Tim Ho Wan

My brother Dino took Gary and me to Tim Ho Wan in Singapore last month. I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Mak years ago when he was at the Grove in Los Angeles.  He and his partner Chef Leung started Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong in 2009 and in 2010 it became widely known as the world's most inexpensive Michelin starred restaurant.  I was excited to try the one in Irvine, California to see if it lived up to the name.

Sandi and I had just finished breakfast at a bakery in Fountain Valley last weekend. After our breakfast, we walked into a T.J. Maxx which was in the same parking lot. After half an hour it was time to head on home. I mentioned to Sandi that since we were in Orange County, near Irvine, maybe we should check out how far Tim Ho Wan was from where we were. After our trusty Google search, we found it was only 6 miles away. Were we hungry for lunch, the answer was no but we both thought that by the time we got there, we might be starving? We got there and witnessed a line. This was a Saturday, so we had to be on the waitlist. They said it would probably take 30-45 minutes. We didn't mind waiting since it gave us a chance to build an appetite. Shortly after 35 minutes, they asked us if we would mind sitting at the bar. We, of course, did not mind.

I ordered their special Baked BBQ Pork Buns which is to die for. They are so light and crispy outside and bursting with flavor inside. I wanted to order the Shrimp Fried Rice we had in Singapore but was informed that they didn't have that on the menu. Instead of that, we ordered the Pan Fried Noodles which was super delicious.

The Shrimp Rice Rolls were a disappointment. It surely did not taste like the one we had in Singapore or The Philippines. It just lacked the flavor. The Steamed Shrimp Dumplings were good. For our drinks, we both had the Mango Slush which was the most expensive item on the menu $6.50. We liked it a lot and I'm sure it was packed with calories!

Would we go back to Tim Ho Wan....the answer is yes but definitely not on a weekend. We would go during the week when they first open. Tim Ho Wan is located at 2700 Alton Parkway in Irvine, California.