in Crab Shape - a must-try

 Animal shaped dim sum. There are penguins, ladybugs, crabs, pigs.  So cute that you will have trouble biting into them.

Steamed Shrimp Dumpling Rabbit Shape

Situated on the 10th Floor of Times Square, you are immediately welcomed by huge white birdcages decorated in a wedding gazebo motif at Super Star Seafood Restaurant.  Crystal chandeliers galore.  The tables are rather spread out so one does feel there's more elbow room than your average restaurant.

Gilded Bird Cages houses larger tables

You've got to give this restaurant chain points for trying to stand out.  They have invented these photogenic animal-shaped dumplings to put some fun into dim sum dining and it works.  Well, some taste better than others.  The few I would recommend are (minimum order of two):

Deep fried BBQ pork dumpling (ladybug)  $8 ea.- minced pork filling with diced water chestnut to give it a bit of a crunch
Deep fried Meat Dumpling in Crab Shape $8 ea. - very crispy batter hosts a creamy crabmeat filling, the batter is a little on the sweet side but the whole package works
Steamed Shrimp Dumpling in Rabbit Shape $8 ea. - fresh firm shrimp is very good with chili sauce

Deep fried BBQ Pork Dumpling (Ladybugs)

BBQ Pork Buns

I would skip the Steamed Dumpling in Penguin Shape and the Steam Sweet Sesame Bun (piggy shape).  They were OK but the penguin was ordinary and the piggy was a bit doughy.  Another miss is the Wonton with Chili Oil and Fresh Shrimp - get it at Ding Tai Fung instead, it's much better there.  But here their BBQ Pork Buns are good and their Poached Choy Sum are fine.

Steamed Dumpling in penguin shape, so cute but not the best choice

These little Steamed Sweet Sesame Bun are supposed to resemble piglets but reminds me a little of Fido

For dessert, save room for the Mini-Egg Tarts ($20) and the Serradurra Pudding (off the menu).  The tarts were melt-in-your mouth flaky and the custard was very soft, obviously freshly made.  The pudding was a deliciously creamy mix of almond flavor, fresh cream and biscuit crumbs.  You may need to ask for this especially because it's not on the menu but now you are in the know.

Mini Egg tarts on right made with shortcrust pastry

Serradura Pudding served in a demitasse, the Chinese literal translation is "Woodshavings pudding' because of the biscuit shavings inside

A healthier choice in dessert is their Sweet Bean Curd ($20) which is served warm and soft. The brown sugar crystals on top makes a delicious topping.

Sweet Bean Curd - with brown sugar crystals served warm

For kiddies, choose the Marshmallow Rabbit (with coconut shavings), they will love to pop these little delicacies into their mouths.

Marshmallow Rabbits, which part would you nibble on first?


On weekends this place gets crowded so try to be there by noon, otherwise you'll have a wait.  Lunch should run around HKD100 per person.

Super Star Seafood Restaurant
10/F, Times Square
(the left-most restaurant as you alight from the glass elevators)
Causeway Bay
Telephone: 2628-0886 (reservations)
Hours: 10 am - 12 midnight

Entrance looks like this

Best Shanghai Dumplings - Din Tai Fung

Star of the show

I have to say, I am a HUGE fan of Din Tai Fung. With 52 branches all over the world and first class Japanese-style production techniques which maintains the high standards of every dumpling served, you can count on having a wonderful meal at every seating.

My favorite is their signature dish 'Steamed pork dumplings' ($48 for six). What most dim sum restaurants in this city fail to appreciate is that the paper wrapper that lines that bamboo basket is simply inadequate to deal with this 'soup dumpling'. How do paper liners spoil this experience? The dumpling's wrapper sticks to paper, therefore when you try to pick up the dumpling with your chopsticks, your dumpling rips and all the delicate juices are spilled before it is even close to its destination. What Din Tai Fung and restaurants in Shanghai has done is to serve the dumplings on CLOTH liners, thereby eliminating this unfortunate outcome. The focal point of this dish is that you dip the dumpling into the soy sauce/vinegar/ginger sauce and then put the whole thing in your mouth. Then as you bite into it, the dumpling explodes, releasing the 'soup/juices' to fill your palate with a combination of all the flavors. Ahhh, heaven. It is sooo good, it's literally impossible to stop at one.

Our other favorite dumpling dish is the 'Spicy Shrimp and pork wanton' ($45), served in a mild chili oil, it gives the shrimp and pork wantons a bit more heat but not so much that it burns your tongue. It's firmer than the steamed dumplings and is a great accompaniment to the meal.

Just a hint of chili

To cool things down, the 'Tossed sliced cucumber with chili and garlic' ($28) is fresh, crunchy and is the right size for a bite. In fact, all the vegetables are fresh and crispy, the 'Bok choy' ($40) and 'Sauteed Chinese white cabbage' ($40) were both adequate staples and bring balance to the meat-heavy meal.

Mix the noodles well to serve

Here are some more highly recommended dishes:
Egg fried rice with shrimp and shredded pork ($50) - very good flavor, rice not greasy, shrimps are a very good size
Noodle with minced pork and bean sauce ($35) - Mix it well then serve, the noodles tastes homemade - al dente
Boiled glutinous rice dumpling stuffed with pork ($36) - one of the weaker dishes, it's just that everything else is so delicious that this one pales in comparison, it is a dumpling that is similar to a Mexican tamale, it needs to be dipped in soy sauce for more flavor

Almond pudding always ends the meal on a high note

Our party tried out three delicious desserts:
The best dessert voted by my party is the 'Almond pudding with fresh fruit' ($28), served cold it's a gelatin and rice flour based dessert, very light and jelly-like. It is extremely refreshing after all the dumplings we ate. It comes in a medium size ramekins, it could be shared by two. The fruit are two slices of strawberry.
Chilled sago soup with coconut milk and fresh fruit ($28)- the coconut milk flavor is a hit and so are the melon balls but it's a little bland after the fantastic main course.
Boiled glutinous rice dumpling stuffed with red bean paste ($28) - only for those who like sweet red beans. It's standard fare, nothing to write home about.

Chinese people love chilled sweet sago soup

The overall impression is that this is a great place to go. There are two locations in Hong Kong. For a party of five who ate way too much (did we really order five baskets of Shanghai dumplings?), the bill came to $200 per person. Great food, good deal. Prepare for long waits in line!

Din Tai Fung
68 Yee Wo Street (ground floor of Regal Hotel)
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
3160-8998

and

Shop 130, 3rd Floor, Silvercord Shopping Centre
30 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
2730-6928

RTHK 3 interview with Caroline Chan

Last week, my publisher from Blacksmith Media, Pete Spurrier, and I were interviewed by Caroline Chan on her program Connect2. Great fun to be interviewed on radio, if a little nerve-wrecking at first.

We talked about what it takes to put together a book and how publisher and author work together to make it happen, what it takes to get a book published and what it entails to get it in the bookshops and into the hands of the general public.

Click here to listen. The program is around half an hour long, fast forward 2 minutes to get to the main part of the program.
(http://programme.rthk.org.hk/channel/radio/player_popup.php?pid=4824&eid=112307&d=2010-07-18&player=media&type=archive&channel=radio3#/)

Hidden Gem in Wanchai Hopewell Center

Did you know that a lot of restaurants offer special promotions during the off-hours of the day to lure in customers?

Cuisine Royale is located on the 7th Floor of the Hopewell Center on Queens Road East. The dim sums are above average in quality and the prices are just right for everyone. 30% off for Monday to Sundays 9am to 12pm and after 2pm, except Saturdays when it's 30% ALL DAY. Yes, you read right, 30% off all dim sum dishes (not a la carte). Only exception are Public Holidays.

What's good there? Well, my favorite hands-down was their own specialty, which is not available elsewhere, the 'Crispy Rice Flour Roll w/Vegetable'. It's basically a 'cheung fun' rice roll stuffed with fried dough crispies and just the right amount of veg. You dip the pieces in soy sauce and it's heaven!

The 'char siu bau' (BBQ pork buns) were moist and delightful, very good version of this dim sum staple. The fried wontons were excellent, lots of prawns and very crispy.

They also offer 'Siu Long Bau' (Shanghai Soup dumplings) but they are just OK, not as good as in 'Din Tai Fong', certainly. Also OK were the Chiu Chow Fun Gor - (Chiu Chow Steamed Dumplings and the steamed spongcake.

Save up your appetite for the scrumptious mini-desserts. We tried four types, the Chilled Tofu & Minxed Fruits with Almond Flavour- very refreshing and light with some canned fruit. The Chilled Mango Pudding was a good staple. the Sweetened Grapefruit Soup w/Mango was a surprising chilled sweet soup - make sure you stir with soup before drinking as the grapefruit sinks to the bottom of the bowl. The Chilled Pomelo Pudding with Aloe Vera was a light jelly. At HKD8 a bowl and in cute little portions, you can try several different kinds and not feel guilty. There are a total of 13 to choose from, both cold and warm desserts.

Menus are bilingual, which is very helpful but no photographs. This is a 'mark down what you want on the order form and we will bring it to you' kind of restaurant. Also, in the morning they don't do a la carte so you must order from the dim sum menu. The ambience is 'luxurious' with lots of crystal chandeliers but the color scheme is in soft cream so it's not too overwhelming. It's clean, lots of elbow room and the staff speaks Cantonese only but try to be helpful so bring your Dim Sum Guide.

My party of 11 ate very well and the bill came to just HKD 60 per person tip included.

Restaurant
Cuisine Royale
7th FloorHopewell Centre,183Queen's Road East,Wan Chai
phone: 2804-1300

Specialty
Crispy Rice Flour Roll s/Vegetable
Char Siu Bau (BBQ Pork Bun)

The Graces Garden, Times Square

Beware of the Dim Sum restaurant with no one lining up on Sundays.

Not that there is anything obviously wrong with the food here at The Graces Garden. They really try to make an effort. They have a bilingual paper dim sum menu with over 50 items with color photos, which by the way, is the BEST thing about this restaurant. The restaurant is clean and presentable with the right amount of understated gaudiness. But where it counts the most, the food, it's just OK.

Housed in the probably the most expensive piece of real estate in Causeway Bay, on the 12th Floor of Times Square, you'd expect it to be better than average to keep up with other restaurants in the 'Food Forum'. Unlike other dim sum restaurants around town on Sundays, it's nice to be able to just walk in and get seated. We were welcomed with a small plate of freshly roasted peanuts ($10 per dish), which were delicious, and a pot of oolong tea. But the dim sum chef definitely needs to work on his dough-making skills.

The wrapper of the steamed rice sheet rolls with BBQ pork were too thick and doughy so although the BBQ pork was flavorful and in nice big chunks, its flavor got lost in the huge amount of wet gooey dough in my mouth.

Same with the steamed Chiu Chow dumplings - the filling of pork and peanuts were good but again the dough was too thick and sticky. A healthy dose of chili sauce added flavor to this dish but it didn't stand as a good choice on its own.

Even the fried egg-shape dumpling was a little disappointing. The outside was nicely brown and crispy but the dough was just a little too thick. The filling was a delicious minced pork and gravy concoction though.

The fried string beans with garlic sauce and fried e-fu noodles with prawns were very plain and limp.

The best dishes of the day? It's the Assorted Seafood & Mushroom Thick Soup ($38). Tasty, flavorful and no dough. Also, the sticky rice balls with taro filling and coconut shavings were very nice as dessert. The coconut overshadowed the taro flavour but the sticky rice balls were soft and melt-in-your-mouth so at least the meal ended on a sweet note.

This restaurant is recommended if you don't want to wait in line and want a menu with photos in english. Just don't order any dumplings or anything doughy.
Lunch for two came to HKD250.

How to get a discount for a Dim Sum Lunch

If you dine in Chinese restaurants regularly in Hong Kong, you'd know that they have a 'tea charge' as well as a 'snacks' charge per person and on top of that a 10% service charge. All of this can come up to a quarter of your total bill in extra charges. However, if you know the maitre d', they would waive the tea charge and/or snacks charge, but that usually means you'd have to be a regular customer.

So my advice is, when you visit a restaurant that you like and you envision coming back, make friends with the manager or maitre d'. Introduce yourself, tell them you live nearby (or that you live here and not a tourist) and tell them how much you like their food. Exchange business cards if you have them on hand. Then ask the the manager by name the next time you go. Not only will you get better service but you may also get a 'discount' on extra charges or some free desserts to go with your dim sum lunch!

Lok Cha Teahouse in Hong Kong Park

Gorgeous colonial building houses Lok Cha Teahouse

If you are a tea connoiseur or a vegetarian and wants some good dim sum dishes in a quiet, rustic environment then this is the place for you.

Situated inside the Museum of Tea Ware, in Admiralty, it's as if you travelled to an idealistic Chinese teahouse dream. Immaculate wooden furniture, chinese frosted windows and staff dressed in traditional Chinese clothing made me feel as if I was transported from the big metropolis that is Hong Kong to a quaint, quiet countryside location.

I went on Sunday evening and a traditional Chinese trio played classical music while I sipped my tea. This is a regular event for every Saturday and Sunday night and well worth the extra $50 per person price (if you are not ordering the set tea of $80 pp which happens to be pu'er tea that evening). Although the tea was not cheap, as each person has to make one order, the atmosphere was magical. The tea was especially good because it was of very good quality (much better than the tea you get in other big dim sum restaurants). It is served Taiwanese style, in small claypots and thimble-like teacups. The idea is that you pour hot water into the purple clay teapot filled with leaves, let it seep for 2 minutes, pour that into a ceramic jar then serve that into your thimble-cups. You can do this for up to 7 or 10 times, each time the flavour and the fragrance of the tea changes. It's quite a delight. It is important not to let the tea leaves seep for more than 2 minutes as the impurities of the leaves will go into the tea e.g. caffeine, bitter aftertaste. Drank this way, you get all the antioxidant properties (especially from green teas) and none of the ill side-effects.

As for food, they have a small menu of vegetarian dim sum and desserts. I didn't try any so cannot vouch for them this time but this just gives me an excuse to go back.

They also sell very pretty tea ware ranging from affordable to exquisitely expensive.

Tea with performance came to around HKD240 for two.

http://www.lockcha.com/teahouse/lang=eng

Introduction

Welcome to my Dim Sum Blog.

My name is Liza Chu and I am Cantonese Chinese. Food is a MAJOR part my culture and my family. Every time there is a gathering of family or friends, we sit together and chow down. Work, politics, romance, gossip and problems all become secondary to the dishes served on the table. This is especially so when there is a never-ending stream of delicious dim sum on wheels circling the table. From age 2 to 102, every one will have an opinion of their favorite dishes and how it should be made.

If I had my way, I would share food with friends everyday of the week. But that is impossible so the next best thing is to share my food experiences.

On this forum, I will introduce some dim sum dishes from my book, 'Dim Sum: A Survival Guide' by Blacksmith Books (http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/) as well as feature some dim sum dishes from restaurants around Hong Kong and on my travels. Interspersed will be some cultural tips and stories from friends and family.

So watch this space if you are any of the following:

• a dim sum novice;
• have food allergies or restrictions;
• foodie who wants to try some new dishes.

Sik fan la! (Bon appetit!)