World’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant

As soon as I discovered that Hong Kong is home to the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world, it went straight to the top of my list of lunch spots to try. Tucked away on a back street in Kowloon, the unpretentious – almost shabby – surroundings of Tim Ho Wan are not what you would normally associate with a restaurant awarded the most sought after accolade in the culinary world. But then Michelin doesn’t award stars based on ambience or service, rather they concentrate on the following important aspects: Quality and compatibility of ingredients; Technical skill and flair that goes into the preparation; Clarity and combination of flavours; Value for money; Taste and Consistency.

In addition to its Michelin star, Tim Ho Wan has also recently featured in several local Hong Kong newspapers and magazines, and word has quickly got round that this place is serving up some of the best Char Siew Bao in town. The throng of people crowding the pavement waiting patiently to take a seat, was therefore inevitable – even though I had deliberately avoided the lunch rush and arrived after 3pm.



The crowd was good-natured though, with everyone united in their excitement of what lay ahead. Within just a few minutes I had made a whole crowd of new friends, with everyone wanting to know how I, as the only non-local among them, knew to come here; checking what I had ticked off from my list; and ensuring I had included Char Siew Bao (“They’re the best!”).

So strong was the camaraderie, that when one man realised he no longer had time to wait and handed my his ticket – thus vastly bumping me up the queue, nobody took offence – they all congratulated me on my good luck and seemed genuinely excited for me.

So just 30 minutes into my queuing time, I found myself squeezed into the corner of the little café – although I admit I did feel slightly guilty when my lunch companion told me she had been waiting one and a half hours to eat.



And so finally to the food. Of course, having continually heard that “they’re the best!”, it would have been foolish not to try the Char Siew Bao – and wow, they certainly delivered.



Baked, not steamed, the pastry with its crispy sugary coating, melted in the mouth, revealing sticky, sweet, succulent pork within. Now I don’t want to be melodramatic here, but I almost cried on my first mouthful it was that good.



The Har Kau was equally impressive – not only were the chunky prawns fresher than fresh, but even the translucent casing tasted good…



The Mixed Vegetable Dumpling with Sour & Spicy Sauce was a tumble of beautifully fresh vegetables, lightly sautéed in vinegar and doused in a spicy sauce to stunning effect



And the Siew Mai offered up bundles of juicy pork and prawns.



I had ordered what I thought was far too much just so I could taste a selection of dishes – after all, this is the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world, and indeed my meal only came to HKD$58.00 (about SGD$10.00). However, it was so scrumptious I just kept on eating – telling myself “just one more”, and by the time I’d finished having “just one more”, somehow all the baskets were empty.

So yes, I can happily say that Tim Ho Wan really is worth the wait. Needless to say, don’t come here if you are in a rush - I’ve heard that the queues can last up to 3 hours! I guess you could always nip round the corner to the Ladies’ Market and stock up on knock-off handbags while you wait... but just make sure you don’t miss your number being called or you’ll end up at the back of queue again – trust me it happened to someone while I was waiting… and yes, he almost cried.

Tim Ho Wan - 2-8 Kwong Wah St., Mong Kok, Hong Kong