Tim Ho Wan Revisited

Have you heard the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant has expanded its presence in Singapore? Tim Ho Wan by Chef Mak Kwai Pui opened a 2nd branch on Thursday at ERA Centre, formerly known as Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre. But until its official launch sometime next month instead of July as initially planned, it is available only to staff of Hersing Corporation and ERA agents who can bring along their family and friends. So my dining companions and I visited the one at Atrium@Orchard, next to Plaza Singapura. More than 4 months have passed since the hole-in-the-wall eatery, offering authentic made-to-order (not pre-steamed and reheated) Hong Kong style dim sum, arrived on our shores. I reached 15 minutes before it was opened for business yesterday and estimated from my position in the queue we would be within the 1st batch of seating. While waiting, order chits were distributed as staff asked for the number of people in each group.

Starting from 9.55am, customers were led to their tables and we were among the last in the 1st batch. There were others in front of me who could not be seated because not everyone in their group was present. No different from Hong Kong, table-sharing is practised here. Ordered its Big Four Heavenly Kings and thought Steamed Egg Cake, Baked Buns with BBQ Pork and Pan-fried Carrot Cake tasted largely the same as my previous visit. Except maybe the Steamed Egg Cake seemed less airy-light, soft and fluffy whereas the tinge of milky taste in Baked Buns with BBQ Pork was not as obvious. And Pan-fried Carrot Cake was not so oily that I need to pair it with the spicy, sweet and tangy chilli sauce. Vermicelli Roll with Pig's Liver was filled with tender slices of pig's liver, which was not too powdery but still reeked a little of the internal organ's smell if you know what I meant. Skin was silky smooth but a tad too thick for my liking. Similarly for Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp.

Prawn Dumplings and Spring Roll with Egg White were as good as I remembered them to be. Glutinous Rice Dumpling – flavourful but oily with juicy mushroom and tender chicken, came in such a huge portion that it was enough as lunch for a small-eater while big-eaters could just add another item or two for a filling meal. Steamed Beef Balls with Beancurd Skin (its Chinese name suggested that orange peel was used though none was detected) looked raw, was tender and tasted better when dipped in Worcestershire sauce. Nothing impressive but maybe it would be delicious in Plain Porridge. An interesting variant to Deep-Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp, with the additional bonus of a nice aroma, was Steamed Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp. Both had similar fillings I could not rave about or fault. Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce was neither too chewy and hard nor soft and mushy, with a not-too-thick sauce and chilli slices.

Pork Rib with Black Bean Sauce had the same savoury-sweet sauce and chilli slices, with a note of sweetness as if sugar was added. It was flavourful yet not too salty, and tender which I felt was more from the addition of corn starch than pounding with meat mallet. As every customer could only order a maximum of 1 plate of 3 Baked Buns with BBQ Pork, we had the rest of our quotas (with Beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp and Pork Rib with Black Bean Sauce) as takeaways. A 10-seater room at the back that I did not notice when I 1st visited was opened up for walk-in customers this time round. Its takeaway counter no longer exists and the SMS system, which was supposed to be used, was also not in place and probably would never be. Still did not manage to try all the items on its menu such as Steamed Pork Dumpling with Shrimp, Dumpling Teochew Style and Garlic, Mushroom, Spinach Dumpling as well as Deep Fried Beef and Seaweed Dumpling, porridge, rice and desserts.

You may also be interested in New Kid on the Block – Tim Ho Wan and Tim Ho Wan.