Just another Tim Ho Wan (添好運) review

Date of visit: 05.10.2013

I had passed by Tim Ho Wan at Plaza Singapura many times.  Despite of the raves, I couldn't convince myself to queue.  A new branch at Toa Payoh did not help to subside the queue either -__-

This pic was taken when Tim Ho Wan was newly open.

I was hoping to get invited for a food tasting so that I could "escape" from the agony of queueing.  It didn't happen, so I waited and waited and waited for my life-time sponsor, le hubby.

The only way to beat the crowd, we supposed, was to be an early bird.  A super early one.

One morning on a weekend, we decided it should be the day, to get up early for food lolxx...

We merrily drove to Toa Payoh's branch, stood at it's entrance at 8.40am, just to realise that they open at 11.00am instead of 9.00am  (now it's changed to 10.00am).   I nearly fainted on the spot.  Sotong head had presumed that the opening hours for both outlets are the same -___-|||

We are the most compatible couple in terms of blurness.  Blurness has sustain a blissful marriage lolxx...

Remorseful, he drove me to Plaza Singapura, else I'll be very upset heeheehee.......

We reached the entrance at around 9.05am and the tim sum eatery was FULLY OCCUPIED!!  These people were inhuman to wake up so early on weekends!! lolxx....  The console was, only about 3 persons were queueing in front of me, that little bit of patience I still can afford, heehee....  Then we "over-take" the lady in front of us cos' her makan khakis hadn't arrived yet, waahaahaaa......  So yeah, everybody has to be present before they give you a table.  We gotten a table within 10mins, 谢天谢地.

As soon as we were seated at around 9.15am, a snake queue was formed.

I couldn't stress how much I hate those stools without back rest.  It's perhaps to discourage people from dining too long with chit-chats?

It wasn't a comfortable breakfast for me to be very honest.   Any movement would risk hitting the person behind or besides me.  The seats were packed back to back, barely a foot's space between me and the person sitting behind.  It was very difficult for the serving staff to even place the tim sum onto the table.  But I have to compliment that despite of the space constrains and hinders, they had remained very friendly and swift.

A young chap at the next table, or rather the same table sat so closely beside me that he had "brushed" me with his arm a few times, not purposely one of course, really too cramp.  But no biggie, I would scream if he's an old uncle though lolxx....  We  looked at each other's orders and even made small conversations.

Serving was very fast and here's our noms...........

Steamed Egg Cake S$3.80

Never judge a book by the cover, never judge 马来糕 by it's boring appearance!  Ridiculously soft and fluffy, I felt as if I was eating sugar clouds!  It was the best I had eaten so far! Just how can steam egg cake be so delicious??!!  Extremely impressive!  MUST ORDER!

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork S$4.50

Tim Ho Wan's chef  had injected western food culture into traditional char siew buns, and it's a right hit.

Little gold buns were baked to slight crisp on the outside and soft inside.  Aroma of butter successfully seduced taste buds of  westernised generation of young and old.

Moist filling of chunky char siew pieces encouraged bites after bites and buns after buns with unique taste of honey in it.  Visiting Tim Ho Wan without these BBQ bake buns will be like going to Beijing without climbing the Great Wall.   So, MUST TRY!

Pork Dumpling with shrimp S$5.00

Fresh and beautifully shaped, pretty satisfying.

Vermicelli Roll with Beef S$5.50

Succulent Vermicelli rolls in special soya sauce would be perfect without the beef fillings. 

Beef was tasteless and the texture of meat was gone too :(

Prawn Dumpling S$5.50

My favourite tim sum since childhood, nothing in particular to pick about, I was happy with them :)

Spring Roll with Egg White S$4.20

Taste was refreshing with egg white and assorted veg fillings.  Quite different from other spring rolls.

While the tim sum was pretty good overall, it's not my ideal place for yum cha (饮茶).  My back was about to collapse without a proper chair with back rest.

Not sure about how other feels, but the long queue outside did impose some pressure onto me.  As in, I would finish my food and leave the place in "gan jiong" style so that I can vacant my seat to the next person who probably had been waiting for more than an hour.  

Restaurant's pricing without restaurant's comfort and ambience was the only flaw, but probably most people won't mind, as seen by the daily long queues.

Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
#01-29A/52 
Singapore 238839 
Open 
10.00am – 10.00pm (Monday – Friday)
09.00am – 10.00pm (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday) 

ERA Centre Toa Payoh
450 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh
#02-02
Singapore 319394
Open 
10.00am - 9.00pm (With effect from 1st November 2013) 
Monday – Sunday & Public Holiday

https://www.facebook.com/timhowan