Tim Ho Wan opened its first Global Dim Sum Innovation Lab at Lee Garden Two in Hong Kong in September 2026. The site serves as the central development kitchen for its worldwide restaurant network.
The facility centralises recipe testing and chef training to standardise food quality across international branches. Glass walls separate the test kitchen from the dining room. Diners in Causeway Bay can watch staff test ingredients, adjust steamer temperatures, and refine techniques.
Developing Standardised Dim Sum Menus
Culinary teams at the site test recipe tolerances and intentional errors. This work establishes baseline operating procedures before dishes roll out overseas. Global creative director Chef Cheung Yat Sing leads menu development inside the Causeway Bay kitchen, focusing on consistency across varied kitchen setups.
Global chief executive Sheng Lee said the objective is converting high-end dim sum craft into replicable commercial formats across all markets.
“Our ultimate goal is to translate our best recipes into standardised processes,” Lee said.
Operational Impact on Global Franchises
Centralised recipe development addresses quality control challenges during rapid cross-border expansion. Dim sum relies heavily on skilled pastry folding, precise steaming moisture, and fresh filling preparation. These factors often vary widely between franchise operators in different countries.
By turning the kitchen into an operational testing hub, the group aims to lock down ingredient specifications and cooking parameters before overseas branches introduce new items. Success depends on whether strict procedural standards can maintain texture and flavour when local franchisees substitute regional flour grades and fresh proteins.
Menu Engineering and Causeway Bay Exclusives
Causeway Bay is also using the facility to test consumer demand directly through exclusive trial dishes. The company introduced three launch items for the site: a Chef’s Special Siu Mai Trio, a Roasted Tea and Fig Steamed Pudding, and an Iced Apple Lychee Lu’an Tea.
Dishes that perform well with local diners and meet production efficiency benchmarks will join the master menu distributed to overseas franchisees and joint-venture partners.
Regional Expansion and Concept Testing
The lab opening follows recent operational adjustments across the chain’s regional footprint, including trials of a dedicated takeaway format in Taiwan. That trial examined throughput speed and packaging durability for off-premise sales in dense urban transit corridors.
Staff at the Lee Garden Two innovation lab are now preparing the first batch of seasonal recipes for rollout across Asian outlets later this year.
