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    Tim Ho Wan

    3.3 (48 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Tim Ho Wan Photos

    TIM HO WAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Tim Ho Wan

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    Reviews With Photos

    Best Pork Buns in the world!
    Nick N.

    Food: 5/5 Service: 3/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Decor & Style: 3/5 The best BBQ pork buns I've ever had in my life. The hype was totally worth it. The way it just flakes off into your mouth, wow! All other dishes were good, but not the best I've had. 5 stars overall just for the buns themselves. I will come back here!

    BBQ buns, congee, vermicelli roll with shrimp, charcoal gold-dusted buns (clockwise)
    Vivian Q.

    This was actually my first time at a Tim Ho Wan, so I was excited to see if the food would live up to the hype. We ordered several classic dim sum dishes, and overall, the dishes here seem more precisely constructed than some other locales - for example, the shumai were topped with a goji berry, the beancurd skin rolls had very thin skin. I was most impressed with the BBQ pork buns - like a previous review mentioned, very unique that the bun tastes similar to a pineapple bun, such a nice sweetxsavory taste. (The buns were brought out almost instantly, but I was disappointed that they seemed only lukewarm.) I also liked the special of charcoal buns - the custard filling made for a nice dessert. Overall, nice quality dim sum but a little pricey.

    Chantelle T.

    Is it amazing and delicious? Yes! But it's almost like a cafeteria style deal that serves up delicious foods. Apparently it's a Michelin star business but I just don't get that bit. It's quite an interesting and incredibly efficient way of service. Go in, mark what you want on the sheet, ring the bell for service and they'll bring you the food when it's ready. It is really good food, the pork buns were the best I've ever eaten in my life. Crispy, sweet and filled with pork I could have eaten so many more. Prawn dumplings were nice and the wonton noodle soup was surprisingly delicious. The broth was subtle with fresh noodles added. It seems almost underseasoned until you bite into the wonton and the perfect saltiness matches the rest of the dish. No complaints about those garlicky chicken wings either. A really awesome experience and well priced given the notoriety and Michelin star attached to the business. Highly recommended and I would definitely return.

    Maria L.

    It was ok. Nothing special just another dim sum place but very limited menu. Apparently this place is known for their Michelin star, but I think din tai fong is much tastier. The selection of items here is pretty limited maybe less than 15 or 20 things to choose from. We had the radish cake, Congee, shrimp dumplings, pork roll, pork and shrimp spicy dumpling, truffle fried rice. The radish cake didn't have a good consistency, the pork roll was very average, the shrimp dumplings were fairly good and so was the congee. The fried rice was very dry. They don't have Chilli oil, only Chilli sauce which has vinegar in it. They don't have ginger for the dumplings either. The staff were Chinese and almost couldn't understand English. All in all super average place. Good to try but nothing special.

    After 40 minutes I got to here. It's nasty because it smells so darn good. Hopefully means takeaway soon!
    Leisha C.

    When I first heard the now chain version of the worlds cheapest Michelin starred restaurant was coming here I almost peed my pants. I've been waiting for over a year for Tim Ho Wan to come to Melbourne, and I left today feeling a little meh about the whole thing. I probably should preface this with I have been to the original in Hong Kong before it was pimped out, Wolfgang Puck style (seriously, that guy is now everywhere in the US). I purposely flew home from India via HKG so I could have 7 waking hours to go to Tim Ho Wan, and it was totally worth it (hence my excitement about the Melbourne opening). So almost 2 weeks after opening, I had the time to wait in the line to get in. HKG used to get 3 hour waits, thankfully I'd heard Melbourne was around 1 - 1.5 hours. I ventured in at 15 minutes past opening on Easter Sunday, to an as expected already large line (10.15am). An hour into the wait, I made it to the outside stools (thank god, was starting to get antsy standing up), and was handed the ordering sheet. 20 minutes later I was in and had placed my order, and 5 minutes later my first dish arrived (baked pork buns). The 2nd dish arrived within a few more minutes, but then I had a gap of about 10 minutes of twiddling my thumbs for my final 2 dishes to gradually came out. The food: Baked pork buns - the inside was the tastiest pork I've ever had. 5/5 on these for sure. The casing tasted a little oddly sweet for me, but I'd totally go them again. Steamed Egg Cake - at first I was taken aback as I think my eyes expected something sweeter, but after the first couple of bites I couldn't get enough. Light and fluffy and I'd eat again if it was in front of me. Prawn Dumplings - I LOVED these in HKG. Today I wasn't very impressed. Bland except for pepper (which I swear they didn't have in HKG but I could be wrong), and 1 wasn't even sealed properly. Liver rice rolls - extremely watery, and just blurgh. Wasn't impressed at all. The Service: Staff were super friendly. I was taken in before a couple of people in front of me, as I was dining solo, but they didn't make the most of this. I was put on a 2 seater table on my own, when there was plenty of spare seats around where I could have squeezed in on a table of 3. I went on my own expecting to get in quicker, but they're not taking advantage of this opportunity to get more people in sooner! The cost: This is where they've really lost me. $32.90 for 4 dishes & a soft drink, for a 2 hour visit (where only 25 mins of that was eating) with so-so food, in my opinion not worth it at all. We are too spoilt in Melbourne to pay this much and wait this long for dim sum. Fun Fact: you can get leftovers to take away, and there's a roller window leading into the arcade that hopefully means you can order to go soon without having to wait!

    Bbq pork bun
    Feren Y.

    It was A-OK. I have tried it twice as I have luckily not had to wait in line for long at all but the 2nd time didn't change my opinion. The all day yum cha is a fantastic idea but the menu is tiny, the food is good but not amazeballs and it was all...ok. The service is pretty quick as they want to get through as many people as possible it wasn't overly friendly and no split bills. The pork bun: crispy top with sweet bbq pork filling...I love the top of the bun as it is sweet and I wish i could have that for dessert by itself. Vermicelli with bbq pork/sesame: very thing noodle and bouncy but not enough filling or sauce. MORE SAUCE please. Lotus leaf rice: fragrant but about the same as most other yum cha spots. Chicken and chinese sausage rice: really didn't have any flavour...skip this one. Turnip cake: I actually quite like this one, quite smooth and it has bounce in it and not too floury. Pork spare ribs: tiny portion, nothing special. Steamed egg cake: It was light and they seemed to have used some mix of golden syrup/molasses/brown sugar but it was so small for the price you pay and didn't really taste all that different to the regular ones. Spring roll with egg white: Very crispy on the outside but I had to douse it with chilli and soy sauce. My friends tried the prawn dishes and they finished everything but we all agreed that we wouldn't travel to the city just for this in the future and would not go if there was a line. There you go, if you are around the area give it a try but don't make a fuss over it.

    Sophia N.

    Had catch up dinner with some friends here. Lucky for me i only waited 5 minutes to get in as i was running late. For them they waited at least 45mins-1hour. Make sure you're not super hungry when you decide to come here. We basically ordered nearly everything on the menu as there isn't a long list to decide from. Their menus have pictures so it's easier to decide what you want. The thing i was most looking forward to eating was the baked pork bun so we ordered 3 plates of it. Each plate comes with 3 buns on it. I've heard everyone rave on about these buns so i had pretty high expectations for them but Unfortunately they were pretty over rated. They are good but they didn't blow my mind. The outer shell of the bun was sweet and crunchy which was delicious but the filling inside tasted like any other bbq pork bun you can get at any vietnamese bakery. For a michelin star restaurant i didn't see anything special about it as i can get betrer dishes at my local yumcha restaurant. Either way it was worth a try. I would recommend to try it as it's new but it's pretty pricey for yumcha food. Service was great though. 2 thumbs up!

    The venue
    Jessie S.

    Be it the wait or talk of a Michelin star, Tim Ho Wan had me hungry with high expectations. Unlike other Yum Cha / Chinese menus, the selection was pretty constrained. Their top 4 recommended dishes are plastered front and centre (everywhere) and selections can be easily made with their impeccable wait staff. The process is void of head bobbing, awkward signals and excessive eye movements; a simple press of a discreet buzzer and assistance will arrive at your table. The food is without doubt, delicious. Bold flavours combine with delightful textures and the experience behind these dishes is pretty evident. I just didn't feel wowed. Of the dishes I ordered, I would enjoy the steamed then baked pork bun and vermicelli noodle with bbq pork if it were offered to me again. The bun was lavish, it's saucy, meaty centre reminiscent of a homemade chunky meat pie. Combined with high levels of butter in the crisp and fluffy bun, my 1 + 1/2 portion was enough. Vermicelli was doused in a sweet and salty sauce complimenting the silky noodle and bbq pork. Other notables would be the fluffy steamed egg cake which tasted like a maple syrup chiffon and their complimentary chilli sauce (more sweet than spicy though). Happy we visited and really enjoyed my meal, but can't see myself lining up for it again.

    Sarina W.

    I vowed that I don't want to go to Tim Ho Wan, considering I will go to Hong Kong in exactly a week's time. But I was craving for pork buns and cheong fun (steamed rice rolls) and walking past early on a week day there was no queue, so in I went. First thing I was impressed by was the service. It was certainly a change from the Hong Kong THW, with big wide smiles and half bows everywhere. I ordered the vermicelli roll (rice roll) w sweet sesame sauce, but told them to hold the sweet sauce. So the lovely waiter gave me all the sauces separately instead so I can use it to my hearts content. The vermicelli roll was exactly what a good vermicelli roll should be like, smooth and silky. The pork bun is a bit sweeter than the ones in Hong Kong, and it was a little bit too crispy. Otherwise it was good. Very good. The only gripe is that the prices of the Melbourne THW is so much more exxy than the one in Hong Kong! I guess the wages in here are more expensive but it was certainly a great experience and when I come back from HK and craving for yum cha I will know where to go.

    Menu
    Reem A.

    Strongly recommended. Clean, fresh, professional. The food: If you see my comments you'll notice how a big fan I am for authentic in the kitchen. I was fortunate enough to set in front of the kitchen and witness what goes on behind the scenes. Everyone cooking are middle aged and older, which I highly praise. Because that's when you get soul food my friend. Secondly, the system followed in the kitchen is what makes food fresh and executed perfectly every time you visit. One note though there is an extensive use of pork on the menu which makes options for people with different backgrounds limited. That is the only downside I saw. But seafood options are delightful. The service: Is professional and flawless.. good place to eat in peace The prices: It is not cheap but average and above. One dish cost 6$ and above, if your hungry you'll might spend 20$ and above.

    Vinita P.

    If you are expecting the best dim sum you have ever had because of the Michelin star, you will be disappointed. However, if you just need a dim sum fix and are willing to pay a premium, this restaurant is for you. I can recommend the bean curd skin roll with pork and shrimp. The weekly special beef brisket noodle soup was good. The haa gow and turnip cake were below standard- 50% shrimp paste is considered lower quality, and turnip cake mostly starch filler and served luke warm. The pork buns looked promising: light crusty perfectly shaped buns. Unfortunately, the pastry is crusty because of a high sugar content. Paired with the candied pork filling pushes the sweet meter to over load.

    Robin T.

    The queue for this place was long. Ended up queuing for at least 45 mins before we were seated. The venue itself is small hence the queue and seating arrangements. This didn't matter as the food was just delectable. Most memorable was definitely the Baked Bun with BBQ Pork. I've never had such a pork bun before and it was really really good. There were other dishes that were equally good as well like their Vermicelli Rolls with Sesame Sauce and their Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp. The shrimp was tender and cooked to perfection. Not tough like most yum cha places. Everything else that we ordered was just yum. Explains why we are lil thirsty now. The service was good and friendly. Not pushy like most. It is on the pricier side but I think that's warranted.

    Baked pork bun
    Vanessa B.

    Walking through the city one night and saw a huge line of people and thinking what on earth is going on to realise that a new dim sum place had opened up. So after a few days we decided that lets go and line up and get some yum cha! We waited in line for just over half and hour but the turn over was pretty quick. Pretty much everyone leaves after finishing their food which is good, as the line for this place never ends. We ordered 1 serve of the baked bun with bbq pork (3pcs - $7.80) - which were absolutely amazing! (why does Perth not have these!!) Would of happily had another serve of these. Also ordered the vermicelli roll with sesame sauce ($5.80) and the beef balls with beancurd skin (3pcs - $6). We did have to wait a long time for the vermicelli roll, had to ask the waitress and within 2mins she brought it out to our table. Can see why this place is very popular - it's in a great location and when people walk by they are interested as to why everyone is lining up and line up too... if they are willing to wait hehe :)

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    7 years ago

    The baked bun with BBQ pork is absolutely delicious! And we got har kow, siew mai and fried carrot cake here, Hong Kong style and taste!

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    Yes the pork buns are great. But with so many good yum Cha places around I don't get the hype of this place at all.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Tim Ho Wan Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Tim Ho Wan

    Food: 5/5 Service: 3/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Decor & Style: 3/5 The best BBQ pork buns I've ever had in my life.

    Mentioned in 14 reviews

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    Crystal Jade Restaurant - Egg White Steam with Mud Crab

    Crystal Jade Restaurant

    3.9(25 reviews)
    0.2 kmMelbourne
    $$

    Very nice hongkong style restaurant at China town. We came here for dimsum and another day for…read moredinner. This is one of the well known chinese restaurant in Melbourne Chinatown. It is better to make reservations. For the dimsum I can say is average like other dimsum places I visited before. The menu is overwhelming. So many dishes to choose from. For dinner it was very nice as we had live crystal crab which I never had before. The meat is soft. The other dishes which good is the beef cube. It was so tender. The shark fin soup which is banned in US is good. Price wise, they are pretty pricey. Overall it was a good lunch and dinner

    My family and I had a really great dinner dinner here while traveling in Melbourne. It's always…read morecomforting to have some Chinese food while abroad, and this place got the stamp of approval from 3 generations of my family!! The service was great our waiters helped us accommodate a disability within my family and recommended us some great dishes. However, the restaurant is upstairs and the elevator was broken, which made it difficult for us to get up. The food: -Seafood fried rice: Really flavorful, with generous portions of dried scallop and crab. The rice was cooked just right and the serving was big enough that for a party of 3, we had quite a bit leftover. -Snow pea leaves in garlic: A favorite vegetable of mine, and this was cooked in an amazing garlic-y soup!! Such a clean and delicious dish -Egg tofu: This was my first time having egg tofu and they were so silky and smooth. They look a bit like scallop and are served with a good amount of broccoli and mushrooms! Honestly really addicting. - Steamed trout: This fish was very pricey, but that's normal for a live fish dish. It was huge- definitely enough to serve a party of 5-6. The fish was cooked to perfection and the sauce paired amazingly with the mild trout flavor. Highly recommend if you're feeling like splurging! This place is also nice, quiet, and clean inside during dinnertime. Really amazing experience overall!

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    Tim Ho Wan - chinese - Updated May 2026

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