Tim Ho Wan

2025-04 First time back for lunch after much needed renovations. New digitized queuing system much more streamlined. Pleasant natural decor. Comfortable seating. Larger tables to place food but closely spaced. More options to pay. Good quick service. Above average prices. Good portions noticeable shrunk.

This is my place to go for when I want to have reliable Dim Sum - I believe their BBQ Pork Buns are the ones keeping me coming back. Also really good quality for the price! Being a chain, this is definitely a good bite!

Great Char-siu (Chinese BBQ pork), but I prefer the baked bbq pork bun at Tim Ho Wan branch. The quality of the other dishes are similar. Still would come back if in the area though...

I have been eating here for more than 5 years. They just renovated the restaurant and it looks hygienic and pretty now. The quality of the dimsum and tea are much more improved when compared to my last visit.

A decent dimsum restaurant with a bright and clean interior. We ordered a bunch of shrimp-based items as my friend had certain dietary restrictions. The rice rolls were a standout. Really enjoyed the shrimp toast as well. The dipping sauce for the turnip cake tasted a bit weird.

The food was amazing! They had English translations for all the menu items, everything was fantastic, and the service was easy and quick! I reallyyyyy recommend the crispy red rice rolls with shrimp!

Food quality is the same high quality as last time I visited 6 months ago, but the dining experience has gone downhill for sure. Although we didn’t wait long for a table, we were seated right by the front door….. air con was not enough, there was a massive fan/air con next to us which wasn’t quiet! Ordering is now through qr code, simple enough but some diners still preferred to order on paper. Food arrived quite quickly. Another reason to not sit by the front door, you’re closer to the kitchen area, so all you can hear are the staff shouting orders/order numbers out and adding the fan noise, I could hardly hear myself think! And the food quickly turned cold from the constant blast of the fan….. Under staffed, no one came to refill our teapot, considering you have to pay $6 per person for it. What was once a lovely dim sum restaurant has become a quick eat joint. All about turnover and not enough about customer satisfaction.

An incredible dim sum experience - one of many Dim Sum restaurants I’ve been to in HK, and this is in the top 5

My go to place for dimsum in HKG located on the first floor IFC building. Excellent quality and consistency. Known for the BBQ pork buns but I find them a little too sweet. Always freshly made dimsum, however limited seating resulting in long lines during peak lunch periods. Beef balls are a standout with a nice ratio of parsley and orange peel flavors. Abalone chicken feet are a little too firm for my preference but the abalone sauce gives them a nice Unami flavor profile. The liver in the rice rolls are fresh and tender for all the liver lovers out there, my mom would be proud as I hated liver when I was a kid. The fried mince meat balls were crispy with a soft mochi like shell complimented with the savory minced meat inside Staff were efficient and surly, rushing people to finish, watching and clearing your plates as soon as your finished, come on, let me enjoy my dimsum at my pace.. Go with friends and share as many dishes as possible, that's what dimsum is all about.

OMGoodness! The baked Pineapple BBQ bun here is to die for! We had a big group and knew that we needed to get there right when they opened to all get seated right away. We did exactly that and success! The place filled up quickly soon after, so get there early! Much cleaner feel than your usual hole in the wall dimsum spots in HK. All the items were fresh and made to order, but the star was the BPBBQB (Baked Pineapple BBQ Bun). We almost didn't order it, but all the waitresses said to get it or else you will regret it. So we did and now I can die a happy man. I've never had a pineapple bun or BBQ bun this good before, let alone they combined the 2 and made it the hand of gods. Perfect sweet to savoriness, soft airy pillow full of BBQ pork. Pure ecstasy! Get the 6 pack to go, trust.

Ok. Let me start with the directions to this location which seems to be an issue for many people. When you arrive inside Olympic City 2, go to the ground floor and H&M will be to your left, if you walk towards Outback Steakhouse, you have gone too far to the right. Between these two places is an exit door. Go outside the building because Tim Ho Wan is located on the outside of the building. When you step out of Olympic City 2, Make a left and Tim Ho Wan is about 50 feet away with big green Chinese writing. With all that said, Tim Ho Wan is a winner in my book. People will say I've had better this or that at a certain dim sum spot, which I no doubt believe. But all the items I order are decent to good. Nothing bad. The pork buns of course are the best item. The glutinous rice, pork dumplings, spare ribs in black bean sauce are all delicious. The only one I'd probably pass on is the pan fried pepper, it's kind of meh. Service is efficient but impersonal. The employees facial expression looks like they work at a morgue. As Michael Corleone says: "it's business, not personal." Can't go wrong with Tim Ho Wan.

The pork bun is definitely worth the hype. The rest of the items were good but not as good as the pork bun. They do have a menu in English now. They also have an English picture placemat. Service is not great and we didn't get one of our items. I asked and supposedly we hadn't been charged for them, though our bill was in Cantonese. I loved that the manager, a woman was changing the lights herself. The location is not within the mall, though it seems like it is. You get there through a street entrance.

One of the more memorable dim sum places I had while in Hong Kong. I believe Tim Ho Wan lives up to the hype! I thought their dim sum was delicious! Food was served hot and fresh. My party and I ordered a variety of items such as har gow, turnip cakes, siu mai, chicken feet, spare ribs, rice noodle rolls, BBQ pork buns, and so on. It was a feast! Out of everything we ordered by absolute favorites were the pork buns and the sponge cake! I highly recommend ordering those two! Additionally, I had dinner at another Tim Ho Wan location and I thought their claypot options were yummy. Definitely another item to try out! If you have the time, I suggest checking out a Tim Ho Wan as they have several locations in Hong Kong and in Macau. Fun fact, they received a Michelin star, another reason to check them out! Enjoy!

This place is so damn hard to find. Honestly, I just got so lost inside this giant shopping mall/plaza. I stopped by two different info desks to ask for directions​ and still ended up walking around for 10 minutes before I spotted this restaurant. All of my friends from the US (either from the East Coast/West Coast/South, HK heritage or non-heritage) have raved about this place. They said this is the best dim sum LIKE EVER. I was like, "really? You REALLY think it is better than the dim sum in San Franciso or Vancouver?" They'd pause and be like, "well, no." I suppose if you want an affordable Michelin experience, then go for it. However, don't expect stellar service (same goes for HK in general) or "THE BEST" kind of food experience here. I got here close to 2 PM on a weekday and got a number. Waited outside for about 15 minutes. I was led inside to a shared table. This is the norm, so I just marked my order and waited. First, pork bun. I did my homework beforehand and read that this is the must-have​ item. It is good. But honestly,​ all pork bun taste the same to me. Yeah,​ the skin was probably more crispy/flaky. But it was fine. Second, the shrimp dumpling. I have had a lot of shrimp dumplings in my life. And my experience might have been off, but this was one of the worst shrimp dumplings I have had in my life. The skin was mysteriously sticky. I first tried using chopsticks, but the dumpling skin instantly got stuck to my chopsticks. When I tried to break it apart, I'd tear the skin. Not sure if it was overcooked​ or undercooked​? I got frustrated and ended up using my hands. Then the super sticky dumpling skin got all over my hand. Not a fan. I also got the classic congee with egg. Again, it was okay. To be fair, it is hard to make a congee that blows your mind. Really, nothing stood out of my meal. What did stand out was that I paid 72 HKD for this non-memorable meal. Hmm, really? Kind of expensive for a subpar experience​? Next time in HK, I will likely visit somewhere else.

Hailing from Seattle, WA, we don't know much about what is "good" dim sum or not, but this Michelin-starred restaurant definitely surpassed our expectations and tantalized our tongues. We have eaten at different dim sum places in our hometown, but Tim Ho Wan was far superior. The shrimp har gao dumplings and the shrimp and pork dumplings were flavorful and tender. These were our favorites in terms of dumplings. The BBQ pork bun was drop-jaw amazing. The sweet bun had a crispy outside and soft inside, with a perfect filling-to-bun ratio unlike many pork buns we've tasted before. The filling was salty and complemented the sweet bun perfectly. Their bun was unorthodox as far as we can tell but was perfect and creatively delicious. The pork buns are a must when visiting, and the dumplings are also worth eating. All in all, we'd recommend this place to others looking for yummy dim sum in Hong Kong.

A bit overhyped tbh. So, this is the Michelin star dim sum in HK. Came to the original in Mong Kok and holy hell this was a pain to find. Honestly, it was an adventure trying to find this from Olympic Station, which if you do come from the train, you'll have to walk through a huge shopping mall to find this place. Fastest way I can think of: Get to the ground floor, then walk towards the middle of the mall and you'll see a sign showing food court. Make a right, You'll have to walk through a sketchy looking alley and head outside. From the outside, the entrance is on the left of Olympic City 2. Wait is minimal for a table of 1 or 2, and the place serves food very quickly. You order on a small paper and checkmark what you want. Simple enough, and you're not here for the service lol. Personally, I found that the best ones were anything Pork like the Fried Pork bun...my god some of that was delicious. Crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. Not too sweet thankfully. The shrimp is above average. Serviceable but not mind blowing amazing. However, the ribs and vermicelli were so-so. Not what I expected but it's probably because it's not their specialty. Overall their pork items are solid but the other things are decent or average.

First as a heads up, maybe it was my jet lag, but I had a rough time finding this place. On the Olympian City 2 mall map, it didn't indicate that which floor it was located. So if you get off the Olympic stop on the MTR, immediately take the elevator to the lowest floor. You should be able to find the place from there:(link to the map: http://www.olympiancity.com.hk/mobile/en/shopdetails.aspx?id=330), you have to exit the mall outside to locate it. The time spent finding Tim Ho Wan was well worth it. Came in at 5pm on a Monday and was immediately seated. They have a menu in both English and Chinese. I ordered just two dishes. The Shaomai and the BBQ pork buns. The buns came in almost right away, had to wait about 15 minutes for the Shaomai. The Shaomai was pretty good, but the BBQ Pork Buns...oh my goodness. Yes, they're worth the hype. Flaky outside, succulent on the inside. These two dishes plus tea all for under 9 USD. Don't forget, cash only.

Came here on a Monday at 7:00 pm for dinner. Was lucky enough to get our own table for 2 with no wait. Tried the shrimp crepe (aka vermicelli roll with shrimp), chicken feet, short ribs, steamed custard bun, and of course the BBQ pork buns. The good: -BBQ pork buns: That sweet/savory combo makes this bun perfect! My bf and I ended up getting 2 orders. -Steam custard bun: Custard had the right amount of sweetness; the bun was nice and fluffy The meh: Shrimp crepe/vermicelli roll with shrimp: Barely any shrimp, mostly vermicelli roll. Chicken feet: Overly salty Bottom line- get the BBQ pork bun!!

The Tim Ho Wan outside of HK doesn't do justice to the ones in HK and this is probably the best location in HK, in terms of cleanliness, crowds, efficiency, and space. I think the one in Sham Shui Po is the one that has the Michelin star, however, they are pretty consistent in quality in HK, so any locations will do. I've only been to HK twice, but have been to this particular location 4 times. It's located at a not super busy mall so that there are room to stand outside without feeling claustrophobic or fear for being run over by a car. I'd recommend getting here a little before it opens to just avoid a wait. Once you get it, ordering and getting your food is fairly quick. The price is super reasonable even though it has a Michelin Star and has receive rave reviews. Their standouts and must order are their baked bbq pork buns, shrimp dumplings, rice rolls, and chiu chow style dumplings (the fillings aren't as good as the shrimp dumplings but their dumpling skin is somewhat different and just as delicious). Tim Ho Wan has the best shrimp dumplings/har gow ever! They have mastered the har gow skin where it is so perfectly thin and has the utmost best chewiness and texture (but not in locations outside of HK, where their har gow is subpar in comparison). Their most well known items are the pork buns with this hybrid of a pineapple bun. It doesn't sound too appetizing on paper but they pulled it off and made this semi sweet and crispy baked pork buns. The hype is real and well earned!

For our last meal in Hong Kong, Tim M. and I ventured to Tim Ho Wan, which is relatively cheap for Michelin Star restaurants. It was a 20 minute walk for Mong Kok metro station, and we worked up an appetite! Tim Ho Wan is definitely a well-oiled machine. You barely need to interact with anyone to order and pay for your meal. Menus are available in Chinese and English, and the placemats include photos of some of their star dishes. Whatever you do, get their signature pork bun with pineapple. Great combination! The shu mai were also scrumptious. The chiu chow style dumplings were interesting, as they contained peanuts, but the wrappers fell apart when we picked them up from the steamer. For the two of us, we ordered 5 dishes, and it was all under $14. What a steal! Definitely check out THW if you are looking for some classic Cantonese dim sum.

It only took me 5 years to return and do a rewrite. I was very unkind in my original review - potentially because my expectations were set too high and couldn't be met. This time around - expectations were still high and thankfully it was met with lots of good stuff! So good, we went twice! And practically had the whole menu! Everything about this newer location is better - service was slightly nicer, more forgiving if you can't read Chinese or speak Cantonese (luckily I can still speak the basics!), cleaner, and more spacious. Tip 1: Tim Ho Wan opens at 10am - queue up by 9:30-45am, guarantees a table for the first seating. Tip 2: Do not line cut! Hungry folks will tell you to get the eff off! LOL Tip 3: Cash ONLY Tip 4: Paper menu & pencil on the table, mark the boxes with ur quantity of choice (1 or 2) but ALSO circle them bc during peak hours - the kitch might miss a few items. Tip 5: Don't be afraid to ask "we are still waiting for such & such - can you please check?!" - or else you'll be sitting & waiting for quite some time... The Goods: the list is long! Ha Ha -Pineapple roast pork buns, Custard Buns (Modern China is better!), Pig Liver Rice Roll (churn fun!) - it's a specialty!, Har Gaw (shrimp dumping), Watercress dumpling, Chiu Jo Fun Gor, Shrimp & eggwhite spring roll (must get!!!), chicken feet, the big glutinous rice in lotus leaf! The Not Bad list - everything else on the menu is pretty good but I've had better versions of it elsewhere. Like the "kuai fai go" - the medicinal tonic jelly, or steamed spare ribs, the Malaysian sponge cake, Shui Mai, or even the congee... slightly better versions at One Dim Sum, Jasmine Garden... Bottomline - everything is worth a shot at your first visit! Enjoy the gluttony feast! Thank you for reading this very long rewrite! Cheers!!

Very good dim sum place. Not sure if it's worthy of a Michelin star, but this is definitely how dimsum should taste. I went to the West Kowloon restaurant location which is connected to a shopping mall. This place can be kind of tricky to find. If you are inside the mall, look for signs that say "Food Garden." There will be bright green arrows pointing to an exit sign and you'll have to walk through a dimly lit (and kind of creepy) hallway toward an exit door. Once you get outside, the restaurant will be on the left. At your table, there are paper menus for you to fill out. Write how many of each dish you want and hand it to the waitress. Beware: if you remove your paper place mat, you will be yelled at. I did this to take pictures and was quickly scolded by the waitress. Recommend the BAKED roast pork buns. The price was very fair as well.

The hao Gao (shrimp dumpling), shiu Mai, hao cheong (shrimp wrapped in rice noodle), baked bbq pork bun was very delicious. The only thing I didn't like was the chicken feet which was TOO SALTY. They didn't have the ac on high until like 1030am.

I am very confused on how so many people claim this is the best dim sum that they've had in their entire lives. I guess I have been spoiled growing up and living in San Francisco, because I definitely think we have way better and more flavorful dim sum here. This particular location was so hard to find. It is located in this huge building that serves as a train station and is connected to a mall. The taxi driver dropped us off at the mall side and we had to stop by two concierge desks to point us in the right direction. There is a machine outside by the host that you can grab a number from. The wait is not long at all, even though there are tons of people waiting. The turnover rate seems to be pretty fast. We ordered the basics and then some. All the basics like the shrimp dumpling, pork dumpling with shrimp, chicken feet and glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf were all only "OK" and lacked flavor in my opinion. Everything was very bland to me, and at the same time I did not want to drown everything in soy sauce. The best thing I had was the BBQ Pork bun. I typically do not like bun type dishes but I enjoyed how crispy the bun was. Good to try, since it is Michelin Star rated, but I think one time was enough.

I have always enjoyed Tim Ho Wan in every country I have had it. Their most popular item is their BBQ pork buns with a crispy outer layer. They add a nice sweet and savory touch to your dim sum meal. Tim Ho Wan has a relatively small menu size compared to your other dimsum restaurants. That way they can focus on the quality of each dish they serve. You have your standard ha kau, siu mai, rice dumplings etc. I don't think you can go wrong ordering any of the items here. Note the wait for Tim Ho Wan can get really long, so I recommend showing up right when they open to avoid a huge line. The particular day I went had no line at all, I was seated right away. Guess I got lucky. They bring our the food quite quickly after you order. I definitely appreciate a fast service.

I stopped by after hearing how great this place was, and was not disappointed. Came in around 5pm on a week day I got lucky there was no line, and I was seated right away. I ordered the Shumai, dumplings and baked pork buns. Everything came out in a timely manner and tasted amazing! The Shumai was flavorful some of the best I've had, the dumplings dipped in some hot oil hit the spot, but the pork buns stole the show! The pork buns were flaky semi crunchy exterior soft interior with perfectly cooked pork that balances the sweet and savory flavors very well, add in some hot oil and it only gets better. Everything was reasonably priced, and tasted amazing! I just hope the other locations taste as good.

More like a 3.5. Oh the famous Tim Ho Wan, I visited the location in Thailand and I thought it was just OK so I had to try a Hong Kong location to compare and it was pretty much the same. Tim Ho Wan is the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant and has become insanely popular over the past few years but truth be told, I felt like this was more new age dim sum or Americanized dim sum. It was good but I felt like it was missing the love. The hits were great but limited, the misses were disappointing and abundant. The food: Steamed Fresh Shrimp Dumplings(Ha Jiao) This was surprisingly the best dish. I usually skip this since it is done to death but the one here was made so incredibly well. The dough was nice and thin and the shrimp flavor was outstanding. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=zKN8X7fbnRSfKMKsUcyObA&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA Baked Buns with BBQ Pork- This is their signature dish and it was good. The dough is super flaky and buttery and the filling has good flavor. My issue with this dish as a whole was the sweetness, the dough is sweet, the filling is sweet. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=eHsO7Yxy0xFxxHsmpTaXgg&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA Tonic Medlar & Petal Cake- I actually really liked this, it was kinda like a desert jelly but with a nice floral aroma. Glue Rice Dumpling- It's called "Lau my gai" and the one here was decent. The sticky rice was soft and clumps together but has good flavor, this does come off a tad sweet. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=AJm14FSrbKRl3yIt6pZd3w&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA Phoenix Talon with Abalone Sauce- It's basically braised chicken feet and I thought the flavor was great but I wish the chicken feet was cooked more. Steamed Beef Balls with Bean Curd Skin- The version here was OK, the beef had that typical nice, smooth texture but the flavor was lacking and I felt like it was missing that Worcestershire type sauce. Pan Fried Dumpling with Beef- I did not like this, it was weird since the dough had a very chewy/gummy texture and the flavor was not great. Scallop Churn Fun- I was not a fan of this either, the flavor was really out there and overall, not very flavorful. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=7vJLP6LXjHrtIRS6FxaOhg&userid=Y_iTTjKvV5hLy-880SZzlA

Wanting to see if this place was the real deal or overrated, I placed Tim Ho Wan high on the priority list during my trip to HK. Fortunately, there was a location a fairly short walk from my hotel. It's in a rather obscure exterior part of a rather large mall complex, but you can probably tell where it is by the line that is outside. When you combine the value and quality of the food, the dim sum experience is worth the added effort. Almost everything in terms of food was a home run. I'm not the biggest fan of baked pork pineapple buns in the States (the sweet/savory ratio just doesn't work for me), but I am a fan of these. They're not too much of either sweet or savory and the buns were warm and fresh. The har gao were delicate and full of flavor. The skin was the right texture and not too starchy. The siu mai wasn't too fatty and weren't dry. Having the goji berry on top was thoughtful. The ha cheung (shrimp rice rolls) had a really nice rice skin and plump shrimp inside. The spring rolls (laugh all you want) were actually interesting. The filling inside consisted of shrimp, carrots, and egg whites. I had never seen egg whites as filling for spring rolls and it actually worked pretty nicely. The sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf was fantastic. The chicken and pork inside, laden with soy sauce, wasn't too salty and provided savoriness. The rice itself was sticky and soft, but not clumpy at the same time. The turnip pudding cakes were probably the weakest of the dishes. It wasn't dreadful but it is easily overshadowed by everything else with its pedestrian flavor. My dessert consisted of egg custard buns, which were outstanding. I loved the eggy sweet flavor of these soft buns. My mom thought their Malay brown sugar cakes (malay gow) were the best she's ever had. The decor isn't the greatest, but you're not coming here for that. Space is rather tight, as I'm sure the restaurant tries to sardine can everyone to maximize efficiency. Overall, the dining area is clean. Likewise, don't expect fantastic service and just bring cash.

It's in my head, darling I hope That you'll be here, when I need you the most So don't let me, don't let me, don't let me down Don't let me down at..TIM HO WAN! - Chainsmokers (don't let me down) Internationally known Tim-Ho-Wan for being Michelin star rated, with the originator wanting to bring affordable 'Ritz-Carlton level' food to the masses, succeeded with his dim sum restaurant that has turned into an international chain that will draw attention wherever its stationed. Quick breakdown: 1. this place gets busy quickly so try to queue early and avoid prime time hours (also open till 10 at night) 2. Michelin star rated but super affordable 3. the BBQ pork bun is what they are most known for - fried on the outside and juicy on the inside - have two orders minimum - I don't normally enjoy bbq pork buns much but omg I will be back 4. cash only 5. its not one of those places in HK where you feel rushed to finish your meal, so happily enjoy your buns!

I'm probably an odd one but I normally don't care for BBQ pork bun. Baked or steam, it does not matter, I just don't like the gelatinous clob of fat mixed in with the pork. HOWEVER, it's a different story when it comes to Tim Ho Wan's baked BBQ pork bun. They are so soft and buttery with such a nice flakey crust, it's hard to say no to. This is probably the best thing on their menu while all of their other dim sum dishes are just average at most. If you do not have time to wait in line for a seat or try anything else from their menu, grab a few orders of the buns to go. Yes, this is a Michelin star rated establishment and for the price, it's good dim sum at super cheap prices (by HK standards). Tourist all over the world comes here to give them a try and menu wise, they are very accommodating to foreigners. Simple menu with not too many dim sum choices, just your usual traditional staples so it's great if you are not too familiar with dim sum. However, for a Michelin restaurant, their service in general sucks here, especially if you cannot speak the language. While I can get by with my broken Cantonese to order food (or you can just check mark them on the paper), dishes are literally thrown at your table w/ a side of attitude from the ladies bringing out the food. I can usually care less about the service since their affordable prices makes up for it but during my last trip here, it was our first time bringing our son to HK and boy, traveling with child is definitely something new we had to learn. My toddler son was charged for tea when he cannot even drink caffeine! When asked why he was charged a "tea fee" since clearly he's too young to eat, let alone drink tea, the host/manager said it's because he is taking up a space at their restaurant. Ummm...he was literally sitting on my lap but apparently that takes up space and we were charged for his "sitting fee". I was not going to argue over a few dollars but it just didn't feel right, they probably took advantage of me because I was a tourist. That alone is shady business practice. While I usually come here a few times during each trip just to savor the taste of their pork buns, my last encounter left a bad impression for my entire family. We would rather pay more and eat comfortably at other dim sum restaurants and be treated with friendlier service than to take some explanation that my son is taking up space. To be fair, my dim sum tastebuds in HK may be spoiled by so many other restaurants for their unique take on traditional dishes. Dim sum at some of the nice hotels really put a new standard to tea time with friends in this beautiful city. I have sat as high as on the 102nd floor with my son in tow and they welcomed him dearly w/o charging any random fees. Remember, cash only here and this location is connected to the mall but their entrance is on the outside.

Very good dim sum. I found this place on Yelp and as well this restaurant is recommended by my hotel as well. Choices are limited but I guess they purposely shortened their list on things they are good at. I have to say they are the cheapest Michellian award restaurant. Their dim sum are very fresh. I am guessing they are famous for their BBQ bun. I mean I see almost every table except mine orders it. I got the sticky rice and the portion is huge. As well, i ordered the shiu mai and and bean curb egg thingy and as well, steam vegetable . very yummy. Service is OK. Decore is clean and nice.

As Hong Kong's most popular and famous Michelin-starred restaurant, Tim Ho Wan had me anticipating for some of the best dim sum in the world. I had very high expectations, and although everything was very tasty, the food and overall dining experience was a tad bit overhyped . The turnip cakes were a bit bland and not pan-fried long enough to yield nice and brown charred sides. The vermicelli roll stuffed with shrimp had some of the tiniest shrimps I've ever seen in this type of dish. The sui mai were very meaty and juicy, wrapped in a thin yet not too chewy skin. But the most stellar item from the menu was the BBQ pork buns - the outer shell was a crispy, crumbly goodness that held a good amount of sweet BBQ pork filling. If you go to Tim Ho Wan, these BBQ pork buns should be #1 on your checklist. I would return only for this dish! But overall food is a little overrated; it's really good but not amazing. With its popularity, expect a long queue time during rush hours. We were lucky enough to only wait a few minutes on a weekday around 11am. Plus, there's five different locations in Hong Kong, but that fact doesn't necessarily make the queue at one location shorter than that of another.

Went in at 10:30 on a saturday afternoon before the rush and was seated immediately. Spoke canto to the waitress so we got a chinese menu. Not sure if they offer english but we just matched the words to the photos of the food that we wanted Food was super fast and SUPER fresh. You can determine how good a place is by the texture of the skin from the ha gao or cherng fun- and let me tell you- it was melt in your mouth good. I burned my tongue on the phoenix ( chicken feet) but it was totally worth it and i regret nothing. The BBQ pork bun had the top that reminded me of a pineapple bun- (bo lo bao) because it was flaky and sweet. The siu mai was also super delicious. Will be back a second time within our stay here.

My mom's friend took us here for brunch. It gets very crowded in the early morning. We ordered a lot of food. Very interesting and neat dim sum here. You don't see a lot of variety dim sum in Hawaii. Food taste pretty good. Food take long to come out. I really love the fried fish balls! Pricing is not bad. It's a nice restaurant. Not shady and sketchy looking. Service is kind of slow. It's an experience when you go Hong Kong.

Those baked BBQ pork buns are everything! Warm, crispy and chewy with a delicious BBQ pork filling. Also got other items like the stuffed pepper (be wary of the spice level because you are eating a pepper here), siu mai and other items that were delicious. Cash only. Clean place. Right outside the mall.

Let me repeat after Virginia Y. The. Best. Dim. Sum. I've. Ever. HAD! I'm so surprised this spot only has 4 stars! I'd give 10 stars if I could! It was nearly a life altering experience, one I can't ever forget. I knew it was a Michelin star dim sum restaurant but I didn't expect to be mind blown. 0_o We ordered their baked BBQ pork buns, congee with preserved egg, steamed rice with chicken feet and spare ribs, BBQ pork vermicelli wrap, glutinous rice dumpling, har gow and siu mai. Yes, all that for the two of us and we devoured everything! The stars of the meal were the baked bbq pork buns and steamed rice with chicken feet and spare ribs. TBH, when the baked buns came out, I thought they looked plain. I'm used to seeing baked buns with a shiny, sweet glaze but these had a dry-looking crust covering the top of the bun. When I bit into it, I realized it was like a hybrid of the pineapple bun and bbq pork bun. Genius idea..one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. And for the spare ribs, my bf swears he's never seen me so happy about eating. He even wanted to bring back that joy by making it at home =) We came half an hour before they opened and waited about 40 minutes. There's also an outside bar nearby that opened shortly after so we were able to enjoy a couple drinks while waiting, too! Definitely on my "must go" spots when I return to Hong Kong!

The. Best. Dim. Sum. I've. Ever. HAD! I was really intrigued when I came across Tim Ho Wan. Michelin star dim sum? Count me in! I ordered quite amount of dishes but what really stood out to me was their baked pork buns. They're literally the best pork buns I've had in my life and I can clearly see why it won the Michelin star. Imagine baked pineapple buns and pork buns had a baby. BAM that's what Tim Ho Wan did. The buns were buttery, flaky and crunchy on the outside and the pork was hot and gooey on the inside. Literally a bomb in your mouth. Everything else was good. It was freshly made, chewy and rolls off nicely on your tongue. If you're in Hong Kong for a short while, do not skip this place! Worth the trip! P.S. Service isn't the best but hey it's Hong Kong, what do you expect? P.P.S They charge you for tea automatically, you can't refuse it.

Come for the novelty of Michelin Star rated dim sum, return for the BBQ pork buns, forget about the service. Arrived about 10 minutes after opening time to a relatively short 25 minute wait. Put your party on the list, ask for an English menu if you need one, and wait for your number to be called. The lady in the front was somewhat cold and curt when interacting with the waiting crowd - expect more of the same once inside. They have a rather limited menu compared to most modern dim sum establishments, but a quick glance at their reviews is enough to let in on the fact that you're really only here for one menu item - Char Siew Bao/BBQ Pork Buns. You will want to order plenty, and thank me later. We did order a bunch of other basic dim sum dishes to try - har gow (shrimp dumplings), shumai, lo bak gou (pan-fried turnip cake), cheung fun (vermicelli rolls), et al. Most were of above average quality, but none were as mind blowing and gratifying as the crack buns. If you decide to order them buns to go (which I totally did to stuff my face with later), try to consume within an hour or two as they lose their flakiness quickly. Apparently there's one in NYC now so if you're on this side of the pond no need to take the ~15 hour plane ride for your pork bun fix...

If you want to experience an affordable Michelin star restaurant then Tim Ho Wan is the place to go ! The pork buns are definitely a must try. I actually ordered two plates of them ! Surprisingly, for the three times that I went, there was no wait! The dim sum back at home I typically wait for. A little to no wait, affordable prices, and Michelin star food, definitely drop by if you're visiting Hong Kong !

If you don't want to wait in line for a long time, plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before it opens!!

Dropped by Hong Kong so had to try this place out. There was a wait but it was short. I tried out a bunch of stuff but this place seemed a bit hyped. I guess you can only make Dim Sum so many ways. I had to take to go because I just couldn't finish all of it. My favorite was the chicken feet (of course) and the spar ribs in black sauce. Would I go again? Sure, but not if it was out of the way.

Love love love Tim Ho Wan. Excellent place for dim sum. Service was extremely quick and not as busy depending on the time you go. Great value for your buck. The famous pork buns were soo good. Pillowy, sweet, savory. Everything you would want in one bite. I loved loved loved their molten egg yolk custard bun. Highly recommend it if your ever in Hong Kong!

Liked it so much, we went there three times in six days. Service is fast, place is clean and the food comes out quick, hot and tasty. Not sure about what it did to earn a Michelin star but it was yummy and obviously good enough for us to come back over and over. The favorite was the bbq pork buns. Yum.

One of the things I was looking forward to when we visited Hong Kong was the opportunity to dine at a Michelin starred restaurant for an affordable price. Mak Kwai-pui, a former chef of three Michelin starred restaurant Lung King Heen, opened the first Tim Ho Wan in Mongkok. Five different branches were opened later in Hong Kong, three of which also received a Michelin star. The location we went to in Olympian City shopping mall? The original branch of Tim Ho Wan actually moved there because of rent increases. In 2013, Tim Ho Wan started to expand overseas - the Philippines, Australia, Taiwan (we actually saw this branch a few days later!), and the newest branch opened in New York! Tim Ho Wan was a short walk towards what we thought was a food court, but it ended up just being a line of restaurants along the outside of the mall. Since we were there during off peak hours, the line wasn't too bad. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of tourists. For people who can't read the Chinese menu, they provided you with an English one. Service here was bad, but not like the usual rude HK service. The service was basically non existent! They took forever to get our orders, and then took forever to serve us our food. Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised the service was bad, but I figured if the service was bad, the food must be really good for them to receive a Michelin star. I mean, only upscale restaurants that serve their customers a fine dining experience have this honor. They're known for their baked BBQ buns, so of course we had to get some. I don't normally like or order baked BBQ buns, but these were really good! This was definitely the best dim sum dish we ordered at Tim Ho Wan. Everything we ordered was just good but not mindblowing. Not really sure why they have a Michelin star, but at least I can say I've dined here! I've definitely had better dim sum in the states, hah.

I want to give this place 5 stars but I think I was too hyped for it and ended up being mildly disappointed that I wasn't blown away. Don't get me wrong, the food was really, really good, but I wasn't like "OMG we have to come back at least once more before we leave HK!!!" It's on the outside perimeter of the Olympian City mall (you have to go through these side doors past the public restrooms and it seems like you're going through a service hallway to get to the outside to the entrance), and I think we ended up waiting 35-45 minutes total. It was either shared seating or the tables were placed so close together it felt like shared seating xD but still enough room to order a bunch of dim sum and eat. Definitely get the BBQ pork buns. Has the quintessential qualities and flavors with a unique, slightly sweet twist. I'd come back again for sure, but maybe temper your expectations a little :)

The world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant? You bet it is! Whereas my family usually pays $50-60 USD for a full dim sum meal anywhere in Houston, we paid only less than $30 USD equivalent in this legendary dim sum restaurant. It's not only cheap, but it's also good! My only gripe despite it being ridiculously cheap is that the classic dim sum choices like shrimp dumplings and shumai are mediocre, which disappointed me at first. However, I later found out Tim Ho Wan shines through its more unconventional choices. Cue: Baked BBQ pork bun - With some light sugar baked on top on the crispy pineapple bun, the sweet yet salty BBQ pork within creates a delicious contrast! Another of my favorite THW dish is the seaweed tofu wrap stuffed with shrimp - its English name is a mouthful but the combination of these ingredient makes it heavenly mouthful. But my biggest surprise was how on-point the often-neglected sticky rice chicken was, with the generous and well-flavored portion of minced pork and chicken to make just one order of this a mini-feast of delight. Yes Tim Ho Wan does live up the hype, and even without the blessing of a Michelin star, the cheap pricing alone is enough to attract a huge crowd sometimes! Who said HK is always expensive? Get yourself to a dim sum feast here for a price lower than anywhere else! --- tl;dr version: 1) Indeed the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant 2) Mediocre classic choices but stellar unconventional dishes 3) Fill your tummy here without breaking bank

This old-styled Dim Sum Place is great! But, you got to come early. Because, when we came, there was (already) a line outside even if they open at 10 a.m.! The only thing that is not old-styled is that there are no carts being pushed around. You can order by checking off items on a list, which is more efficient. (The list is, only, in Chinese.) The environment is not pretty and the places are, quite, cramped. The place is not as clean either. The saving grace is that my wife could speak their lingo which helped. The foods are awesome. Check out their Tiew Chiu dumplings and their Shrimp dumplings (Har Gow). The wrappings are both paper thin! Yummy!

Dim sum here is so good and so cheap! The baked pork buns are so delicious, although sweeter than the steamed ones I'm used to eating, it's difficult to only eat one or two! They get really busy so be prepared to wait, but once you're seated and order the food comes out pretty quickly.

Before my trip to HK, I did many research on the top dim sum places and Tim Ho Wan shows up on many blogs and reviews. Therefore, I put this place on my itinerary and it was the first dim sum I had there. I went there by myself when it first open for the day and they already had a short line. I had to share the table with random guys, which I am fine. I actually get to talk to someone from China that knows English. Anyways, let me talk about their food. Their BBQ PORK BUNS are like HEAVEN!!! The pork and the bun are so fresh, it's the best I ever had. I ate all three of them by myself. Their other dim sums are quite good as well. I wish I went with more people so we can order more food. But honestly, their BBQ bun is a MUST!! Their place was a bit hard to find because I was walking about the mall to find it, but it was outside of the building.

My first Michelin star experience. So excited. I've been to HK multiple times but never been here. So it was one of the only places I wanted to go to while on my most recent trip. We got here about 10 minutes before it opened and there was already a line. But really only like five or so groups ahead of us. So we knew we would be with the first seating. They opened at 10 and let us in with the quickness. We were a party of three and there happened to be a single girl so they put us at the same table. Now this is typical in Asia so don't be surprised if you have to share tables. It's a little awkward but quickly forgotten since the food is so good. Anyways they first brought out tea and an empty bowl. Being noobs, we didn't know that this was for washing our utensils and bowls. So the empty bowl just sat there for the longest time till we saw other tables around us doing it. The place is not very big and it's packed so tightly together to maximize the number of people that can fit in there. It's a paper ordering system - no room for carts. Things may take longer to get but it seems fresher as it seems like it's all made to order. Especially their world famous BBQ pork buns. (back to them in a bit) And they must know they get a lot of tourists because they have a English menu in addition to a Chinese one. So that made it a lot easier to order. We got chicken feet, shrimp cheung fun, egg rolls, har gow, sui mai, chive dumplings, fish dumplings, and scallop cheung fun. But if you only get one thing, the BBQ pork buns are it. These are hands down the best BBQ pork buns I've ever had. And it's probably one of my favorite dim sum dishes so I get it everywhere. It's small, with like a pineapple bun crust on top. Inside is gooey, BBQ pork. Small chunks of pork, not too much fat and the "sauce" was super flavorful. One plate is three buns so it worked out perfectly. They tried to give us our check halfway through our meal and we asked them to take it back and we ordered another plate of BBQ pork buns. It took awhile to come out - by then the restaurant was packed and food is made to order, remember? And we sat right by the kitchen - they looked like they were making them is the smallest toaster oven. Small batches = quality. But glad we had it as "dessert." All in all, it was a $30 meal for the three of us. So cheap and so delicious. Cannot wait till the location in the US opens up or my next trip to HK.

Everything here is pretty standard tasting except for the BBQ pork buns which are exceptional. Served hot, so fluffy with a crispy coating on the top. Very sweet but what you would expect. Service is slow so you need to flag down the servers if you want to order. You mark what you want on a piece of paper. They bring you hot tea without asking and there is a minimal charge of something like less than $1usd per person. We left there full for a total of about $12usd so you can't beat that!

Blegh super underwhelming. Tim Ho Wang is famous for being the cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the world but after eating here, I'm really now sure how it earned those stars in the first place. The food wasn't bad but I can definitively say that I've had better dim sum in Maryland and New York. Service however, was bad. They didn't bring us three of the dishes we had ordered so we had to heckle them to bring them out... I am completely prepared for a lack of manners when dining at a dimsum establishment. A lack of competency though, is never acceptable. The BBQ pork buns were highly recommended but they were way too sweet for my taste. There's a sugary outer layer that makes the bun very flaky and crisp but I seriously felt like I was eating a dessert instead of a pork bun. Everything else was pretty standard for dimsum but again, I've had better. Don't come here if you visit Hong Kong, it's a waste of time.

I had doubts but I was wrong. Tim Ho Wan was delish. Feng zhao chicken feet was tender and tasty, turnip cake was flavorful, my fave is bbq pork bun. Man I will miss this bun. Good size with crunchy outside. Good bun and meat proportion. Best bbq pork buns I have had. Service was decent, came early and there were only 4 group ahead of me. Overall, I was satisfied.

This is the best place for dumplings and buns hands down, especially considering the price. Really every type we had was great so I would say just write down whatever is a personal favorite or sounds good. In addition I also tried their steamed vegetables, which were also good, but the dumplings and bund are really what you should be getting.

Agreed! The Baked BBQ pork bun is extremely good! Not savvy enough in HK to take advantage of the air conditioned mall connection skywalks during hot humid August weather, the walk from Langham Place to the restaurant was torturous for a fair weather person! But at the end, it was a great Bun! Service is, well, you came here for food! It's efficient, and you're not paying premium price! Regret is not being able to try more dishes! Enjoy the Bun!

The food is great! Everything was delicious! It was quite expensive, albeit it was worth the price. Out of all the dim sums I've been to so far, I really enjoyed this particular dim sum. Visit again: Yes Recommend to others: Yes

Dim Sum is a must in Hong Kong, Tim Ho Wan is the place to try it. Used to be the worlds cheapest Michelin star restaurant, but now it's the second cheapest! Came about 15 minutes prior to opening and there was already a line. Once they opened it was packed with a wait. This is not a push cart dim sum place, you order off the list and they bring it to you. Really Americanized with an English menu. HKD only! I tried my typical favorites, shumai, har gow, shrimp cheong fun, lo bak go, chicken feet, char siu bao, and black bean spare ribs. All made very clean and not oily. The char siu bao was different, different kind of bao, lighter and crisper, very good and I typically hate them. Sad they did not have dan tat on the menu. I also tried the steamed egg cake, this was a werid fluffy chocolatey cake, not good. Don't get me wrong, the food was good eating but I want my dim sum to be dirty and greasy and this was just to clean for me. I've had a lot better in SGV.