At the heart of Tim Ho Wan is a powerful origin story: humble, bold, and unmistakably Hong Kong. Leaving behind a prestigious job at the Four Seasons in 2009, our founder Chef Mak Kwai Pui and fellow Chef Leung Fai Keung, opened a tiny 20-seater in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po with a simple dream: to make high-quality dim sum accessible to all. Through craft, care and conviction, they did what few thought possible— a hole-in-the-wall serving affordable dim sum earned a Michelin star. That’s what makes us iconic – not just the success but the story behind it. A story that proves global recognition can come from staying true to your roots.
In the restaurant world, there is no higher recognition than the Michelin star. Chefsstrive for their entire lifetime pursuing this ultimate acclaim. Only the very bestrestaurants, replicating their dishes consistently year after year, achieve thisOlympian feat. It is with much honour that Tim Ho Wan’s Hong Kong dim sumrestaurant ranks as one of them.
Tim Ho Wan was started by Chef Mak Kwai Pui, formerly of the prestigious threeMichelin starred Lung King Heen restaurant in Hong Kong’s Four Seasons Hotel,alongside Chef Leung Fai Keung. In 2009, the two chefs joined forces to open theirfirst 20-seater dim sum restaurant in Mongkok. A year later, they would earn theirown one Michelin star. More restaurants opened, each earning its own Michelin star.The accolades for serving superb food at affordable prices soon followed. Indeed,Tim Ho Wan was once called the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant in theworld!
Today, guests need not journey quite as far to enjoy the award-winning Hong Kongdim sum in a more modern setting.
