The 2nd branch of “Tim Ho Wan,” a dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong which achieved a Michelin star, has opened at Shinjuku Southern Terrace.
Standalone restaurant building
Hearing about the opening, we, the Web att.Japan editors, got straight to the restaurant!
This 2nd branch is conveniently located only 1 minute away from JR Shinjuku Station South Exit on foot, near the center of Shinjuku Southern Terrace. There are 84 seats including 3 private rooms, which are available for reservation.
There is a Hong-Kong atmosphere in the restaurant.
The 1st branch, which opened at Hibiya on April 8, 2018, is still very popular even one year after its opening, with a big lineup of people waiting to get in everyday! So, the opening of the 2nd branch is great news for fans of Hong Kong dim sum.
Inside the restaurant
You can see the kitchen
First things first. Let’s eat! The first dish we tried was one of their signature dishes, Baked BBQ Pork Buns.
One serving comes with 3 pieces of Baked BBQ Pork Buns.
The outside is a sweet cookie dough like “melonpan” and the inside is Chinese BBQ pork filling with a slight sweetness. The balance between the crispy texture outside and the steaming-hot Chinese BBQ pork filling inside is really perfect!
Then, we tried some other standard Hong Kong dim sum dishes, such as Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gao), Steamed Dumplings with Shrimp and Chives, and Steamed Pork Dumplings with Shrimp (Siu Mai).
Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gao)
With the transparent skin, the gyoza look very pretty!
Steamed Dumplings with Shrimp and Chives
Steamed Pork Dumplings with Shrimp (Siu Mai)
The umami from pork and shrimp are combined in a good balance, and the dumplings are very juicy.
There were so many other delicious dishes!
Steamed Rice Roll with Minced Beef
The steamed rice sheet has a very smooth texture, and the shrimp in the filling is very succulent!
Sticky Rice in lotus Leaf. The rice is stuffed with soy sauce-flavored chicken.
Pan Fried Turnip Cake
Deep Fried Eggplant with Shrimp
Poached Fresh Lettuce
Lettuce leaves were briefly boiled and served with oyster sauce. The lettuce has a very crispy texture.
It’s dessert time after the meal! I was greedy enough to try all the 3 kinds of dessert!
Coconut Sago (left), Deep Fried Milk (right), Sweet Osmanthus Jelly with Goji Berries (back)
Steaming-hot Deep Fried Milk is rich in milky taste with a smooth texture. It goes well with cold coconut milk.
Sweet Osmanthus Jelly with Goji Berries
With a strong flagrance of Osmanthus, it has a refreshing texture.
In all, we tried more than half the dishes on their menu.
The prices are very reasonable!
“Tim Ho Wan” is also referred to as “the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world.” The founders of “Tim Ho Wan” set up the first restaurant in 2009 with the idea of “offering authentic tastes more casually in everyday life.” One of the founders, Mr. Mak Kwai Pui, used to be a dim-sum chef at “Lung King Heen,” a 3 Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong.
The founders, Mr. Mak Kwai Pui (left) and Mr. Leung Fai Keung (right)
Mr. Mak said that he was looking at opening more branches of Tim Ho Wan not only in Tokyo but also in Osaka and other cities in the Kansai Area.
