With opening of dim sum star Tim Ho Wan, Katy's Asiatown is at its best

A few months later, in the next strip over, the Katy Grand development completed the first phase of its own food mecca. Today, there's a location of 85°C Bakery, the global Taiwanese chain renowned for its pastries and drinks; Kura, a revolving sushi bar; the hot pot phenomenon Haidilao; SomiSomi, which specializes in Korean ah-boong (soft serve in a fish-shaped waffle cone); and even a Japanese bookstore, Kinokuniya.

An outpost of Tim Ho Wan is a big get for NewQuest Properties, the developer behind Katy Grand. Together with Katy Asian Town, the cluster has become second in line—after Houston's own expansive version—for the best neighborhood in the metropolitan area to eat Asian food.

Tim Ho Wan's menu includes beef balls with bean curd skin (left) and spring rolls with egg whites and shrimp. (Photos by Emma Balter)

Founded in 2009, Tim Ho Wan now has 60 restaurants across 13 countries. The original, in Hong Kong's bustling Mong Kok district, has a Michelin star, earning the title of cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world. There are now locations stateside, in New York, California, Las Vegas and Hawaii.

Owned by Mak Kwai-Pui and Leung Fai-Keung, Tim Ho Wan is famous for dim sum, a traditional Chinese meal made up of dumplings and other small plates. It's most commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, and consists of steamed, baked or fried bites often served from carts that roll around a massive dining room.

There are no carts at the Tim Ho Wan in Katy, but the dim sum on offer is excellent, rivaling stalwarts in Houston such as Ocean Palace and Kim Son. The local team is led by Chef Paul Li, and Kwai-Pui traveled to Texas to meticulously oversee the opening. So, what should you order off the menu?

Clockwise from top left: BBQ pork buns, wontons in spicy sauce, lava custard sesame balls and siu mai. (Photos by Emma Balter)

No trip to Tim Ho Wan is complete without the baked BBQ pork buns, a signature dish that stuffs succulent barbecued meat into a slightly sweet, thin and crackly casing. For some spice, opt for the delicate wontons that swim in a tingly chile oil and soy sauce. The tried-and-true dim sum classics are well-represented, should you need your fill of siu mai (steamed shrimp dumplings in the thick white wrapper) or har gow (pork and shrimp dumplings in the wrinkly yellow wrapper).

Other worthy bites include beef balls with bean curd skin, sticky rice with pork cooked in a lotus leaf, spring rolls with egg whites and shrimp, and pan-fried turnip cakes. Don't walk out without ordering the sesame balls for dessert, which are filled with sweet-and-salty, hot, oozing custard.