One of our final highlights for our trip to Hong Kong was a visit to Tim Ho Wan. We had read so many incredible reviews of the restaurant, and were excited to check it out. What better way to end our Hong Kong trip with a visit on our final day before zooming off to the airport? We packed our bags, and zipped off to Sham Shui Po, before ending the day with a foot massage.
Tim Ho Wan, Sham Shui Po
If you’ve never heard of Tim Ho Wan, allow me to familiarize you. It’s a famous dim sum restaurant that’s now global, and the Sham Shui Po branch boasts a Michelin star. In fact, it’s the cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the world which is quite literally its attraction. We headed to Sham Shui Po on the MTR from our hotel in Mong Kok. We passed this regal shop en route, a clear nod to Hong Kong’s colonial roots.

Arriving at Tim Ho Wan, we saw a huge crowd gathered outside. The hostess didn’t speak English, but we were given a number and had to wait for ours to be called. Meanwhile, we checked out the menu. Tim Ho Wan boasts over twenty varieties of dim sum, all very reasonably priced.

Key recommendations are the shrimp dumplings, baked barbecue pork buns, and steamed beef balls. Lucky for us, we were seated within around thirty minutes and had already made our selections.

The restaurant itself isn’t too glam – tables are very close together, staff wear polo shirts, and there are small bones from food on the floor. Our food began to come out quickly. We tried glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf, congee (classic Hong Kong breakfast food), and baked barbecue pork buns,

To be honest, none of the foods blew me away. Congee was like a chowder, the barbecue pork buns were very sweet, and the glutinous rice was peculiar.

Some more dishes came – steamed prawn dumplings and prawn and pork dumplings, both of which were delicious. We also tried some tasty vegetarian rice rolls, and deep fried potato and bacon cakes. Overall, it’s an interesting dining experience that’s reasonably priced and great for trying things. Just don’t expect the same Michelin star calibre food as you may get elsewhere.


Foot Massages in Hong Kong
It’s pretty difficult not to come across foot massage parlours as you’re walking around Hong Kong. In fact, the glittering neon lights advertising foot massages are every few steps. Lucy and I decided it would be the perfect treatment before a long flight ahead back to Vancouver. In all honesty, it’s not quite the relaxing experience we anticipated.

We called in to a couple on our way back to the hotel, requesting a thirty minute foot massage. You’re essentially in someone’s living room, with various masseuses talking loudly to each other throughout the experience, while horse racing was on the TV.

Your feet and legs are thwacked and pummelled, while she makes observations about your circulation and condition. It may not be the most relaxing or indulgent experience, but it sure felt good afterwards. It was then time to head off to the airport, for our fifteen hour journey back to Vancouver.

I always love getting an insight into a country’s culture at the airport. This includes anything from the variations at KFC to Subway. How do you fancy this durian pizza from Pizza Hut!? What a wonderful trip we had in Hong Kong. A crazy busy trip from start to finish, but one I’ll never forget.
Have you visited Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong? Or indeed indulged in a foot massage from one of the city’s many parlours? If so, let me know about your experiences. I’d love to hear all about them in the comments below.