vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
Dim Sum
Min Huang Restaurant – Shanghai & Hong Kong Style Dim Sum & Desserts @ Kepong
Dec 17th
After coming back from Hong Kong I have been shunning our local dim sum joints because I feel they are not up to the standards anymore. If you have been to Hong Kong and tasted some of the best dim sum in the world, I am sure you can relate to this. The last time I had dim sum was at Foh San 2 months ago and I found myself not enjoying the food at all. Everything just tasted uninspiring and dull.
Now, based on a reader’s suggestion, I went to Min Huang Restaurant in Kepong. They serve plenty of Shanghai and Hong Kong style dim sum and desserts which I find to be good enough to earn a recommendation from me. And yes, even after comparing them with those I had in HK.
Among the many dishes we had here, the Shanghai Special Fried Bean Sheet @ RM4.80 (small) would be the most recommended one. The bean sheet is very similar to koay teow but appears a lot thinner, more translucent and with a slightly chewy texture. The chef sure cooked the dish right by infusing a lot of ‘wok hei’ and egg fragrance into it, it tastes just delicious.
A special variant of Xiao Long Bao seasoned with Chinese herbs is served here @ RM7.20. It tastes exactly like the normal Xiao Long Bao, just that it has an extra pleasant herb flavor to it.
Tim Ho Wan 5 Star Dim Sum at Two Star Price @ Mongkok, Hong Kong
Oct 11th
If you Google for dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong, Tim Ho Wan (添好运点心专门店) would surely come out tops. One of the reasons contributing to Tim Ho Wan’s fame is the fact that this dim sum joint at Mong Kok is said to be the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world.
The kitchen is backed by Mak Pui Gor, the highly renowned ex-dim sum chef of Lung King Heen at Four Seasons Hotel. His decision to quit his former job to follow his dream of managing his very own restaurant is good news to everyone, as the restaurant aims to serve quality food at friendly prices.
However, there is a huge drawback. Due to their immense popularity and the shop’s tiny size, waiting time is super long. Last time customers used to queue outside the restaurant for hours before getting a seat. This seem to have irked the neighboring shops hence a signboard reminding customers to stand ‘ar‘ one side as not to ‘black‘ the shops next doors.
In order to eliminate the long queues, they have recently implemented a numbering system. A total of 130 numbers would be distributed every morning, usable as long as you return by 3pm. There is another distribution after 3pm but I don’t know how many they are giving out.
FYI, We were here at 10.30am, took our number (40+ ish), waited for an hour or so then decided to eat something else first elsewhere before returning an hour later. For those who are here in large groups you are in bad luck because most probably you will be directed to their branch at Sham Shui Po where there is usually no waiting required. But! The reviews about the SSP branch has been bad so better stick to the main branch here.
This is the size of of the entire restaurant including the kitchen at the background. With about 10 tables or so, it can only accommodate a maximum of 30 customers at any time. The tables are so close to each other that you will be sitting literally elbow-to-elbow. But as a consolation, the food is worthy of the wait and the service is genuinely warm and friendly (remember this is HK!), something I find rare and surprising considering their big fame and all.
I have to commend on the staff’s patience especially the lady who assigns numbers to customers outside the restaurant. Can you imagine how many questions like “When is my turn?”, “What number is it now?” “How long more do I have to wait” are thrown at her daily? Yet she is still able to handle it as graceful as she could. I am pretty sure I would have snapped if it was me.
Ying Ker Lou Chinese-Hakka Cuisine Tea Time Promotion @ Pavilion KL
Feb 24th
Ying Ker Lou – an expensive looking and award winning restaurant that claims to serve authentic and MSG free Chinese-Hakka cuisine. If it’s not for their tea time dim sum promotion, I don’t think I’d ever step in for a meal. But also thanks to the promotion, I wouldn’t have the desire to dine there anymore. But just to be clear, this post is only valid for reference if you intend to try their tea time promotion. Their “normal hour” food could paint a different story though.
I will start with the dim sum we liked most – Steamed Siew Mai with Prawns @ RM6. The compact texture is a rarity in Siew Mai, plus the prawns were fresh and intensely sweet so there was really nothing to fault with it.
Hakka Bamboo Shoot Dumplings @ RM5, the skin was way too chewy while the fillings tasted forgettable.
Foh San Dim Sum Restaurant @ Jalan Leong Sim Nam, Ipoh
Feb 4th
Since my last visit Foh San has relocated to a new and bigger builiding, which is just a stone throw’s away from their old place. The last time we had dim sum here few years ago, we had to wrestle for a table, eat under pressure since people were basically just waiting for you to finish and get off ASAP. You won’t even have time to slowly sip your cuppa tea, unless you could put on a thick skin. In all, it was not a very nice experience.
But I guess the humongous double storey restaurant that Foh San is currently occupying already solved the problem. On my way back to Penang to celebrate CNY, we had a brief stop over at Foh San for lunch. We got a table easily and service was OK, though not as prompt as it could get.
