Tim Ho Wan PEAK Review: Roast Meats And Fried Duck Pasta At Revamped MBS Outlet

Tim Ho Wan PEAK has outlet-exclusive dishes at Marina Bay Sands

Tim Ho Wan’s 10 outlets across Singapore are a very well-known commodity at this point—one can typically expect to try dishes such as congee, wonton mee, and of course dim sum such as their signature baked BBQ pork buns at the restaurant. That is set to change with the opening of Tim Ho Wan PEAK, a reimagined version of the outlet housed at Marina Bay Sands.

Image credit: @timhowan_sg

This reimagining doesn’t only involve a makeover of the restaurant’s interiors, which can be described as a zhnged-up version of what came before. It also comes with a new outlet-exclusive menu, one filled with dishes you wouldn’t typically associate with Tim Ho Wan.

Food at Tim Ho Wan PEAK

Let’s start with one of Tim Ho Wan PEAK’s new roast meats, the BBQ Spanish Pork ($22.80++). Though the above picture depicts a small amount of char siew, each slice was gloriously thick and chunky, and sported a gorgeous red glaze with spots of evident caramelization.

Sure enough, the meat was succulent, with a good meat-to-fat ratio. There was also a nice hint of smokiness in the meat, and the sweet-savouriness of the glaze made it all come together. If I had to criticise something, I feel like the savoury aspect here could’ve been more prominent—that would’ve made this char siew excellent both texturally and flavour-wise.

Next was the Cherry Valley Crispy Roast Duck ($26.80++), which I was told was made with a breed of duck that isn’t as fatty as what you might expect from other Cantonese restaurants. This is a decision I can get behind, as this meant you could appreciate the tender and flavourful meat of the ducks—as well herbs and spices used to marinade it—without the fattiness getting too jelak.

While I enjoyed the previous two meat dishes, the Olive Fried Spanish Pork Jowl ($25.80++) was easily my favourite. Each piece of pork jowl was incredibly juicy and soft, with a slightly crispy exterior that made the whole package so addictive to munch on. The mix of spices—and crucially, olive—gave the meat here a sweet-savoury goodness that exceeded the aforementioned char siew dish.

As a crustacean fan, I was also pleased with the Signature Baked Creamy Stuffed Crab Shell ($32++).

Best described as crab meat mixed with a creamy Hong Kong-style sauce and a blend of cheeses, then stuffed back into the crab shell and baked till golden brown, this creamy, savoury, and briny dish made me crave more after every bite.

You might think the above dish is your average egg fried rice, but upon closer inspection, you’d notice that the grains here are actually risoni pasta. Indeed, the Cherry Valley Duck Fried Risoni Pasta ($24++) uses said pasta to create a fried “rice” dish that has an almost al dente mouthfeel. Overall, this was a pretty decent dish with great texture and a delicious duck component, but I did find myself hoping for more of a wok hei oomph here.

Ambience at Tim Ho Wan PEAK

Tim Ho Wan PEAK’s interiors are definitely more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable than your average Tim Ho Wan outlet. There’s a very nice interplay of green, brown, and white colours in its design, and the tables and chairs are adequately spaced out—the same cannot be said about all of the franchise’s outlets.

The restaurant is a five-minute walk away from Bayfront MRT Station.

The verdict

Tim Ho Wan PEAK adds new dimensions to what one typically expects of the Cantonese restaurant chain, and does so quite successfully with most of the dishes we tried faring well. If you’re a fan of Cantonese cuisine, this revamped Tim Ho Wan may well be worth a shot.

For more Cantonese cuisine to check out, read our best dim sum places in Singapore guide. For a movie-themed cha chaan teng with handmade dim sum in Jalan Besar, read our Hong Kong Stars Cafe coverage.

Address: 10 Bayfront Avenue, B2-02/03/04, The Shoppes, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018956
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 11am to 10pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 11pm
Tel: 6688 7600
Website
Tim Ho Wan PEAK is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This was a media tasting at Tim Ho Wan PEAK.