Tim Ho Wan opens dim sum lab in Hong Kong

The lab is fitted with transparent glass walls to give diners a direct view of the kitchen.

Tim Ho Wan has opened a dedicated culinary laboratory at its new Lee Garden Two outlet in Causeway Bay, where new recipes will be developed and tested before being rolled out across the brand's global network.

The Global Dim Sum Innovation Lab, which opened in late August, functions as both a product development kitchen and a training facility for chefs across the brand. Recipes developed and standardised in the lab are intended to ensure consistency across all Tim Ho Wan locations worldwide, according to global chief executive Sheng Lee.

"Our ultimate goal is to translate our best recipes into standardised processes," Lee said. "This ensures every Tim Ho Wan location worldwide delivers consistent, Michelin-level quality whilst sharing Hong Kong's rich dim sum heritage globally."

The lab is fitted with transparent glass walls, giving diners a direct view into the kitchen as chefs work. Global creative director Chef Cheung Yat Sing said the space is used to test new flavour combinations, adjust cooking temperatures, and refine techniques before they are formalised into the brand's standard operating procedures.

"We even test deliberate mistakes and push recipes to their limits," Cheung said. "We aren't just making dim sum. We are researching flavours, honing techniques, and building global benchmarks."

To mark the opening, the Causeway Bay outlet introduced three new items exclusive to the location, including a Chef's Special Siu Mai Trio, a Roasted Tea and Fig Steamed Pudding, and an Iced Apple Lychee Lu'an Tea.

The news follows the brand testing a takeaway concept restaurant in Taiwan.