Category: Region: China

An affordable brunch with gourmet dishes at The Cut, Shanghai

Brunch is the best meal of the week in Shanghai. You can find great menus at affordable prices even in not so affordable places. The brunch menu that I tried with two friends at The Cut falls into this category. I had lunch at The Cut during the week and tried their burger that left me unimpressed. But the brunch was a different story.

The visit

The Cut is located on the sixth floor of IAPM mall (hint, connected to South Shaanxi Road Station of the metro). I learnt that it is operated by the same company behind Mr & Mrs Bund, Bar Rouge and Ultraviolet and I do enjoy Mr & Mrs Bund.

The dining room on the sixth floor is a bit dark, but for the brunch we were escorted to the salon on the seventh floor that has a beautiful view of downtown Shanghai.

For brunch you can choose a 2, 3 or 4 items from the menu at a fixed price and a drink is included. Since I was with two friends we had a chance to sample the menu.

One of the first dishes to come was the a pair of poached Benedict eggs with a slide of crispy bacon. It was good.

I also personally tested their vitello tonnato (tunato on the receipt) that was a bit over the top with the sauce but a nice dish.

One of my friends has slow cooked eggs in a soup with foie gras.

Somebody in the party had a dish with some grilled salmon. A very regular dish, but nicely presented and executed.

Others main we ordered included black angus rump steak, iberico pork loin and lamb. We were all satisfied with our selections.

The portions were suitable for one person, but not too small.

Drink choices included smoothies, mocktails and beers.

The check

The 2 dishes menu cost 148 CNY (around 21 USD) and the 3 dishes menu cost 198 CNY (around 28 USD). The dishes were well executed and the menu offered a good array of options. All in all this was a satisfactory brunch in a nice location.

Where in Shanghai:
IAPM Mall,
6/F, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu,
Address in Chinese: 淮海中路999号6楼

Every dish a masterpiece at Taian Table in Shanghai

Taian Table debuted in mid 2016 and by October had gained a star in the inaugural edition of the Shanghai’s Michelin Guide. The restaurant, the brainchild of German chef Stefan Stiller, was named after Tai’an road, where it was initially located. The current location is on Zhenning Road, near Xinzha Road in Changning District in an office complex. The restaurant has retained its star in the second and third edition of the Shanghai Michelin Guide. This review is part of the Shanghai Michelin Guide Scramble. UPDATE: Deservedly, the restaurant got two stars in the 2020 edition of the Guide.

What is special about Taian Table that intrigued me was their changing menu. In some of these fine dining venues, modifications of the menu are infrequent if not rare. Contrast this with Taian Table team that, since its opening, has minted 17 different menus, sometimes with profound changes. This is an impressive degree of creativity. Even better, I love the current format. While Taian Table is a classic multi-course dining experience, only 8 dishes are fixed, then each guest can customize his/her selection with 2, 4 or 6 additional dishes chosen from “classics” and “specials”.

The visit

I booked through the website and it was very simple. I had to put down a 500 CNY deposit for each guest (I and a friend) that was easy to pay electronically.

I and my friend arrived at around 7pm and were welcomed in the dining room dominated by two L shaped counters enclosing the open kitchen. The counter sported high chairs, which I usually hate, but these were comfortable (also thanks to a foot rest space placed on the counter base).

We were immediately welcomed with the initial “snacks and nibbles”: some honey-glazed nuts and crackers with flavor coming from nori and kombu seaweeds. The nuts were nuts, but the crackers were remarkable, with a decisive “sea” flavor.

As part of these initial snacks we were offered a cappuccino with foie gras, chicken stock and Parmesan emulsion and some bread crumbs. It was something delicious.

More nibbles were waiting for us with a trio: a dumpling with tomato extract (I think reminiscent of Italian fagottini), a pastry with vitello tonnato and a salmon tart.

At this point we also had a chance to know the chef in charge of the kitchen, Mr Johnny Pham. Johnny would personally explain each dish to us throughout the rest of the evening.

The first “institutional” dish was called Foie Gras Snow. Foie gras flakes were covering a layer of lychee panna cotta and Riesling jelly. The dish was very refreshing, with no single flavor dominating others.

Next came a small work of art: thin slices of char fish (a freshwater fish found in cold mountain lakes) enclosed in equally thin slices of cucumber (and with trout roe on top). I admired this dish, but honestly it was probably my least favorite as I prefer stronger flavors.

The third dish consisted in snails covered in parsley. The white pearls in the dish were made of garlic. I am not a big fan of snails, but with these dressings they were very pleasant to eat.

At this point I was served the first of my two “free” dishes: a spoon of sea urchin on sour-dough bread (that appeared to be caramelized I think thanks to brown butter) and capped with a slice of apple. I ate it in two bites and I found that the sour-dough greatly enhanced the sea urchin flavor.

My friend opted for a piece of seared foie gras.

Then we went back to a dish made with French components with a bite of Dover sole and mussels in a sauce made with daikon and dill-oil. This was incredibly satisfying.

Then there was some more sea waiting with a charcoal grilled turbot fish on a layer of sauerkraut and capped with a teaspoon of caviar.

My friend opted for a bite of lobster (again in dill-oil).

The next masterpiece was the chef’s interpretation of the classic Oeuf en Meurette. In this case the poached egg came with a slice of crispy Parma ham and a wine sauce with pickled Shimeji mushrooms. I was later explained by chef Stiller that the pinkish color of the egg is the result of a brining process lasting for about 2-3 hours during which the eggs are soaked in a mix of beetroot juice and reduced port-wine. The inspiration coming from the Chinese Tea Egg.

Now time for a sorbet: a watermelon sorbet served with some borage (and at the perfect temperature).

But before entering the final act, we were served another big ticket item: a bite of slow-cooked beef short-rib with various condiments such as celeriac mash, chanterelle, and crispy beef tendon. I was able to cut the meat with my chopsticks.

Th last official dish was called ‘Îles flottantes’ (Floating island) and was a glorious lemon sorbet with various fruit condiments.

In the closing act, we were offered a trio of mini sweet pastries, a selection of chocolate pralines and a stick with cotton candy. More than enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

The check

We spent 1228 CNY (177 USD) per person that was the cost of the 10 course menu (including two dishes chosen from the list of the classics). We did not drink wine and we relied on the house water. This means that this was the absolute minimum to dine at the restaurant. We opted for the 10 course menu with the idea to throw in a couple of additional dishes if we felt like it, but by mid-dinner we realized that 10 courses were more than enough for our appetite. Special appreciation for the staff that was very professional and not pushy in asking us to order wine or cocktails. I can only recommend to go for dinner with an healthy appetite since every dish is just phenomenal and it would not have been bad to try the 12 course option.

Of course 1228 is a handsome sum for a dinner, but I think the value and the creativity of the offering justify the price point. Many of these dishes required hours of preparation. Every single dish was unique and creative and, overall, provided a nice balance between Eastern and Westerner flavors.

I wish Stefan, Johnny and their team continued success as I would totally go back to try one of their future menus if I have a chance.

Where in Shanghai:
465 Zhenning Road, Lane No 161, 101-102, Building No 1
Address in Chinese: 上海市长宁区镇宁路465弄161号1号楼101-102号
Pro-tip: the restaurant does not seem to be listed on Didi, the Chinese Uber. If you use Didi, you can indicate “Anken South Gate”: the entrance of this complex is next to the location of the restaurant.
Reservation and menu on the restaurant’s website.

Turning American fare into gourmet food in Shanghai: Highline

Highline opened in Shanghai in the summer of 2016 and became an instant hit with both locals and expats. Reservation, especially during peak hours on weekends, is a must. From what I read, the restaurant, located on the 6th floor of the Ascott hotel in a very central shopping area, is a collaboration between three Shanghai veterans: John Liu, Cody Allen, and Michael Sun. I guess they knew what they were doing.

The visit

This review is based on their brunch menu and is part of my Shanghai brunch series. They have different menus for lunch and dinner during the week.

The ambience is refined and modern and they have different seating arrangements: from sofas and armchairs to regular tables and booths. The dining room opens on a terrace from which you can not just see, but feel Shanghai’s skyline, surrounded by high-rises and malls.

I was with a friend so we could try a few dishes. My friend chose their foie gras burger, that I had on another occasion. This is a glorious burger that is enriched by a substantial piece of foie gras and wrapped in Parma ham. It is one of the best burgers I had in Shanghai and elsewhere (it is also one of the most expensive at around 200 CNY or 29 USD). If you order it and like eating burgers the old fashioned way, you might want to ask them not to cut it (on the other side, this is a great way to share it).

The foie burger is one of their four signature dishes for brunch, the others being the shrimp and crab roll, the chicken and waffles, and the Philly cheesesteak.

Personally I opted for the half lobster (one of their cold dishes) and for one of their creative egg Benedict. The lobster was ok, but if you are hungry will not satisfy you.

The egg Benedict I had was the one with a spicy deep fried soft shell crab. It was a delicious combination.

Finally my friend had their “Acai”, a massive yogurt and fruit bowl.

The check

The bill was 622 CNY (or 90 USD) for two people. House water was complimentary that is nice. For two courses 300 CNY is on the pricey side even for Shanghai, but the combination of good service, great ambience and quality food make the expense tolerable.

Where in Shanghai:
6/F, 282 Huaihai Zhong Lu
Address in Chinese: 淮海中路282号雅诗阁公寓6楼
Tip: I usually use Chope to reserve.

The pleasure of French food and hospitality at Villa Le Bec

There is a great French restaurant hosted in a villa in the heart of the Former French Concession in Shanghai. This beautiful place is the brainchild famed French chef Nicolas Le Bec who, in 2012, decided to move shop from Lyon to Shanghai (hint: his wife is Chinese).

He took him a couple of years to turn the villa, dating back to the 20s of last century, into a multi-function dining destination that now includes a bistro, several private dining rooms and two gardens.

The visit

In my second visit in early October 2018 I was seated in the backyard garden. It is a spacious but yet intimate location. If the sun is not too hot, this is one of the best outdoor dining locations I visited in the Former French Concession.

The bread arrived still warm, in the form of two types of ciabatta bread.

I started with a rich pâté en croute, a French dish that could be defined as a meat pie. But much better than a meat pie… the meats and the spices were perfectly amalgamated under the pastry shell. While it is certainly a filling dish, I found it delicate.

Then I had one of my favorite dishes in the world, a beef tartare. I had high expectations from this beef tartare and I was not let down.

The waiter aptly mixed the beef with an egg, crushed capers and some Tabasco pepper sauce. The result was a dish of exquisite texture and taste.

Then I was served the main consisting in a lamb shank (the shank is the portion of the meat around the tibia of the animal). It came along with mashed potatoes.

This was a very compact yet meaty piece. The skin was lightly fried adding to the flavor.  It was a bit dry, but the great sauce that came with it solved any issue. I found it an excellent execution of this French classic.

Unfortunately, at this point I had no room for a dessert. There were some attractive specimens on display in the bistro.

I was also happy to find on the menu Alain Milliat juices (otherwise they do not have many options for people who do not like alcohol).

The check

For these three dishes I spent 680 CNY (basically 100 USD). It is not the check of your everyday bistro… however it should be noted that most dishes were perfectly suitable for sharing between two people.

Given the quality of the food and the surrounding (with English speaking staff) I have no problem with this price point. I think Villa Le Bec is the perfect place where to taste authentic French food in Shanghai.

Pro-tip: for a memorable experience if the weather permits try to get a seat in the garden and if you have a party try to use one of their private rooms.

Where in Shanghai:
321 Xinhua Lu
Address in Chinese: 新华路321号
More information on the restaurant’s website.
They also operate a wine bar called Epicerie 62 at 62 Xinhua Lu.

The Shanghai Michelin Guide Scramble

Challenge completed in October 2019. Read my final reflection. 

This post is to announce the following challenge: in the next year or so Check Please will dine at each and every Michelin-starred restaurant in Shanghai. Ideally, the quest will be completed by October 2019 (to keep it restrained to the current edition of the Guide), however we might go beyond this period.

This means visiting a total of 34 restaurants (this number was 30 last year and 26 in the previous year’s inaugural edition). With an average of 3 restaurants per month it should be achievable in one year.

I have listed below the target restaurants according to the 2019 Michelin Guide for Shanghai. I will italicize the restaurants that I have visited and link to their reviews as I go. Some have been visited prior of establishing this blog, but I was able to publish a review with original photos (in some cases take by friends dining with me).

Please note that I am excluding from this challenge the Bib Gourmands and other restaurants listed on the Guide without any star.

I will call the challenge The Shanghai Michelin Guide Scramble. Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with the Michelin Guide.

Three Stars 
Ultraviolet 

Two Stars 
8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana 
Canton 8 (Runan Street)
Imperial Treasure
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon
T’ang Court
Xin Rong Ji (Nanyang Road) (New)
Yi Long Court
Yong Foo Elite

One Star 
Amazing Chinese Cuisine (New)
Bo Shanghai
Da Dong (Xuhui)
Da Dong (Jingnan)
Fu He Hui
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito (New)
Jade Mansion
Jean Georges 
Ji Pin Court (New)
Lao Zheng Xing (Huangpu)
Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire (New)
Le Patio & La Famille (Huangpu)
Lei Garden (Xuhui)
Lei Garden (Pudong)
Madam Goose (Minhang)
Moose (New)
Phenix 
Seventh Son (Jingan)
Shang High Cuisine
Sir Elly’s
Taian Table 
Wujie (Huangpu)
Xin Rong Ji (Huangou)
Yong Fu
Yong Yi Ting

Sampling traditional food in Hong Kong diners (cha chaan teng)

Every country has its own brand of casual restaurants. US generated the fast food concept. in Japan you have ramen shops. In Hong Kong you have cha chaan teng.

The official website of Hong Kong tourism office described cha chaan teng as follows:

Hong Kong-style diners, or cha chaan teng, are a unique result of city’s modern history. After the Second World War, Western food became increasingly popular in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, it remained beyond the financial reach of many people. Local diners started offering dishes with Western influences and, more important, reasonable prices and the trend took off.
Today cha chann teng far from being outmoded by modern quick-serving restaurants remain a fixture in the city of Hong Kong and answer multiple needs: they are the place where many Hong Kong dwellers have breakfast; they are busy at lunch hours with seniors and office workers as well; many of them attract people from the neighborhood as a place where to socialize till late at night.
This article describes some of the traditional food that you can find in these establishments.

Macaroni and ham soup

This is really a Hong Kong classic. A soup with macaroni instead of common noodles and some Westerner ingredients such as ham or even spam. Variations on the menu included having eggs, pork chop, beef, sausage and son on.
They suggest to add some chili paste:
I had the one pictured for breakfast at China Cafe in Mong Kok and I really enjoyed it. Eating macaroni instead of swirling noodles is much more practical.
I also had a drink made of Horlicks, a British drink based on milk powder that in Hong Kong is drunk as it was coffee. In this case it was served cold and sweetened.
The total check was 36 HKD (4,60 USD) to be paid at the cashier. I should mention that this particular diner was featured in one of Anthony Bourdain’s shows about Hong Kong. This was my silly trigger to visit it and you can clearly see other tourists there on pilgrimage.

Deep fried pork, ramen noodles and french toast

My next stop was in a non descript diner in Quarry Bay (located on 981 King’s Road next to my next entry).
I had one deep fried pork chop and some ramen noodles with egg. The deep fried pork is not a cutlet, it lacks the batter. I was not particularly impressed by this one, the frying made it too stiff.
Also the ramen noodles were not great… but I feel a bit bad as the staff there was super nice.
In this diner finally I had a sweet treat: a Hong Kong style French Toast. This was not really like a regular French toast and had a nutty backtaste.
Total check for 68 HKD (8.70 USD) including a coke.

Roast Meat

The reason I went to Quarry Bay was to try this roast meat shop mentioned by Mark Wiens in one of his trips: Yau Wun Roast Meat. The shop is indicated with this English name on Google Maps. It is clearly a very successful shop as even in the middle of the afternoon there was a solid line. The shop is also a licensed restaurant and while they did not have an English menu and did not really speak any English in the end they were able to accommodate me in one of the tables inside the small shop.
For 38 HKD (4.86 USD) I got this substantial serving of roast pork meat. I need to say that I was disappointed, I tasted better ones. But I guess that my limited ability to interact with the staff may have prevented me from ordering something more interesting.
Roast meat is a different game and the shops serving this kind of food may not have on the menu anything from the previous entries.

Eating sushi at Yamataka Seafood Market in Hong Kong

Yamakata Seafood Market in Wan Chai is touted to bring the Tsukiji market experience to Hong Kong… well, I beg to disagree, it has really little to share with Tsukiji or any other Japanese market. Actually, it looks like a small-scale clone of Taipei’s Addiction Aquatic Development. I would describe it as a multifunction dining and shopping space.

The visit

I easily reached the venue by ferry (see the tips at the end of the review) from TST. It was around 2pm and there were relatively few customers. That was a relief because it is not a spacious place. With a lot of people it can really get overpowering.

I went past the supermarket area where seafood and Japanese products are for sale.

In the supermarket area you can find deluxe sets like the one pictured above including a small lobster.

They have quite a few fun Japanese soft drinks.

Past the supermarket area there are a number of individual dining spaces, each one specializing in a different type of Japanese food. They also have an area for lectures and demonstrations. Time to time they organize tuna cutting shows.

At this counter they were serving among other things lobster rolls. Other stations serve donburi, oysters, various cooked foods, and so on. All based on fresh seafood of course.

Finally, at the end of the pier you get to the sushi bar. They do not offer the most comfortable seating arrangements, but the view of the harbor is great. You are given a menu where you can tick off the items you want to order.

I had my unmissable serving of tuna sashimi.

Then I had a tuna mixed platter including fatty and medium fatty tuna.

Then I also ordered some additional pairs of nigiri: scallops, mackerel, amberjack and hammachi.

Overall the sushi was good and fresh, but there was really nothing that made wish to be back soon.

This was the menu available on June 2018:

The check

The check came to 430 HKD (55 USD) for 12 pieces of sushi and a portion of sashimi. Not cheap at all, but being Hong Kong not outrageous either.

Overall it was fun to eat there; I definitely would recommend to go during off peak hours to avoid crowds. Also, they may have other dishes worth trying apart from classic sushi and sashimi (those lobster rolls…). The variety of available seafood is another plus.

Where in Hong Kong:
2/F, Wan Chai Ferry Pier
Pro-tip: it may sound counter-intuitive, but the best way to get there is from Kowloon (the opposite side of the harbor). Take the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier to Wan Chai Ferry Pier. Upon disembarkation the seafood market is just around the corner. Super easy. Going there from Wan Chai station is a painfully long walk dodging footbridges and construction areas.
Visit their website for more information. Have a look at their seasonal offerings.

Another casual restaurant with fine dining prices: the Pawn in Hong Kong

I was triggered to visit the Pawn because of its historic location: it is located in an old curved building with balconies facing Johnston road in Wan Chai (I supposed once home to a pawn shop). You can see the trams pass by from the balcony. The restaurant I visited was located on the second floor, while they operate a bar on the first floor (and the ground floor was occupied by what I think it was an unconnected Italian restaurant).

The visit

I made a flawless reservation through their website and the day before someone called me on my Hong Kong mobile to confirm.

Initially staff wanted to seat me outside on the balcony, but I convinced them to let me seat inside (a tad too hot on that day).

I ordered three dishes. The first was one of the pies. Enjoyed it, perfectly cooked (hot, but still edible). But it was just a chicken pie…

While the pie worked as an appetizer, the main was a massive meat dish:

The dish consisted in a big chunk of pork belly, plus pork cheek on a base of colcannon mash and pease pudding. The meat was very good, but this was not a dish for the faint of heart. I could not eat anything for the following 24 hours!

My choice for dessert was probably banal, a chocolate mousse with a scoop of ice cream.

I guess also the still water deserves a picture as it cost me 80 HKD (more than 10 USD) alone.

The check

The check came in a pot and totaled 656 HKD, or around 84 USD.

Ok, it is a premium location in Hong Kong and the food was reasonably good. But I need to note that where I sat I did not even get a table cloth… a very casual environment for fine dining prices.

Overall I do not think it was very good value for money. I must note that they change the menu frequently. My visit dates back to June 2018, now it is August and they have a completely different menu on the website.

Where in Hong Kong:
62 Johnston Road Wan Chai
Check the restaurants’ website for menus, reservations, and events.
The entrance is actually on a side street.

Japanese-grade yakitori in Hong Kong: Yardbird

In Hong Kong there are a couple of places where you can find authentic Japanese yakitori (chicken skewers cuisine). One of these is Yardbird. Hardly a hidden secret, Yardbird has been very popular since its inception in 2011. Luckily towards the end of 2017 they moved to a larger location in Sheung Wan and now if you show up the at right time (maybe between 6 or 7pm) during a weekday with a little bit of luck you do not have to queue. As in many successful yakitori places in Japan, they do not take reservations. At the helm of this restaurant a relatively young Canadian chef, Matt Abergel.

What? Wait? How can a Canadian chef serve the best yakitori in town? I think I understood by reading this interview to Matt. According to the interview, Matt “first fell in love with grilled meat on a stick when he was 17 years old and went to Japan after graduating from high school”. Retrospectively, all of his career built up to opening a yakitori place. I guess that when you care and have enough passion, you can make up any geographical and cultural disadvantage. This is certainly the case for Yardbird that is an independent restaurant, not another offspring of a chain trying to capitalize on the latest gastronomic trend.

The visit

I got a table on a calm Tuesday evening arriving around 7pm. I got one of thet last spots at the counter. I think that during the evening it would have been possible for a solo diner to find a place, more difficult for a group. What enticed me to try the venue and learn more about it was not only my passion for yakitori, but also the positive experience that I had with Ronin, a more recent creation of the same group behind Yardbird.

When I stepped in I could recognize the same relaxed and yet sophisticated atmosphere and the same friendly and hipster staff.

The menu is not limited to yakitori, but the skewers are certainly the star. The gallery below shows what I got. A digression on my only non-skewer-dish: it was a katsu sando, or a Japanese cutlet sandwich. This was uber-delicious. In practice, what I got was a lightly bread crumb coated fried chicken with seasonings between sandwich bread buns. Double. The flavor was just fantastic, all the ingredients worked well together.

My choice of skewers included skin (nicely crispy, with sake and sea salt), heart (with a lot of spring onion, good flavor even without condiments), the hardly-seen thyroid (very chewy, with strong flavor), miso breast (with an accent of parsley, basil, and garlic), the classic meatball with egg yolk dip, fillet (with yuzu and miso), inner tigh (with pepper and sea salt).

I liked all the skewers; the flavor was always distinct and delicious, even in the difficult parts such as thyroid and the heart. My only complaint is that the skewers tended to come out burned just a tad too much (but not at a point to compromise the flavor).

The check

The checkI spent a total of 534 HKD equivalent to 68 USD for 7 skewers and and the cutlet sandwich, including an expensive bottle of water (that in these fine dining establishments I kind of accept as a form of cover charge). This is just a little bit more expensive than what I paid for an excellent yakitori in Osaka just a few weeks earlier (around 55 USD for appetizer, 8 skewers and an additional dish if I only account for one person). Comparisons are tricky. We all know that fine dining is expensive in Hong Kong. Overall I would say that the price point is acceptable for the quality of the experience and the work that takes place behind the scenes. By the way, they do not apply compulsory service charge (usually 10%) and invite you to tip if you are happy with the service. This is a place where I would certainly go back and honestly I cannot say the same for a lot of other fine dining places I tried in Hong Kong.

Bonus

In May 2018 Matt Abergel published a book titled Chicken and Charcoal (Phaidon Press, 240 pages) that goes into specifics about his knowledge of yakitori. The book is richly illustrated and covers topics such as how to break down a chicken to obtain all those exotic parts that you find in real yakitori menus, how to grill them using charcoal, how to marinate them and make the right sauces and even how to choose the right drink pairings. While at time of writing the book is not available for delivery on Amazon (release date in October 2018), I could browse a copy in an Hong Kong bookstore and I was impressed. I see it as an additional piece of evidence of Matt’s passion for what he does. It is on my wishlist (but this time I just did not have space left in my baggage…).

Where in Hong Kong:
G/F, 154-158 Wing Lok Street Sheung Wan
Address in Chinese: 上環 154-158 永樂街
For more information including the menu see their website.

Dim Sum feast in a Michelin starred restaurant for just 36 USD – Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong

Tim Ho Wan story is quit recent. It all started in 2009 when Mak Kwai-pui, formerly a chef in a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, opened a dim sum diner in Mongkok. The restaurant earned a Michelin star of its own in the 2010 Hong Kong and Macau Guide and it has retained the award ever since. The Mongkok location does not exist anymore; three locations in Hong Kong are listed under the one-starred restaurants in the 2018 Michelin Guide: Sham Shui Po, North Point, and Tai Kwok Tsui (Olympian City 2). A bit of clarity is in order: this is a real starred restaurant, not a Big Gourmand (a category introduced to acknowledge affordable restaurants standing up for good value) or a street food entry. Second point to be made: the famed Michelin Guide rates specific locations, not brands. This means that only the locations mentioned above deserve to be regarded as “starred”; this is not the case for the plethora of locations elsewhere in Hong Kong and across Asia and other countries (while this does not mean that other locations are bad of course, especially considering that the Guide does not cover all countries were Tim Ho Wan is present).

The visit

My visit to the Sham Shui Po branch dates back to early July 2018. I showed up at noon on a weekday and I was promptly offered a seat for me and a friend. Service is fast and people keep churning at an impressive rate. You can easily spot both tourists (with their trolleys) and locals. The venue is relatively small and do not expect any privacy: you will seat shoulder to shoulder with other customers. But this is the beauty of real dim sum in Hong Kong.

A word on dim sum in case you are not familiar with it (otherwise skip to the next paragraph). Dim sum refers to the small bite-size dishes designed for brunch in Chinese cuisine, in particular Cantonese (that exercises the largest influence on Hong Kong Chinese cuisine). Tea is a mandatory complement. Someone claims that there are hundreds of such dishes. In a typical dim sum restaurant you get a menu where you can tick off the specific items you like to order. Dim sum is not really the everyday breakfast for people in Hong Kong or elsewhere in China, it is more like the weekend or holiday treat. Having said so, in a city like Hong Kong, dim sum restaurants are open and busy all week long both for lunch and dinner. Nowadays, luxury dim sum venues are common in cities like Hong Kong, however dim sum remains a popular cuisine and, in my opinion, it is best experienced in places characterized by a mildly chaotic atmosphere. (Make no mistake, in a place like Tim Ho Wan they are ultra-efficient and very quick in delivering orders.)

Tim Ho Wan has a menu divided in six sections: steamed dishes, deep fried food, steamed rice, congee, vermicelli, and dessert. I could count 36 items, including a few seasonal offerings (marked by an asterisk).  In the gallery below you can find a detailed description of the dishes we ordered.

Just a few general comments. The baked bun with BBQ pork (also known as Cha siu bao) lived up its reputation. Technically it is a pineapple bun (no pineapple involved, but the bun is sweet). The sweetness of the bun combined with the savory flavor of the pork and its sauce generate a unique irresistible fragrance. My favorite were also the deep fried shrimp toast (with sizable pieces of shrimp on a crispy toast) and the beef balls (right tenderness and texture). Also the classics did not let us down, including the dumplings and the glutinous vermicelli with shrimps. I was less impressed by the chicken. The green bean cold soup was listed as a dessert, but I found it appropriate to accompany the meal as a refreshing drink.

The check

Tim Ho Wan is consistently listed as one of the cheapest Michelin starred restaurants in the world. Truth be told, I and my friend spent 283 HKD, or around 36 USD, for a feast that left both completely satisfied. Tea was included in the 2 HKD per person cover charge. Yes, for once the value for money is out of question and not only because this experience does not cost you a kidney, but also because the food is genuinely good and fresh. I should clarify that in this case the lunch was a treat, but the final receipt, in this case two, is provided on the table as a form of order confirmation so I got the picture anyway and I am not letting out any secret. My friend from Hong Kong commented that the price is reasonable even within the same category of dim sum eateries: you can easily find worse places around Mong Kok or Sham Shui Po and end up paying more. I won’t discuss the heated topic of whether the Michelin Guide applies different standards to different territories (it kind of does…), but I want to say that I appreciate the fact that this restaurant did not sell out after earning its award but continued to offer excellent food at reasonable prices.

Where in Hong Kong:
9-11 Fuk Wing St, Sham Shui Po
See website for other locations in Hong Kong and other countries.
Michelin Guide entry for the Sham Shui Po branch.