The dim sum specialist

It has been 45 minutes and the crowd shows no signs of abating. I had come to Tim Ho Wan, the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant (a meal of six dishes cost about HK$120/S$19) to see what the hype was all about. The Hong Kong restaurant serves fresh made-to-order dim sum at rock bottom prices and has been patronised by two Michelin-starred French chef Alain Ducasse, Princess Diana’s brother and Shannon Lee (daughter of martial arts master Bruce Lee). Opened by chef Mak Pui Gor in March 2009, the eatery received a Michelin star a mere eight months after it was set up. This is dim sum with a difference: squares of pan-fried turnip cake contain thick juicy strands of radish instead of minuscule shreds that dissolve to mush in other versions that we have tried, steamed siew mai feature large whole succulent prawns and then there are the famed baked buns with crispy glazed top and roasted barbecued pork inside. To. Die. For.

Dim sum or Cantonese tapas size dishes are often dismissed as minor league items compared to the more elaborate Chinese dishes. But Mak begs to differ as it demands a labour intensive craft. While the techniques may be easy to pick up, they are difficult to master. “You can learn the how to make it in a matter of three to four months. None of the dim sum dishes are difficult to make, but they are all difficult to make well. Some people can take three to four years to truly master it,” he explains.

Excerpt from the October issue of epicure.