The recent $690 million renovation of the Palms Casino Resort brought in a wave of new culinary destinations. Most aim for the luxury diner, but Tim Ho Wan goes in a different direction, serving authentic dim sum at affordable prices.
The original version opened in Hong Kong, famously earning a reputation as the least expensive restaurant in the world with a Michelin star. The concept expanded to dozens of locations throughout the world before arriving in Las Vegas. Despite the simplicity of the menu, the dining room at the Palms is big and bright with a few modern touches, including tall, industrial ceilings and contemporary light fixtures to match the Asian decor. A separate bar and lounge offers intimacy as well as cocktails that skew on the sweeter side to balance out the strong flavors of the food.
The appeal of dim sum is that it can be anything—described broadly as small bites of Asian street food, often served to share like tapas. Tim Ho Wan does away with the familiar practice of serving a choice of dishes on a roaming dining room cart. Instead, the restaurant takes pride in preparing each one to order, a move designed to present everything as fresh and flavorful as possible. However, it’s almost surprising how quickly the food shows up, making Tim Ho Wan a restaurant to enjoy at a leisurely pace. Don’t feel obligated to order everything at once. You can always ask for more later.
Most meals begin with the baked BBQ pork buns, Tim Ho Wan’s best-known dish. The sweet and savory combination leans heavily on the former, making them perfect as either an appetizer or dessert. The recipe, which uses a crispy pineapple-style bun instead of a soft,dough, accounts for fluctuations in the kitchen, including temperature and humidity, to ensure consistency.
A dim sum meal isn’t complete without dumplings. Har gow (steamed shrimp) dumplings are hand-rolled and prepared by a trained specialist. The paper-like skin is so delicate, it requires special sensitivity to craft the folds in the dough. Siu mai (steamed pork) dumplings are more juicy and robust with a goji berry on top for a touch of sweetness to counteract the rich fat of the pork.
Ready for something adventurous? Try the chicken feet, which are commonly fried and steamed, although Tim Ho Wan prefers to braise them with abalone sauce. There’s really only one way to eat it—by sucking the meat right off the bone. Abalone also makes an appearance in the mantou cups, which are like open-faced buns with diced chicken, green onions and shiitake mushrooms for an earthy undertone to match the sweetness of the dough. The cups are known as a casual on-the-go comfort food in China.
Tim Ho Wan may not be for everyone, as it’s not as approachable as most American-style Chinese food, but with the most expensive item (the lobster and black bean rice roll) at $10.95, the restaurant may challenge the palate without breaking the bank.
Palms, opens at 10 a.m. daily. 702.942.7777
