As we were deciding where to have lunch with my parents,hubs suggested Tim Ho Wan. He knew I've always wanted to try it out since it open its door in november last year,but we always brush the idea off due to the crazy notorious queue. But we thought the crowd should fade off by now plus it's a weekday lunch, so Mid Valley we went!!
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Queue already started when we arrived |
We reach Mid Valley about 12.30pm,there was already a queue but fortunately we were seated about 15 mins later. Mind you they only sit complete parties and they practise first come,first serve,no reservation policy,so yeah.. just walk-in.
Claimed to be the dim sum specialist,the famed 1 michelin-starred restaurant started its operation in Mid Valley november last year. Owner-Chef Mak Kwai Pui was formerly dim sum chef at 3 michelin-starred Lung King Heen restaurant under Four Season group. He opened his first Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok,HK in 2009 and earned a Michelin star in 2010,thus earning its reputation as the "cheapest michelin star restaurant in the world", serving quality dim sum at affordable prices. But the main branch in Mong Kok closed down in 2013 due to high rent (??) so now the outlets still retaining its michelin star would be the one in Sham Tsui Po & Northpoint.
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Filled with hungry diners |
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Order chit being handed out during the queue |
An order chit is given during the queue so you can decide on what you wan to order and hand them your orders as soon as you are seated.
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Table Setting |
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The menu |
The menu is only 1 sheet of paper. It is divided into categories as you can see such as big 4 heavenly kings,vermicelli rolls,steamed etc. Prices ranging from RM 6.80 to RM12.80. However on a personal note I think the menu selection is quite limited though. Beverages wise they only have water,chinese tea,barley & soft drinks.
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Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (RM10.80) |
Time to feed the hungry bellies!! First to arrive at the table was the oh-so-famous michelin awarded BAKED BUN WITH BBQ PORK. A cross between "polo bun and char siew pao". The golden-hue of the crust definitely looks inviting *drooling*
The bun itself crusty on the outside,warm,light and airy on the inside. Thick,gooey,caramelized bbq pork filling,sweet yet savoury,top with the sweet crusty bun,it was just perfect. REAL pieces of bbq pork is used and is coated in reddish-orangey char siew sauce. This is one char siew pao in a class of its own. A must order perfect parcel. But for the price they are charging,I do wish that they would be more generous with the filling @.@
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Steam Eeg Cake (RM7.80) |
Next up was another star dish here,STEAM EGG CAKE or commonly known as "ma lai gou".
Fluffy and pillowy soft with a hint of brown sugar,best eaten hot/warm. This was polish off within seconds.
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Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean sauce(RM8.80) |
The steamed pork rib with black bean sauce was a miss. While the pork ribs were fresh and plump, as dim sums here are made-to-order, it tasted rather pale.
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Congee with Lean Pork,Century egg & Salted Eeg (RM9.80) |
My parents loved the congee with lean pork,salted egg & century egg. They said it was very creamy with the blended salted egg. They dig in even before i could snap a picture lol.
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Steamed Prawn Dumpling (RM11.80) |
Steamed prawn dumpling came in a set of 4. The skillfully pleated dumpling skin were thin and delicate,encasing 2 fresh and juicy prawns.
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Pan Fried Carrot Cake (RM9.80) |
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Vermicelli Roll with Pig's Liver (RM10.80) |
Two more items under the big 4 category are pan fried carrot cake and vermicelli with pig's liver. I prefer the latter as the rice noodles were really smooth and silky,and the pig's liver gives it an interesting twist. The carrot cake lacks crispness on the exterior and were too soft & mushy for me,but mum loved it.
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Deep Fried beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp (Rm10.80) |
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Deep Fried Spring Roll with Eeg White (RM7.80) |
Both deep fried beancurd skin roll with shrimp and spring roll with egg white were just fair,nothing too memorable.
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Pork Dumpling with Shrimp (RM10.80) |
Pork dumpling with Shrimp a.k.a 'siew mai'. You can taste the freshness of the mince pork & shrimp due to the mild seasoning. Some dim sum joints used heavy seasoning to cover up for the lack of fresh ingrediants.While the beancurd skin roll with pork and shrimp was just decent.
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Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin (RM7.80) |
Our last basket of dim sum arrives and it was the beef ball with beancurd skin,best eaten with Lea & Perrins dipping sauce.A common dim sum dish in hong kong,not so in kl though. Bits of dried tangerine peel and coriander complements the soft and tender beef ball. However i wish it had abit more texture and had a better presentation instead of the few sad looking pieces of beancurd skin.
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Rice with Beef & Fried Eeg (RM10.80) |
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Beef Petty Hidden Underneath The Fried Eeg |
Up next is the rice with beef & fried egg. The beef patty were actually similar to the steamed beef ball. Top with a fried egg that came with a thick runny yolk and crispy edges,just how i like it. Drizzled with quality soy sauce,it all went suprisingly well with fluffy steaming hot rice.
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Tonic Medlar & Osmathus Cake (RM6.80) |
Lastly for dessert we had the tonic medlar & osmanthus cake,served chilled. In case if you are wondering what tonic medlar is,it's another name for wolfberries/goji berries. This was incredibly aromatic. The berries and osmanthus flowers are suspended in the clear light brown tinged jelly,paired with just the right amount of sweetness,was the perfect ending to our meal. It is as if I can still smell the fragrance of the flowers just by the thought of it.
So how does Tim Ho Wan hold up to its hype? Was it worth queueing for? Well I have not tried the michelin-starred outlet in HK,so I can't comment on that. For me,it was good,ingrediants used were very fresh,but then I don't feel that it is michelin-mind-blowing definitely. Will I return? Maybe when the crowd has ease off and I don't have to queue for it or when I'm craving for its baked bbq pork bun,steam egg cake and the osmanthus cake.
Tim Ho Wan
27-G.Ground Floor,
The Boulevard,
Mid Valley Megamall,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-22015081
(no reservation policy)
Opens daily
Mon - Thurs (1000-2200)
Fri - Sun (0900-2200)
Last order 2130
*This article is written based solely on Kitty's personal preference & tastebud*
