At Tim Ho Wan, it’s more bun in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines -You don’t normally expect to hear the words “Michelin-starred” and “affordable” spoken in the same breath, unless it’s about Tim Ho Wan, the famed Hong Kong restaurant that has been described as “the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant in the world.”

Tim Ho Wan started in 2009 as a modest hole-in-the-wall dim sum place in Mong Kok, which is better known as Hong Kong’s bargain shopping haven. It soon gained a strong following, with its signature Baked Bun with BBQ Pork as its main attraction.

Within its first year of operation, the Hong Kong and Macao edition of the Michelin Guide gave Tim Ho Wan a gold star. This was no mean feat, considering that the much-coveted honor has traditionally been given only to major hotels and restaurants.

They were taken by surprise when they got their first star since they were just a small restaurant, chef Mak Kwai Pui, the creator and moving force behind Tim Ho Wan, recalls. Naturally, they were very happy about it. It’s the first and only Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant in the world, and has been the proud holder of the Michelin star for five years in a row now. It has also grown, with five branches in Hong Kong, and four in Singapore at present.

Chef Mak Kwai Pui was in town, together with his original Hong Kong partner, Leung Fai Keung, for the opening of the first Tim Ho Wan branch in the Philippines, at the new SM Mega Fashion Hall at Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Now dim sum fans can enjoy Hong Kong’s most famous dim sum without having to fly out of the country, thanks to veteran and accomplished restaurateur Rikki Dee, who brought the franchise to the country. Rikki Dee is also the entrepreneurial genius behind a number of successful restaurant concepts, notably the Mesa modern Filipino restaurants. He was also the first to introduce the celebrity chef restaurant concept in the country with the opening of the Todd English Food Hall at SM Aura in Taguig.

What is served at Tim Ho Wan here is exactly the same as what is served in Hong Kong, which is “typical Cantonese dim sum,” says chef Mak Kwai Pui, who was head dim sum chef at the three Michelin-starred Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong before he opened his own dim sum place. The star on the menu is, of course, the famous Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (P145 for three buns) — savory bits of BBQ pork encased in a crusty, toasty bun, served fresh out of the oven. This is one of the so-called “Big 4 Heavenly Kings” on the menu, the other three being the Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver (P150), the Pan Fried Carrot Cake (P145), and the Steamed Egg Cake (P85).

The Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver is interesting, if you like liver, which I do. A special light sauce is poured over the soft rolls as it is served.

The Pan Fried Carrot Cake, which is better known to us as radish cake, is exquisite and light with actual bits of radish. Although fried, it is not oily at all.

The Glutinous Rice with Lotus Leaf (P190) or machang, as we call it, is quite filling with generous morsels of shiitake mushroom and Chinese sausage embedded in the sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves.

Other familiar items on the menu are the Prawn Dumpling or hakaw (P160) and Pork Dumpling with Shrimp (P150). Tim Ho Wan’s versions of these all-time favorites somehow seem more delicate and tasty. They faithfully follow recipes developed and handed down through the years, in the tradition of classic Cantonese dim sum.

They have also developed some new ones such as the Wasabi Salad Prawn Dumpling (P140), which is Rikki Dee’s personal favorite. It’s possible that in the future, they may develop one or two special items to cater to Filipino tastes. It would be interesting to see what chef Mak’s own version of an adobo bun might taste like, or dinuguan dumpling, perhaps? But definitely it would still be based on their original dim sum recipe.

Everything is made as you order, so you get it hot and fresh. Only the freshest and premium quality ingredients are used, chef Mak insists. To ensure consistent quality, about 70 to 80 percent of the ingredients are imported directly from Hong Kong.  “The special siomai wrappers, for example, are from Hong Kong,” Rikki Dee shares, “even the soy sauce and the chili sauce on your table.”

Most importantly, the affordable prices that Tim Ho Wan is known for will be applied consistently in the Philippine branch. They are able to do this since they run an efficient kitchen, Rikki shares. “Chef Mak runs the kitchen like a factory. He is very detailed on the product, on the ingredients. There are no shortcuts. We follow the same principles. We follow their directions.”

Where else can you get a Michelin-starred meal for only US $10?

They also follow the same practice as in all the other Tim Ho Wan restaurants in Hong Kong and Singapore, where seating for dine-in is on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations. So don’t be surprised if you find a long queue when you arrive, and be prepared to wait, patiently. It’s worth it.

The Philippines is the first country in Asia where Tim Ho Wan has opened a branch after Singapore, which owns the Asian franchise. “We are training apprentices from the Philippines who will continue the dim sum tradition,” Brian Chua of the Singapore franchise holder, Hersing Corporation, remarked. And from the Philippines, they hope to expand to the rest of the world. Chef Mak also thinks that the Filipino people’s eating habits are similar to that in Hong Kong. Besides, he found a lot of people from the Philippines eating in his restaurants in Hong Kong, so he knew that when he came to the Philippines, the restaurant would be successful.

Tim Ho Wan in Cantonese translates to “additional good luck” in English, and that’s all chef Mak felt they needed, since he knew they were already very professional in what they do. It may also mean good luck for those who come to eat in the restaurant.

“It’s good luck over good luck,” Rikki remarked.

They found a very good partner in the Philippines, in the person of Rikki Dee, who plans to open at least four more Tim Ho Wan restaurants within the year. As he says, it’s not only “more fun,” but pardon the pun, “It’s more bun in the Philippines.”