There is something reassuringly familiar about a bamboo steamer arriving at the table, still clouded in steam. At Tim Ho Wan’s newest restaurant in Causeway Bay, however, diners may find themselves looking beyond what is inside the basket — and into the kitchen where the next idea is taking shape.
The Hong Kong-born dim sum specialist has opened at Lee Garden Two, introducing the brand’s first Global Dim Sum Innovation Lab alongside a collection of dishes created exclusively for the new address.
Framed by a large glass window, the laboratory offers diners an unusual glimpse behind the scenes. Chefs can be seen folding, steaming and testing new creations as the restaurant’s research and training team experiments with ingredients, proportions and cooking techniques.
Global creative director Chef Cheung Yat Sing said the space is designed for both product development and chef training, with successful creations potentially making their way to Tim Ho Wan restaurants overseas.
Global creative director Chef Cheung Yat Sing said the space is designed for both product development and chef training.
It is a fitting next chapter for a brand founded by chefs Mak Kwai Pui and Leung Fai Keung in 2009, which built its following on traditional craftsmanship without the formality usually associated with Michelin-recognized dining.
At Lee Garden Two, that tradition comes with a distinctly Causeway Bay twist.
The Chef’s Special Siu Mai Trio (HK$48) is perhaps the best place to begin. The basket features Tim Ho Wan’s familiar shrimp siu mai alongside an XO sauce and quail egg version, before arriving at the most location-specific creation: typhoon shelter crab meat siu mai.
The Chef’s Special Siu Mai Trio (HK$48).
Inspired by the neighborhood’s culinary heritage, the dumpling combines sweet crab meat and pork with garlic, dried chili and scallion. It retains the satisfying juiciness of a classic siu mai, but finishes with the aromatic heat associated with Hong Kong’s beloved typhoon shelter-style cooking.
Dessert, too, receives a subtle makeover. The Roasted Tea & Fig Steamed Pudding (HK$36) reimagines put chai ko, the nostalgic steamed rice pudding once ubiquitous on Hong Kong streets. Roasted tea lends an earthy fragrance while fig adds gentle sweetness, creating something recognizably traditional yet noticeably more refined.
For something cooler, the Iced Apple Lychee Lu’an Tea (HK$32) balances floral tea notes with fruit and a light creamy finish — particularly welcome after a table crowded with steamers.
The Roasted Tea & Fig Steamed Pudding (HK$36) with the Iced Apple Lychee Lu’an Tea (HK$32).
Tea has been given more prominence throughout the restaurant. A dedicated menu spans six selections, while the newly introduced Milan-scented Lu’an tea — made by scenting Lu’an tea with golden Milan flowers — offers a fragrant alternative to the usual pot of pu’er.
The interiors echo the refreshed menu. Lake-green tones, warm timber and curved banquettes soften the room, while flexible private spaces cater to larger gatherings. A small retail corner adds a playful final touch, with “yum cha” T-shirts, caps, tote bags and tea gift sets available to take home.
Still, the most intriguing detail remains that glass-fronted laboratory.
Dim sum is a cuisine built on repetition, precision and traditions passed from one pair of hands to another. Here, diners are invited to watch that process evolve in real time — perhaps with a basket of typhoon shelter siu mai in front of them.
Tim Ho Wan, Lee Garden Two
Address: Shops LG02-08, Lower Ground Floor, Lee Garden Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay
Opening hours: Daily, 10am - 10pm
marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
