Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (SGD4.50 for 3) is hands down Tim Ho Wan’s most popular creation, justifying the insane queue at their original outlet in Hong Kong and that extra nudge in the experts’ book; earning them one Michelin star (read my review HERE)

Happy Friday dearest ever-hungry food hunters. If you are here reading this, you must be preparing for a weekend of crazy ‘makan’ adventures wherever you are. Although the arrangement of the posts got a bit more random lately, rotating between Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore reviews, I hope that you find this roulette of unpredictable food rants stimulating and well, giving you a surprise at every visit.

Or you could be cursing under your breath, wondering when will Motormouth goes back to write about Ipoh/Perak food only just like the golden years (okay, more than 4 years back only but sure feels like forever).

Today, this beautiful Friday evening, after an entire week of OT and repeated assaults of work, let me tell you about my experience at Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum; the much-hyped about cheapest Michelin one star restaurant in the world (the Hong Kong outlet got the star) at their branch in Westgate, Jurong East, Singapore.

Eating the same old “4 Heavenly Kings” at Tim Ho Wan can be a bore, so the chefs come up with something Special; three items that to my knowledge, did not appear in the Hong Kong menu way back in 2011.

After a massive deluge of raving reviews, media coverage, hours spent standing around and idling with smartphones, tablets, or phablets, or even engaging in arguments with fellow diners, Tim Ho Wan of Hong Kong fame branched out to Singapore last year.

But with 5 branches already under their arm, and constantly serving a platoon of dim sum lovers (I went a few times to the one at Plaza Singapura along Orchard Road and got stunned at the sheer patience Singaporeans have. Or maybe they were tourists just like me). Tim Ho Wan’s success seems unparallel for a dim sum outlet starting from a very basic, hole-in-the-wall set up in Mong Kok.

And just in case you’re curious to know, Tim Ho Wan is opening their first outlet in Malaysia at Midvalley this coming November.

Have fun getting in line for dim sum at the mall.

Garlic Fried Fish Skin (SGD6.80) was exceptionally addictive, that dry crunch accentuated by the fragrance of fried minced garlic rendered this dish an almost must-order. Slightly pricier than the rest of the menu, but well worth to share a plate.

I sacrificed two hours of our travel time back then, going around in circles in Mong Kok just to grab a seat after taking a queue number.

And it was not even breakfast or lunch hours.

However, although the dim sum served were really fresh, the pork and shrimp tasted sweet, succulent and piping hot, I somehow felt short-changed from the experience. And even the famed Baked BBQ Pork Bun did not save the day for me. Maybe the one Michelin star factor piqued my interest so highly that I was ready for a gastronomic experience of culinary masterpiece and unforgettable flavours.

Steamed Beef Balls with Beancurd Sheets

Hence this time, I had almost zero expectation. Well, slightly. Since we had to participate in the game of musical chairs for a good 10 minutes or so, but relatively quick wait for a seat. It was past 2 pm, mind you.

You can start to order by writing on the order chit while seated on the plastic stools in front of the premise like school kids eagerly waiting for our turn at the stage.

The menu is a simple one piece of paper with illustration and names in both English and Chinese. Prices hover around SGD5 per serving, comparatively pricey even to the original outlet in Hong Kong, but this being Singapore, paying SGD5 per serving of fresh dim sum (from a one Michelin star establishment, no less) sounds reasonable to some extent.

Lotus Leaf Rice aka “Hor Yip Fan” was another item I missed from the experience in Hong Kong back then

And thus, started the taste test. The Baked Bun with BBQ Pork arrived first, presented aesthetically well in a row on a rectangular plate. First bite into the dough revealed a combustion of flavours jolted me up from my weary senses.

Was it THIS good back in Hong Kong? I wondered.

The baked bun reminded me of Polo Bun; another classic from Hong Kong. Flaky, with a light crunch and faint buttery hint, then the insides was chewy and filled with juicy mix of BBQ pork (Char Siew) with a distinctive savoury and slightly sweet flavor.

Yes, this is definitely a MUST-try at Tim Ho Wan. At least at this outlet in Singapore.

The rest of the dim sum fared reasonably well, the Garlic Fried Fish Skin was an addictive snack as expected; munching on the paper thin crisps felt great and you might wish for a glass of beer with this one. But they don’t serve alcohol I believe.

The Lotus Leaf Rice was okay, the glutinous rice came in a relatively large portion for one, so you’d better share else there won’t be space for other dim sum. The second “4 Heavenly Kings” is the Vermicelli Roll stuffed with Pig’s Liver, also known as Chee Cheong Fun to you and me, but the filling was indeed something out of the ordinary. Even if you are not a fan offal, this was a good try, suitably masked by the soy sauce that was poured right before served.

The Steamed Beef Balls with Beancurd Skin however, faltered in our books. The soft, gooey and almost uncooked texture can be a little scary to non-beef lovers, but I was hoping that the beef balls had a bit of bounce and more flavours, but this fell flat. I saved mine by dipping into copious amount of the homemade chili sauce.

One of the reputedly “Four Heavenly Kings” at Tim Ho Wan, the Pig’s Liver Chee Cheong Fun

Osmanthus Jelly, or “Kwai Fah Gou” is a chilled jelly dessert made of wolfberries and bits of osmanthus flower.

Ending the meal with their signature Osmanthus Jelly; this was a refreshing palate cleanser and reminded me of how Tim Ho Wan really got along so well with the dim sum lovers, or plain Michelin star hype chasers.

Will I return again? I guess the answer is a resounding yes, at least in Singapore.

 A rare scene at Tim Ho Wan; really.

 So, are you ready for this dim sum extraordinaire to hit Malaysia? Or you’re still skeptical and holds the fort for authentic dim sum eateries with pushcart and old ladies shouting “Har Gau” and “Siew Mai” on top of their lungs?

*Visit their WEBSITE for more locations and contact details.