The first Tim Ho Wan outside of Asia has opened in Australia, all the way across the Pacific Ocean. At this point, “The world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant” has become a tagline for the popular franchise. The Chatswood store recently opened with a huge amount of hype surrounding it, largely thanks to the stars awarded to some of its Hong Kong counterparts. With the strict “walk-ins only” policy, prepare for an insanely long wait (upwards of two hours in the first few months). “I could get on a plane, fly to Hong Kong, and eat at Tim Ho Wan there faster than I can get into this place” was overheard.
In the first ten minutes of your wait, you’ll probably be feeling psyched, checking in on Facebook or Swarm, and snapchatting the snaking queue. After an hour of standing, the feeling of “is this worth it” might start creeping up on you, you’ll leave your dining companions in the queue and go to find a snack. At the hour and a half mark, you’re in too deep and you’ve got to commit to waiting. After standing for a little over two hours, you’re seated in the packed restaurant. Waitstaff are rushing around delivering steamer baskets and picking up empty plates. Especially on rainy days, make sure to tuck in your umbrellas and all your limbs when taking off jackets, unless you actually want to see dumplings flying everywhere.
Even though there is a big commercial oven dedicated to baking the famous bbq pork buns that every table is ordering, there still doesn’t seem to be enough buns. Each bun is packed with filling that is a little sweeter than the ones in Hong Kong. Fish maw is an Asian delicacy and despite being served with prawn paste, its texture is still spongy and gelatinous. Most of the menu consists of standard dimsum fare: vermicelli rolls, shrimp dumplings, and deep fried beancurd. In need of something sweet? Try the sago; chunks of mango and pomelo are mixed in with little clear pearls and covered with a creamy mango sauce.
Being in the first few weeks of opening, it’s not surprising that the food is not quite up to par as the other Tim Ho Wans. Credit should be given that they are able to keep up with the sheer amount of orders coming into the kitchen (let’s be honest, every table wants at least five dishes). With a small menu of dimsum classics, this is a taste of Hong Kong but closer to home. You might just want to wait until the opening rush has ceased and they’ve settled in.
Tim Ho Wan
Cnr Victoria Ave & Railway St
Chatswood NSW
Website
Even though there is a big commercial oven dedicated to baking the famous bbq pork buns that every table is ordering, there still doesn’t seem to be enough buns. Each bun is packed with filling that is a little sweeter than the ones in Hong Kong. Fish maw is an Asian delicacy and despite being served with prawn paste, its texture is still spongy and gelatinous. Most of the menu consists of standard dimsum fare: vermicelli rolls, shrimp dumplings, and deep fried beancurd. In need of something sweet? Try the sago; chunks of mango and pomelo are mixed in with little clear pearls and covered with a creamy mango sauce.
Being in the first few weeks of opening, it’s not surprising that the food is not quite up to par as the other Tim Ho Wans. Credit should be given that they are able to keep up with the sheer amount of orders coming into the kitchen (let’s be honest, every table wants at least five dishes). With a small menu of dimsum classics, this is a taste of Hong Kong but closer to home. You might just want to wait until the opening rush has ceased and they’ve settled in.
Tim Ho Wan
Cnr Victoria Ave & Railway St
Chatswood NSW
Website
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