Hong Kong Eats: Pork buns at the Cheapest Michelin Starred Restaurant.

I consider myself a food enthusiast, a fanatic of sorts. Food is my passion, whether it is cooking, reading about it, watching TV shows about it, and my Traveling (my other passion) involves a great deal of eating and cooking, so needless to say, it has been a dream of mine to visit a Restaurant that has been awarded with a Michelin Star however, visiting a place like this usually means spending considerable amounts of money and transporting yourself to a big enough city(in most cases).

Hong Kong is not the cheapest of places, to be fair it is quite expensive in most things. But if you are smart, and know who to ask and where to go you will find places that are more than reasonably price, in fact, they could be very cheap, and very good I might add. I haven't had any bad experiences dining in Hong Kong, I know it sounds presumptuous and a bit naïve as there MUST be some bad places, but you, my dear reader are no average traveler/foodie, you know your shit, you know how to make your research, you know who to ask, you will find  the good places. And THIS is definitely one of the good ones.

The Michelin Guide was created by the Tire Company at the beginning of the century to increase the automobile demand and in time, the tire demand. Over the years the Michelin Guide has grown so much that it is now considered the reference to which any other guide must be compared, it has become the go-to reference for fine dining.

Having a Michelin Star means that the food is exceptional amongst their competitors of the same type of cuisine, it means that it has great quality and consistency, overall it is recommended to visit this place. Betting the reputation of the guide, their critics and their experts. There are also two and three star ratings, but I have never had the chance to experience any of those so I will limit my comments to only say that having two starts means "Excellent cooking, worth a detour from your way"  and three stars means "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" I hope that one day in the near future I will be writing you guys about this.

But lets get back to business , Tim Ho Wan is a Dim Sum restaurant, which means they specialize in small portions of bite-sized (almost) pieces of deliciousness designed to be eaten with your tea. But Dim Sum nowadays is eaten at any point of the day and in many different forms.

Tim Ho Wan has several locations across Hong Kong, all of them awarded the mentioned Michelin Star. I have personally visited 2 of those locations and the food is great in both. Consistency is one of the things they have.

There are no reservations and people is seated as first come first served basis, which to me is the best way, even if it means waiting in line for some time (which you must probably have to do, although I would recommend you to be here after 9 pm when the wait is shorter). Once inside you will quickly be placed in a table (the place is a bit crowded so bear that in mind), at your disposal there  will be a piece of paper and some pens, that is how you order (they also have the papers in English, so don't worry).

They are famous for their BBQ Pork Buns, and for good reason, they are amazing! Delicious sweet BBQ pork inside a soft bun, they come in threes and are super cheap, you will order one serving, and immediately after the first bite, you will be ordering seconds if not thirds, I GUARANTEE IT! Their Turnip Cake, Steamed Egg Cake and Vermicelli Rolls are also quite good, if you are hesitating on what to order, start with their 'Divine Four'.

• I recommend you to order the 'tea portion' which gives you virtually unlimited fairly good quality' red tea.
• There will always be some chilly paste, vinegar and soy sauce which you will use to season your dumplings. Apply generously and at will to your selection of dumplings.

* I apologize for the half eaten items in my photos, and the missing photos of some items, but everything was so good and we were so hungry that we could not wait for the photos (something that rarely happens).

Pork Buns, Turnip Cakes, Phoenix Talons and Dumplings. 

We ordered several things , I will give you a description of them, but my words will not give this amazing dishes the justice they deserve, I will try though.

1. The Pork Buns: Just imagine how the gods created this amazing concoction out of a pastry so light and deliciously seasoned that can only be made out of heavenly clouds and filled them with what I can only think of pieces of Angelic Pork swimming in a BBQ sauce that creates instant happiness.  Yeah, they are that good. We ended up having like four servings of them suckers.

The Pork Buns.

2. The Turnip Cakes: Pan seared squares of deliciousness. I had never liked turnip, until now, I just considered it the boring cousin of carrots, but believe you me, I have no idea what they put in this, but if you combine the soft, salty and semi-sweetness of the cake with the bold taste of the chili sauce they come out with, boom! Instant taste bud gratification.

The Turnip Cakes

3. The Vermicelli Rolls: Are you a fan of liver? This is for you. You never really liked liver? This is definitely for you! Somehow the filling of these rolls has turned down the harshness of the liver taste into a mild but rich paste of awesomeness. It has all the big flavors of liver but somehow they have tuned down all the little things that must people don’t like.

4. The Steamed Egg Cake: What can I tell you? It is fluffy and light as fuck! Seriously, think of the lightest and fluffiest madeleine you have ever had, and take it even further. Its not predominantly salt or sweet but a combination that ends up being just awesome.

5. The Phoenix Talons: Asian cultures have a long term relationship with phoenixes (which are way different and more awesome than our western counterparts) hence the name of this dish, which is basically Chicken Feet. Ha! But don't be mislead or discouraged by this description, they are awesome, packed with flavor and with a combination of textures that your mind is gonna love!

6. The Dumplings: I always end up judging my Dim Sum by the quality of the dumplings being served. And allow me to continue this mental blow job I am giving to the guys at Tim Ho Wan, this dumplings are amazing, perfectly steamed, perfect size, thickness and the fillings are just fresh and perfectly seasoned. 

Some amazing dumplings.

The service is amazingly fast, super friendly and the food is constantly good.

I hate myself a little bit for loving this place so much, seriously. I can eat everywhere, anything but I generally have something to say, something to add, or something that in my mind would make the places better. Tim Ho Wan was my "shut up and take my money" place. If you are around HK and are looking for some great food and overall a great experience, don’t hesitate, this place will BLOW YOUR MIND!

Tim Ho Wan

Several Locations

Price: Less than 100HK (roughly 10 euros)

Website: http://www.timhowan.com