I meet Chef Mak Kwai Pui, the 57-year-old chef who has revolutionised the world of Michelin dining, on a crisp spring morning at his restaurant Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong. This restaurant has created a landmark presence in the culinary landscape of Hong Kong and beyond: It is widely known as the cheapest Michelin star restaurant, having received the honour in 2010. The restaurant has since opened three more branches, each receiving its own star in due course.
Between bites, while making sure that I am initiated into the authentic yum cha (Cantonese brunch consisting of cha and dim sum) ritual, Chef Mak shares his life’s journey.
He begins by saying, “I was pathetic in my studies and dreaded going to school. I used to run away, make pleas of not going to school almost every day, till one day, my uncle grabbed my hand and said, ‘If you are not going to go to school, it’s okay, but learn something that will sustain you lifelong. After all, we Cantonese value skills and more so the mastery of hand skill.’ I was 14-years-old.”
The very next day, the chef found himself in the kitchen, observing his uncle and father making hundreds of dim sums in a day — from start to finish. “It got me hooked and I started running again, but this was a different kind of run — to speed up my learning,” he continues, in a slow, soft voice, a faint smile spreading across his face.
Over the next decade, Mak learnt and excelled in making dim sum and other Cantonese dishes. He worked at the Lung King Heen restaurant, at Four Seasons Hong Kong, where he also learned to experiment with recipes: tweaking traditional Cantonese cuisine and embellishing it with a finesse that was appreciated by his urban well-travelled diners.
- Baked bun with barbecued pork
- Steamed fresh shrimp dumpling
- Poached seasonal vegetable
- Shrimp wrapped in bean curd skin
- Tonic medlar and petal cake
- Egg cake
His creations included signature dishes like a simple yet magical baked bun with barbecued pork, and desserts like egg and petal cake. To no one’s surprise, the restaurant was soon awarded a Michelin star rating. Today, Lung King Heen has three.
Mak, however, had left long ago to spread his wings. He wanted to create his own identity, he recalls, while gesturing to a senior waitress in Cantonese. More dumpling baskets arrive. The restaurant is fragrant with the scent of spring onion, shrimps and braised beef mixed, as lid after lid is opened.
Encouraging me to savour the food, he continues, “I was feeling a little saturated and wanted to expand. With Michelin star dining experiences catching up, I wanted to create Tim Ho Wan, my own identity.”
He continues, “I discussed with my peers the idea of the most inexpensive Michelin experience, holding on to superior ingredients and quality. No one seemed to see it as a tangible concept, but somehow my heart said fine dining can be made available for all at a reasonable price.”
Eventually, he realised that this could only be attained if he trained his team to perfection. Cooks had to agree to train exclusively with him for six continuous months, before actively operating in the kitchen.
“I played with memories of food, bringing back a few that had gone out of reckoning — like egg cakes — and then brought my own innovations. For example, authentic Cantonese is fairly less spicy: I added spice. I experimented with handmade wheat noodles.”
Tim Ho Wan reportedly has 46 outlets in seven countries and two Special Administrative Regions now, including Thailand, Japan, the US and Australia.
Which probably translates to a lot more work for Mak. How does he keep up? Pat comes the answer, “I tell myself each morning to go slow, maintain the balance, retain discipline... and yes, add passion to my food. I have been working for 44 years, and still have the same connect with my kitchens.”
He then heads back into the kitchen and starts making dim sum, his nimble fingers wrapping giant pearly globules one after the other, in a slow, steady rhythm.
