Best: Dim Sum, Hong Kong 2, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Ph: 2332 2896
G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Ph: 2788 1226
Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central, Ph: 2332 3078
Last Visited: November 26, 2010
Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $
Our first visit was an hour and a half wait. Our second visit was over a two hour wait, but one should take into account that I arrived before opening time. With only about 32 seats available in this location, our second visit waited through an entire round of people (completely packed full house) before we were able to be seated. And there were a ton of people in line after us too.
You'll find the crowd is fairly international. Known as the least expensive restaurant in the world with a Michelin star, Tim Ho Wan has been featured in a number of guide books and listed as a must-try in many restaurant guides as well. While I knew I was in for a treat, I had no idea that dim sum could be this fresh and this good. The owner and chef, Mak Pui Gor, was the former chef of the three star restaurant at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong. Impressive credentials and I think it's awesome he decided to open a place that is accessible to those on a budget.
The atmosphere is one of hustle and bustle - you get a piece of paper to indicate your order quantity for each item, and your order is plugged into the computer. Then little dishes and baskets arrive at your table in no particular order. Unlike other restaurants in Hong Kong, there is something really unique here. When the food arrives, the restaurant goes almost completely quiet. Everyone is eating, savoring, taking photos, and just enjoying. It was one of the quietest restaurants I have ever visited in Hong Kong. 
Another unusual thing is that it's very social. The interest in food between patrons, both strangers, and those at your table, generates conversation about where you come from and how you learned about the restaurant. While other restaurants and cafes have similarly close seating arrangements and shared tables, at other places, people tend to focus on their phones and don't talk. I heard that the chef formerly worked at a very large restaurant and decided to open his own place, much to our delight.
Prices for most items range from $1.25 to $5 USD, extremely reasonable for such a delightful variety of food that is high quality too. Most of the dishes could be model dim sum - the way it should be. - Rice Roll with Shrimp - Perfect texture and consistency with soy sauce that is not too salty. It's hard to find rice rolls that are made so thin.
- Deep Fried Puff with Pork - Another light and delicious item. The filling quantity is just right, but what is so hard to find is an outer shell that isn't too thick. As one might expect, they do it just right, and not too greasy either. Just about all of their fried stuff fits this description - not greasy, wonderfully fresh.- Braised Chicken Feet - The flavors of the chicken feet are great. A larger number of restaurants are good at this dish, so it was not quite as outstanding, but still very good.
- Har Gao - These shrimp dumplings are the size of authentic har gao. In the US, they often super size the shrimp dumplings which inevitably reduces quality in most of those versions. This one is a single bite of loveliness. Thin skinned, you can really taste the shrimp.- Sweet Pumpkin Dessert - Sweet soups are very popular as a dessert in Asian cuisine. We enjoyed this smooth pumpkin pureed soup with hints of coconut milk. So delicious and unique to Tim Ho Wan.
- Steamed Pork Spareribs - I liked how the spareribs had a hint of heat from the red chili pepper to balance the richness of the fermented black beans. I appreciated that the meat was tender without having a starchy sauce around it. 
- Osmanthus Flower Jello (Kuei Fa Gao) - While you won't find it written in English as Osmanthus flower, you'll see a number of patrons eating this dish - you can ask for it by the Chinese name. This was probably my favorite item because I was delighted by its super refreshing flavor. It's so light and sweet with a light, flowery flavor. It's the perfect way to end a meal. You can actually see the flower petals in it still. The light consistency of the jello is offset by sweet goji berries, to give it a little chew. You've absolutely got to try it!
- Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun - Yes, you read that right. BBQ pork buns are topped with what makes a pineapple bun a pineapple bun. The thin sweet topping is super light. Some people around me ordered this dish once and had to order another two servings because they loved them so much. While I enjoyed them for their light texture, they were good for me, but not worth another order. This may be just your thing though.- Steamed Beef Ball - These are tender and flavored with a little cilantro. Fairly standard and many places do get this one right, so not that much to say.
- Pan Fried Turnip Cake - These were good and had more grated turnip than you find at other restaurants. You can actually see the grated pieces when you bite into it and of course, the outside texture was just a touch crispy. Good stuff. - Egg Rolls - These are a must try! The super crunchy egg roll wrapper is fried to perfection. The shrimp and sweet fruit inside makes this a scrumptious bite. Loved it! If only everyone made an egg roll as good as this.
- Siu Mai (pork dumpling) - Good in its texture and how it stayed together. At some places, the filling is too dense or too loose - here, it's just right. The flavor was good too.- Lotus Leaf Wrapped Chicken and Rice - Super flavorful, the lotus leaf fragrance has infused the rice and the center contains juicy meat with rice.
- Sweet cloud fungus with herbs - This sweet dessert is really light and very good for soothing your throat because of its sweet rock sugar soup which is almost like a syrup, but not overly sweet. The cloud fungus has been cooked until tender. This is great to have as an offset to your fried dishes. This is another specialty that you won't find at other dim sum houses.
- Brown Sugar Cake - The literal translation from Chinese to English is something along the lines of fluffy cake or light cake. It's made with real Chinese brown sugar (which is actually translated literally as yellow sugar). Unlike places in the U.S., the cake has a really strong brown sugar taste - this is a must try if you want to see what authentic cake should taste like. This steamed cake is super light and fluffy. Again, you won't find it anywhere else - and even the dim sum houses in Hong Kong don't seem to make it as good as this version right here. Even the color seems to be a richer brown.
- Chinese Sausage and Spareribs with Rice - While this isn't a real dim sum dish, local tea houses in Hong Kong have turned it into one, so now I think it's just made available because people expect it. A little soy sauce is served with this to moisten the steamed pot of meat and rice. All the meat is tender and good.
- Pan Fried Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Wrapper - Another must try, the combination of a little cilantro and celery with the shrimp and the just crispy tofu skin make this a really delectable treat. Love this one too.
While you'll have an advantage if you can read and speak Chinese, if you can't, don't let that deter you. There is plenty of other diners whom can help you out, or you can just point. Just be brave and eat what you can. It's unlikely you'll be disappointed. For those that are familiar with dim sum menus, Tim Ho Wan offers all of the standards at least as good as what is offered at the best dim sum places. They have an amazing way of standing out in many of their dishes. You will definitely leave satisfied and you won't feel like you left a huge dent in your wallet when you're done.
- Sweet cloud fungus with herbs - This sweet dessert is really light and very good for soothing your throat because of its sweet rock sugar soup which is almost like a syrup, but not overly sweet. The cloud fungus has been cooked until tender. This is great to have as an offset to your fried dishes. This is another specialty that you won't find at other dim sum houses.
- Brown Sugar Cake - The literal translation from Chinese to English is something along the lines of fluffy cake or light cake. It's made with real Chinese brown sugar (which is actually translated literally as yellow sugar). Unlike places in the U.S., the cake has a really strong brown sugar taste - this is a must try if you want to see what authentic cake should taste like. This steamed cake is super light and fluffy. Again, you won't find it anywhere else - and even the dim sum houses in Hong Kong don't seem to make it as good as this version right here. Even the color seems to be a richer brown. 
- Chinese Sausage and Spareribs with Rice - While this isn't a real dim sum dish, local tea houses in Hong Kong have turned it into one, so now I think it's just made available because people expect it. A little soy sauce is served with this to moisten the steamed pot of meat and rice. All the meat is tender and good. 
- Pan Fried Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Wrapper - Another must try, the combination of a little cilantro and celery with the shrimp and the just crispy tofu skin make this a really delectable treat. Love this one too. - Steamed Buns - A few choices of steamed buns are available - meat and vegetable, BBQ pork, and others. I thought they were good - though you can find them as good as this elsewhere.
While you'll have an advantage if you can read and speak Chinese, if you can't, don't let that deter you. There is plenty of other diners whom can help you out, or you can just point. Just be brave and eat what you can. It's unlikely you'll be disappointed. For those that are familiar with dim sum menus, Tim Ho Wan offers all of the standards at least as good as what is offered at the best dim sum places. They have an amazing way of standing out in many of their dishes. You will definitely leave satisfied and you won't feel like you left a huge dent in your wallet when you're done. 
The atmosphere isn't fancy. You get paper placemats, plastic plates, and somewhat crowded conditions, but it's well worth it. To avoid the lines, try to go during afternoon tea time (3 to 5pm). Otherwise, get there early. Lines can be a bit deceiving as sometimes a person is waiting in line for a party of 20 (someone in front of me did that), but the fact that I returned again during such a short stay should tell you something. If only they had a place like this in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tim Ho Wan deserves their Michelin star. I am definitely going to try to go back during my next Hong Kong visit!
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