i12's Tim Ho Wan

Tim Ho Wan i12 used to be our go-to place for weekend lunch just before we hit the track at East Coast Park to do a 20km ride. 

That is- until Covid hit- the shops started to move away, and the mall management decided to do a renovation from inside out. 

The outlet used to be on the ground floor next to Toast Box. 

They're on one of the upper floors now. 

We went there for a late lunch one Sunday afternoon.

The place looked the same- little seemed to have changed- but the tables were now further apart from each other and their lightweight quality seemed to make it easier to arrange and move around. 

We were given a table right near the entrance. 

No, we didn't mind. 

We were hungry. 

It didn't take long for us to decide on our meal.

Nothing much of their menu had changed anyway. 

Same staples, same offerings, same almost everything. 

We ordered a serving of their baked char siew paus. 

This is one dish you definitely have to come here for. 

It's a signature dish- one of their four Heavenly Kings, and which you probably will not find in other dim sum places elsewhere.

It makes for a different style of meal- this char siew bao.

You can either use your hand, or break it open with chopsticks- your choice.

My companion prefers hand. 

I prefer chopsticks. 

Either way it's a fantastic way to enjoy the crisp, crumbly crust, the rich, sweet chunks of char siew, and the perfectly shaped round bun which somehow encourages you to slowly nibble instead of wolfing the entire piece down. 

Besides the bao, we ordered another of our favorites- the taro dumpling. 

This dumpling is not a dish that can be eaten elegantly. 

Everything just falls at first bite. 

Mine drop every single time. 

Whether it be I take a big bite from it, whether it be I break it apart with my chopsticks and finish up the soft meat filling, or whether it be that I pull off parts of the taro dumpling and eat it slowly- the coated bits scatter like golden showers onto the plate.

It's come to a stage where I just let everything fall and later scoop them up with the spoon. 

Never mind chopstick skill.

Never mind decorum too. 

These two weren't the only dishes we ordered for lunch that day. 

Actually there were a couple more we wanted, but we decided to forgo them all for the new dish on the menu that had caught our eye.

A great decision that turned out to be, because the radish cake dish was filling, unique, and, absolutely delicious.

Everything- from the egg to the radish cubes, was melt in the mouth.

You didn't need to chew at all.

It simply disappeared away.

Best of all, the dish felt so healthy and so clean.

You didn't taste the oil, there was no greasy aftertaste, and no salty aftermath on your tongue at all.