Mott 32, Central, Hong Kong (Alissa and Don Eat Asia)

In the lead up to our 2015 trip to Hong Kong, I happened to be walking through the local supermarket when I noticed the latest issue of Gourmet Traveller fortuitously featured an article about new restaurants in Hong Kong. The informative article featured a number of restaurants we had heard of and were considering booking tables for, with one in particular catching our eye. Named Mott 32 after the location of New York's first Chinese convenience store, the restaurant's eye popping interior design and the promise of unusual and luxe Dim Sum was enough to convince us to reserve a table for our visit, and it served as our last meal in Hong Kong before catching our flight back home to Australia.

Lung King Heen (Weekday Dim Sum Lunch), IFC, Hong Kong (Alissa and Don Eat Asia)

During our honeymoon, Alissa and I had the great pleasure of dining at Caprice, the then 3 Michelin Starred restaurant located in the Four Season Hotel in Hong Kong. Almost two years on, our dinner at Caprice remains one of the best meals of our lives, with the excellent standard of cooking equalled by some of the finest service we have ever experienced in a fine dining restaurant. With such fond memories of our meal at the Four Seasons, Alissa and I had often wondered about Lung King Heen - the hotel's 3 Michelin Starred Chinese restaurant - especially since it was the place where Mak Kwai Pui worked as a Dim Sum Chef before going on to open Tim Ho Wan. Particularly keen to try the restaurant's Dim Sum selection, Alissa and I made a lunch reservation at the first Cantonese restaurant to ever be awarded the top star rating.

Tim Ho Wan, Chatswood, New South Wales (Alissa and Don Eat Australia)

Okay, something that I've just got to get out of the way first - just because a certain restaurant in a chain has a Michelin star does not mean that by extension all branches of that restaurant are Michelin Starred. Some branches will invariable be better than others and even a chef as illustrious as Joel Robuchon - who has more Michelin Stars than any other chef in the world - cannot claim to have consistent 3 Star level restaurants in every territory with a Michelin Guide. Likewise, if a restaurant with Michelin stars has a branch in a territory without a Guide , it may well be Michelin Star quality cooking, but it is not by definition Michelin Starred cooking.

While Tim Ho Wan's ventures out of Hong Kong never outright claim to have stars for each outlet, they push the Michelin angle very, very hard as a selling point. However when not even all the branches in Hong Kong can claim stars, there is something disingenuous about people referring to it as Michelin Starred Dim Sum. Still, having actually eaten at the impressive Michelin starred branch in Sham Shui Po as well as the less incredible but still good Orchard Rd branch in Singapore, the idea of a Tim Ho Wan in Australia really excited Alissa and I, and we were very interested to see if the recently opened Tim Ho Wan in Chatswood would live up to the standard to which its marketing aspires.

Tim Ho Wan, Orchard Rd, Singapore (Alissa and Don Eat Asia Day 31, Part 1)

You know the disappointment you feel when a sequel to a movie just does not live up to the original? Dining at Tim Ho Wan in Singapore was a very similar experience. 

Having thoroughly enjoyed the very cheap meal at the Michelin starred outlet in Sham Shui Po we just had to have those delicious pork buns again. As we missed out going to the IFC outlet in Hong Kong, Singapore was our last chance of having that heavenly dish one last time before returning to Perth. With this in mind, Godma, Uncle Vince, Alissa and I headed out to the Orchard Road store for just before opening on Christmas Day to try and beat the long queues that had become such a fixture at these Singapore branches that they even had to stop taking takeaway orders to meet demand. 

Such is the Singaporean love of queueing that there was already a snaking queue of patient diners by the time we arrived.

Being organised, the staff gave us the order form to fill out as we waited. We didn't have to wait long however -thankfully many of those ahead of us were waiting for latecomers, and we were ushered ahead to be part of the first service. 

Godma and Uncle Vince had the congee, however as I did not try it I cannot comment.

The first dish I did try was the siu mei. These looked larger than what I remembered from Tim Ho Wan, and unfortunately served as the first sign that things here were not 100% faithful to the Hong Kong store. Where the siu mei in Hong Kong had been mixed together so well that it almost felt like it had become one meat, these more closely resembled Crystal Jade's, right down to the mushroom inside and the fact it didn't hold perfectly together. It was okay, but I've had far better. Definitely not Michelin level. 

Next up came the dish we came for - their famous Char Siu Bao. This thankfully was much more faithful to the Hong Kong original, though I felt it was perhaps a bit too saucy when compared to what we had at Sham Shui Po. Still, close enough that I was happy to get to eat these again. 

The chicken feet again did not compare. Where the chilli kick permeated the meat in Hong Kong, the Singapore version was much more ordinary. I've had better in Singapore and Perth. 

Thankfully, the har gao held up to the standard set in Hong Kong. These were as juicy and tasty as I remembered them.

The Teochew-style dumplings were again faithful replicas of the excellent originals in Hong Kong. Godma had been a bit disappointed that by some of the first few dishes and is not a fan of these normally, but had to admit that these were very nice. 

Even though it was a signature dish, we had not had the fried carrot cake in Hong Kong. Here marketed as one of their 'Four Heavenly Kings (along with the Char Siu Bao and pig's liver chee cheong fun), the fried carrot cake was of an excellent standard with a nice crispy outer layer and a lovely soft texture in the middle. 

The absolute worst dish by a long shot was the Lo Mai Gai. It wasn't just a lesser version of the Sham Shui Po dish - it was so bad it bore little resemblance. 

Where I praised the Hong Kong version for not being too sticky, the Lo Mai Gai here was overly wet and did not taste very nice at all. We didn't even finish it.

The pig's liver chee cheong fun redeemed the store somewhat, being a very faithful representation of the delicious dish we had in Hong Kong. 

Likewise, if they'd stuffed up the jelly it would have been almost laughable. Thankfully the Osmanthus Jelly here was just as refreshing as we remembered it.

The Verdict: Very Good

It wasn't a Phantom Menace or Matrix sequel level disaster, but it wasn't a worthy sequel either. Much of the hype in Singapore seems to be based on Tim Ho Wan's Michelin star rating, and Singaporeans seem to be gobbling up the marketing without realising that none of the branches in Singapore have Michelin stars, and even then only two of the branches Hong Kong have that distinction. Plus, Tim Ho Wan's claim to fame is that its the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world, and as the bill was at least 50% more than what we paid at the Michelin starred Sham Shui Po I couldn't help but feel a bit ripped off. Still, there are some items that reflect Tim Ho Wan's reputation for excellence, and I was happy to have had those buns one more time. I would probably come back for those again, however Tim Ho Wan in Singapore is not worth queuing up more than 15 minutes for...

...like these people were doing...

Crystal Jade, Changi Terminal 2, Singapore (Alissa and Don Eat Asia Day 6, Part 2)

We arrived back in Singapore from Hong Kong in the mid afternoon, and given our last meal was at 8am and that it was late for lunch time we were ravenous. Having missed out on dim sum in Disneyland and Tim Ho Wan for breakfast, we headed up the stairs in Terminal 2 for a meal at Crystal Jade. Crystal Jade is a well regarded dim sum chain founded in Singapore, which has now opened branches throughout Asia, including Hong Kong. I'd had an enjoyable meal at one of their other restaurants in Singapore, so this meal would be a safe bet. We filled out our order form and waited for our dim sum to arrive.

I'll do the usual blow by blow but in writing this post I've realised most what I want to say can be summed up fairly succinctly; for the most part if there was a direct comparison with Tim Ho Wan, Crystal Jade's dim sum was simply outclassed.

Har Gao? Crystal Jade's is larger from my recollection, but it was about the same standard as Tim Ho Wan's in terms of flavour. Both were excellent.

By now we've had Teo Chew Dumplings a few times so I feel a bit more able to comment. Crystal Jade's is good, seeming to hit every required flavour (the pork, the shrimp, the peanut etc) but the version at Tim Ho Wan did it better.

Fried Yam – I've had better in Australia. Seemed a bit too oily... maybe it had sat for far too long but its flavour was overpowered by the oiliness. This could well be our fault considering we came so late in the afternoon.

Fried Wantons – these were very good, about what I would expect from a juicy fried wanton with a generous prawn filling.

Barbecue Pork Chee Cheong Fun – lighter than the pig liver option at Tim Ho Wan. Not necessarily better or worse – an excellent chee cheong fun in its ow right.

Char Siu Bao – chalk and cheese of course, but after Tim Ho Wan pork buns I can never go back to the usual bao without feeling like I'm missing out. So yes; Tim Ho Wan did it better. In a like for like comparison to the usual char siu bao, though this was a very good example of tried and true classic.

Steamed Custard and Pine Nut Bun in Piggy Shape – Alissa liked it, mostly amused about eating a tasty pig. She can't remember the flavour as much, but it definitely was a successful dish visually.

Siu Mei – sure, this had generous slivers of shiitake mushrooms as well, but the pork and prawns didn't seem to be melded together in flavour compared to the variety at Tim Ho Wan, even seeming to separate a bit as we picked them up with chopsticks. So again, Tim Ho Wan's trumped the Crystal Jade version.

I was surprised by this chicken feet. It had an overpoweringly strong flavour of cinnamon, and while I like cinnamon this should not be the most forward flavour in chicken feet – I would argue the black bean and chilli should be closer to the fore. As with the other dishes, this was better at Tim Ho Wan.

The Verdict: Very Good

Look, I don't mean to be disparaging of Crystal Jade. The service was beyond reproach, much better than the utilitarian 'eat and leave' attitude of Hong Kong dim sum joints, including Tim Ho Wan. Crystal Jade is very good quality dim sum, no doubt about it, and getting a feed this good at an airport is something you'll find in only a few places in the world. So I'm really appreciative. However, considering the price of Crystal Jade was close to twice what we paid at the Michelin Starred Tim Ho Wan just a few days ago it simply is not at the same level, nor can it be said to be good value for money.  

Tim Ho Wan, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong (Alissa and Don Eat Asia Day 4, Part 1)

Ask anyone who has been to Tim Ho Wan and they'll all tell you the same thing: Its all about those pork buns. Those amazing, incredible, delicious, salty-sweet, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth soft pork buns.

Lin Heung Tea House, Hong Kong (Alissa and Don Eat Asia Day 2, Part 1)

For most of us in Australia trolley service for dim sum is pretty much standard fare, so it is a surprise to find that in Hong Kong most modern dim sum restaurants have long forsaken trolley service in lieu of the order form system whereby the diners place their orders on a slip which is then handed to waitstaff. There are great benefits to the order form system. Firstly, without needing to allow space for trolleys you can fit even more tables into the room for greater capacity. Secondly – and this is something I greatly appreciate – by having everything cooked as you order it, food can come to the table at the correct temperature and texture meaning you don't have to eat tepid, rubbery fried items, or har gao that has gone around the room so many times the casing has become soggy and falling apart. Still, there is an old school charm to trolley service and there are a few places in Hong Kong that stick to the tried and true formula. I did my research and found such a place that was on many 'must do' food lists and located in close proximity to the Central station of Hong Kong's MTR.

By the time we arrived for breakfast at about 8am Lin Heung Tea House had already been open for two hours, but 2 hours might as well have been 80 years. The city around it has changed greatly, but at Lin Heung things are done much as they have been since they opened in 1928. We walked up the stairs to the already busy dining room, and were sat down at a large table that we shared with another group of diners. As we sat down it felt like everyone was looking at us, wondering who these non-Chinese people were and what we were doing in a place that seemed entirely designed with no consideration for anyone other than a local audience.

The first trolley around came close to us, and we got the chee cheong fun with char siu. This was one of the best items we had at Lin Heung, good silkiness with a good char siu filling.

Part of the Lin Heung Trolley Service Experience is that you don't wait for the trolley to come to you – if you want something, you've gotta get up and suss out the trolley yourself or risk not getting all the good stuff. I had no problem with this and was happy to jump into the fray for the sake of the culinary experience.

The steamed bean curd roll was excellent, similar to quality of the dish I've had at the better dim sum restaurants in Australia.

In Hong Kong the siu mei is often smaller and less impressive looking than what you get in Singapore and Australia, and the Lin Heung version was no different. Flavour-wise it was of above average quality, though I've had better in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

As everything was in Cantonese and not all the staff spoke English, some of our next few choices were mystery lucky dips. One such example was what I think was some kind of jiaozi filled with pork and cabbage. This was not my favourite, but then I'm not much of a fan of the cabbage filled dumplings.

Alissa and I can't remember what this one was, some kind of pork something? Whatever it was, it was obviously not particularly memorable.

I've not had a lot of Teochew-style dumplings, but these were amongst the better dishes from our selection. We both really liked the peanut bits and mix of pork, shrimp and chive flavours – something we should definitely order more often.

I try to avoid beef as much as I can for environmental reasons, but with the slim pickings we decided to try what we assume were beef balls. This dish definitely did not make me want to eat more beef – it had a strange flavour we could not put our finger on, and with its pinkish colour inside we even questioned whether it was fully cooked. Probably my least favourite dish of the lot.

Perhaps fearing we were tourists who would find it weird or disgusting, the servers did not offer us the chicken feet, which is a shame as its actually amongst our favourites. I saw some go to a table near us and tried to chase down some for us to try. One of the staff tried to help us source some, but they had run out. By this point our choices were becoming a bit limited to dishes that did not look appetising or the same as things we'd already ordered, without a har gao in sight. 

As a final dish, I got the fried turnip cake. Sadly, this was far from the best I've had and I only ate half of it before deciding it was probably time to go.

The Verdict: Good

I've read a few guides calling Lin Heung an essential part of the Hong Kong experience. While it was nice to order from trolley service and the raiding of the trolley was fun, I can't say the food was the best dim sum I've had – I've had better in Singapore, and I'd even say our local in Australia is better. Perhaps it was just that Lin Heung's dim sum was so utterly geared towards an old school Cantonese taste that it simply did not translate to our more contemporary palate. If you're looking for something fun to do, Lin Heung certainly fits the bill, but when you can have Tim Ho Wan for roughly the same price, its hard to recommend doing anything other than multiple Tim Ho Wan visits instead.