Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Recommended)
Address: Shop 12A & 12B, Level 1 MTR Hong Kong Station, Central, Hong Kong
(Located within Hong Kong MTR Station)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fBTYYTefdWV4Uqis9
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
酥皮焗叉燒包 Baked Bun with BBQ Pork = HKD33.00
香煎蘿蔔糕 Pan-Fried Turnip Cake = HKD28.00
香滑馬來糕 Steamed Egg Cake = HKD28.00
黃沙豬潤腸 Rice Noodle Rolls with Pig's Liver = HKD32.00
瑰麗堂皇 Rose Lychee Black Tea = HKD10.00 (Mandatory)
No Service Charges
Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.
The only time I've eaten at a THW is in Singapore 🇸🇬 at their Aperia Branch so naturally I was excited to visit them in Hong Kong. 🇭🇰 This is also because in Singapore's THW don't have their full famous 四大天王 "Four Heavenly Kings" Dishes. 👑 These are supposedly the 4 Most Popular Dishes on their Menu. 🤔
👑 四大天王 refers to their 4 Signature Dishes:
酥皮焗叉燒包 Baked BBQ Pork Buns
香煎蘿蔔糕 Pan-Fried Radish Cake
香滑馬來糕 Steamed Egg Cake
黃沙豬潤腸 Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver (This is the one that they don't have in Singapore)
Image taken from https://delicieuxpate.com/
So finally I'm here in Hong Kong and they actually have All 4 Items available although "Vermicelli Roll with Pig’s Liver" is called "Rice Noodle Rolls with Pig's Liver" instead. 🤔
The Branch I'm at is in Hong Kong MTR Station itself. 🇭🇰🚆 I had thought of wanting to go to their Original 1st Outlet in Mongkok but I've read that they no longer owns the place. 🤔 So I figured going to a Branch in Hong Kong Station itself would probably be the next best thing. 😅
It was a Big Place and was Quite Crowded when I was there in the morning at around 10.30am 🌞 although there weren't any queues. I'm quite surprised that THW is actually patronized by the Locals and is not just a Touristy Place. 🇭🇰👍 That said though, I felt the Customer base consists of mostly Older Folks. 🤔 The Staffs were Polite and Courteous and mostly keep to themselves but I was amusingly disappointed that they don't know what are their 四大天王 "Four Heavenly Kings" Dishes! 👑🤔
The impression I get from them is that they have never even heard of this term. 👑😅 In fact they were so Clueless about it, they almost convinced me that this 四大天王 don't actually exist and yet when I do a Google Search "Tim Ho Wan Four Heavenly Kings" I saw Pages of Results showcasing them. 👑🌐 So ... I'm not sure. 四大天王 is being heavily marketed by THW themselves. 👑🤔 Is this a case of Lack of Product Knowledge? After a brief awkward silence, I decided to order them individually. 😅
Tim Ho Wan Staffs ownself don't know what their own 四大天王 dishes are? Seriously? 👑🤔
Anyway it took a total of 10mins for all the Dishes to be served up, which each Dish taking about an Average of 2mins each. Quite long tbh, but I felt was still ok since it was rather crowded that time. Also, do note that the Staffs will clear your plates when you're done eating. 🍽️ Understandable since it is Crowded, but I appreciated that they are Polite and Courteous about it. 👍
瑰麗堂皇 Rose Lychee Black Tea = HKD10.00 (Mandatory)
This Tea does have a Slight Lychee Aroma and taste not bad. 🍒😋 Not Overly Diluted but also Not Too Strong. Drinking this was nice as a Palette Cleanser in between Meals. 🫖
It's quite a Big Pot too and I was especially amused to see an Uncle who sat next to me Solo Finishing his Pot of Tea even before his Dishes were served up. 🫖😳 I think in the end he even ordered 2 more Pots! Hong Kongers are Hardcore Tea Drinkers! 🇭🇰🫖
酥皮焗叉燒包 Baked Bun with BBQ Pork = HKD33.00
This is of course THW's Classic Signature Must-Order Dish. 😋 Like the Singapore version that I had, they have a Delightful Crispy Sweet outer skin with Gooey Sweet Char Siew that is not too sweet. 🐷😋
In comparison, I feel that the Pastry Skin for Hong Kong's version is Even Softer and Flakier! 🇭🇰❤️ No questions about it, Hong Kong THW version is much better. This is a Definite Must-Order if you come to THW. 👍
香煎蘿蔔糕 Pan-Fried Turnip Cake = HKD28.00
Beautiful Fresh Strong Turnip Aroma for this one and its Beautifully Fried and the Cake Meat is Absolutely Amazingly Melt in the Mouth Quality. ❤️ In fact, I also feel Hong Kong's Version may even be Softer and Creamier than Singapore's Version. No questions about it, Hong Kong's Version is Superior. 🇭🇰👍
香滑馬來糕 Steamed Egg Cake = HKD28.00
Unfortunately, THIS DISH was Surprisingly Much Worse than Singapore's Version. 🇭🇰😳 In Singapore, our version is Super Fluffy and Pillowy and SO INSANELY SOFT I felt I was eating AIR! 🇸🇬😋
Just look at my Attached Photo Comparison between HK version and Singapore Version. 📷🤔 There is simply no fight. Hong Kong's version looked so DEFLATED in comparison! 🇭🇰😅 Bite feel was very much more Denser compared to Singapore's Version and even the Gula Melaka taste also felt very much more subdued. 🤔
Its so bad, I feel this is not even as good as the type we can find in our SG Hawker Centres, 🇸🇬😅 let alone as part of their Famous 四大天王. No Good. Singapore THW overwhelmingly wins this Round. 🇸🇬👍
黃沙豬潤腸 Rice Noodle Rolls with Pig's Liver = HKD32.00
This was the 四大天王 dish that is not available in Singapore THW. Unfortunately I found it Underwhelming. 🤔 The 1st thing that turned me off was that the Sauce Condiment that came with it is a Big Pot carried by the Staff. 🍯🤔 It tasted Slightly Salty 🧂and has a High Quality Restaurant sort of taste.
What I didn't like was they don't give you a Personal Little Pot of Sauce for you to pour how much or little you want. 🤔 After you've poured the amount that you wanted, That's it. The Staff will not come around again. I didn't like this, and the thought the Staff should've at least provided a Small Saucer to pour this Sauce instead of just telling me to lum all over this when first served. 🍯🤔
The Rice Roll itself is Soft, but not as Soft or Melt in Mouth that I imagined it to be. 🤔 In fact, compared to some of the better tasting CCF I had in Malaysia Johor Bahru, I thought this tasted Shockingly Average in Comparison. 🤔 香港粥 Hong Kong Porridge Ka Ka Lok in Taman Johor Jaya that I reviewed previously in my Opinion makes a Much Better CCF than this.
The CCF Filling itself was also Very Underwhelming. 🤔 Its literally just Slices of Pig's Liver 🐷 and some Scallion / Parsley Leaves. 🌿 I had thought they would at least minced the Pig's Liver instead of just using Whole Pieces like this. 🐷🤔 This to me is Too Culinarily Simplistic and Lazy for a Michelin Starred Restaurant like Tim Ho Wan. 🤔
Using Slices of Pig's Liver like this also somehow gave it a Cheap Sort of Taste if it makes any sense. 🐷😅 The taste of Pig's Liver simply was Too Overpowering and in my opinion sort of destroyed the Delicate Nature of a Cheong Fun. 🤔 The Whole Thing tastes Exactly like how you imagine it to taste. Its just Slices of Pig's Liver wrapped in an Average Quality Cheong Fun Roll. 🤔
This Dish is Culinarily Very Underwhelming for me. 🤔 Perhaps this was the Reason why it was removed from Singapore's THW Menu? 🤔 吃的出来有点 Cheapo Sort of Taste. 😅 I certainly won't ever order this again. This is not a Quality I expect to be ranked as a "四大天王". 👑🤔
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts:
While it felt kindda cool to be able to eat the Famous Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong itself, 🇭🇰 in a place called "Hong Kong Station" 🇭🇰🚆 no less, it was for a most part a Pretty Underwhelming Experience. 🤔
Don't get me wrong, their Baked BBQ Buns and Turnip Cake were Amazing ❤️ but the other 2 Dishes were Crushingly Disappointing. 🤔 Especially their Steamed Egg Cake was an Absolute Embarrasment! 😅 The fact that their own Staffs have never even heard of their Signature 四大天王 was really the Final Nail in the Coffin for me. 👑😅
At a Total Combined Price of HKD131.00 (S$23.00), I can't confirm but think it is actually more affordable to eat in Hong Kong than in Singapore? 🇭🇰🤔 Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 😅 While I can certainly recommend Hong Kong Tim Ho Wan, it definitely cannot get my Highest Score. 🇭🇰🤔 If you have eaten THW at both Hong Kong and Singapore, I'd love to know your thoughts about this! 👍
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